Randy Chandler
Buffalo wings are often served with blue cheese, and this combination is believed to have originated in 1964 at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York. The co-owner, Teressa Bellissimo, created the famous hot-sauce-and-butter combo wings for her son and his friends. She served the wings with blue cheese and celery sticks, which were leftover sides from making an antipasto salad. The high water content in celery and the cool tang of blue cheese complemented the spicy, greasy, and salty taste of the wings. Blue cheese, in particular, contains casein, a protein that helps wash away the oily capsaicin that causes a burning sensation in the mouth. While ranch dressing has gained popularity as a side for wings across the US, Buffalo natives remain loyal to their blue cheese.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date | 1964 |
| Location | Anchor Bar, Buffalo, New York |
| Originator | Teressa Bellissimo |
| Reason | Blue cheese was available at the bar and it helped to cool the mouth from the heat of the wings |
| Other accompaniments | Celery sticks |
| Alternative dips | Ranch dressing |
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What You'll Learn
- Blue cheese and celery were the nearest available sides
- The high water content of celery and the cool tang of blue cheese complement the wings
- Blue cheese contains casein, a protein that acts as a detergent to wash away the oily capsaicin that burns your mouth
- Ranch dressing is preferred by many wing restaurants and wing lovers across the US
- Blue cheese stuffed celery was a popular appetizer on the Anchor Bar menu in 1964
Blue cheese and celery were the nearest available sides
The combination of blue cheese and celery with Buffalo wings is a well-known classic. The Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York, first served this famous combination in 1964. The story goes that Frank and Teressa Bellissimo, the bar's co-owners, were asked by their adult son, Dominic, to make something for him and his friends to eat late one night. Teressa threw together some wings, margarine, and hot sauce, thus creating a regional and then national obsession.
Teressa served the wings with house blue cheese dressing and celery sticks, which were leftovers from making an antipasto salad. The blue cheese and celery were simply the nearest available sides, but this random combination offered some benefits. The cool tang of the blue cheese and the high water content of the celery complemented the hot, greasy, and salty taste of the wings, keeping them from being too heavy.
The Buffalo History Museum discovered old menus from The Anchor Bar, which first served Buffalo-style wings in 1964. On one of these menus, an appetizer called "blue cheese-stuffed celery" existed, which may explain why these sides were chosen to accompany the wings. The appetizer could cut down on the heat of anything it was served with, which may be why Teressa Bellissimo chose to serve it with her early plates of hot wings.
While blue cheese is a popular choice for Buffalo wings, it is not the only option. Many wing enthusiasts in the US prefer ranch dressing, which is a buttermilk and mayonnaise-based dip that also helps to cool down hot wings. However, Buffalo natives consider ranch anathema, and suggesting it may cause a virtual meltdown, as seen in 2018 when Frank's RedHot, a staple hot sauce for wing preparation, suggested ranch on social media.
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The high water content of celery and the cool tang of blue cheese complement the wings
The combination of buffalo wings, celery, and blue cheese is a well-known classic. But why is blue cheese the preferred side for many wing enthusiasts?
Firstly, the high water content in celery helps balance out the hot, greasy, and salty taste of the wings. The cool, creamy tang of blue cheese also complements the wings by providing a refreshing contrast to their intense flavour. The cheese also contains a protein called casein, which acts as a "detergent" to wash away the oily capsaicin that burns your mouth.
The Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York, is credited with creating this iconic trio. In 1964, co-owner Teressa Bellissimo served her adult son, Dominic, and his friends some wings, margarine, and hot sauce. To finish off the plate, she added some leftover celery sticks and blue cheese dressing from making an antipasto salad. The combination was a hit, and the rest is history.
While ranch dressing has become a popular alternative to blue cheese, Buffalo natives remain loyal to their blue cheese. The Buffalo History Museum's Library Director, Cynthia Van Ness, has collected old menus from The Anchor Bar, tracing the restaurant's journey and providing insight into the city's food traditions.
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Blue cheese contains casein, a protein that acts as a detergent to wash away the oily capsaicin that burns your mouth
Buffalo wings are often served with blue cheese, which contains casein, a protein that acts as a detergent to wash away the oily capsaicin that burns your mouth. This combination of flavours and textures is said to be very complementary. The Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York, first served their famous wings with blue cheese in 1964, and the combination has stuck ever since.
The Anchor Bar's co-owner, Teressa Bellissimo, is credited with creating the now-famous "hot-sauce-and-butter" combo, which she poured over chicken wings for her son and his friends. She served the wings with blue cheese and celery sticks, which were sides she had on hand. The blue cheese, in particular, is said to have been chosen because it helped to cool their mouths, as dairy-based products contain casein, a protein that acts as a detergent to wash away the oily capsaicin that causes the burning sensation.
