Everybody knows Buffalo, New York, for the chicken wing. Fewer people know the real story behind the wing—or the full story of Buffalo's food scene, which is grounded in tradition and full of innovation.

In the first episode of our four-part Unpacked by Afar series on Buffalo, we start where you should always start: at the table. Host Aislyn Greene digs into a food scene that has quietly become one of the most surprising in America, shaped by waves of immigrants and refugees, a fiercely independent streak, and chefs who don't need anyone's permission to be great.

Meet this week's guests

• Francesca Bond, food and drink reporter at the Buffalo News
• Jessica Forster,  partner, wine director, and sommelier at ⁠Waxlight Bar à Vin⁠
• Lina Brown-Young, founder of John Young's Original

Topics covered

• The history of food in Buffalo
• Why serious restaurants are betting on Buffalo's food scene
• The real story of the Buffalo chicken wing
• The best traditional foods to try, inclbeef on weck, the Tom and Jerry (a Christmastime drink), and the deep-fried pizza log.
• Why Buffalo turned down a spot in the Michelin Guide (for now), and what that choice reveals about how the city sees itself.

Where to go to explore Buffalo's food scene

• Southern Junction — Chef Ryan Fernandez's nationally acclaimed "Tex-ish" barbecue, blending Texas smoke with South Indian (Keralan) spice.
• Waxlight Bar à Vin — Owner-operated wine bar in Black Rock with an ever-changing, French-ish menu, with a happy hour that lets you taste the ambition for around $12.
• John Young's Original — Lina Brown-Young's bottled mumbo sauce (original and spicy), plus pop-up wings at the Broadway Market.
• The Wing Ride (Buffalo Bike Tours) — A bike tour into the true, complicated history of the Buffalo wing, featuring a stop with Lina Brown-Young and her father's recipe.
• West Side Bazaar — A small-business incubator and international food hall built by refugee and immigrant entrepreneurs
• Duende at Silo City — A bar and gathering space set among Buffalo's historic grain silos on the river.
• Anchor Bar — The wing's long-credited "official" birthplace, for the other side of the story. ⁠
• Find more in this afar.com guide to Buffalo's food scene and be sure to explore our Buffalo travel guide

Chapters

00:00 — More Than Wings

04:00 — A Changing Food Scene

09:00 — Ambition and Affordability

15:00 — The True Inventor

21:00 — Michelin and Beyond

This is episode one of a four-part series that includes travel tips to help you explore Buffalo. Next week, we walk the neighborhoods of the self-described "City of Good Neighbors."

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