Twisted Wings opens in Rockville Centre
Twisted Wings in Rockville Centre sells 25 flavor varieties, including these sweet Thai chile and twisted toxic wings. Credit: Newsday/Andi Berlin
At Twisted Wings, a new zabiha halal spot in Rockville Centre, the 25 flavors of chicken wings are categorized by how many flames sit next to their name. The spiciest wings — like twisted toxic and twisted fire — each have three; the mild Buffalo only has one, and the teriyaki, zero.
This warning didn't stop customers from breaking their Ramadan fasts earlier this spring with a plate of “toxic” wings, said owner Zouhair Aslaoui. The spiciest he'll go is the sweet Thai chile (two flames), so he was surprised to see a recent customer come in at sundown and order the hottest thing they had. And even more impressive, the customer finished them off with no problem, he said.
But the spiciest flavor here probably wouldn't make it past the third round of “Hot Ones,” First We Feast's YouTube series featuring celebrities taste-testing hot wings. The recipe was enough to make you reach for a drink, but not too spicy to deter you from eating the whole pile.
The draw here is not the heat, but the way the bone-in chicken wings are cooked: juicy enough to satisfy and crunchy enough to get addicted. The wings are also available breaded or boneless ($17.50 for a dozen in any variety), but why diverge when the original is good?
A native of Morocco, Aslaoui ran Manny's Sweet Treats in Mineola with his partner, Hector Carvalho, but struck out on his own with a concept change in January. Even though he grew up near Casablanca, he considers himself a New Yorker through and through.
“People complain about the traffic and the noises, but it's a part of us,” he says. “I tried to move to different states, but I'm from New York.”
Twisted Wings, 280 Merrick Rd., Rockville Centre, 516-285-2425, twistedwingsny.com. Open noon to 11 p.m. daily.
Andi Berlin is from Arizona and does not know where she is going. But when she gets there, she’ll find something beautiful and delicious that the world needs to taste.
