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I suppose I should have given myself a few days to get proper responses to this thread, but I didn't think about it. So, anyhow, me and the girl are packing up to go to Buffalo tomorrow (that's where she's from) and then the Jersey shore. Is there anything worth stopping for on I-80 between Chicago and there? I'm thinking of maybe popping down to some nice Hungarian place in Cleveland, but if anyone has any suggestions...

Furthermore, besides the Anchor Bar, Duff's, and apparently a spot called Casa de Pizza (local recommendation for wings), any culinary hot spots I shouldn't forget about in the general area? On the way back, we'll probably pass through Pittsburg, so if that inspires any ideas, I'd appreciate any suggestions.

Boy, I haven't got time to give details or scare up old posts, but there is a tremendous wealth of information here regarding your route, Toledo, Pittsburgh, Cleveland and other stops.

PS, here's a great start. Lots more, very good stuff out there, particularly Sazerac re P'Burg. Search and you'll find.

http://lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=4203

Thanks!

I think West Side Market and Farkas Bakery in Cleveland may have to be our first stop.

We used to always stop at Wegman's Supermarket in Erie, PA for their great subs plus a wide variety of other prep foods. It is pretty close to the the freeway .


Wegmans Food
(814) 866-6780
6143 Peach St
Erie, PA 16509


Also, at 18th and Cherry, about 5 miles north of the interstate is the Little Italy neighborhood of Erie. is Arnone's Italian Restaurant. I have never had a meal at the restaurants but they have had a deli/bakery for years. My wife and I would stop at the place and grab a picnic lunch and take it out to Presque Isle State Park which is adjacent to downtown Erie.

Arnone's Italian Restaurant
607 West 18th Street
Erie, PA 16502
814-459-9333

Hope that helps.

Not to be a wet rag, but we thought the Anchor Bar was terrible. The "suicide" wings were coated in the same sauce as the medium wings, but then caked in black pepper.

Great spot for a few beers, and to soak up the atmosphere. But sadly enough, I'd pass on the wings.

Unfortunately, I can't recommend elsewhere as that was the only place we ate in Buffalo.

However, if you are able to spare a 45 min. drive (factoring in border crossing), Niagara-on-the-Lake in Canada has some fabulous restos.

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Marno

Coincidentally, my boyfriend who is from Buffalo just drove back into town today. He says that the Anchor Bar is very overrated. He suggested Duff's for the best wings in town.

For pizza, his favorites are Mr. Pizza and Just Pizza in the city, and Blasdell Pizza, Abbott Pizza, or Bella Pizza in the Southtowns.

He also notes that whenever he goes back home, he always make a point to get some Mr. Pizza, some Mighty Taco, and a Turkey Hoagie at Jim's Steak Out.


Hope this helps.

I do understand that Anchor Bar is not the best wing in town (based on an informal sampling I've made, it seems Duff's is the only wing place everybody can agree upon). However, it would be downright sinful for me to be in Buffalo and not visit the birthplace of the wing, good or not.

Oh, yeah, and beef-on-weck is supposed to be a big Buffalo thing, too, right?

Yes, my source recommends Anderson's.

I can heartily second the recommendation for Jim's Steak Out. I can't vouch for the turkey but the cheesy beef sandwich I had there was outstanding; similar to a philly cheesesteak I guess.

If you do stop at Wegmans, be sure to pick up some Black and White (Half-Moon) cookies there!

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When I grow up, I'm going to Bovine University!

Go to the Bar Bill and get some Beef on Weck... i don't think i've had their wings, but they're supposedly pretty good too...

http://cityguide.aol.com/buffalo/entert ... vid=192703

(also, if you miss it in Erie there are a lot of wegmens in the buffalo area)

That was pretty much my thinking. My girlfriend & I were in Cleveland on July 1, and had a mini-vacation planned in Toronto after that. The driving route, of course, took us through Buffalo & Niagara Falls. I had read through the LTH threads and saw the consensus that Duff's was the place for wings, but it just felt wrong to not visit the birthplace. So we stuck with the Anchor Bar...Duff's could wait for a theoretical return trip to Buffalo.

