The Stats:

• Somer Orange Honey Ale
• Brewery: Rogue Brewery (Newport, Oregon)
• Style: America Pale Wheat Ale
• ABV: 5.2 %
• Serving Style: 22 oz Bottle from Village Beer Merchant ($7.99)

While I’ve always supported and admired Rogue Brewery, I never considered myself in their key demographic.  They, along with breweries like Stone Brewing Company, seem to make some ‘hardcore’ beers.  Types that are heavy on the hops, flavor and generally alcohol.  What I’ve realized is that I generally don’t like those types of beers (I’m working on it).  That said, I do love any Rogue style that has a picture of a girl on the bottle; their Chocolate Stout and Half-E-Weizen are both delicious.

So when I saw a bottle with a girl that I didn’t recognize, the Somer Orange Honey Ale, I had to try it.  The name alone sounds like a summer seasonal beer, but according to Rogue’s website, they will be releasing it year round.

Opening the bottle you immediately get a faint smell of orange, similar to other wheat/wit biers you may have tried elsewhere.  Pouring into the glass it had that lovely cloudiness that good wheat beers have.  With the first sip that orange flavor is subtle and doesn’t taste like someone poured orange juice into your beer.  The beer has a strong carbonation, almost like a soda, which makes this beer definitely a good candidate for a summer beer on a hot day.  I didn’t get a lot of flavor from the honey and the alcohol is barely existent at all, sadly many of the spices used in brewing get lost in the wheat-y body.

If you don’t enjoy “fruity” or “lighter” beers, there really isn’t anything about this that will convert you.  However, if you enjoy a Blue Moon or Shock Top, then I would highly recommend the Somer Orange Honey Ale.  It has a really nice smooth and mild flavor that would be a great “girlfriend beer”, or maybe a good beer to slowly introduce someone to the world of microbrews.  At the same time, it’s brewed with quality ingredients (like every other Rogue style) that any true beer fan can appreciate.  So, if you are at your local beer store (or even Wegmans), I would suggest giving the Somer Orange Honey Ale a try before the summer is over.  It will be around for the winter time but it would definitely shine more in the summer time with a good BBQ or summer party.

source: Navigetter.com

Before I really get into the “heart” of this post I guess I mention that this review/write-up/whatever will have no pictures.  I still feel uncomfortable bringing a regular camera inside a restaurant and blatantly taking pictures.  It’s weird and I don’t like to draw that kind of attention while Alli and I are having a meal.

Normally my iPhone 3gs works great with taking pictures of food, the touch focus is awesome for getting detail (look at the difference in pictures from pre-March 2010 to post March 2010), unfortunately, though, it sucks in low light situations.  Papa Jakes isn’t even that “dark” of a bar/restaurant but I realized early into our meal that I wouldn’t be able to take any photos.

Anyways, Papa Jake’s first came to our attention because of soccer.  During this year’s FIFA World Cup I started seeing facebook invites for US National Team Viewing Parties.  I never made it to any of those soccer viewing parties, nor did I make it for any post game parties for FC Buffalo’s home games (although I read/heard it was awesome by many accounts), but it sounded like a good place to grab a beer.  So on a night when Alli and I were trying to think of a new place to grab dinner, we thought of Papa Jake’s and took the short drive down Elmwood.

This was a Friday night and the place was packed, which I guess can be expected.  There wasn’t a seat available at the bar and a crowd had formed around the “Please Wait to Be Seated” sign.  We put our names in and waited to be called.  Now, normally, I don’t have a big problem with waiting around to get a table; in fact, after eating at 100′s of restaurants in Buffalo I think I’ve become quite patient.  However, on this night that patience was tested.

Before I go on, let me just preface this and say that the food was really good.  They have a really nice beer selection and the location as a whole is friendly and casual; definitely has that “lets drink some beer and hang out” vibe.  I could honestly see myself going back (maybe during a week night) and having some drinks and eating at the bar and watching a Sabres game. But I have to comment on the entire experience, and in doing so I have to comment on the lackluster service/management going on.

