Hockey has always been a part of my life, almost as much as food has. So as I sit here on a snow day watching the US Men's team take on (aka rout 7-1) the Slovakian team, leave it to Doc to trigger a long-lost foodographic memory. Doc was commenting on Patrick Kane, a USA team member who grew up in Buffalo, and how he had a ritual when he attended Buffalo Sabres' games at the Aud (RIP). Apparently Kane used to get nachos during the first intermission and ice cream during the second.
Well, who would have thought I'd share something in common with the Blackhawk other than my hometown. Seriously, when my dad and I would go to games- sitting in our beloved corner gold seats- we had the exact same ritual. Before the game, I had to go to the opposite end of the arena to watch the players come out of the locker rooms onto the ice for warm-up. I'd snap a lot of pictures and just watch in admiration, waiting for my favorites to emerge. First period was for settling in, getting into the groove of the game, and building up an appetite. Then during the first intermission we'd share an order of nachos, served with that oh-so-realistic, surprisingly spicy cheese sauce. Of course, we'd need dessert later, so to cool off the heat it was always a cone of soft serve during the second intermission. Win or lose, it was always a fun experience and I always looked forward to the next time.
Some things will never be the same. There will never be another place like the Aud and a line like the French Connection. Some things, however, will always remain like my undying, unexplainable devotion to the Sabres. And while the Sabres may not have always won (they still don't very often...), a lot of memories were made nonetheless.
