A quick shout out to my girl! (no, the other one)

She's always there when I need her most.
She's always provided for me without question or judgment.
She always keeps it fresh by introducing new and wild things into our relationship.

I'm talking about Wendy's.  I'll keep this one quick (if possible) because this is just a shout of praise.

Years ago, when Fat Mike wasn't so fat living as a starving artist in an apt with a roommate, and holding down 3 jobs, Wendy's was my primary source of sustenance.  She was close by, available whenever I needed her and within my budget.  Better yet, she offered me healthier, better prepared menu options than her clown counterpart, or that deceivingly charming tyrannical alternative.  Over the years, I've stood by her side while the industry assimilated to the criteria listed above and embraced the current menu model.  There have been high points and low over the years, but she always coaxes me back in with special items like a Bacon Mushroom Melt LTO, or a new Spicy Chicken option.  I should note that we've never been mutually exclusive.  I stray on occasion, and I know that she finds joy in serving others besides myself. However, when faced with a choice I find myself knocking on her door knowing she'll welcome me back with open arms.

During a recent family road trip, I found myself in need of a quick food solution, and had an opportunity to reunite with my always reliable lady friend, Wendy.  It felt like coming home, and I was happily surprised to find that she had recently rolled out some new items from the kitchen.

Yep, Wendy decided she wanted to try her hand at some BBQ.  I have to admit that I was a little skeptical of her ability to properly execute this genre of food.  After all, while I've celebrated her unique takes on staples like the burger and the chicken sandwich, when I see items like BBQ Pulled Pok/Chicken Sandwich, or Pulled Pork Cheeseburger I have to hesitate a little bit.

Since I was completely caught off guard, I was in no situation to be diving in to a full blown tasting of the BBQ menu, but I couldn't just let it pass me by. So, I reached for the most obvious way to properly judge the execution: BBQ Pulled Pork Cheese Fries.


Damn, these were delicious!  I was SHOCKED at how authentic the flavors were.  A little smoke, that familiar BBQ sauce that I so frequently soak my chicken nuggets in, a glaze of velvety cheese whiz, and fresh chopped red onion on top. The fries still had a little bit of crispiness to them, and the meat wasn't all artificial and spongey.  They were so good, that I used an "Instagram filter" for the first time just to add to the hype. (right) The real surprise came when I shared some with my wife (who is pleasantly aware of my intimate relationship with Wendy), and despite her obvious intimidation and jealousy, she agreed that the BBQ cheese fries were quite good.  This just solidified the rousing endorsement that Wendy had done it yet again.  Able to create an affordable, enjoyable dining experience in an industry typically likes to just throw together buzz words and random, low-quality ingredients.  Wendy, you are my shining start yet again.  Well done.