Try 10 Classic American Foods in the Places They Were Invented
There was a time when restaurants didn’t serve chicken wings. Considered too bony with not enough meat, they were usually just thrown into the stockpot to flavor soups and sauces.
That all changed late one night in 1964 at Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York. Dominic, the son of owners Frank and Teressa Bellissimo, was tending bar when a group of his friends came in. They were hungry, so he asked his mother to whip up something quick. Teressa fried a batch of chicken wings, coated them with a spicy sauce—made up on the spot and still kept a secret—and served with a side of blue cheese and celery. A star was born. The wings were such a hit that the Bellissimos put them on the menu, and soon there were lines out the door.
Since then, there have been multitudes of imitators and wings have become synonymous with Buffalo—but to try the recipe that started it all, you have to go to Anchor Bar.
1047 Main St.; AnchorBar.com
