I love finding interesting places to eat and it’s even better if the places have an historical interest or some other claim to fame. That’s why I suggest that you visit the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York. If you’re on a culinary tour of interesting places in New York – without breaking the bank – this place is a must.
There’s nothing that immediately seems to be particularly special about this bar – although the decor is cosy and very ‘pub-ish’.
Here’s the question? What was invented here in 1964? The clue is in the location. I have to admit that the first time I came across buffalo wings, I thought that ‘buffalo’ was simply Americanese for ‘big’. But yes, the Anchor Bar is where buffalo wings first made their appearance.
The story goes that on March 4th, 1964, the son of the owners, Dominic Bellisimo, was a bartender in the Anchor. Several of his friends turned up looking for a quick but tasty meal. Dom’s mother, Terresa, looked around the kitchen and spotted an ingredient that would normally be used only in the stockpot – chicken wings.
She fried them, added a ‘secret sauce’, served them with celery and blue cheese dressing an buffalo wings were born. They became a popular local delicacy. By the 1980s their fame had spread and buffalo wings were served in almost every bar in the States. ‘Buffalo wings’ almost became a generic description.
The Anchor Bar has won many awards over the years including one from the prestigious James Beard Foundation. And since 1977, July 29th has been designated as Chicken Wing Day, thanks to the then-mayor of Buffalo.
At time of writing, the Amchor Bar has several locations throughout the States and the originality of their buffalo wings is guaranteed. However, my destination is the original bar in Buffalo where the recipe was first created.
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HOW TO FIND THE ANCHOR BAR
The Anchor Bar, Buffalo
1047 Main St,
Buffalo, NY 14209
ARTICLE BY:
Jackie
JJ is originally from the UK and has lived in South Florida since 1994. She is the founder and editor of JAQUO Magazine. You can connect with her using the social media icons below.