HDHH hits the history books

For those of you who don’t know, I grew up in Buffalo, home of the chicken wing.  And with the Superbowl fast approaching, it seemed appropriate to give you a bit of the history behind this deep-fried delicacy. 

My pal, Therese, of dinner co-op fame, gave me an intriguing little book called "Chicken a la King & the Buffalo Wing" that delves into the background of some of our favorite foods.  According to the author, Steven Gilbar, as well as my favorite chicken wing purveyor, The Anchor Bar, this is the story of the chicken wing.

Photo courtesy of anchorbar.com

Frank and Teressa Bellissimo owned a restaurant in Buffalo, NY called the Anchor Bar. Their son, Dominic, was tending bar at the restaurant on a fateful Friday night in 1964. Late that evening, a bunch of Dominic's pals arrived at the bar ready for some grub. Teressa came to the rescue when she decided to deep fry some chicken wings, normally relegated to the stock pot for soup.  After tossing them with her secret sauce, she served the fried chicken wings to Dominic's friends to rave reviews.  The rest, as they say, is history.    


This Sunday, as you’re cheering on the Packers or that other team, stuffing your face, and enjoying the best commercials of the year, regale your fellow fans with the tale of the Anchor Bar.  I’m sure they’ll appreciate your foodie insight. 


And now (I’m sorry, but this must be done since I live in Wisconsin now), please CLICK HERE to enjoy a little jam about my new hometown team, the Green Bay Packers.  This Buffalo gal is certainly feeling so fly like a cheesehead.  Go, Pack, Go!