Before we left our house, Alli looked up Papa Jakes online and found a ton of glowing reviews, especially regarding the service, so we were not expecting a problem.  Now, when we walked in I was told the wait would be 25 minutes.  I have no problem with the time going over, obviously on a busy Friday it’s hard to figure out an exact wait time, but the actual time we waited was closer to 75-80 minutes…way over what we were originally told.  What annoyed me even more was the under staffed waiters and lack of any direction by management.  We watched table after table empty up and no one going over to clean them off.  Even the host, who seemed like a nice guy and even complimented me on my hat, seemed more preoccupied with drinking his beer and talking to people at the bar than with the people waiting for a table.  Honestly, the table we eventually sat at was empty for a good 20 minutes before they cleaned it off and we finally were asked if we would like to sit down. While the host was off enjoying himself, the 3 servers working that night were left to run around, take orders, get their own drinks at the bar, clean off tables and then check the list to find the next waiting customer on the list.  With such good food at really good prices (more on that coming soon), it is a real shame that poor management can really turn off some potential new customers.  For the record, we had no issue with our waitress, she seemed attentive and did not mess up our orders or really leave us without a check up for long periods of time.  There was a longer wait for a check, but with her work load I think I can give that a pass.

On a lighter note, the food was great.  They have a pretty decent menu; a lot of seafood options (at really fantastic prices) and your typical bar menu staples.  I decided to try out their “famous” Meatloaf sandwich, which I saw was recommended on the comments of a Buffalo Rising article.  The sandwich ($8.00) was pretty huge; a nice thick slice of meatloaf between two thick slices of bread with some cheese, BBQ sauce, and onions on top.  The sandwich was good but not great, maybe not living up to the praise I met online, but it was definitely filling.  While I think the meatloaf itself could have benefited from some more seasoning and flavor, the hand cut french fries we ordered were flawless.  Above the French Fry description on the menu was a quote from Janice Okun basically praising the fries as some of the best in Buffalo.  They lived up to the hype and served with a side of gravy, we devoured the plate, a huge portion for a reasonable four dollars.

Seeing plate after plate of crab legs walk by as we were waiting for our table, Alli quickly was sold on ordering some for herself.  For 15 bucks she ordered a pound of Alaskan King Crab Legs, pre-cracked and with a large cup of butter.  I could tell just by watching her tear into the crab that they were fantastic.  The pre-cracking made the meat easy to get to and the portion was just right.  Her meal was served with a surprisingly nice salad, loaded with olives, tomatoes, croutons and field greens instead of crappy lettuce.

So after all of that, would I recommend Papa Jake’s? Absolutely. The food, the atmosphere and the prices make this place a really good stop.  But you need to have some patience if you are going on a weekend night because boy do they get busy.  This isn’t the first time we’ve gone out and had fabulous food but had to go through a nightmare of service to get to it (cough … Bar Bill Tavern … The Aud … Tantalus).  All of those places really don’t have issues with the actual servers, what it really seems to be is poor management and when things get really busy everything goes to hell and the wait takes much longer then it should.  I’m hoping that we went on a night that was unusual for the restaurant and they actually run a smoother operation than we experienced. However, for the time being I’ll be a repeat customer, but just on Monday through Thursday.

He has garnered some national attention too, being mentioned in the Washington Post, featured in Elle Girl Magazine and can be found all over Hype Machine (one of my favorite websites).  Currently living in Connecticut, Dstar still makes the trip back to Buffalo for a set, but has also shown off his skills across the country.

I got in touch with DJ Dstar via email and here is what he had to say about his favorite places to eat in Buffalo.

What are some of your favorite restaurants in Buffalo?

Dstar: My current favorite restaurant right now in Buffalo is Seabar, hands down.  I wasn’t super big into them at their old location, but being a complete sushi addict I find myself going there every time I come home now.  Loved the Fish Tacos (Great sushi influence on them), and the sashimi is quite possibly the freshest in Buffalo.  You can catch me taking my girlfriend there every time I’m home to DJ, we both love it there.  As far as grabbing sushi fast, it’s Wasabi take-out for me… great but I eat a ton of sushi so it really takes something special for me to love a place.

Another spot I’m sure to hit on a visit back home to Buffalo is Bar-Bill, all the way out in my hometown of East Aurora.  Buttery BBQ wings, certainly the best in Western New York.  It’s a small spot so if it’s busy expect to wait, however it’s unbelievably worth it and almost adds to the novelty.  I love wings from the Anchor Bar and Duff’s as well, but Bar-Bill is by far the spot to go and surprise your friends who think they have had every great wing spot in the area.  I guarantee you’ll surprise them!

Amongst the honorable mentions…the best “American Chinese” food goes to Chang’s Garden in West Seneca (across from the best family diner, Pappas’), make sure you grab the Crispy Prawns with Walnuts.  Unreal!  It’s essentially huge shrimp in an incredible sweet sauce.  Honorable mention goes to Gin Gin’s up in the Northtowns, they’re more “authentic Chinese”.  I’m not much for Mighty Taco, but if I’m eating at a chain back home, I’ll be at Salsarita’s on Chippewa.  Best fast lunch that money can buy!

