Each issue of Covered Bridge we, your brave culinary explorers Russel Reuben and William Montecristo, search the Valley for inspiring burgers, sandwiches, tacos, snacks on a stick, second breakfasts and finger foods.
For issue three, we wanted to explore an often overlooked yet frequently elevated comfort food. Whether you’re a road worn and weary traveler or just enjoying local staycation vibes, one trusty menu offering always seems to be waiting and ready to lift you up like a letter from home. Blue collar born and bred, yet comfortable betwixt extravagant opulence, for your consideration …
Buffalo Style Chicken Wings Served in Fancy Hotel Lobbies (paired with Coors Light).
Reuben: Have you ever used a valet for your car while picking up chicken wings? Yeah, me neither. You get what you pay for with these crazy, crispy flappers: extra skin bits, heirloom carrots and Egyptian cotton lemon essential oil wet wipes. These bad bitties might just be the best hotel lobby chicken wings this side of Buffalo. Def bringing Photo Tom here on our next “Fancy Man Night Out.”
Montecristo: It’s true that in my Bridge Street prime I may have dominated a 25-cent wing night or two back when the Village still had dive bars. But now, I’m a man of refined tastes. I prefer to micro-dose my drummies and responsibly enjoy an American style light lager. Remedy means serious wing business and dishes out the crispy skin for the win! The highest PPW (price per wing) in the study, but before letting après sticker shock dissuade you from following in our foot steps ask yourself, “Do you like luxury?”
Reuben: I wonder if chicken wings dream about me, too? Make your way past the surreal and psychedelic friendly lobby fire feature, pull up a seat at the bar and devour chicken wings like life does dreams. First sous vide, then fried golden and crisp, it’s an all gas no brakes, one-way ticket to dreamland once the plate is served!
Montecristo: I just learned what crudites means, but I must say this crudites is on point. Micro-green garnished and lightly sauced to let that delicate chicken flavor shine. Just the right amount of lip tickle from these posh spiced wings, but those cayenne flames are doused handily by a best-class ranch dressing. Not too thin, not too thick, it’s the ranch Goldilocks ate.
Reuben: Who knew this place had more to offer than an easily poachable pool and hot tub? Considered our most local spot in the “Lambo Wing” challenge, I found myself voraciously biting into this sauce drenched wing thinking, “Who needs lip gloss when you’ve been eating buffalo wings?”
Montecristo: I like my mountains blue and wings red hot! Big thanks to my homie Jack, whose educated tastebuds have worked at every fancy restaurant in town, for turning my wing-man Russie Rubes and I onto these West Vail delicacies. We often feel like Vail’s own Maverick and Goose in our high-flying quest for culinary excellence, and bros eating with their hands proved to be the blockbuster feel-good hit of the season.
Disclaimer: These rankings are absolutely anecdotal samplings of some of the food we ate with our hands and is by no stretch of the imagination an all-inclusive or accurate encapsulation of the valley’s cornucopia of offerings. If you have a suggestion of where we should eat next please email us at eatwithyourhandsvail@gmail.com.
Illustrations by Becca Saulsberry.