National Super Chicken Wing Day

National Super Chicken Wing Day! February 12

It is no secret that the birthplace of the chicken wing is Buffalo, New York. However, the story of how they came to be might not be what you expected. If you’re from Buffalo, you have definitely heard of the Anchor Bar. In 1964, co-owner of Anchor Bar, Teressa Bellissimo, was asked by her son and his friends to make them a late-night snack. She came up with the idea to then cook the leftover chicken wings in hot sauce-her son and his friends liked them so much that they were added to the menu the next day! This is when the traditional “Buffalo Wing” was born and began gaining popularity around the city. Chicken wings are also a popular game-day food, especially for Bills Mafia. Restaurants and bars realized that they could sell these chicken wings for low prices which also increased the sale of beer. The popularity of wings grew rapidly and became a staple for Buffalonians. The Anchor Bar is the birthplace of the “original” chicken wings, but there is a wide variety of options to get wings throughout the city. If you are looking for the traditional chicken wing, the Anchor Bar is the place to go. They have classic wings and traditional flavors that are fried and sauced to perfection. The wings at the Anchor Bar are crispy and sauced in the best way, not too much but not too little, which is why they are my favorite! Bar Bill Tavern is another well-known bar and restaurant for chicken wings. The difference from other places is the fact that they have unique sauces. In my opinion, the best on the menu is the Cajun BBQ Honey Butter chicken wings. I have lived in Buffalo my whole life but had never had a wing sauce like this until I tried it at Bar Bill. This wing flavor is amazing because it is sweet and spicy at the same time.

If you are a person that enjoys a saucier chicken wing, check out Duff’s! Duff’s can be argued to be the best place for wings around the city. Duff’s is known for the hotness of their wings. As their motto goes: “WARNING: Medium is HOT! Medium hot is VERY HOT! Hot is VERY VERY HOT! They douse their wings in sauce to give you a kick of flavor which is what makes them so delicious!

Grace Carra