Where do you like to grab a drink in Buffalo?

Dstar: Well I don’t drink (unusual for a 25 year old DJ, I know) but if I end up taking my friends out somewhere, we’ll usually meet up wherever’s close.  I’m not really one to catch out at a bar…but I’m always trying to support my DJ friends, so on an weekend night that I’m off I might be hanging out at Snooty Fox with my buddy DJ Heat, or seeing one of the other locals spinning at night.  A lot of new kids in the game recently so I’ll try and check whoever’s out and show some support.

What kinds of food did you grow up on while living in Buffalo?

Dstar: Being a little guy, my dad used to take me to ALL the freshest spots.  I was spoiled on that tip and I never really appreciated it until I moved out and had to seek everything out on my own, trying to act like my dad used to, having to convince people to try new things.  We rarely went to the same restaurant twice unless they really killed it.  Favorite childhood spots, Ted’s – who remembers the Teddy Bars?  Chocolate, caramel, and peanuts in ice cream bars.  Why did they have to go??  Old Mighty Taco – I still vividly remember the day my dad took me there after his work day and the food quality just bombed.  Trying to stay away from criticism on here but I’m still heartbroken over that one guys!  I guess in today’s day and age I understand why change had to happen however.  For all the youngins that love Mighty…when I was little it was 10 times better!  We also used to go on the Lake a lot by the Ford plant to one of the smaller hot dog stands, but it’s been gone for years.  That’s kind of sad now that I think about it, haven’t been there in ages.  Most of my childhood classics are hot dogs and fast food that’s bad for you…ha.  We went to great restaurants too, but what kid remembers that?

Since you now live in Connecticut and have traveled over the country, what kinds of food would you like to see in Buffalo?

Dstar: Hopefully I’m not off on a few of these, but moving to CT (and traveling for gigs) has built a little wish list of things I would love to see back home.  Bubble Tea NEEDS to happen in a hip location (remember Bubble Tea Cafe, UB students and many auto enthusiasts know the deal)…it’s the best dessert/snack ever and I miss it so much as it’s not good in CT either.  It’s a sugary, fruity tea drink with solid Tapioca balls floating throughout.  Sounds weird, but trust me on this one!  There’s a few spots, but no place is really “hip” and I dare to say even comfortable/inviting to go into.  All you can eat Sushi, doesn’t seem like there’s a great spot for that in Buffalo either.  Out here in CT there’s a killer spot (I used to flood Twitter every time I go with pics) where during a weekday 18 dollars will get you as much as you could possibly eat, and the food is quite decent.  Fish Tacos are a number one favorite when I go out west (same with In-N-Out burger but that’ll never happen).  I don’t really have a great place for burgers back home either, we have a great bar spot a few minutes from my apartment here that has amazing gourmet burgers and a lengthy beer menu for decent prices.  Someone should open a Five Guys Burgers (saw your article, I go there now and then here in CT!)  Although I hardly go out for steak any more, I have to mention the fact I don’t hear about restaurants serving “dry aged” steak back home…highly recommended!  New England pizza sucks for the most part, but I live next to a spot that offers “clam pizza” – and it’s probably the best non-Buffalo pizza ever.  As far as being away from home, I really miss Sahlen’s Hot Dogs, Wegman’s and great wings at nearly every corner.  Can you tell I’m a carnivore yet?

If you were taking a friend out in Buffalo for a good time, where would you go?

Dstar: Anchor Bar for dinner just on principle, Allentown to hang and jive out, then maybe show them how odd the club scene is in Buffalo (I am betting my out of town friends would likely be some DJ on tour haha).

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I’d like to say a big thank you to DJ Dstar for answering our questions and giving some great answers.  I highly suggest you check out his website or twitter account for his latest news, or subscribe to his podcast (definitely helps a work day go by faster).  At the very least keep a look out for his next appearance at a club in Buffalo, that is, if you enjoy getting your dance on.

First off, during a morning walk with our puppy this morning through Allentown I noticed that Lagniappes seems to be finally getting ready to move locations.  To those who don’t know, Lagniappes, the incredibly delicious New Orleans-style restaurant located on Allen St. right in the heart of Allentown (across from Mulligans Brick Bar/Allen St. Hardware Cafe) is moving on to a bigger and better location about half a block down the street from where they are now.

While it doesn’t seem far (it’s not) it looks like its going to be a great move.  Right now they are located in a tiny spot with very limited space (maybe 4-5 tables tops).  The new place is a block closer towards Elmwood in an old red building that I am assuming was once a restaurant/bar (though it seems to have been empty for a while now).

