Junk Food Nation, it’s Friday, and I AM SO GLAD. Seriously, I’m starting to understand, after three decades of being alive, why people say “THANK GOD IT’S FRIDAY.” Definitely had another one of those weeks. Oof.

Anyways, to today’s topic – recently I was on Yahoo Sports Radio’s Bitterness and Rage Show to discuss a recent report that Buffalo Wild Wings sold more boneless wings than bone-in wings. Oh by the way – I’ve talked about the Bitterness and Rage show on this blog before, but just in case, here’s the plug:

Rob Kuney is a teacher, husband, father, son and sports fan, all of which have conspired to create “The Bitterness and Rage Show.” He is just a dope who loves watching sports and talking about them. If you want a sports show for the fans by the fan, then you have come to the right place. Stream “The Bitterness and Rage Show” live, Sunday mornings 9-11am ET on the Yahoo Sports Radio App.

Anyways, we were discussing bone-in vs. boneless wings, since Buffalo Wild Wings apparently sold more boneless wings than bone-in wings this past year. This fact sheet says 1 billion boneless vs. 768 million bone-in wings, accounting for 22% vs. 21% of sales. And the two-part question was: (1) why do you think this is, and (2) are boneless wings actually “wings”? I answered that question on the air here at the 20:00 min mark. Go there. Listen. Enjoy. Back in my voice.

Let’s answer the second part first. Boneless wings are NOT wings. This is a fact; I am not hating on them. Boneless wings are strips of chicken breast, white meat only, that have typically been breaded, then fried, and then tossed in sauce. That’s it. Boneless wings are NOT actual chicken wings that have later been de-boned. No one is doing that, not even that pimple-faced high school kid groping your fries in the back. Do you know how long that would take? That’s absurd. So, repeat after me: boneless wings are chicken strips. Boneless wings are chicken strips.

So why did they sell more of these than actual chicken wings? Well, theories abound. My guesses: people like that they are easier to eat – less mess. Rob, the Emperor of Rage, said that’s why he liked them – less mess at a sporting event. And I get that. Junk Food Gal agreed – she can just bite/eat the whole thing without worrying about needing to deal with bones, wiping off fingers constantly, etc. She is also in the camp of boneless over bone-in. My honest take? Maybe people think they are healthier: white meat only. Maybe people think the sauces stick easier – that breading has nooks and crannies where sauce gets trapped. Plus, maybe it’s just easier for kids – ever see a child trying to eat a two-bone wing? It’s like they’re disarming a detonator. Calm down, kid.

So yeah – I get it. The ease of eating means more sales. But does this offend me? I mean, sort of. Growing up in Upstate New York, I’ve been eating chicken wings forever. And chicken wings, to me, are well defined: Dark Meat. Skin on, fried to a crisp. No breading, or maybe just a flour dredge to get some texture. Tossed in a big stainless steel bowl with Frank’s Red Hot or a local concoction. And that’s it.

So yeah, I’m a bit of a purist. However, this is not to say that I am HATING on boneless wings. I love chicken strips a lot too! Let’s be honest, I’m not going to turn down any bit of fried chicken in any form. BUT. BUT. Bone-in wings are better. They are. The meat is more flavorful, the skin, done right, is amazingly crispy, and while it’s a mess, I ENJOY THE MESS! Given the choice, I will ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS choose bone-in over boneless.

Thoughts, Junk Food Nation? Riddle me this in the comments below: (1) Are you in the bone-in or in the boneless camp? (2) why do YOU think one is better than the other? (3) Tell me your insane argument as to why boneless wings should be considered “wings.” GO. LET’S FIGHT ABOUT IT.

Today’s junk food: New Häagen-Dazs Honey Milk Chocolate Graham Gelato Bars!!

I first saw New Häagen-Dazs Honey Milk Chocolate Graham Gelato Bars over on The Impulsive Buy, and KNEW I had to get them. Whenever new ice cream comes out, I defer to my friends over at On Second Scoop. But they hadn’t reviewed these yet! GAAAAH NOOOO. Therefore, it was up to me. I’ll take that bullet for all of us, people.

There’s been a TON of different Gelato Bars put out by H-D, as evidenced by this list. And while they’ve all looked good, I’ve always thought, “Eh, I probably know what that tastes like. I’ll come back to it later.” And I never do. But once we spotted these New Häagen-Dazs Honey Milk Chocolate Graham Gelato Bars – INTO THE CART THEY WENT.

New Häagen-Dazs Honey Milk Chocolate Graham Gelato Bars combine honey and chocolate?  WAAAAH. THIS is the reason I needed to try this. This is a combo I haven’t eaten much, and certainly not seen in ice cream very much. INTRIGUED.

Yeah, these aren’t good for you. Moving on.

These New Häagen-Dazs Honey Milk Chocolate Graham Gelato Bars were sort of pricey, and only three came in a box. Still, lovely packaging, no?

Each New Häagen-Dazs Honey Milk Chocolate Graham Gelato Bars was sort of heavy – which I liked. Chocolate coated down to the stick with graham crackers pieces poking out everywhere…

When I first bit into this New Häagen-Dazs Honey Milk Chocolate Graham Gelato Bar, the texture was the first thing I noticed – CRUNCHY. The chocolate shell was thick and provided good bite to the bar. It shattered easily, but it wasn’t super thin like a Klondike.

The graham pieces were AWESOME. GREAT crunchy texture added, and I swear, they sort of added an almost cinnamon-y flavor to the bar? Maybe I was imagining it, but whatever. It gave the chocolate a slight Mexican-chocolate taste, which I LOVED. (No real spice, just the cinnamon part). Great milk chocolate flavor – sweet and milky.

But the ice cream inside of these New Häagen-Dazs Honey Milk Chocolate Graham Gelato Bars was the BOMB DOT COM. I took a little spoon to shovel it out by itself, and the gelato was sweet and FULL of honey flavor. DEFINITELY noticeable even though in my picture you can’t really see the ripples. But it tasted just like you’d think – honey taste through and through backed by that nice creamy gelato.

Eaten altogether, the honey flavor was somewhat masked by the chocolate, but the more I chewed the more it emerged. It paired really nicely with the graham bits, of course, and the combo of chocolate and honey and cinnamon was, as I expected, heavenly. Great texture, great flavor, this bar had it all. I loved it. H-D, your execution was perfect. Kudos.

PURCHASED AT: Wegmans, Germantown, MD

COST: $4.29

Thoughts? Please comment below or hit me up on Twitter @junkfoodguy or LIKE my Facebook Page and message me there. I also have Google+!! Let’s hang out.

Sincerely,

Junk Food Guy