To Wingazette®:

It was with great sadness that I read the Wingazette®'s recent review of Fatheads in Pittsburgh.   I am not disappointed in the review itself, I know from recent personal visits that Wingazette®'s report was spot on.  But as one who humbly considers himself a legitimate wing pioneer, it is sad to see how far Fatheads has fallen from its position in the early wing pantheon. 

Fatheads was on the cutting edge of the wing explosion of the late 80's and early 90's.  The original restaurant was a true dive, with cheap, cold beer and murals on the walls that could only have been painted for free by a friend or family member of the owners.  The original killer wing, Fathead vs. The Volcano, was served in one size - five wings - and you had to sign a written waiver releasing the restaurant of all liability arising from your consumption.  The Volcanoes, as we called them, were also the first restaurant wings that I can recall that actually featured fresh habenero peppers.  These days any restaurant can produce intolerable heat via a $7.95 bottle of pure capsicum (and Fatheads may be doing so now), but back then the fresh habs contributed to a true wing eating Fear Factor (they also famously gave me, inexplicably, a wicked case of the hiccups as soon as my order arrive).  For those of you newer wing connoisseurs, "Fear Factor" refers to the conflicting emotions one has when the wings taste so good that you always want one more, but they are so hot that you are secretly hopeful that when you glance down your plate will be empty.

Alas, like many wing restaurants, success proved to be the undoing of Fatheads.  When the weekend table wait began to exceed 90 minutes, the owners acquired the space next door and knocked down the dividing wall.  The Fatheads identity shifted to a hip urban bar serving dozens of trendy draft beers, and the wings became an afterthought.  They also succumbed to another marketing disaster that has plagued wing restaurants for year now - bigger is better.  Next to its wings, the early Fatheads was famous for large sandwiches.  Assuming that larger means better in every case, the Fatheads wings grew bigger and bigger in size.  As many of you know, Wingazette® has devoted ample space to educating its reader on the folly of this bigger is better approach to wings.

The simple reality these days is that most restaurants are either unwilling or unable to serve a truly good wing product.  I do not travel as much as I used to, but the fact is that it has been a long time since I have had an order of wings that comes close to the wings I prepare at home following the Wingazette® Cookbook.  If you come across an exception to this rule, please be sure to share your experience with the rest of us.

Dan O'Connor

Danbury, CT

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