Since 1998, the James Beard Foundation has honored a handful of “America’s Classics” each year. The foundation probably didn’t intend the list to be a travelers’ database for touring the country, but that’s exactly how we use it. When we set out at the end of March to drive from the Boston area to Santa Fe, we broke the trip into 7- to 8-hour segments, then looked for an America’s Classic. We knew that these homey, often mom-and-pop casual restaurants would guarantee a welcoming place with local character after a day on the road. Once we’d settled on a place to eat, we looked for a nearby modest motel.
The Anchor Bar (1047 Main Street, Buffalo, NY; 716-883-1134; anchorbar.com) in Buffalo, New York, was our first stop driving from Cambridge, Massachusetts. On March 4, 1964, bartender Dominic Bellissimo asked his mother to rustle up something for a group of hungry friends. She took the chicken wings normally reserved for the stock pot, deep-fried them, and served them with a “secret” hot sauce. Maybe to make them “healthy,” Teressa added some celery sticks and bleu cheese sauce. The Buffalo chicken wing was born.
Chicken wings have been very very good to the Anchor, which seems to have expanded in every direction over the years. The walls of the festive spot are emblazoned with license plates from around North America along with motorcycle memorabilia. On the night we arrived, the Montreal Canadiens were playing the Buffalo Sabres down the street at Keybank Center and fans mobbed the Anchor to get their wings fix before the game. We were surprised that Habs fans outnumbered Sabres fans, but the Canadien fanbase dates to pre-1967 NHL when Montreal was the closest team.
When it came time to order, we tapped our waitress for advice. The menu offers both traditional and boneless wings. “Get the traditional,” she said. “We’re not famous for chicken nuggets.” The wings sauce comes in nine levels of heat from mild to extreme. We didn’t have to ask. “Get the medium,” she said. “That’s what we’re famous for.”
She swiftly brought us a plate of wings, a bowl for the bones, two small plates and a big pile of napkins. The wings were crispy on the outside, meaty on the inside, and all-around addictively delicious. And the friendly atmosphere delivered as well. When the big family at the next table (below) left to catch the hockey game, they complimented us on how well the Bruins were playing this year. They even forgave us for being Patriots fans, but then the Bills have had a couple of sweet seasons lately.
