Editor's Note: This column is part of two point-counterpoint dueling columns published in the Oct. 8 edition of The Spectrum. The counterpoint column is listed under related articles.
In 1964, perfection was born.
Teressa Bellissimo took leftover chicken wings that she had kept in Anchor Bar's kitchen freezer, deep fried them and mixed them with hot sauce. Little did she know that 49 years later, the concoction would strike a debate in The Spectrum.
I am by no means a food expert nor do I have a license to judge. But I can say that I know what good chicken wings should look like and taste like because I've eaten them every weekend while watching sporting events since I was 5 years old.
I arrived in Buffalo in 2010, and I was desperate to be a part of the frequent debate, 'Who has a better wing: Duff's Famous Wings or Anchor Bar?'
And after three years of ordering from both places, I have realized one thing: When it comes to Anchor Bar, you can't mess with perfection.
There is no better feeling than biting into a chicken wing and letting the flavor of the sauce hit you in the mouth like a punch from a boxer.
Duff's supporters seem to think that although the restaurant wasn't the creator of the wing, it has mastered the Buffalo wing recipe and made it that much better.
Actually, that is far from the truth.
Duff's fails to understand that taking a chicken wing and letting it soak in hot sauce is not appealing to a costumer.
I'm not impressed. It is frustrating when you are trying to enjoy a local Buffalo delicacy and your hands are covered in sauce before the wing even hits your mouth.
And if you order your wings extra hot, it leaves your hand burning like you just stuck them on a stove every time you pick one up.
Yes, I know that wings are covered in all types of sauces, but it shouldn't be to the point in which you're swimming in it.
At Anchor Bar, the sauce-to-wing ratio is perfect, based off the recipe of 2.5 pounds of wings and 1/2 cup of Frank & Teressa's Original Anchor Bar Sauce, to give a great balance of flavor.
But sauce is not the only reason Anchor Bar is better than Duff's. Plain and simple, the establishment just makes a better wing.
Regardless of how you order your wings at Anchor Bar, they are always meaty and crispy; with every bite, the oils and sauce ooze into your mouth.
At Duff's, the wing just doesn't have the same feeling as Anchor Bar's. Duff's hasn't quite mastered the true culinary masterpiece of what a chicken wing is.
Every bite I take of a Duff's wing doesn't provide my taste buds with a fusion of sauce and texture; every bite I take of a Duff's wing doesn't provide my ear buds with a crunch like a Teressa Bellissimo wing does.
If it looks like a wing and tastes like a wing, it must sound like a wing. Duff's may think it has wings mastered, but it's clearly evident that you can't mess with perfection.
email: joseph.konze@ubspectrum.com
