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He’s lord of the wings.
A JFK worker is building a social media following as Long Island’s “Wing Scout” with increasingly popular reviews of the pub-menu mainstay that adhere to two cardinal rules: nothing boneless and no ranch dressing.
“I’m hearing from restaurants that they’re selling out of their wings after I stop in,” Babylon’s Ryan Bliss told The Post of his reviews, which rate wings 1-10.
“I got approached by at least five people at the [comedian] Shane Gillis show at MSG,” said Bliss, who is a power plant worker at the airport. “This guy came over going ‘I need a picture!’”
The 35-year-old dad of two has been a wing nut since working as a bus boy, bar back and bartender as a teen. Since he transformed into the Wing Scout on his Instagram page he’s hit a healthy 75 stops on the island, New York City, and Westchester County.
It started on a wing and a prayer in November, and he collected a quick 5,000 followers in two months.
“I took a video as a joke for my group chat and my buddies told me I had to do more,” said Bliss, who is the go-to guy for wing recommendations in his crew of friends. It also helps that his wife is culinary-trained.
What began as a laugh suddenly took flight with now over 7,000 locals tuning into his page, which explores everything from mainstays to hole-in-the-wall joints.
“Even at my job, contractors will go … ‘is that the Wing Scout?’ Now I just have to fully embrace it.”
He’s worked with big brands like Mike’s Hot Honey and is now on speed dial for restaurants that want him to come in and do a Dave Portnoy-style review.
Joe Bonin, the owner of 44-year-old J.Paul’s Terrace Cafe in Oceanside, reached out to Bliss just before the Super Bowl. The review became an extra point in his numbers around February.
“Some people have been walking through the door mentioning, ‘this is our first time here because we saw you on his Instagram,’” said Bonin.
“We’ve definitely seen lots of new faces walk through the doors… It’s kind of cool what he’s done and how he’s grown this following.”
Cow Palace in Rocky Point has also had wing sales soar after a glowing review.
“People would call and say they saw certain flavors on his Instagram page, and they would request the ones that we made for him,” said manager Kevin Huff. “Now those are very popular sellers for us.”
Tons of followers — aka the “scouts” — also suggest new spots the plant worker should try.
“It’s on a rocket ship right now,” said Bliss, who recently had Mets star Doc Gooden in a video at Bull Smith’s Tavern in Smithtown.
Scout’s honor
He’ll always start with a classic Buffalo wing, then try other flavors and specialties once he’s established a benchmark.
Bliss prides himself on his “nine club” — a coveted ranking on the scale that only the best of the best can get, as he’s yet to give out a perfect 10.
The popular devourer is even producing nine club stickers for those prestigious restaurants to put in their windows.
“I think we’re about 20 nines right now, out of the 75,” he said while eating the Thai chili wing at Sally Black’s in Williston Park on Monday.
It got a 9.15, while the new eatery’s regular buffalo wing took home an 8.8.
He isn’t a chicken when it comes to being brutally honest and has given low sixes to local spots that flopped. Bliss shredded the chicken wings at 7-Eleven with a ruthless one-point rating.
Restaurant owners typically keep their composure if they get an underwhelming score, but some viewers cry fowl.
“I went to use the bathroom somewhere once, and some guy comes in and goes ‘Wing Scout! I don’t like your rating system!’
“The guy was approaching me in the bathroom about it,” he added. “I’m like, ‘bro, relax.’”
Aside from the occasional bonehead, feedback has been fantastic for Bliss, who is most happy giving a spotlight to unsung wing joints on the island known mainly for pizza and bagels.
Now he’s organizing Scout Fest, where the places he’s profiled will be part of a street fair in Babylon Village this September.
“We’re going to have a little bit of everything from a wing-eating contest to some judges testing the wings.”
When it comes to can’t-miss wings, Bliss has a few poultry pillars on Long Island.
The scout praises Shanahan’s in Kings Park for their regular wing and Mama’s Garden food truck in Bay Shore for a dry rub, both of which are respectively 9.4.
He’s also partial to a pair of 9.1 ratings: East Northport’s La Villini for a chicken scarpariello wing and Cow Palace for a lemon pepper one.
Sadly, to the dismay of proud islanders, the iconic Candlelight in Scarsdale on the mainland of Westchester holds the scout’s highest-ever ranking, 9.8.
“Those things are no joke,” he said.
But the journey is just beginning as Bliss, who plans on going to the motherland in Buffalo, will keep scouring the Empire State’s whole flock.
“You gotta catch them all. You gotta find every nine that’s out there,” he said.
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