I was introduced to Buffalo wings about fifteen years ago, when they arrived — unheralded — in Mundelein, Illinois. It was a tiny, A-frame shack that offered them, six to a serving, noting they were direct from Buffalo,NY.
I didn’t know what to expect, but I ordered a serving anyway. Waited for their delivery at my table and wondered what I was doing. I must say I wasn’t duly impressed at the time, as I thought they were merely chicken wings with a fancy name and requiring a lot of hands-on attention to eat. My fingers and my face bore proof.
But on our recent trip to upstate New York, Earl and I visited the mother lode of chicken wings, and I was duly impressed. The Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York, claims the title of “Original Home of Buffalo Chicken Wings” that has spread not only across our country but also internationally. Imagine creating a dish that bears your city’s name for posterity.
We ordered a plate of twenty with medium sauce, although the options ranged from a plate of ten to a bucket of fifty with sauces graded from mild, medium, hot, spicy, and — if you dare! — suicidal. We chose medium.
While we waited for our order we read the giant menu and quizzed our waitress. Her name was Brigid and she said she had no idea how many wings the Anchor Bar served each week; she did acknowledge, however, that the tasty wings were one reason she worked there. She also said it seemed as if tourists, as opposed to locals, ordered them. As for the menu, it divulged the story of how the chicken wings originally came into existence one Friday night in 1964. It seems a group of the owner’s friends arrived late in the evening, thirsty and hungry. The tap could satisfy the first need, but it was left to Teressa Bellissimo, the owner’s wife, to think on her feet in the kitchen. She threw some wings in the deep fryer, slathered sauce on them, and sent them out for consumption. The rest is culinary chicken history.
Let it be said that Earl and I finished our plate of twenty wings in record time and agreed that they were delicious. We also agreed it was worth making the detour off our charted route. I mean, it’s a long way from St. Joseph, Michigan, to Buffalo, New York, just for chicken wings. But if you’re in the vicinity — which means within a couple hundred miles of downtown Buffalo — we recommend you stop in and see for yourself.
Or, failing that, consider visiting the following websites where you can order your own wings for delivery at home. Go to www.anchorbar.com, www.buffalowings.com, or www.madeinbuffalo.com. Tell them Earl and Anne sent you.
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