Buffalo - Mansion on Delaware ave, Anchor Bar

In keeping with the theme of the architectural tour that brought us to Buffalo, we wanted to stay in lodgings that were architecturally and historically interesting.  We considered staying in the newly renovated Hotel Lafayette, but chose the Mansion on Delaware Avenue instead.

Originally built in 1870 as a private home, this 4-storey mansion with 18 foot ceilings and over 175 windows has gone through multiple transitions.  It was turned into a hotel, then a brothel (with rumoured secret tunnel connecting to the neighbouring gentlemen's club), then a restaurant before finally be restored in 1998 to become the high end boutique hotel it is today. 

The rooms are spacious with extremely comfortable beds, a huge tub with jacuzzi jets and multiple shower heads aimed at the body in addition to the usual overhead one.  Business cards and letter head with our names on it were printed out to provide the personal touch.  The hotel prides itself on its "butler and concierge services", offering 24 hour room service, shoe shines, clothes pressing, valet parking, making reservations for and provision of driver services to and from dinner or shows.  The one downside was the limited WIFI in the common areas but only wired connectivity in our room.

The main gathering room contains a bar area, pool table, sofa and chairs and tables for snacks and complementary breakfast in the morning.  The breakfast buffet is served on top of the pool table and offers a wide variety of fruits, danishes, croissants, yogurt, toast and cereal.  A selection of flavoured teas, coffees, hot chocolate and juice are also available.  Each evening between 5-7, there is "happy hour" at the self serve "honor bar" where your first two drinks are free.  Throughout the mansion, an expansive art collection is hung on the walls.

While in Buffalo, we wanted to have Buffalo wings at the place where they originated - Frank and Teressa's Anchor Bar.  The wings were plump and juicy and came with a choice of mild, medium, hot, suicide and spicy barbeque sauces, celery and creamy blue cheese dipping sauce.  While the wings were good (I prefer them to be a bit crispier), I thought the potato skins and coleslaw that we had as appetizers were superb.  The loganberry juice was a nice change from the usual soft drinks or juices and came with one free refill.

There were many tributes including sculptures, drawings and news articles about Teressa Bellissimo who is credited with the creation of the Buffalo chicken wing.  As the story goes, one evening in 1964 her son's friends came into her restaurant bar looking for a quick late night snack.  She had some wings that she was planning to use as soup stock but decided to deep-fry them instead.  She covered them with a special sauce served them with a blue cheese dip.  The rest is history...

The bar was decorated with motorcycles hanging from the ceiling and license plates and photos of famous patrons on the walls.  The plastic sculpture of the wrinkly old waitress bent over to offer a plate of wings is very popular and much photographed.

Anchor Bar is located on Main Street only about 6 blocks away from where we were staying, so it seemed like an easy walk.  These turned out to be very long blocks and as the evening grew darker and the streets dodgier, we regretted not taking the Mansion up on their offer of a ride to and from dinner.

While walking to Anchor Bar, we passed by a beautiful Beaux Arts building that is the headquarters for the Church of Scientology Buffalo.   Signs on the windows advocate the various services that this organization could provide for you.  Rich pointed out one that amused us in light of the recent Tom Cruise - Katie Holmes divorce.  It was a Scientology Life Improvement course for "Salvaging a Marriage".  I think "TomKat" should have asked for a refund.