During the Allentown Art Fest we spoke to the owner or Lagniappes and he was confident they would be moved in “sometime in the next few weeks” pending their liquor license.  It’s been more than a few weeks but I imagine trying to open a new business always takes longer than expected.  Regardless, today I noticed they had put up a sign for The French Quarter Cafe and the door was cracked open and something was going on inside.  All this leads me to beleive the move is getting close and soon we will have a new and improved (and bigger!) Lagniappes.  It’s great to see an old empty building in Allentown getting a new tenant and its also great to see such a fantastic restaurant expanding.

Another thing I noticed on my walk was all the signs for the Buffalo Infringement Festival.  To give you an overview of what that is, here is the description from the website…

Every summer, the streets of the Allentown neighborhood of Buffalo, NY come alive with scores of events by local and visiting theatre and dance companies, puppeteers, media artists, poets, comics, musicians, cabaret acts, digital designers, and miscellaneous insurrectionists. The annual Buffalo Infringement Festival provides artists and audiences of all backgrounds the chance to come together, take chances, push boundaries, and explore uncharted territory because exciting art can happen anywhere, anytime, without a blockbuster budget. (Or any budget at all, for that matter.)

So, basically, its a giant (yet almost hidden) art festival that will be happening for the next week and a half all over the city (though it seems mostly in the Allentown/Elmwood area).  Artists of all means will be showcasing their work, holding workshops, playing music, performing, etc, etc, etc.  I tried to take a look through the schedule but it’s almost overwhelming as there are literally almost 100 different things happening each day at various locations.  Today, for instance, the festival kicks off with a percussion performance at Days Park at 6pm and 11+ bands performing at Nietzsche’s from 7pm-3am.  On top of that many the art galleries in the area will be open with various showcases.  Tomorrow the list grows…see the schedule here.

Another cool thing (at least I think so) is Garden Walk Buffalo.

Garden Walk Buffalo is a free, self-guided tour of more than 350 Buffalo gardens, the largest garden tour in America. Held annually on the last weekend of July, this year it will be Saturday and Sunday, July 24 and 25 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

I am not sure if its because I live in the city or because slowly I’m getting older and appreciate things like this more, but this seems pretty awesome.  This weekend you can come down to Allentown/West Side/Elmwood and pick up a map and check out over 300 gardens within a three mile radius.  I pass a bunch of these gardens on my walks with the puppy and some are pretty gorgeous.  Not only is this a nice thing to do on a warm Buffalo weekend, but it really helps rejuvenate the area and let’s outsiders (including you suburbanites) know that the city of Buffalo isn’t as horrible as some make it out to be and actually can be a pretty fantastic place to spend a Saturday.  Here is some more information.

Finally, Canal Fest continues through this weekend.  I won’t go into details because a festival is a festival and you can expect the usual array or rides, games, good food, parades, crafts, fireworks, etc.  The nice part about Canal Fest is, well, that its on the waterfront.  As many of us learned in elementary school, the Erie Canal was a pretty big deal a long time ago and its always nice to spend a summer day/evening on the waterfront enjoying the summer weather.

So, bottom line, don’t complain that there is nothing to do this weekend, because there is plenty of stuff going on.  There are plenty of Taste’s still coming up (with the Taste of Orchard Park happening this coming Wednesday) and the Eden Corn Fest is happening the first full weekend of August.  Don’t worry, I will be back before then to remind you.  Also keep a look out for some upcoming Food Porns from the Poppysead and Sakura Sushi as well as some new Buffalo Foodies featuring djDstar.

The Taste of Buffalo has become something bigger then just another “summer event” for us at Buffalo Eats.  A few weeks prior, we carefully look over the restaurants, their menu items, their prices and, near the end, even the layout of the entire festival to map our route.  What I’ve learned over the years is that preparation is key.  We get our list and figure out how many menu items we “definitely want to eat”, “maybe want to eat” and “if we still have cash and it looks good”.  So going into the 27th Taste of Buffalo, we had done our homework.

I hate to sound like an old man talking about the “good times” but this year it really seemed like they had upped the prices and lowered the quantities from years prior.  It could all just be a figment of my imagination but I could have sworn that their were far more 3-5 ticket items last year.  Everywhere I went this year it seemed like all of their menu items were at least 6 tickets and you’d be lucky to find a “taste” of something that was 3 tickets. On top of that the actual amount of food was much lower than even last year (2 tiny raviolis for 5 tickets, really?); obviously, the state of economy is probably at fault here.

That being said we had a really nice time and made our way to Delaware Ave for both days (even though I said I would only go one day this year, since we now live in walking distance we could not resist).  Before you read on for our account of the festival, you can check out our newest staff member Dave and his summary of his trip.