The real dilemma we faced was in how many wings to order...initial thought was 30 wings: 20 Hot for me (I wanted to try the Suicidal...but not a full 20 wings with a 4 hour car ride sandwiched around a Falls visit still ahead of us), 10 Medium for her. Not wanting to run out, and seeing that it was an additional $4 for 10 more wings, we settled on 20 Hot, 20 Medium. Then the waitress came, and informed it was only a $1 more to up it to 50. Apparently delusional, the two of us agreed. They would only split it 25/25 saucewise, so I couldn’t add in any suicidal.

Once the platter full of wings arrived, we realized what a terrible mistake we made...




But enough about the quantity...how about the quality? We both thought they were very good. The wings were definitely meatier than what I'm used to getting around Chicago, mostly gristle-free...and the sauces were tasty, although they seemed to fall short of their label. The Medium tasted more like a Mild with very little spice, and the Hot packed more of a medium level of heat. I momentarily regretted not ordering the Suicidal...but the wings that were in front of us were delicious enough that I didn't dwell on that choice.

The two of us left happy and full of chicken...no eater's remorse over visiting the Anchor Bar instead of Duff's.



Oh, and I think we had about 33 wings leftover. They gladly provided us a ziploc bag & a box, and offered us a package of dry ice for $1 (which we accepted), and we took them with us. They did make it to Toronto, but while the hotel room had a fridge, it unfortunately didn't have a microwave, and they went to waste. The moral of the story being...don't order a ridiculous number of buffalo wings.

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"Ah, lamentably no, my gastronomic rapacity knows no satiety" - Homer J. Simpson

Well, I had Duff's last night (but not the Sheridan location) and, to be honest, was a bit underwhelmed. The wings were soggy and way too vinegary and pasty for my tastes. However, they were extremely meaty and, while I was concerned 10 wings wasn't going to be enough for me, it took every last bit of effort to finish off the last one. Their "suicide" sauce, which they market at 150,000 Scoville units, isn't that hot. I'm not sure where they get the number from, but the sauce itself is not anywhere near that level of hotness.

I'm not saying it was bad, just not what I expected. The lack of crispiness is what did it in for me. However, I will check out Duffs on Sheridan today, as well as the Anchor Bar, Casa di Pizza, and any location anybody else suggests. Perhaps it's my taste buds that need adjusting. I'm only hear 'til Friday, but I've pretty vowed to eat nothing but wings (with the occassional beef-on-weck! )

This is a man after my own heart.

Soldier on, fair wing-slayer. Let not thy digestive system slow thee down.

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Tweetyspacing @karlklockars.
Writing about craft beer at GuysDrinkingBeer.com
"You don't realize it, but we're at dinner right now." ~Ebert

Quick update:

Finally bought myself a little Canon SD700, so I may actually be able to report with pictures at some point.

Anchor Bar was more like it. The wings were hot and crispy and the sauce wasn't pasty. This is what I expected from a wing joint in Buffalo! The suicide wings were good for the first three or four, but then the black pepper on them became overpowering. Apparently, the suicide wings are simply the hot wings caked in black pepper. I thought they were great but, once again, after a few of them your palatte becomes oversaturated with pepper, so you really can't taste anything else. As far as spiciness goes, they weren't overbearing. Overall, a B to the suicide wings.

The medium wings--which dining companion ordered--were fantastic. As much as I love spicy foods, the more I eat wings, the more I'm convinced that the medium to medium-hot ones have a better balance between the Frank's and margarine/butter. While I prefer the spiciness of the hotter wings, I love the mouthfeel and taste of the hot sauce:margarine ratio of the medium wings better. Medium wings at the Anchor Bar get a solid A for me.

However, the highlight of the day goes to Anderson's beef-on-kummelweck. At first, I was a bit disappointed at its size. Coming from Chicago, one expects roast beef sandwiches to pile on at least an inch of meat. The beef-on-weck at Anderson's was a much thinner and simpler affair: A couple slices of roast beef and a dollop of horseradish served on a salt-and-caraway-seed-encrusted roll. It looked rather emaciated for a beef sandwich.

One bite in, though, and any skepticism was quickly set aside. The beef had a perfect, soft texture--not in the least gristly or fatty. The ratio of meat to bread was just right for this particular sandwich. The clincher, though, really is the weck roll. The soft white roll with its whole seeds and rocks of salt provided the perfect counterpoint to the roast beef. Beef-on-weck gets an A+ from me.

