Sep
14
There are some places in the NFL that have a certain funk. You know, the kind of place you get sent when you’re not on the “A” team. These are places you wouldn’t necessarily go if given the choice. Let me just go on record as saying that for me, Buffalo isn’t one of them. The team has been bad lately but in a sick way, I enjoy going there.
Buffalo has the best wing place in the world. Duff’s is on Millersport Highway in Amherst. If you like wings and football, do yourself a favor and go to there for a weekend of spicy bird parts and good gridiron action. Screw the Anchor Bar, Duff’s knows how to make a chicken wing. They also have their own beer which isn’t too bad.
I used to have Duff’s number programmed into my phone’s speed dial. I’d call them when I landed at the airport and pick up 20 mediums on the way to the hotel. Now we have a guy who drives the film up and back so we usually go there together to shoot the shit and stuff ourselves.
Buffalo also has one of the most underappreciated camera assistants in the business. Dave Budzjeiko is a local, quirky guy with a thick upstate New York accent and a thin upstate New York mustache. He’s a lot like me, a freelancer who is sometimes unsure of exactly where he stands. What can I tell ya, we’re all insecure.
Dave gets a ton of respect from me because he’s simply one of the best. I have never, ever had a problem with a mag loaded by Dave. He’s fast, accurate and he thinks ahead. He’s what every film loader should aspire to be. Good thing the Bills haven’t won anything lately or I may never have found Duff’s…and one of the company’s best assistants.