WING-A-DING-DING: St. Francis Hoboken “A Wing & A Prayer” Chicken Wing Fest — PHOTO GALLERY

Let’s face it—the biggest winners at the 6th Annual St. Francis Hoboken ‘A Wing & A Prayer’ Chicken Wing Festival at the Elk’s Club (1005 Washington Street) last Saturday were the attendees.

If you wanted to see first-hand what the Hoboken community is all about, you couldn’t ask for a better example than this stellar event.

Year after year, Hoboken’s extremely generous hospitality community comes together to celebrate the culinary achievement that is the chicken wing—all while helping to support St. Francis Church (308 Jefferson Street), Hoboken’s “Little Church With A Big Heart.”

Attendees were responsible for judging and crowning the “Best Chicken Wings in Hoboken”—not something that should be taken lightly.

This year’s event saw a dramatic upset, as perennial bridesmaid Green Rock Bar & Grill took the trophy, narrowly beating out long-time champ Carpe Diem Pub & Restaurant (3rd Place) and up-and-comer Tony Boloney’s (2nd Place) in a very, very difficult field.

Jennifer Conlan Darlington photo

Anyone willing to put their wings in a lineup like this obviously knows they have a great product. Selections from Antique Bar & Bakery, Biggie’s, Finnegan’s, The Madison Bar & Grill, Napoli’s, Northern Soul, San Giuseppe, The Shepherd & The Knucklehead, Tony Boloney’s, Union Hall, and Village Pourhouse made the voting process deliciously difficult.

But the competitive spirit in the room was a distant second to the sense of community that this event evoked. Competitors, attendees and benefactors alike all understood why they were there.

Proceeds from this event go towards the St. Francis Food Pantry, which feeds up to 60 individuals EACH DAY while delivering bags of groceries to nearly 100 families in need each month.

Meanwhile, the bar community enjoyed a special reminder of their role in this town.

“Thank you St.FrancisHoboken for running a fantastic event last night on multiple levels. There is a reason this is a sell out every year,” said Green Rock owner Michael Gallucci, via facebook. “Thank you to the people who voted for us and OF COURSE thank you to my staff…the best staff in the world. I would like to especially thank the other contestants, many of whom showed genuine joy when congratulating me after receiving trophy. It’s been a rough couple of weeks for my family and staff and it’s nice to be associated with a group of people who appreciate and understand what the entrepreneurial spirit is all about and the day to day struggles of being a business owner. I love you all and everything you stand for.”

Perfect sentiment for a perfect evening… Well done, St. Francis Church!!!

PHOTO GALLERY—photos by Michael Darlington