Here are some of the highlights from the two days:

Above were one of the best things I ate this year, the BBQ Pork Ribs from Blasdell’s BW’s Barbeque.  The pork literally fell off the bone when you picked up a rib and the BBQ sauce was literally finger-licking delicious.  I am still ashamed that I lived only a few miles from this place for so many years and I have still yet to walk inside their restaurant and try their food properly.

Our next memorable item was Sakura’s Sushi.  We tried their California Roll and  Spicy Tuna Combo.  Both of which were fantastic; so much so that we just recently visited their restaurant on Union Rd in Cheektowaga and will be writing up a new Food Porn shortly.

Looking back, I really could have eaten everything off the menu for Landies Candies.  Going into the event they weren’t even on our radar but after watching some of Alli’s friends order some freshly made chocolate covered strawberries, we were sold.  Before this I’ve actually never had anything from Landies Candies except a bag of chocolate covered popcorn, but these were delicious.  As was the case everywhere, the strawberries were a little on the small side, but fantastic none-the-less.

Above is the offering of some puffy pita chips and Buffalo Chicken Wing dip from Buffalo Roadhouse Grill.  I’ve been hearing commercials for this place for a few months now.  While I was never a huge fan of Roadhouse before they closed all the locations around the area, I do like the idea of Buffalo residents rallying together and reopening a closed restaurant, even if it was a national franchise.  They make a really good Chicken Wing Dip and I’d certainly be interested in seeing what else they offer, plus getting a coupon for a free appetizer definitely helped too.

We stopped by Torches, being confident they would be serving something delicious (especially after our fantastic meal a couple weeks ago).  We saw French Maid Fries on their menu and thought that sounded interesting.  I can’t remember the exact ingredients but they were covered in garlic and Parmesan cheese and possibly cooked in truffle oil (?).  The next time you are going to for a nice meal, I definitely recommend Torches.  JJ Richert (head chef) does fine dining right.

One of the places we stopped at both on Day 1 and on Day 2 was Depew’s Mazzariello’s Restaurant & Bar.  Above is their Faggotini, which were small pasta purses stuffed with a gorgonzola cheese and walnuts and covered with a blush sauce; Alli definitely enjoyed it.  I tried out their Banana Pepper Dip (think stuffed Banana Peppers in dipping form) which was fantastic and had a really good heat that didn’t overwhelm me.

We visited Papaya during this past springs Restaurant Week, but only had a really small tasting of what they can truly offer.  During the Taste we tried out both their Crab Spring Roll and their Korean BBQ Ribs.  The Crab Spring Roll was literally stuffed with crab and deep fried; biting into it I was shocked with how much they stuffed in there.  The Korean BBQ Ribs were flavored with a fantastic seasoning, and while they didn’t fall off the bone like BW’s they were still quite great and now have Alli and I planning a return visit.

All in all we probably ate less this year compared to last year but that’s probably a good thing.  We were a little more picky and really stuck to our list and budget (we are trying to save for a wedding here).  We did try a few other items (the fried raviolis from Cecilias, fried chicken from Garris BBQ, Sicilian cigar from Bings, etc) but in an effort to not make this post incredibly long we decided to only mention our favorites.  To note, we did a “Beef Pattie comparison” between Caribbean Experience and Niagara Cafe.  Again, we still stand firm that if they could take the more flavorful and ‘sloppy’ inside of the Caribbean Experience pattie and the crispier and more fried Niagara Cafe shell it would be perfect.

In the end we left with more places to add to our restaurant wish list (Sakura, Buffalo Roadhouse, Papaya) and even though I wasn’t asked to be a judge (yet again), I’m OK with waiting a year before I gorge myself again.

This is what the seating area looks like.

The Bedrock Eatery is far from ostentatious. Impressed with my big words? Well, it means “showy” or “flashy.” And that’s what the Bedrock Eatery is the complete opposite of. It’s a very laid-back restaurant in Hamburg right on the coast of Lake Erie. The location is their selling point because you get a gorgeous view of the lake whether you’re inside or outside. It’s an absolutely perfect place for a relaxing summer afternoon.

The walls are adorned with many different kind of sailing themed ornaments. It may seem somewhat tacky, but it is actually kind of neat. I was impressed with a display hanging on the wall that had miniature versions of different kinds of rope knots that I guess sailors use. It’s not a typical type of sit-down restaurant with waiters and waitresses; you order at the counter.

