Anchor Bar

The Anchor Bar is a bar and restaurant in Buffalo, New York, located north of Downtown Buffalo at the intersection of Main and North Streets. The restaurant was initially established in 1935. It is accessible by Buffalo Metro Rail, being approximately equidistant from the Allen-Medical Campus and Summer–Best stations. The bar is most famous for being the birthplace of spicy chicken wings known outside the Buffalo area as Buffalo wings.

Buffalo wings

The bar's association with Buffalo wings originates in the 1960s. Then-owner Teresa Bellissimo is credited with the creation of the dish when she deep-fried some wings and covered them in Frank's RedHot hot sauce and butter. Chicken wings were previously used for soup or simply thrown away. She served them with blue cheese dip as hors d'oeuvres at the bar. They were initially offered for free. Anchor Bar sauces are sold in the United States at Tops Friendly Markets, and in Canada at Sobey's and Metro stores.

In 2007, Iron Chef and Food Network personality Bobby Flay appeared at the Anchor Bar for a Buffalo wing "throwdown" with the self-proclaimed "Wing King", Drew Cerza.

Anchor (New Haven bar)

The Anchor was a popular bar and restaurant located at 272 College Street in downtown New Haven that operated from the 1930s until 2015. The establishment was popular with students and faculty of neighboring Yale University and patrons of the Shubert Theatre. It was a favorite of playwright Thornton Wilder and also catered to such celebrities as Lucille Ball, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., and George C. Scott. It is known for its preserved Art Moderne facade and interior. In 2014, the bar's last full year, Esquire magazine ranked the Anchor among the nation's top 25 bars.

History

The Anchor bar, named for Anchor Beach in the nearby town of Milford, Connecticut, began operating shortly after prohibition. During the 1940s the business was moved to its College Street location. It was owned continuously by the Moore family from 1963 until closing.

Closure

The Anchor closed abruptly on the night of January 4, 2015. The landlord, Yale University, shut down the establishment after new management repeatedly failed to make rent. Controversy ensued, with a petition gaining over 1000 signatures and New Haven's government stepping in to preserve the mid-century interior and art moderne facade.