Want to keep it real?

Like the best cocktails, the best bar food usually has a secret ingredient. The secret behind the Anchor Bar’s Buffalo wings recipe came out a few years ago. What is it? Hot sauce, that bar staple hidden in plain sight, beside the taps, by the lemon wedges and napkins. But not just any hot sauce: Purists insist that it has to be Frank’s RedHot sauce, which first appeared in 1920. The company has branched out since then, a success generated in no small part by the famous Buffalo wings. Is it any different than other hot sauces? Maybe not, but sports fans are a superstitious, habit-driven lot, so it’s probably best to stick to the original.

Available at Costco, Sam’s Club, Albertson’s and most Ralphs grocery stores. Also online at www.homesolutionsstore.com and at (800) 820-8939.

-- Amy Scattergood