The menu contained a wide variety of food. There are many different types of hamburgers. The sandwich selection was quite large too with steak, tuna, chicken, and fried bologna. Perhaps the most unique items on the menu were the salad bowls. For those who are unfamiliar, it is salad served in a tortilla shell. More on that later. The only problem was that fish is only served on Fridays… You’re on the lake, you really can’t serve fish on days other than Friday? Send one of your workers on a boat in the lake and get some fish for crying out loud.

We sat down at a plastic table inside and the view of the lake was great. It was very relaxing as we waited for our food and listened to the mellow music. Then, our number was called and we got our food.

For some reason I thought it would be a good idea to do an aerial picture of my steak salad. Lesson learned. The steak was very tender and it was loaded with shredded cheese (love) and had tomatoes, onions, and I got mine with bleu cheese dressing. It was extremely filling and very delicious. The only problem was that it was PACKED with tomato cubes. I’m not a huge fan of tomatoes so I kept picking them out. Also, the onions were cooked or carmalized or something. I prefer my onions raw, but it was good nonetheless. The tortilla shell was a great touch!

My brother got the Bedrock Supreme Burger. It contains cheese, bacon, and BBQ sauce (which he used to dip his fries in.) It was a pretty standard run-of-the-mill burger but he said it was still very good. The fries were very crispy, although he could have used some more of them.

The other members of our party got the taco salad in a tortilla shell. One was not too pleased saying that there was not enough meat in it but the other seemed to enjoy it very much. They enjoyed the tortilla bowl very much as well.

The prices were reasonable. Everything was well under ten dollars. (You just have to watch out for the drink prices.) Overall, I was very pleased with my experience and it was a very relaxing atmosphere. I loved being out by the water and it made me appreciate Buffalo that much more.  With it’s plastic chairs and paper plates, don’t expect anything too fancy. If you’re ever in Hamburg I’d suggest you go and check this unique place out.

Then maybe you can hit up the beach afterwards.

After working in Allentown for almost two years I thought I’ve knocked off every potential lunch location off the list.  But last week I tried out a new lunch destination with some fellow coworkers when we visited Hamlin House.  The Hamlin House is actually a hidden gem, driving down Franklin Street you could easily drive by it.  That’s because there isn’t a big flashy sign or really anything to let you know it’s even there.  It’s located within the American Legion Troop 1 No 665 building (there is a banner across the door now).

I haven’t had a lot of experience with American Legions but my understanding was they were filled with an “older crowd” and serve really cheap beer.  Those were both the case when we went but what surprised me was the really good meal that followed.

Their menu is incredibly affordable (4 dollar burgers) and surprisingly large and diverse (burgers, salads, pastas).  Five out of the six people at our table decided to go the route of cheap hamburgers and we all walked away very full and satisfied.  For 4 dollars we got really good, hand made (not the pre made out of the freezer type) patties.  I got mine covered with American cheese, blue cheese and bacon for an extra buck.  While I would have liked the bun to have been toasted, that’s really the only complaint I have.  They gave me a generous amount of blue cheese and two large slices of bacon on top.

Originally we were all going to order a side of fries with each of our burgers but our server told us it would be cheaper to just order the basket, so we did.  They were fried to a crispy, golden perfection to what I would call a “diner” style French Fry.  Not exactly a steak fry but definitely thicker then those shoe string/McDonald’s style.

This place is probably awesome for a cheap pre-game drink and getting a little tipsy before heading out on the town; they also serve dinner. The interior is a little dated (they definitely aren’t catering to the under 30 crowd) but the old time World War I posters are a neat touch.  I walked away definitely impressed with quality of food considering the low prices and I will be trying it out again.

Lately Alli and I have been taking our puppy Marty McFly to the Lasalle Dog Park (aka the Barkyard) and we pass by Custard Corner & Deli every time.  This summer I really wanted to start to discover as many cool ice cream/dessert destinations as possible.  It’s my first summer not living in Orchard Park and I figured there had to be a bunch of hidden gems in the city.

Well, every time we have driven by Custard Corner they have had either a delicious smell coming from the building or they have had a large line standing in front.  Either way, I felt pretty confident about going there and trying it out (Sidenote: once I realized they take credit cards it was a no-brainer).

Custard Corner has a slightly unique take on your regular local independent ice cream stand; they also have a Deli inside.  They have all the standards of an ice cream stand, various types of soft serve ice cream (including Strawberry), sundaes and Perry’s hard ice cream.  They also have offerings of various cold cut sandwiches, potato salads and other lunch time foods.

I ordered their Snickers Arctic Swirl and it tasted exactly how you would expect.  There was a surprisingly large amount of Snickers bars inside the treat, it was mixed well (no large clumps of Snickers) and just overall a really good treat for a hot humid Buffalo night.  For about 9 bucks I ordered the swirl, a large Coke, and Alli had a Hot Fudge Sundae.