Next update, I hope to have photos. Next stop: Casa di Pizza and Italian Fest.

Things are looking up. Casa di Pizza was hands down the best wings I've had, Buffalo or anywhere. First, they were perfectly crispy. Second, they were not swimming in a plate of sauce. They were well-sauced without being drenched (and thus soaking up all the sauce and becoming soggy.)
I've concluded that the best way to enjoy suicide wings is to order medium wings with suicide sauce on the side for dipping. None of the suicide sauces I've had have been particularly suicidal, but they can be overbearing in flavor, so it's nice to have the option.

However, I daresay I liked the grilled barbecue wings even more. Normally, I am not a fan of wings with BBQ sauce. However, these wings, being grilled, had a pleasant coal/fire flavor to them with a little bit of char. Add to that a barbecue sauce that is a balance of tang, gentle sweetness, and aromatic spice, and these may very well be the tastiest wings on the planet. I wish I could pen a description to them justice, but, alas, I am not a writer.

I cannot recommend this place highly enough. At the moment, I'll have to recalibrate and score my ratings to the following:

1) Casa di Pizza, A+ (their pizza is solid, too, in that thick, pan-crust style ubiquitous in Buffalo.)
2) Anchor Bar, B+
3) Duff's, C-

Unfortunately, I just can't seem to handle more than a single order of wings per day. They literally fill me up for the entire day. Imagine walking around Italian Fest with all this great food to sample and no place in your stomach to put it.

Casa di Pizza
477 Elmwood Ave
Buffalo, NY

Anchor Bar
1047 Main Street
Buffalo, NY

Duff's (Orchard Park location)
3090 Orchard Park Road
Buffalo, NY

Try to stop at Beirut in Toledo on the way back. Some of the best Lebanese food you will ever get. Don't have time to search on past posts, but there are a few.

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d
Retired, gone fishing, and exploring my curmudgeon within

OK. I'm back. The highlight of the trip was clearly Charlie the Butcher's Beef-on-Weck, so I'll start the report with pictures and comments from here.



I would have to say this is the best roast beef of any form I have ever tasted. Start with a big slab of perfectly roasted beef:


Add one kuemmelweck roll with its large grains of salt and whole caraway seeds:


Add the two together with a dollop of horseradish, and you have simple perfection:




The staff at Charlie's were very friendly and explained to me that their roast beef is roasted for two hours the night before, allowed to settle over night, and then finished the next day. I'm not sure what that process does, but it results in a very moist and delicately textured cut of beef--a cut that retains beef juices and is not cooked anywhere near the point where it loses its beefy texture. Each slice of beef, as you can see in the picture, is cut to about a centimeter of thickness, and the proportion of meat to roll is perhaps a bit less than what we Chicagoans may be normally used to in a roast beef sandwich. However, the weck roll is a fairly soft and spongy roll and this amount of beef seems just right for the type of roll it's served on.

I really don't mean to hyperbolize, but this quite literally is the best beef sandwich on earth. While Buffalo may mean wings to most people (including myself), beef-on-weck is the true culinary gem.

Charlie the Butcher's
1065 Wehrle Drive
Williamsville, NY 14221
(716) 633-8330


The other highlight of this trip was Barberton Chicken (simply prepared and deep-fried in lard) from Whitehouse Chicken in Barberton, OH. I'll get to that in a bit...

Binko,

Great report, wonderful pictures... the close-up of the Weck(e) alone has me swooning...

The last time I was in Buffalo I was prisoner of a conference out at the University on the fringes of town... good conference, bad food... I need to find an excuse for a road trip back east, through Buffalo and on to the Finger Lakes...

Meanwhile, I think you've inspired me to try to do as Bill/SFNM might do and try to make a sandwich like the one you show from scratch, starting (of course) mit dem Wecke.

Antonius

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Alle Nerven exzitiert von dem gewürzten Wein -- Anwandlung von Todesahndungen -- Doppeltgänger --
- aus dem Tagebuch E.T.A. Hoffmanns, 6. Januar 1804.
________
Na sir is na seachain an cath.

just fyi... it was brought up in another thread a few months back that Keefer's Kaffe (the lunch time more casual version of Keefers) seems to have Beef on Weck.... its still on their web site's menu at least.

nobody reported that they've actually had it though... I'd be curious to know.

