Our thoughts obviously go out to our friends in the hardest-hit city in the Big Freeze of 2022 and vow to help them out by winging it to Buffalo.
Buffalonians, or Bills if you’re a fan of their American Football team, are a hardy bunch who live life to the full.
Full of cheer, beer and the culinary delight that they are best known for and shared with the world, Buffalo Wings.
All of which our group of Travel professionals were treated to first-hand in Dublin a couple of years ago.
And which, of course, we had to be spoonfed on how best to eat the chicken chunks.
And given the backstory to our favourite wings.
But no, they have nothing to do with buffaloes or Buffalo Bill.
Although it’s fun to imagine the Great Cowboy munching on chicken as he lassoed a buffalo out on the plains.
Buffalo wings on the bill
No, Buffalo in upstate New York.
Close to the border with Canada, is far removed from the Wild West.
Although food is food everywhere and its origins often similar, hungry, or thirsty, folk, late at night.
And the need to rustle up something to fill the belly.
Which is where they were at just down the road in Connecticut.
With their Neapolitan apizza and their hamburgers from Hamburg.
As usual though we digress when where we want to be in the Anchor Bar in 1964.
Where Teresa Bellissimo welcomed her son Dominic back from college with open arms.
But with bambino and his amici needing fed.
Hot, hot, hot
Teresa needed a fast and easy snack and fell upon the idea of deep frying chicken wings (normally thrown away or reserved for stock).
And tossing them in cayenne hot sauce.
Where this gets even more interesting and is particularly culinary is that a battle then broke out.
When local bar Duff’s began selling its Buffalo wings.
We’ll let them fight it between themselves.
And content ourselves with the fact that there’s all the more to go around.
Who and why they came to be served with blue cheese and celery takes some more digging.
Wagon ale
Maybe with a Circle the Wagons local IPA and Pilsner or any of the range of excellent upstate New York ales.
Just a couple of reasons then for winging it to Buffalo when it all thaws out.
So good luck Buffalo and we can’t wait to get around the table with you again and fly out with British Airways.