You've seen them on game day and you order them at the bar to go with a perfect pitcher of ice-cold beer. They're small but mighty and devilishly underestimated when it comes to the amount of meat that is on their small bones, and for purists, these wings are fried, and tossed in a spicy and tangy sauce that's made with hot sauce and butter. They might not be the healthiest start to a meal or the most filling, but they're certainly delicious in their own right and many restaurants wouldn't be the same without them. Never before has there been a more iconic appetizer to accompany football games or a more welcome addition to any barstool table. When it comes to chicken, the wing is by far many fan's favorite parts.
In terms of popular appetizers and snack foods, Buffalo wings are still relatively new in comparison to many other apps that we order from the menu. Known as just fried chicken wings when they're served without the Buffalo sauce or 'dry' as they're referred to in the restaurant business, these small pieces of bone-in chicken were created in 1964 in - you guessed it - Buffalo, New York.
The Birth Of Buffalo Wings
Nowadays, chicken wings come in hundreds of different flavors. Anything from traditional Buffalo to jerk seasoning and even maple BBQ is fair game, with some people even preferring them to be served dry with a side of ranch or bleu cheese dressing. Regardless of how a person takes their wings, the story of their origin is somewhat amusing considering their tremendous popularity today. The story, as it turns out, is somewhat of an homage to needing something quick, affordable, and delicious, and the answer, as it turns out, was the Buffalo wing. In addition to necessity, it's said that chicken wings were born from an accidental shipping mistake - and it turns out that this shipping mistake went down in history as one of the greatest things to ever happen at a bar.
The creator of the Buffalo wings we know and love today was none other than Teressa Bellissimo, the owner of the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York. The Anchor Bar was family-owned and is still open to this day, serving, of course, Buffalo wings - along with some other updated, yet classic, menu items. It's said that the actual chicken wings themselves were the result of receiving the wrong order in delivery and that rather than getting the chicken parts they needed, the Anchor Bar was sent bags of chicken wings. According to Frank Bellissimo, the husband of Teressa, who told the story to the New Yorker during the 1980s, his wife cooked up these wings instead. The greatest part of this, however, is the addition of her 'special sauce,' which gave birth to not only the chicken wings themselves but the addition of the beloved Buffalo sauce that traditionally coats them.
However, interestingly enough, this story contradicts the story that Bellissimo's son told about the creation of the famed chicken wings. Dominic Bellissimo claimed that the Buffalo wings were a result of a snack requested by him after a night of drinking with his friends. While the stories aren't completely contradictory, as the wings that Dominic was introduced to could very well have been born out of his mother's creativity with the mistaken delivery, they are two interesting accounts. Many people don't give much thought to either story, though, as they're only thankful for the fact that the chicken wings exist with their glorious sauce. So much so, that the city of Buffalo has held an annual Chicken Wing Day every July since 1977.
While the wings were first created during the 1960s, they didn't receive national attention until somewhere during the 1980s. By this point, the appetizer was widespread and being recreated in many restaurants around the country and, eventually, would even be served around the world. The wings have inspired a regional culture as well as a national one, filled with wing-eating competitions, sports events that are defined by their wings, and the adoptions of wings in the BBQ culture which has propelled their popularity through the roof. For those who can't get around the bone-in wings, modern times have also given way to boneless wings, which can also be smothered in Buffalo sauce or tossed in practically any sauce of the diner's choice. In a sense, the Bellissimo family, whether they realized it or not, gave way to a whole new way to appreciate chicken and, by extension, a revolution in lesser-used chicken parts.