I've been saying I'm goign to go try it though for a few months... one day soon i'm gonna make my way over there and follow through.

Here's a link I nicked from Rene G's post to Keefer's website, with address and menu etc. to save folks from searching:
http://www.keefersrestaurant.com/kaffe.html

Antonius

_________________
Alle Nerven exzitiert von dem gewürzten Wein -- Anwandlung von Todesahndungen -- Doppeltgänger --
- aus dem Tagebuch E.T.A. Hoffmanns, 6. Januar 1804.
________
Na sir is na seachain an cath.

Here’s a working link to a report from several years ago on the Beef on Weck at Keefer’s. I also sampled the Pork on Weck at Buffalo Wild Wings. I’m happy to report that this disgusting item is no longer available. In fact, their website indicates they’ve done away with weck altogether. Just as well, their version was lousy.

Thanks Binko - looks like I have two more must stops on the way east in August. Great beef (which will be a big hit with the Bride, too) and fried chicken - hmmmm!

_________________
d
Retired, gone fishing, and exploring my curmudgeon within

I promised a quick update on Barberton Chicken, so here it is. Unfortunately, we got stuck in a part of the restaurant without any natural light, so I didn't take many photos, and they lack a bit of contrast.

While I was mulling over my trip to Buffalo, I had posted here as well as looked over some threads in Chowhound, specifically concerning the Cleveland area. More than once, I came across posts suggesting that Barberton, a bit south of Cleveland, right outside of Akron, was home to perhaps the best fried chicken in the US. At least according to Delta's in-flight magazine and the residents of Barberton, Ohio.

So I read up a little about this little-known chicken Mecca. Barberton chicken is very simply prepared: just dredged in flour, egg, and bread crumbs, with some salt and pepper to taste. So far, so good.

The key, though, is that it's deep-fried to order in lard. I love lard, and any town that embraces saturated fats with pride and builds its culinary reputations around it is my kind of town. No Alderman Burkes here to police our arteries.

The original home of Barberton Chicken, from all I could tell, is Belgrade Gardens. Unfortunately, we just randomly stopped into town and didn't bother getting directions and ended up a few miles away. It wouldn't have been a terribly long journey to find the Gardens, but Whitehouse Chicken was only two blocks away, and I remember having read that it was a local chain, but a very good one, at that. I happen to agree.

Another interesting note about Barberton Chicken is the manner in which it is cut up. While you find your normal breast, leg, and thigh pieces, Barberton chicken houses also serve back, and the wings are separated into two parts: the drummette and the wing w/ wing tip. It's the back, really, that is the interesting cut here. I personally have never used chicken backs for anything but soup and didn't realize people actually ate them straight. Whitehouse Chicken proudly proclaims that this tradition started with, what else, the Great Depression and cutting the chicken with as little waste as possible.



And here's a close crop of the chicken:


That odd-looking piece there is the back.

Overall, the chicken was very good. I was a little nauseous upon entering the restaurant from our long drive, but the smell of fried chicken cleared that right up. The folks of Barberton do know their chicken. The coating was fairly thick, crispy, with a slight lardy flavor. Other than salt and perhaps a little bit of pepper, there were no other spices looming in the foreground. Biting into it was tasting pure, unadulterated chickeny goodness, simply and perfectly prepared. This is what good comfort food should be.

The chicken backs were pretty interesting, too. Not much meat (as you could imagine), but the meat that was there was incredibly flavorful, like concentrated dark meat. I'm not sure I would order backs on their own, but they come with most of the combos.

Another local speciality that is traditionally served with the chicken is "hot sauce." I had not done my research on this, so when I saw "hot sauce" listed as a side I expected, well, hot sauce. Over there, hot sauce is a soupy tomato-rice-onion side dish with a little bit of hot pepper zing (you can see a glimpse of it on Dining Companion's fork). Definitely order it if you want the full Barberton experience.

Whitehouse Chicken
180 Wooster Road North
Barberton, OH 44203

Belgrade Gardens
401 E. State Street
Barberton, OH

FWIW, John T. Edge devotes a chapter to Barberton in his Fried Chicken book.

I just returned from a trip east and back to drop off the son, and some of it happily followed the trail blazed by Binko here, so let me add my two cents.

