It was a Tuesday evening, lovely weather, family in the yard, when thoughts of Bar-B-Q descended upon us from the heavens.

“Anyone feel like ribs?” I asked.

“I was just thinking that,” came a reply.

“Ohh, that sounds good,” replied another.

I was scrolling through my phone looking for a website.

Vicki’s? Parks?

“I’m Vegan,” said a more distant relation.

“There’s celery in the fridge.”

My wife moved to the Vegan and placed a gentle hand on its shoulder. “Lets please add pulled pork and mac-n-cheese,” she said (giving me a bit of a look). Without sound or gesture I replied in the affirmative. “And, don’t worry,” she said softly to the frailest among us. “I’ll make you a lovely salad.”

It was on. Ribs, pulled pork, and mac-n-cheese.

“Maybe, we should order a whole fried chicken?” I thought. But, everywhere I looked was closed – due it seemed to Coronavirus or the other pandemic specific to restaurants known as Tuesday.

Now, everyone had out their devices, searching. But, it didn’t matter. Most everything was closed. Until someone suggested, “Chicken Shack.”

Strange, how we sometimes forget what is consistently good while in constant pursuit of finding the “Best”.

And, who’s to say, really, what is the “Best”? Certainly, not I. In fact, in the category of Carryout, I’ll place my satisfaction level with this metropolitan institution, established in Royal Oak in 1956, up there with the best of them. Rarely, if ever, in the many number of times my family or friends ordered Chicken Shack did it not bring smiles to our faces.

And, this evening was no exception.