For this post, I decided to interview my dad who attended UB and lived in Buffalo for five years. During his freshman year at UB (in the early '80s), my dad lived in Fargo Quadrangle and met my mom, who lived across the hall. I thought my dad would be the perfect person to interview because of his love for Buffalo and all the funny stories he tells my siblings and I about his time at UB. I asked my dad to tell me about one of his favorite things he did in Buffalo while he was at school, and this is what I got!
https://storycorps.me/interviews/buffalove/
My dad used to drive up over the Peace Bridge to the Canadian side of Niagara Falls with my mom, and sometimes, with a few other friends. They used to go during the springtime, when it usually wasn't as busy, and they used to hang out at the falls and go to lunch at this place called "Rumours" for sandwiches and beers. They also used to check out the famous wax museum nearby. Going up to Niagara Falls is something I've wanted to do since I started writing this blog. The last time I went was when I was ten years old, so it has been a while. I don't have a renewed passport at the moment, so I haven't been able to go yet this year. I find myself still wanting to try to check out the American side of the falls, at least before the Buffalo winter hits. There is an amazing light show, with an illumination of the falls and fireworks happening on December 3rd.
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I went to my first brewery--ten months after turning 21--and let me just say that it was a fantastic first-time brewery experience. I went on a Friday night with a few friends: Preston, Andy, Sean, and Alison, and the first thing we saw looking in the windows from the outside were the huge beer silos hidden in a separate back section of the restaurant. Upon walking into the place, I immediately fell in love with the stunning, laid-back atmosphere and also found myself wanting to know more about why the place is called "Big Ditch." After doing a little bit of research on www.bigditchbrewing.com/about-our-brewery/#about, I found that "Big Ditch" was actually just a joking name for the Erie Canal back in 1825, which is when the canal was first beginning to be constructed. The canal ended up giving the city of Buffalo over 100 years of prosperity in trade and commerce. If you don't believe me, just go to the place for yourself! They have the history of the Erie Canal all over the walls right when you walk inside. As shown, Big Ditch is fully equipped two floors of seating for your brew-tasting, grub-eating selves. While three of the friends I was was with ate some food there, I didn't because I ate before going there, but it did look mighty tasty, and those couple french fries I tried definitely were A+ material. For beers, two of my friends got flights (consisting of 5 small IPAs), and three of us got regular IPA beers. As for me, I chose three beers (clearly I was getting real crazy that night), and they were called the "Cinnamon Apple", the "Golden Shovel," and the "Hayburner." FYI, these are all IPAs, because that's what this brewery is known for serving.
For the first one, the "Cinnamon Apple," let me just start by saying that this is the typical "Katie" beer to choose. With a name like that, no one was surprised that I picked it. As a 6.8% ABV amber ale, this beer has a really nice aroma and aftertaste. It is made with local apple cider, brown sugar, cinnamon, and even oatmeal! It's the perfect fall brew, and 10/10 would recommend. The second beer I sampled was called the "Golden Shovel," and with a name like that, you know it has to be a good one. This beer is a Belgian-style strong ale with 7.2% ABV and a bit of a tangy, sweet finish. The unique taste of this beer is most likely due to its unique ingredients: white grapes, tangerines, cloves, and freshly-cracked peppercorns. Finally, was the "Hayburner," which I admit, is one that I didn't really want to try due to its harshly strong smell, but my friend eventually persuaded me. This beer is a classic American IPA with 7.0% ABV, and made with orange, melon, and grapefruit! Despite its fruity components, this beer has a bit of a earthy aftertaste and totally lives up to its rebellious-sounding name. Having gone to school in Buffalo for over three years now, I've learned that one of the biggest talked-about rivalries is between Duff's Famous Wings and Anchor Bar: Who has the better wing? Having been to Duff's more times, I must say that I prefer theirs overall, but the competition is seriously too close. I just had to investigate for myself. The Buffalo wing was first invented in 1964 by an Italian family at the very first Anchor Bar, which is still standing in downtown Buffalo! A new Anchor Bar was built this past summer in Amherst, right on Sweethome Road, which is where I went out to dinner with my family the night they helped move my brother and I into our new living situations. Having had Duff's wings a few times prior to this, this was actually the first time I tried Anchor Bar's wings.
It was hard not to be influenced by other people's opinions that Duff's wings are definitely better than Anchor Bar's, but I tried my best to remain objective. I compared taste, crispiness, and hotness. Both Duff's and Anchor Bar's wings taste nothing less than exceptional; therefore, I really couldn't pick a favorite. Both have unique flavors and aftertastes. As for crispiness, Duff's 100% wins that prize. There was really no competition here, but all it really comes down to is if you like crispy wings or not. Anchor Bar's are simply more tender and juicy. And finally, the hotness award goes to Duff's. While both chains are dangerously Buffalo-style spicy, Duff's takes hotness to a whole new level. I came to the conclusion that I like Duff's drum wings better and Anchor Bar's flat wings better, but I am absolutely a drum person - no questions asked. But the BEST wing in Buffalo goes to.......... DUFF'S FAMOUS WINGS!!!! |