Page 32 - August 2023 Issue.indd

Wingin' It are allowed to try one outside of the I played, which of course was a victory
mold -- and that is where we come in. in Hanover, Pennsylvania, of all places
by Chad Dean Caroline County is bisected by Route -- and that particular restaurant even
404, a major artery for beach traffi c a let winners say a few words of triumph
Caroline County does not currently majority of the year. The Denton Plaza on the house microphone, so you know

have a Buffalo Wild Wings -- but it is rapidly expanding; perhaps one of I quickly improvised some heel promo
should. B-Dubs, as it is aff ectionately the smaller versions would work there. original to the "Nature Boy" Ric Flair.
known to loyal enthusiasts around At the height of my obsession, or my
the country, is the Dollar General Why do I care? For whatever reason, I lowest point (your call), I went to the
of restaurants. I of course mean that have dined at over 50 diff erent BWW same Applebee's location three times
in the most complimentary of ways. locations in eighteen states. I did not set in one day, with three diff erent people,
Both companies see a vacant lot or out for that to be a completion-oriented to demonstrate my cerebral domi-
storefront and immediately exploit goal of mine; it has just happened. You nance over the masses. I have earned
it. It is a real tragedy then that local know that I am a fan of national parks. perfect scores multiple times and fi rst
wing aficionados are forced to drive At the end of a grueling day hiking, place nationally several more times
over to Dover, down to Salisbury, fi ght driving, and correcting rangers, noth- beyond that, but the real winner is the
Rehoboth beach traffic, or [gasp] cross ing hits the spot more than the Buff alo restaurants because players stay there

the Bay Bridge to Annapolis in order Wild Wings menu. I typically do not eating and drinking for hours while
to satisfy their cravings. I must note stop for lunch on road trips, so I tend they compete. No wonder I weighed
that there are at least three BWW loca- to gobble up as much as is humanly 40 pounds more the year I discovered
tions in northern Delaware now but no possible: order of tots, order of bone- Buzztime than I do now.
legitimate Caroline Countian would less, and water with enough lemons to

ever even consider that option so it is prevent scurvy for life in one sitting. If a Buffalo Wild Wings with all its bells
a moot point. and whistles came to Denton, I would
Bar trivia is also a draw. While most most definitely be the fi rst customer

I fully acknowledge as part of my B-Dubs now have their own in-house in line. How can I be so sure? Well,
quixotic cuisine quest that the Buff alo game on the screens when live sports I was the first ever patron of the one

Wild Wings corporate team has for the are not being broadcast, many used in Annapolis and also the Arundel
longest time set restrictions on where to feature something called Buzztime. Mills Mall. Why? I was hungry, but
a franchise may operate. Believe me, I For the uninitiated, Buzztime provides also I wanted to see if that earned me
followed the chain of command right to restaurants with a videogame control- any special accolades. It did not -- no
the top to discover that their business ler of sorts that allows contestants to crown, no press release, no gift certifi -
model calls for restaurants in high- compete by pressing a button for the cate, not even a picture on the wall
density areas already frequented by correct answer; players score maxi- -- but those two "accomplishments" are
people with disposable entertainment mum points for answering quickly worn as feathers in my cap nonetheless.
income: movieplexes, shopping malls, and accurately versus not just those
and major sports venues in particular. playing there but networked around Do I have wild and crazy stories about

We have none of those. Aft er franchi- the country in real-time leaderboard visits to far-flung BWWs? Maybe a few.
sees have proven themselves successful standings. You know me and competi- I was in Charlotte visiting NASCAR
in their initial locations, however, they tion; I was hooked from the fi rst time race shops in 2010, the year of the South
Africa soccer World Cup. Since the
games were being played almost liter-
ally halfway around the world, what
was prime time there was morning
here. Not wanting to be left out of the

hype, the downtown Charlotte Buff alo
Wild Wings decided to entice custom-
ers to watch the World Cup there by

offering an all you can eat menu -- and
not traditional breakfast food either.
I am talking buff et-style hot wings at

9AM. The USA won their game against
Algeria, though my gastrointestinal
system was undoubtedly the loser; I
was sluggish and reeked of hot sauce

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