Charlie the Butcher is branching out - he has Express outlets in a few Noco gas stations, including one down the street from the Roycroft Inn in East Aurora (more on that later) where we stayed. But I had some doubts about this, so I made the trek to Williamsville and was quite happy with my Beef on Weck. In order, the Weck roll is great, the beef is very good, and the whole place is wonderful - how else could one describe a place where you are greeted by this. My first picture - whoopee



I would have proposed to her right then and there, but the Bride was with me so I chose restraint.

Charlie was actually there himself, I am pleased to note.

I think I slightly prefer the barbecued aspects of a Pit Beef if all things are equal, but I would gladly return to Charlies any time.

Troopers that we are, we then proceeded to Anchor Bar for some wings.



I happily followed the advice (and the Bride's wishes) and ordered medium hot with a load of hot sauce on the side to get the endorphin rush when desired. This did allow me to better enjoy the flavors and texture without being overwhelmed by the heat. I got a small order (a single) because we were already full from Charlie's, and regretted it. The wings were very good, but also seem to be a form of food crack, and I yearned for more the rest of the time in Buffalo (and still do). Pretty damned good.

Alchemy - transmutation of base metals into precious metals.

Great cooks perform a modern form of alchemy, turning basic ingredients into something delicious and wonderful. That alchemy is what I so often search.

We began the day by driving through rain and sun to the promised land, for Binko said it was so. And we were greeted by the griffins of old, guarding entrance to the magical kingdom (no, not Disney!)



Our entrance promised delights beyond imagination, almost, and our spirits soared with expectation.



But, sadly what came was less than we had so eagerly anticipated.



To speak bluntly, service was affable but dazed, the fries were very good, the vinegary slaw with a touch of sugar even better, chicken dumpling soup sweet and cinnamony, with rolled dumplings like the train of my liege's robe leaving us befuddled, and chicken flavorful with a bread crumb crust, but a bit greasy and seemingly underseasoned. And the lemon meringue pie is best described as industrial in its aspect.

We left saddened, disappointed in our quest, but with a bag of chicken to go, ordered at the beginning of the meal when we were fresh and full of hope.

We journeyed on, heavy of heart and soon of bladder, for the iced tea had been good and plentiful, and thus found ourselves at a rest stop two hours later. Without thought, while awaiting my cherished companions' return, I reached into the bag, to while away the time with a snack of chicken, nothing more.

It is said in some sacred eastern teachings that it is only when one forsakes all ambition, all pursuit of fortune, that jewels shall approach you, and thus it was. This chicken, humble drum stick at room temperature, was perhaps the most perfect food I have ever eaten. Fresh, firm, flavorful chicken, encased in a crisp, golden crust, glowing and resplendent with perfectly balanced flavors of savory and sweet to complement, yeah even exalt, the flavor of the bird. I took another bite, not believing this chicken to be the same that had seemed so humble a mere two hours earlier, but it was so.

Yes, I ate a second piece for I still doubted, but my faith was restored - I had found the Grail.

A day later I sampled the remaining chicken which had now been chilled, and its luster dimmed.

I cannot explain what happened that day.

Were the two orders of chicken prepared differently - one left over from lunch and rewarmed for me, and the second prepared fresh? Or is this chicken best eaten after sitting for a bit and allowed to cool so that the crust can set up? Most likely some of both, but maybe it was all magic and a lesson to be learned for this humble pilgrim.

But I do know it was the best fried chicken I have ever tasted - yeah verily, the only fried chicken that has ever passed through my lips, for all others were as base lead to its golden perfection.

Belgrade Gardens, mark it down (address info above) and take your time eating your chicken - let it cool a bit.

Thanks for the update and for being a scout and checking out Belgrade Gardens! That's really interesting to hear how the chicken ended up tasting better at room temperature than right out the fryer. I'm pretty sure they're all made to order, so I doubt the difference would be the chicken itself. Maybe next time I'm out that way, I'll have to try and see if it does indeed get better with age. I thought it was pretty darn tasty to start with.

First the tangents.
1.

dicksond wrote:

This chicken, humble drum stick at room temperature, was perhaps the most perfect food I have ever eaten. Fresh, firm, flavorful chicken, encased in a crisp, golden crust, glowing and resplendent with perfectly balanced flavors of savory and sweet to complement, yeah even exalt, the flavor of the bird. I took another bite, not believing this chicken to be the same that had seemed so humble a mere two hours earlier, but it was so.

