I’m not going to lie, Buffalo.com wasn’t exactly on my radar 6 months ago. But since then they have been increasing their presence on Twitter and Facebook and have completely redesigned their website (with the help of Buffalo Foodies HERO Design). Their new look has made the site so much easier to navigate and new blog posts/videos are being posted daily; so definitely check it out. I guarantee you’ll find something fun and interesting to read every day.
If you haven’t noticed, we’ve shot a couple videos with the fine people of Buffalo.com and we’ve had a really fun time doing it. We’ve covered events like the Buffalo Soup Fest, Pizza Bash, Beerology, the super cool VIP Restaurant Week Preview Event and hopefully we will cover some more events this summer (get excited for more New Era Hats!).
So after working with them for so many months, it felt only right have the team talk about their favorite places to eat and drink in Buffalo. So I got a hold of Ben Kirst (Digital Communications Manager), S.J. Velasquez (Multimedia Content Coordinator aka my partner in crime with the videos) and Ben Tsujimoto (Online Content Coordinator) and here is what they had to say….
The Buffalo.com Crew: Ben T, Ben K and SJ
Where are some of your favorite places to eat in Buffalo?
Ben K: I am not a real fancy eater. I don’t go to pricey restaurants or explore out-of-the-way exotic cafes or anything like that. I eat a lot of pizza, and I am a big fan of Casa di Pizza on Elmwood. I am also obsessed with Mighty Taco, although I eat the same thing every time I go there. The fish fry at Gallagher’s on Allen Street is also a special treat, although I generally need to take a nap immediately after eating that mammoth. When I am feeling particularly metropolitan I really do enjoy Merge. The sweet potato fries are the official food of Buffalo.com.
SJ: I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for Aunt Millie’s out near Silver Creek. My family has a summer cottage in Hanford Bay, a couple miles from the restaurant, so we’re regulars in the summer months. I have dreams about the country scrambler and cream of chicken finger soup.
Ben T: Acropolis – I haven’t been there as much as I’d like but they’re creative and committed. The second floor should be awesome in the summer. They introduced a pomegranate chicken souvlaki a few months ago, and I’m building up the nerve to try it. Servers/bartenders are friendly and accommodating. Doc Sullivan’s (SoBo) has fantastic Smitty’s wings, and LT’s Old Tyme Subs in West Seneca offers a tremendous pizza sub. The Lake Effect Burger at Lake Effect Diner is wonderful. I’d like to try Kennedy’s Cove.
Where do you like to grab a drink on the weekend or after work?
Ben K: Again, I am kind of boring. I am a beer drinker and I love the selection at Pearl Street. I guess if I had to pick somewhere a little less obvious I would say Thirsty Buffalo, which has the advantages of a.) being right around the corner from me and b.) having a lot of sports on TV. Blue Monk is OK. I like Coles.
SJ: Wegmans. I’ve been known to buy a 6-pack of Magners hard cider and a $6 meal from Wegmans to enjoy alone in my apartment.
Ben T: Thirsty Buffalo is always a little too crowded for my taste. I like the Steer, too, mainly because it’s spacious and the second floor is solid. Frizzy’s is fun in a slightly-grungy sense. I’m not too dedicated of a bar-goer, though. I’ll drink any local beer, but I’m currently a fan of Great Lakes’ Burning River (pale ale, I know, I’m a hypocrite) and Dogfish Head’s seasonal Aprihop.
If you had a friend visiting from out of town, where would you take them for a good time?
Ben K: I could make up a bunch of stuff about architectural tours and elaborate explanations of the medical corridor but we would probably just end up drinking a lot. Have to go to Pearl Street, but then I’d want to hit Colter Bay in Allentown and Coles up on Elmwood and The Sterling on Hertel. Probably have to drop into the Anchor Bar. As you can see, I am a classy host.
SJ: I bring visitors to Pano’s — lots of options, good food. I had a friend visit me for a few days last summer, and I bought her to Pano’s for brunch, and then we took a trip to Niagara Falls. She described the day as “magical.”
Ben T: We’d do something like Casa di Pizza for lunch, walk around Elmwood for the late afternoon, then hit Cole’s/Pano’s for dinner and beer. Or, we’d just go to a Bandits game and then Pearl Street.
What are some food memories you have from your childhood?
Ben K: I remember loving the strawberry pancakes at Perkins. I actually remember the introduction of Chicken McNuggets at McDonald’s and thinking they were the greatest things ever. Mary’s Deli pizza in Dunkirk – not the Fredonia one – is the best in Western New York. Again, you see my cultured palate in action.
SJ: I grew up in a house behind Curly’s, right on the Lackawanna-Buffalo border, and my parents made me think that Curly’s was this ultra-fancy eatery. So, in my head, I still worship Curly’s. Also, Broadway Bobby’s pizzeria was a few houses up the street from my childhood home. Let’s just say I am no stranger to the sub-of-the-month deal. When I visit my parents, I occasionally stop by Bobby’s for a slice or 10.
Ben T:We didn’t eat at many local establishments as a family – really only Lucky’s in Elma/Depew border and Charlie’s Diner in East Aurora were the primary locally-owned ones. Shogun on Transit was fun to go to as a youngster because of their theatrics. We went to Red Lobster a lot for “special occasions.” Delicious garlic rolls.
What other restaurants/cuisines do you wish Buffalo had more of?
Ben K: Mexican. I love Mexican food and it seems to be in short supply. I also wish there were more Greek diners and Chinese takeout joints. Just kidding!
SJ: Mexican, for sure. My dad’s side of the family is Mexican, and I can safely say that I know what some region-specific Mexican food tastes like. We ate a lot of fideo (Mexican spaghetti, essentially), chorizo (before it was cool to call spicy sausage “chorizo sausage” – much like fake cheese sauce is now known by some as “queso cheese.” Idiots.) and cheese-onion enchiladas when I was a kid. Ever eat menudo? I’m not talking about the Latino boy band. Once I found out the ingredients in the Mexican stew, I never touched the stuff, even though it’s thought to remedy hangovers. I have never eaten anything that I would consider authentic Mexican anywhere in a Western New York restaurant. To this day, our family members (from the Velasquez side) bring us homemade tortillas from Bay City and Saginaw, Mich. My family once smuggled a cow’s head across the Canadian-US border so my aunt could cook the head and make beef barbacoa with the face meat.
It’d be a lot easier for the Velasquez family if there were some good Mexican eats in the area. We wouldn’t have to smuggle severed heads.
Ben T: I’ve never been to Tandoori’s before, but it does seem like there’s a void of Indian food around here. There aren’t many cheap sushi places, either, but maybe that’s an oxymoron. Don’t let SJ convince you that she’s the only Mexican in Buffalo.
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We’d like to thank Ben K, Ben T and SJ for taking time out of their crazy busy schedules to answer some questions about food. Go follow them on Twitter or Foursquare, “like” them on Facebook and keep up to date with some really fun and interesting blog posts and videos.
