Following in the tradition not only of gimmicky dishes made with absurdly expensive ingredients (which is how we ended up with monstrosities like the $1,000 omelet and the $25,000 taco) but also in the tradition of gimmicky dishes made for Instagram rather than taste buds (looking at you, rainbow bagels), a restaurant chain in New York City is now serving 24-karat gold chicken wings.
The dish was devised by self-proclaimed "Foodgod" (yes, he calls himself that) and Kardashian-adjacent TV personality Jonathan Cheban in partnership with The Ainsworth, which began selling the shiny wings last month at its Manhattan locations in Chelsea and the East Village. From the chain's Instagram page, we gather that you can feast on gold-dusted poultry at The Ainsworth restaurants in Hoboken, New Jersey, and Kansas City as well.
According to CNN, wings are brined for 12 hours before being coated with a house-made dry rub, then baked, flash-fried, and finally, with apparently no discernible flavor benefit, coated in gold dust. They're served with a side of blue cheese dressing for dipping.
The price isn't as high as you might expect: $45 will get you 10 wings, or you can get 20 for $90.
There is an exorbitant option, though. For $1,000, you can get 50 wings and a bottle of champagne.
If you're visiting New York this summer and feel that you simply must try the 24k gold chicken wings for the sake of your social media feeds, go ahead—though you might find that our picks for the city's best restaurants provide more enjoyable ways to spend your time, money, and daily calorie allotment.
We do have to admit that it's pretty cool how the gold dust leaves your lips all glittery like John Cameron Mitchell's in Hedwig and the Angry Inch.