We haven’t had a chance to go back and try any of their Deli menu items but once we do I will make sure to update/post the pictures.  So if you are taking your dog to the dog park (Buffalo Eats loves and endorses the Barkyard), going to the newly reopened public city pool, or just enjoying LaSalle Park, stop by the Custard Corner and get yourself a nice icy treat, they have something for everyone.

Ahh, the Taste of Buffalo. It is one of the many unique events that make Buffalo such an interesting place to live in. I mean, sure we’re not the biggest and most well-known city in the world but throughout the nation, we’re known for our chicken wings, our terrible football team, and our poverty rate. That said, Buffalo has something that many cities lack. We have heart.  I’m not trying to sound cheesy and I’m not about to break out into song, but it’s true. You would never think that Buffalo was a struggling city when you maneuvered your way around Niagara Square and strolled down Delaware Avenue during the Taste of Buffalo.

I stepped outside my mom’s luxurious and extremely stylish mini-van and took in my surroundings. I was amazed. There were people everywhere. I couldn’t believe it. My parents went off to go buy tickets and I stood with my brother waiting for them to come back. The problem was that there really wasn’t much of a place to stand without being in someone’s way. I even think that I ended up being in some Asian family’s pictures seven different times. Oh well.

Regardless, the vibrant atmosphere sky-rocketed my mood and my excitement. I had never been to an event like this. The only “Taste of” I’ve ever been to was “The Taste of Hamburg” when I was ten years old and I got Pizza Hut there. I was feeling a bit more adventurous this time. The first thing I tried was Chester’s Cajun Grill for some Shrimp over Cajun Rice. A fantastic way to start off the day.

I think the rest of the Buffalo Eat’s Gang will cover more of the food portion of the Taste, so I’m going to focus on the event itself. While I was downing a Mediterranean Wrap from WJ Morrissey (delicious, albeit a bit too cold) I looked over at a lonely band of middle-aged men playing on a big stage for a crowd of 3. It was a sad sight, but people came for the food, not the music. The band members, however, seemed to be having the time of their lives. I don’t want to sound too negative, but I could have gone with less noise. I didn’t really need to hear a loud and somewhat annoying African drum while I was eating chicken wing dip.

The crowd was incredible diverse. There were all of kinds of people from all over enjoying the famed event. Everybody seemed happy. Smiles were abundant and it was a feel-good day. There was something for everyone.

I even encountered some celebrities. Though “celebrities” is a loose term here. I shook Senator Chuck Schumer’s hand. He looked sweaty and tired, but it was nice of him to take the time and shake everybody’s hand. A few minutes later, we had a bizarre encounter with Mayor Byron Brown. Wearing a bright orange t-shirt, he was texting behind a tent. That didn’t stop us from shaking his hand. My little brother declared afterwards, “I’m never washing this hand again!”

That brings me to my next point. Strollers. I hate strollers. I’m calling a ban on all strollers. I was  already crowded together with a bunch of people while walking down Delaware Avenue, strollers won’t help. Chances are your kids don’t want to even be there. I’m sure they won’t enjoy Chicken Makhani with Basmati Rice from Kabab and Curry.

What if there was a fire or a fight? It seemed like people would get trampled. The streets seemed too narrow with the amount of people there. I felt like James Bond trying to manuever my way across the street to meet with a friend of mine. Ok, so I may have cut off an old lady in a wheelchair. I gotta do what I gotta do.

Remarkably, I never had too wait long to get my food. All the restaurant workers were incredibly hard-working, patient, and courteous. They really wanted us to like their food, and well, I did! I enjoyed almost everything. I ended my day with a free ice cream from the Channel 7 News Station and came to the conclusion that this is exactly what Buffalo needs to keep its morale high. Leaving with a full stomach and a happy expression on my face, I realized I learned one thing- Ordering soup on a hot day is a horrible idea.

Heres the final 2 videos for the season, again put together by the talented Nate Peracciny:

• Nickel City Chef XI: Paul Jenkins (Tempo) vs Jim Guarino (Shango Bistro)
• Secret Ingredient: Pork (Pork Chops, Ground Pork, Bacon) from T Meadow Farms

• Nickel City Chef XII: Krista Van Wagner (Curly’s) vs Mark Sciortino (Marco’s Italian Deli)
• Secret Ingredient: Heritage Chicken from Good Grass Farms.

