The first dinner I had at Niagara Falls was AG at the Sterling, a well-known farm-to-table restaurant.



This restaurant helped set the standard for incredible cuisine in the area. The whole front page of their menu is dedicated to this concept and even lists many of their local vendors.



This restaurant came on the heels of a double-wing stop in Buffalo, so I wasn't super hungry, but I was definitely wanting a few little tastes.



The entrees featured delectable items like quail and blueberry barley risotto, hand rolled pappardelle and mulled cider glazed duck.



You can do a full prix fixe menu with beverage pairing or do more a la carte.

But, first we started with some warm bread - one with fruit and one more savory. Delicious.



Then, a small cold fish palate cleanser from the chef.



I ordered the Harissa rubbed wild boar fusilli with forest mushrooms, root parsley pesto and "Dark Side of the Moo" cheese. This was unbelievable. Perfect bite to the pasta, but fresh. I still think of this dish.



Then, for dessert, I had the Spring Rhubarb Trifle, which came with diced rhubarb gateau, custard, rhubarb gelee and salted caramel pearls. So yummy!

Duff's is a famous wing joint outside of Buffalo that also claims to have served up the first chicken wings.

In 1946, Louise Duffney opened a corner Gin Mill at Sheridan Drive and Millersport Highway in Amherst, New York, just north of Buffalo. 

It was in 1969 that the local tavern known simply as Duff’s served up their first batch of chicken wings. Selling nearly 20 pounds of wings a week, Duff’s began to create a name for itself and a reputation for having the best wings in Buffalo. It was around 1985 that it was established that Duff’s wings were indeed famous, and the name became official. 

Duff’s Famous Wings in Amherst, New York still operates in the same original location.
Duff’s Famous Wings restaurants put the same tradition into making every batch of authentic Buffalo wings; the same tradition that was used when Louise introduced the wings in 1969.

Lisa and I ordered the same wings as we did at The Anchor Bar so we could do a fair comparison.



We ordered Mild and BBQ.



Oh, and I got a Loganberry, which I had overheard the table next to me getting. It's a blackberry-raspberry drink popular in the Buffalo area that reminds me of Kool-aid. I am into it!



So the BBQ wings here had a much thicker sauce that looked like it had been setting a while longer. It also was thicker; possibly more tomato paste in the sauce?



The mild wings were similar in that they had a little kick - any more than mild would have been hot. And, these weren't saucy - but dry and crispy.

If I had to choose, it would be The Anchor Bar all the way.

I've head people joke about why buffalo wings are called buffalo wings if buffalo don't have wings.



Well, it's because they're not name for the animal, but rather the city: Buffalo, New York.



And, in Buffalo, there are a number of wing places. But two main ones generally compete: The Anchor Bar and Duff's.



The first on this trip was The Anchor Bar, which claims to be the home of the original chicken wing. 

On a Friday night in 1964, Dominic Bellissimo was tending bar at the now famous Anchor Bar Restaurant in Buffalo, NY. Late that evening, a group of Dominic’s friends arrived at the bar with ravenous appetites. Dominic asked his mother, Teressa, to prepare something for his friends to eat. 

They looked like chicken wings, a part of the chicken that usually went into the stock pot for soup. 

Teressa had deep fried the wings and flavored them with a secret sauce. The wings were an instant hit and it didn’t take long for people to flock to the bar to experience this new taste sensation. From that evening on, Buffalo Wings became a regular part of the menu at the Anchor Bar. 

The phenomenon created in 1964 by Teressa Bellissimo has spread across the globe. Although many have tried to duplicate Buffalo Wings, the closely guarded secret recipe is what makes Frank & Teressa’s the proclaimed “Best Wings in the World.” (ABOUT US)

There's a whole art to wings, and whether they're breaded or not, deep-fried or not, etc. And, I do not want to get into the fine details about chicken wings. But Wikipedia defines it as:

A Buffalo wing, in the cuisine of the United States, is an unbreaded chicken wing section (flat or drumette) that is generally deep-fried then coated in a sauce consisting of a vinegar-based cayenne pepper hot sauce and melted butter prior to serving. They are generally served hot, along with celery sticks and/or carrot sticks with either blue cheese dressing or ranch dressing for dipping (Wikipedia).

Lisa and I came at a good time - and we were hungry! We were immediately seated and perused the menu.



"All of our World Famous Wing orders are served with traditional celery and bleu cheese, just like Mother served us that famous night in 1964," read the top of the menu.


We ordered to kinds of wings: Mild and Spicy Hot BBQ.



I definitely loved the bbq ones better. The sauce had some kick to it, but I like the smokey sweetness.



The mild was good - definitely crispier! A vinegary base so definitely a bit more sour. But straightforward - and always good dipped in bleu cheese!

Morcilla is one of those restaurants that's been on my dream list for quite some time.



The restaurant has been named one of the best in the country by Bon Appetit, and it's routinely lauded by foodies near and far.

The two things I’m about to say aren’t food-writer hyper­bole: (1) Justin Severino is the most underrated chef in America. (2) His new restaurant serves the best Spanish food I’ve had outside San Sebastián. I realize all this halfway through my meal at Morcilla, his love letter to the pintxos-eating, cider-drinking, fiercely independent Basque region of northern Spain. In front of me is a refreshing gin and tonic poured with house-made tonic and garnished with juniper berries and citrus, a foamy glass of Trabanco cider (yes, that’s a second drink, but it was dispensed from a two-foot-tall custom tap shaped like an arm!), and an army of small plates that I can’t keep my hands from. (Bon Appetit)

Unfortunately, it had been closed for quite some time due to water damage. And when it finally reopened, it was tough to get reservations. But we got it.



My group of four ordered a few small plates to try a little bit of everything on the menu. Above is fried artichokes with anchovy aioli and burnt lemon. 


Manzanilla olives with citrus, rosemary and olive oil. 

Industry Public House is a cool spot combining craft cocktails with elevated American fare.

I love the inside-outside concept with wide open front windows, and the industrial piping and wood vibe.




The large bar was taken up, but we were seated at a large table inside the larger dining space.

The menu has burgers, macaroni & cheese, pot roast and more - think upscale adult comfort food.



We started with popcorn, complete with truffle oil and parmesan cheese.

For a drink, I ordered the Rhuby Rhuby Rhuby, with Wigle Rhubarb liquer, blackberries, lemon, basil and Peychaud's bitters.



How beautiful is that? And tasty!



We also ordered some fries for the table - I got the truffled, which came with white truffle oil and blue cheese cream sauce. I mean, I can never get enough truffle!