The Buffalo History Museum has since discovered that "Bleu Cheese Stuffed Celery" was a popular appetizer on the Anchor Bar's menu at the time, which explains why these sides were chosen. The high water content of the celery and the cool tang of the blue cheese also helped to balance the hot, greasy, and salty taste of the wings, ensuring they weren't too heavy.
While blue cheese is the traditional side in Buffalo, ranch dressing has become the preferred choice for many wing restaurants across the US. However, Buffalo natives consider ranch anathema, and a 2021 blog even ranked blue cheese as the fourth most-hated food in America. Despite this, blue cheese remains the classic side in Buffalo, and its ability to cool the mouth and complement the wings' flavour and texture ensures its enduring popularity.
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Ranch dressing is preferred by many wing restaurants and wing lovers across the US
While blue cheese is a popular pairing with buffalo wings, ranch dressing has become the preferred side for many wing restaurants and wing lovers across the US.
Ranch dressing is a buttermilk and mayonnaise-based dip that is always smooth and creamy. It is perfect for cooling down hot wings or providing a flavour balance to sweet wings. It is also often served with vegetable platters. According to most surveys, ranch is the number-one choice for wings across the US. In a recent study, Curd is the Word found that 71% of people under 30 prefer ranch on their wings.
Despite its popularity, ranch dressing is not without controversy. In 2018, Frank's RedHot, a staple hot sauce for wing preparation, caused an uproar when they suggested serving wings with ranch on social media. While ranch may be gaining traction across the US, it is still considered anathema in Buffalo, where blue cheese is the traditional pairing.
The preference for ranch dressing over blue cheese may be due in part to the fact that blue cheese is one of the most hated foods in America. In a 2021 blog by Kathia Bello of "The Recipe", blue cheese was ranked as the fourth most-hated food in America, after candy corn, olives, and anchovies.
While the debate over ranch versus blue cheese continues, one thing is clear: both options have their passionate supporters and detractors. Ultimately, the choice between ranch and blue cheese comes down to personal preference.
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Blue cheese stuffed celery was a popular appetizer on the Anchor Bar menu in 1964
In 1964, blue cheese stuffed celery was a popular appetizer on the Anchor Bar menu. The dish was created by Teressa Bellissimo, who threw it together with some wings, margarine, and hot sauce to satisfy her adult son Dominic and his friends' late-night cravings. The combination of blue cheese and celery was a perfect complement to the wings, and it stuck.
The Anchor Bar, located in Buffalo, New York, became a destination for wing lovers from around the world. The Buffalo History Museum has since discovered that the pairing of blue cheese, celery, and wings may have originated from the "blue cheese stuffed celery" appetizer on the Anchor Bar menu. This appetizer was served around the same time that Teressa Bellissimo created the now-famous Buffalo wings.
The appetizer, which cut down on the heat of anything it was served with, likely influenced Teressa Bellissimo's choice to serve her early plates of hot wings with blue cheese and celery. This combination has become a fixture of wing orders in Buffalo and has been replicated by restaurants worldwide.
The Buffalo History Museum Library has embarked on a menu-collecting initiative to document the city's food traditions and create a stronger record of Buffalo's culinary history. The library, directed by Cynthia Van Ness, has collected nearly a dozen Anchor Bar menus from 1955 to 2020, providing insight into the restaurant's evolution and the popularity of its wings.
The tradition of serving blue cheese with Buffalo wings has endured, even as ranch dressing has become a preferred side for many U.S. wing restaurants. Buffalo natives consider ranch anathema, and in 2018, a social media suggestion to pair ranch with wings by Frank's RedHot, a staple hot sauce in wing preparation, caused a virtual uproar.
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Frequently asked questions
Buffalo wings are served with blue cheese because blue cheese contains a protein called casein, which acts as a detergent that washes away the oily capsaicin that burns your mouth.
In 1964, in Buffalo, New York, Frank and Teressa Bellissimo served wings, margarine, and hot sauce to their adult son, Dominic, and his friends. Teressa served the wings with house blue cheese dressing and celery sticks, which were leftover from making an antipasto salad. The combination of flavors and textures was a hit, and it stuck.
Buffalo, New York, has always sworn by blue cheese as the side for its buffalo wings. The Anchor Bar, which first served buffalo-style wings in 1964, is believed to have started this tradition.
Ranch dressing is a popular alternative to blue cheese for buffalo wings. It is made from buttermilk and mayonnaise and is perfect for cooling down hot wings.
The high water content of celery complements the cool tang of blue cheese, and together they balance out the hot, greasy, and salty taste of buffalo wings.
