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The last weekend in May, Memorial Day Weekend 2011, we headed out to judge the Roc City Rib Fest in Rochester New York. Because the drive was about 7 hours, we decided to make go of taking in some extra sights. As part of our trip, we made a stop at Niagara Falls. Although it was dim, cloudy day, with mists clinging in the air, the falls was still a site to behold. The churning, green water below stood out in stark contrast against the pale gray blanket that represented the sky.

From the falls, we drove a little over an hour to Buffalo. And with foodies like us, you already know why — the Wings. We sought out Frank and Teressa’s Anchor Bar — home of the original Buffalo Wing. Yeah, we know some people say Duff’s is the place to go, but on our road trip, we wanted to experience the history as much as the food, so Anchor Bar it was.

Located at 1047 Main Street, this brick red facade can best be described as a neighborhood hang with a homey, but eclectic feel. License plates, Elvis, and a wooden Saute of Liberty holding a plate of Buffalo Wings just scratch the surface of the decor.

We ordered a platter of 5o wings doused with two sauces — half mild and half hot. Our waitress plunked down the platter on a raised platform the stood above all other items on the table. An enticing idea that presents the food well and keeps it in easy reach…which was fabulous.
Crispy, crunchy fries, a flavorless mayo-ridden slaw, and spicy potato wedges comprised our sides.

These wings and drumlets came from chickens that were large enough to fight back! Big, meaty, and crispy, the chicken was moist and really offered something you could sink your teeth into. The platter was adorned with four cups containing a richly textured Blue cheese dressing. Unlike some places that serve a watery sauce with giant gobs of cheese, the Anchor Bar’s sauce contains smaller bits of Blue cheese, which adheres to the chicken more kindly with each and every dip!

The mild sauce was incredibly bland; perhaps, best for children and those with only the absolute faintest of tolerance for spice. The hot sauce was a far cry from flaming. In fact, it had a nice overall flavor to accompany just a tad of burn. This sauce is a good call for most folks who drop in for a taste of what Anchor Bar has to offer.

Dig the all-purpose spice rub by Jill Hough, food columnist at the Oakland Tribune and Bon Appetit, that this bar-b-cutie shares with us. This is a cajun-inspired rub that can be used on salmon, ribs, and anything inbetween.

Pro-tip time from the BullyLife crew. If you’re whipping up some meatballs and want to set ‘em and forget ‘em you can cook them in muffin tins. The pan shape helps to cook the meatballs more evenly than if you were to just bake/broil them on there own. Some folks will pan cook meatballs, too. Using the muffin tin trick is simple and means you don’t have to go and turn everything. You still shape the meatballs yourself. However, I bet you could just pack the tins and make them like mini meatloafs to go. Next kitchen experiment to be mini meatloafs? Hell yea.

I’ll never take solace in the death of man. However, I totally would kick Bin Laden in the cubes every day for the rest of my life if I had the chance.