THE GREASY FOODIE: Buffalo Joe's

The Greasy Foodie

The story begins blustry day Friday after Thanksgiving in 2008 in a cramped booth at a fake NYC deli in Nashville called Noshville. In between my wife, Rachel, and my brother, Michael, I sat across from my "cooler than me" cousins Mark and Sarah, and Sarah's just as cool husband, Danny. Mark, who lives the awesome life being a lawyer living in San Francisco working for Facebook, with his only downfall being his SEVERE lactardation..which has never been medically or scientifically proven to exist in Mark.. Sarah and Danny are foodies from NYC who have tried every dive "chicken finger" hut and "curry on a stick" in the big city. Danny and Sarah had discussed that they were trying to go to as many places from Bobby Flay's 'Throwdown' show as they could, and that there was one in Nashville we had to try.....a place that I had never heard of in my 13 years of living there..I will get to that adventure later.

I got an idea from my cool cousins idea. An idea became a hobby. And the hobby became an obsession. And thus produced the list.....a world-famous spreadsheet...of every restaurant that has ever been featured on Food Network and Travel Channel....every restaurant from the famous shows like "Throwdown", "Man V. Food", "Man v. Food Nation", "Food Feuds", "Food Wars", "Best Thing I Ever Ate", "Food Paradise" and "Diners Drive-Ins and Dives" to the obscure "Best Food Ever", "Meat and Potatoes", and "101 Best Places to Chowdown", plus my additions of the restaurants of famous chefs, favorite catergories (burgers, wings, pizza, bbq, and sandwiches) and local places of legend. Names, cities, food they are famous for, and addresses. It was and still is an obsession. As of 11:31am on November 27, 2018, THE LIST HAS 4,660 RESTAURANTS ON IT...WITH A FEW OVERLAPS HERE AND THERE. And then over Pastrami Eggs Benedict at Nate N' Al's Deli in Beverly Hills, Hannah and Andrew, our good friends, gave me the idea of the blog. Document every place I went. And thus, "The Greasy Foodie" was born. I will log the places, the shows they are from, and what I had. So far, every place I have been has been amazing, except two, one being mediocre, and another being down right awful.

If there is a city you have been to, or are going to, or are from and want to know what from my list is in the city, send me a email at agmarks@gmail.com

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Buffalo Joe's

Every once in a while I go rogue, off the grid, off the list for a gastrointestinal journey and I want to give you details about those places that aren't on the list, but that are so meaningful to me in my heart and in my belly….so…..I present

Buffalo Joe's...#3 on Best Wings in America

812 Clark St, Evanston, IL 60201

http://www.buffalojoesevanston.com/
BEST BUFFALO WINGS IN AMERICA! HANDS DOWN, NO QUESTIONS ASKED!!

Chicago is a city rich and immersed in history from the water tower to Mrs. O'Leary, the Cubs/Sox/Bears/Bulls, the Daly's. This city is also known as the city of broad shoulders which I directly attribute to the fact that it is freezing, so you gotta eat a lot and that's why Chicago is a city so rich and immersed in incredible food….deep dish pizza, hot dogs, italian beef, popcorn, and so on. But my favorite place in all of Chicago is a hole in the wall buffalo wing place where spicy perfection lies. It's the one place I MUST go whenever I am in town, no ifs, ands or buts. It's called Buffalo Joes, or to the locals Buff Joe's. I first heard about this place in high school during a summer BBYO jewish teen leadership camp from Steph Howard and Jori Elisco. The way they said Buff (bahff) Joe's…I knew it was somewhere special. It has become sort of a ritual for me to go with my brother in law with a double brother (we are brother in laws and fraternity brothers) lunch. It is cash only. It is run by employees just as angry as the Wiener Circle a few miles south. I argue the employees of Wiener Circle work during the day at Buff Joe's and the night at the Circle of Wiener. This place has burgers, hot dogs, italian beef, but you come for the wings, the celery and the ranch. I am pretty sure that this place has been open 40+ years and my father in law was the first to order a burger. The wings are giant and so meaty. The wings are cooked perfectly. The sauce is buttery and perfect. Get the suicide…its just their normal hot wings with jalapenos. Get the cheese fries! Get a large RC! PERFECTION!Wings, cheese fries, and RC with extra ranch and celery from Buff Joe's is on my short list for finals meals if I was on death row.

SPRINT, DO NOT RUN, DO NOT WALK!!!!

THE GREASY FOODIE