Day 16, part 2: Upstate

Elizabeth Abram cured my angry American woes. Liz and my sister Cara were best friends in High School. She is in her second year of Medical School in Buffalo, president of her class and just an all around impressive human being. I'm so glad that she emailed me to see if I was coming through Buffalo. I got the grand tour of this former industrial powerhouse from someone who knows how to give a good tour.

We first went for World Famous buffalo wings at Anchor Bar.

I LOVE buffalo wings and often rate a pub based on it's wings. I used to think the secret to true Buffalo wings is the sauce. The official "secret" recipe is this: one part Frank's Red Hot Sauce to one part butter. Want it hotter? less butter. less hot? more butter. Places that didn't use this formula made bad wings in my view. Now I know. While that is still true, it wasn't until I had unfrozen Chicken wings deep fried at Anchor that I had the real deal. Anchor butchers its own chickens. They aren't frozen and the meat is extra juicy because of it.

Following that we went on a tour of Buffalo in her Miata. I used to have one and miss it on a trip like this. Not having a roof is a godsend on a road trip. We zoomed around the city and found our way to Babeville, a converted church that is owned by one of my most favorite Punk/Folk artists Ani Difranco. She and her label, Righteous Babe Records bought the decaying building a few years back as part of the cities reinvestment initiative and have converted it into a performance space and art gallery. Liz is planning her 30th birthday party which gave us a perfect excuse to get a tour of the space and poke around. I could hear Ani in a back room in a meeting, but didn't want to barge in. They did a beautiful job with the church. This is the Righteous Babe logo in Mozaic down in one of the bar spaces.

We tooted around a bunch more and then said our goodbyes as I headed through the rest of "upstate" on my way to the city of New York

written by

JRadhirsch on September 16, 2008 from Buffalo, United States

from the travel blog: The Great American Road Trip

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Love that mosaic logo.

I'm thinking that I'm happier seeing other people eating buffalo wings and steamed clams (though ooo clarified butter!) than actually eating them... but I am happy nonetheless. :)

Liz clearly took you to all the right places in Buffalo. She gets a gold star.

written by Justine Smith on September 17, 2008

Thank you Jared and Justine! Your comments are so sweet. Seeing Jared was just the jolt of reality outside of school that I needed to remember what life is really about.... FOOD!

My <3 to the Hirsch family!

Liz

written by Liz on September 22, 2008

If Liz was your toure guide, I can assure you that you got the BEST tour available of Buffalo.

As a former Buffalonian for my school years, I miss it dearly.

As for Liz being the most impressive person out there...nail on the head!

written by Kevin Masse on September 23, 2008

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