A Theme - Spicy Fast Food - Today's Entrant - KFC Fiery Grilled Wing

I have long held the belief that it is rare to find good, spicy food at a mainstream restaurant.  Mostly because the taste buds of the masses have been coddled and pampered to the point that now, any capsaicin encounter sends people crying for mommy.  I also think that it reflects a general belief that a good life should, somehow, be pain free.

But, I'm not here to rant.  I am going to do a theme for a few entries.  Spicy Fast Foods - are there any good ones? Since so many of my posts are highly limited geographically, it's time to pretend to reach a larger audience and what is more ubiquitous than fast food?  Not much.  So here we go:

Our first entrant is the KFC Fiery Grilled Wing.  KFC officially lost its identity when it introduced grilled chicken (making it KGC instead).  I am not criticizing the move from a health standpoint - KFC has long been, in my opinion, one of the fast food restaurants that I thought should have the most trouble sleeping at night, since it probably has raised America's collective cholesterol by at least 10 points. It's just that your name is "Fried".  FRIED.  Is this one of the biggest oxymoron's in the fast food world or is it just me?

My initial impression of KFC grilled chicken? Meh.  Ok, but I'll take El Pollo Loco any day.  BUT, when they introduced Fiery Grilled Wings, I, a fat person trying to be less fat, thought to myself "An opportunity to eat spicy fat person food and not be super fat?"  I was, to say the least, intrigued.

So, I toddled (not just babies toddle, me and Chicago do as well) down to the local KFC and ordered two sets of wings.  One Fiery Buffalo (fried) and one set of Fiery Grilled.  The fitness gods were smiling on me that day and somehow made it impossible for KFC to FC - that is, they couldn't provide the fried wings, only grilled.  So, without any further ado, the KFC Fiery Grilled Wing:

My take?  Tasty.  Quite tasty and appropriately spicy.  Too often spicy means "zesty" and "colored red" and nothing else.  Here, the Grilled Fiery Wing was not too chewy (kind of chewy, but not bad for a non-fried wing), flavorful and it burned a bit.  Not too much ( I didn't sweat), but it was refreshing.  I will tell you, this was the first positive eating experience I have had at KFC in quite some time.  For the first time in years, I left feeling not very guilty and wanting to return.
Verdict: Success.