Winging Dinner

Growing up in North Bellmore on Long Island, there was always a war about the local eateries versus the chains. Annas Pizzeria or Dominos. Wendy's or The Brass Lantern. While I didn't have much say as a kid where we ordered from (sparing us from my mother's collapsible meatloaf), my friends and I would seek out the local spots that were not nationally recognized. 

Annas Pizzeria (now called Calabria) was an easy choice given how easy it was to walk there. This was the first place that I ever tried hot buffalo wings. And my mouth is still on fire today. They famously create a lake of orange for the wings to swim about in. There's no skimping on the meat either, unlike Dominos. Despite being rebranded "Calabria," the wings still hold up. It's hard to believe that I'd recommend a pizza place for some wings, but if you want to spice your dinner up, pop on by.

What was once Anna's Pizzeria in the local shopping center

Speaking of local pizza places, Pizzeli's (a high school find walking home from school), had the best pizza crust ever. No gimmicky butter or parmesan as you'll find from chains. Instead, they used corn meal for an extra crunch. Did I mention the large enough pie that you'll only need two slice to fill you up? Bang for a teenager's buck. Best regular slice of pizza a teen could want. Too bad some generic Italian pizzeria took over and the uniqueness is gone. Pizzeli's lives on in my memories (and blog posts).

Pizzeli's dynamite regular cheese pie

So if you're in the (North Bellmore) neighborhood and you've got a hankering for some wings, skip BWW (Buffalo Wild Wings) and start winging dinner with a trip to Calabria.