Wildwood BBQ: the latest in NYC's BBQ frenzy

On Saturday during a stroll to find lunch, Thighs declared "I feel like eating meat. Does that make sense?". Honestly, it didn't until we found ourselves standing in front of the latest entrant into New York's race for BBQ supremacy, Wildwood BBQ.

Reviews for Wildwood have been mixed, but I was certainly willing to give it a try. The woody airy decor was enticing, however, it did make me long for the former inhabitant of this space, Park Avalon, a former new American establishment in the B.R. Guest empire.

We began our meal with 1/2 dozen chicken wings; choosing the "rubbed and fried" version since Thighs was going to have her main with Wildwood's chipotle-raspberry sauce and we wanted to taste as many flavors of sauce as possible. The wings were juicy and not as heavily battered as I expected, a pleasant surprise.

Thighs followed with the Memphis-style baby back ribs which are "wet and slathered with Wildwood spicy chipotle and raspberry BBQ". The ribs were tender and the sauce was rich and hearty. The best dish of the meal.

I chose the pork spare ribs which are "dry dusted with Lou's sugar and spice rub". The ribs were meaty and on the lean side yet still slid off the bone with ease.

We enjoyed our vegetarian's nightmare with a side of sweet potato fries which were decent, but not as crispy or salty as I would have liked.

Overall, it was a noble effort by Wildwood to stand up to the competition and while it slightly missed the mark, this might improve with time. The quality of the meat may be slightly lower than the high standards set by Hill Country (an obvious competitor) but the level of smoke and flavors are on the right track. That is, until the next wave of cuisine takes over the city.