Day, the Twenty Seventh

Unquiet Meals, Part 2

While I’m generally not inclined to write direct follow ups to previous posts, yesterday’s Buffalo chicken wing reflection garnered so much engagement that I’m making an exception.

Also, something life changing, something unexpected, something my wife will never let me live down, happened yesterday that’s directly related.

And that is, barely 24 hours after her first taste of a Buffalo Chicken Wing, Little Bean found one even better. My brilliant wife - whom obviously did not grow up chowing down on delicious Buffalo chicken wings - suggested that our daughter might enjoy Korean BBQ wings. Of course I scoffed at the very notion, but since we were on the road and since Albany, NY has an excellent Asian strip of stores and restaurants, a quick Yelp search landed us upon Namu, a fancy looking joint that bills itself as the “first and best Korean BBQ” in the capital district of New York. Well then…

I think you all know where this is going. We spent the evening feasting on kimchi rice, pork, noodles and, of course, a steaming, spicy, sticky bowl of BBQ wings, Korean style. We even gave Little Bean a bit of Coke to wash it down with.

First a little nibble, like a mouse. Then she grabbed those wings like a hungry racoon and it was over before I was even able to ask her if she liked them.

“I’m going to make such a mess right now!” she said, her face already smeared with sauce, the handi-wipes already nearly all gone.

My wife - when I did manage to meet her gaze - would say, “hmmm” or “well” or “I told you she’d like my food better.” Ok, she didn’t say that last one.

Anyway, it’s fine. Two chicken wing cultures in two days. One from each of her parents. Anything that opens her to new worlds, even chicken wing worlds, is good.

Later, after she swept through the meal like a frenetic vacuum cleaner, she said, “I like Buffalo wings too, daddy.”

I know, baby, I know. I’m just happy to place, even if it’s second. Eat up!