You know, when I had the fried chicken at Pearl's Place shortly before we left Chicago as it cooled but remained fairly crisp and we thought it would make excellent road food. I recall the conversation brought up that fried chicken was food for taking on travels.


2. Mr. B's – mentioned here by JeffB and more here in MikeG's Chicago to DC eatalogue

This was on a different trip to Erie, PA – and isn't (too) far off the main highway between Pgh and Erie. The proprietors(?) were friendly, the lamb was indeed quite succulent, and the smelt was quite good too. Thanks for the rec – JeffB.
all pics clickable for larger images



Mr. B's
2034 E Washington St,
New Castle, PA
(724) 654-4144


---
Not too much information to add to this thread – maybe some pics of Duff's excellent wings. and now that I got a breather to type up stuff, here goes:

Our quick day and half trip from Pgh to Niagara:

We got into town early evening, driving straight to Charlie the Butcher's


You order at the counter outside the main area (above) and then come inside to a small room with a few tables

and some amusing odds and ends


(I know, I know there are excellent pictures above that really can't be improved on – but a product like this is worth a thousand pictures) Roast Beef and turkey (in background)


We picked up our beefs on weck to go – and drove to Duffs (of course, I had charted our way around on a map thanks to the posts here) – the Sheridan location was (nearly ideally) between Charlie's and the road to Niagara Falls.


based on the menu we ordered the medium hot wings first, thinking that we could amp up on the next order if we needed to. We didn't.
Duff's excellent medium hot wings

The wings were large, crisp, succulent and coated in a sauce well balanced in acidity and with an enjoyable heat level that we washed down with a pitcher of Labatt
(chosen because we weren't going over to Canada – yes, everything on the trip was deliberate and highly planned )


We stayed at the Comfort Inn, apparently the closest to the Falls state park, for an excellent internet price. The location was a big plus because it is located right across prospect street and the entrance to the park (pic taken from hotel window next morning)

Even though it was well after dark that we got there we walked across and saw the majestic falls.

Walking back near midnight, most places were closed (this one just outside hotel).

Mmm, fried dough. That got me thinking about food. Aha! No problem!

I was very pleased at how much care had gone into packing our 'to go' order. Everything separate to keep them from soggy deterioration.

(I hope you'll excuse the gratuitous pics of CtB's beef on weck – see statement above about worth)

This was a most excellent Midnight snack

with nice horseradish and well accompanied by a soothing drink.
(No, that's not from the mini bar (IIRC we didn't have one in the room) – which part of my planning did you underestimate?)

The room itself didn't have a fallsview like JeffB notes he had. Being so close to the hundred and fifty thousand gallons of water rushing by every second, the room had instead a gentle fallssound. I woke up to go to the bathroom three times that night.

The next morning, before the madding busloads we got some excellent views of the rainbowmaker


Heading back from the Falls around Noon to checkout, I came across these food 'carts' They weren't open but were quite amusing in their incongruity (to me) – like encountering a hot dog cart outside the steps of the Taj Mahal (not saying there's one, just saying)


Of course, no first trip to Buffalo may be complete without a trip to the famous Anchor Bar. It was also just about on the way back for us to make a stop for lunch.


I think this page on the menu that reflects the Italian heritage of the founders may be of interest to some here


The wings themselves (we ordered hot) were lacklustre and dry, smaller than the ones at Duff's the previous evening, with somewhat inadequate sauce which wasn't great either.

Anchor Bar Wings

The 'hot' were not so hot (much milder than the medium hot at Duff's) and the small plastic tub of 'suicidal' was simply amped up with red chile powder and black pepper that seemed somewhat raw and bitter. We were glad to have gone to Duff's the previous evening. Having been to the 'birthplace of wings' once, I'll choose Duff's every visit henceforth.


Duff's
3651 Sheridan Dr,
Buffalo, NY
(716) 834-6234

ooh, those pictures are great. the charlie the butcher pic has me droooooling.. someone should send those to keefers kafe to show them how it should be... i had a CTB beef on weck @ wegman's and even it was 10x better..!