Now that most of my friends know about my affinity wings and desire to eat them ALL, I get a lot of recommendations for new wing spots.
I love it! I always want to find the underrated and delicious wings the city of Atlanta has to offer. I try to give every spot a chance. When I hear, “Annie, you HAVE to go to X-TREME BUFFALO MAYHEM WAREHOUSE! They have the best wings!” I give the recommendation the benefit of the doubt. Maybe they know something I don’t.
It is rough when I go to a recommended wing spot and they are shoddy and I get asked,” Wuddya think!?!?!” and I don’t want to tell them, “Those wings might as well been from a pigeon and I could have just used Frank’s and had a better experience.”
I have to remember, people may believe that those wings are the best because that is all they had ever experienced. Maybe they like those wings because the venue and the people are more meaningful. There are too many emotional and conditional factors that make wings a favorite. Maybe their parents loved those wings and that was their family’s favorite Friday night tradition.
I know that there are times that going to my closest wing spot with my coworkers satisfies my craving and I enjoy the experience because of the conditions surrounding the poultry consumption.
I have been trying to take this same approach with the election season. I know people’s life experiences and conditions shape their political opinion and the only thing I can do is listen and take a bite of their political chicken wing. It’s okay if I don’t like it. It’s okay if it’s not from my neighborhood joint. I just don’t want people to give me a platter of their wings, tie my arms behind my back, shove wings in my piehole, and berate me for not enjoying them. I definitely do not want to be scared into eating wings because if I don’t eat those wings the whole buffalo sauce industry will collapse and terrorists will take our wings away. There are also wings that will unintentionally make you sick and never want to put a wing near your face.
I will never understand why some people choose the political wings they do but I hope that people listen to others and try as many wing spots as possible.
As for me, I know what wings are my favorite and I hope people respect me for researching and seeking out the best.
So respect others wings but remember that there are some that will give you food poisoning.
Annie Lockwood 