recommended

It's a little known fact that in addition to scenic views and family-owned wineries, the Shenandoah Valley is widely celebrated for its chicken wings. The reason it's a little known fact is because I just made it up. But having spent my birthday weekend with friends in a cabin near Shenandoah National Park, a stop for burgers and wings on the way back to DC seemed like just what we needed to take the edge off an impending Monday. Burgers "N" Things is purely a roadside takeout, and looking up at the menu board I found "wing dings" listed under "hot sandwiches", below the chili-cheese fries and just above the apple pie sticks. As usual when I sample wings off the beaten path I didn't know what to expect.

Fun Fact: The song Afternoon Delight, a 1976 number 1 single on the Billboard Hot 100, was named after the late afternoon appetizer menu at Clyde's of Georgetown. I didn't know this, or really anything at about Clyde's, when I went for a coworker's sendoff happy hour one Wednesday after work. What I did know was that the delight of that particular afternoon would be chicken wings and beer.

It's good to have a place like Axis in your neighborhood. Quality food in a casual but classy atmosphere and bartenders that at least pretend to be knowledgeable about beer. Their wings were some of the first I'd eaten after starting wingipedia. I liked them but didn't manage (read: "was too drunk") to write a review the first time around. So I went back for round two hoping that they'd be as good as I remembered.

Picture it: Tuesday night, working late, you get a call -- friends going out for wings. Do you take a pass citing work and an early day tomorrow, or do you shut off your monitor, get on your bike, and make it happen? I briefly considered the question and a half hour later walked into Looking Glass Lounge. I'd soon be glad I did.

A friend and I were walking around Ballston after seeing the Comedy Spot's Blue Show, when Carpool's bustling atmosphere and outdoor seating called to me. It's big place that reminded us both of a higher end Dr. Dremos but we went inside only to order wings, opting instead for one of their two patios to take in the Spring weather. It took me a second, but I got it. "Car" because the decor is automobile themed, and "pool" because there's pool tables. Clever.