Ordeal by Meal - Rich Brooks

I have had many ordeals by meals in the past several weeks. While Long Island is just an eight or so hour drive away, it has become apparent that many of my new friends have very different feelings about certain kinds of food. For some time, during every meal we shared some sort of discussion would come up about why food from Buffalo, which I have grown up with my entire life, is not up to par. I have been told several times that despite the fact that we live next to the largest body of fresh water in the world, that our water still tastes disgusting compared to New York City water. Also, our pizza and bagels are apparently inedible. People from Long Island also seem to have no idea what pizza logs are and don't understand the term "fried dough." The list of discrepancies can go on and on, but you get the point. It's all pretty minor stuff, but I found it quite interesting to learn about the countless differences that two people who don't live very far away can have about food. While it hasn't made me an expert on Long Island culture, it has given me some insight into its own, as well as Buffalo's, uniqueness.