Phil

It’s been a long time since we have featured a Buffalo Foodie and I think we are long over due for a new one.  Today we are fortunate to have Phil Kneitinger contribute to the series.  Phil runs and writes for the sports blog Black & Blue & Gold.  While he mainly writes about the Buffalo Sabres and hockey in general (this is a hockey town after all), he’ll occasionally touch on our other local sports teams like the Bandits, Bisons and even our new soccer team FC Buffalo.

I have to say he was one of the quickest responses I’ve ever received from a Buffalo Foodie request and you can tell he loves this city (which is impressive considering he recently has moved back to the area) and gets excited to talk about it.

So here is what Phil had to say about his favorite places to eat and drink in Buffalo:

What restaurants do you love to eat at?

Phil: It’s all about the sushi for me. I’m in the Elmwood Village, so I love going to Wasabi on Elmwood (get the super dynamite roll – eel, white tuna, crab, asparagus, and cream cheese all lightly fried up tempura-style – so good) and Kuni’s on Lexington (the mackerel and ginger roll is really bold and the wasabi shumai dumplings have serious zing).

Beyond sushi, I just go wherever my belly dictates. Chef’s for Italian, Towne for Greek (especially for souvlaki breakfast), Sweet Tooth for dessert (get the cream soda float), Pearl St prior to going to see a Sabres or Bandits game (loaded fries and Trainwreck are tradition)…I could go on forever. One place I always seem to be for lunch is Spot Coffee. The grilled cheese has big slabs of tomato and I’m a huge fan. Their cajun turkey wraps are another favorite of mine.

I love my Buffalo-centric fast food staples, so I’m often eating a Diavlo (fried hot peppers – can’t go wrong), at Jim’s Steakout, or a Super Mighty at Mighty Taco. I love my Ted’s and my Louie’s. Gabriel’s Gate is my destination for wings, and I have a soft spot for Casa di Pizza’s plain ol’ cheese and pepperoni pie and stuffed hot peppers. My beef on weck experience is unusual in that I think I love The Carvery stand at the top of the 300LVL escalator the best. Not for the meat itself, but because of the experience of getting off the escalator, grabbing my weck, and hurrying to my seat to beat Doug Allen’s anthems.

Where do you love to get a drink?

Phil: To watch the game, I’m usually at JJ’s on Elmwood and Hodge (ask Shookie the bartender about his “Bus Bomb”), The Irish Times by the ballpark, or The Aud on Transit by French ($10 gets you 10 wings AND a pitcher of Blue on game night). I typically head down to Nietzsche’s if I want cheap covers and good live music or The Old Pink for some of the best bar DJing in town. I go to a bunch of shows and love drinking at Town Ballroom and Mohawk Place, too.

I lived in Chautauqua County for a big period of my life and there’s a bar down there called BJ’s that feels so much like Nietzsche’s. I love it. Kitschy decorations, graffiti everywhere, and such a homey feel.

My beer taste is all over the place. Some nights I like stouts (Murphy’s, usually), some nights I like IPAs (Southern Tier’s Unearthly Imperial is great), some nights I’m in the mood for an amber ale (Pearl St’s Trainwreck is great, especially out of a widowmaker), some nights I’m up for something light (Magic Hat #9, typically), and some nights I just want Molson Canadian.

If you want a unique drinking experience, go to Club Diablo on Washington and try a couple of their specially-stocked Satan-themed beers. Stone’s Arrogant Bastard will kick your a** if you’re not careful and the Lucifer Gold is surprisingly strong for being so smooth. Just…beware if you’re not into death metal. Trust me on that one.

Growing up in Buffalo what kinds of food did you eat?

Phil: Well, I hadn’t lived in Buffalo since I was five before I recently moved back. I do remember what I got every time my dad would take my brother and I to Mighty Taco when I was a teenager – two Super Mightys, a Nachos Deluxe, and a medium Aunt Rosie’s loganberry. It’s so sad seeing Aunt Rosie’s no longer in production. And before the Ted’s in the Galleria got wiped out during the mall’s expansion, I always got a chili cheese footlong when we went back-to-school shopping.

What do you wish Buffalo had more of?

Phil: I know there’s still Jamaican places in Buffalo, but I really miss Steel Drums on Main St. I loved their jerk chicken stir fry and Jamaican patties, and it was awesome to see live blues, reggae, and jazz bands there on the weekends.

But what I think Buffalo needs more of are traditional delis. There aren’t enough sandwich shops here that pile the pastrami and cappicola as high as your head. Definitely need more deli’s (Don edit: I totally agree).

Where would you take a friend from out of town to show them a good time in Buffalo?

Easy – Gabriel’s Gate for their wings and sandwiches, Flying Bison on the weekend to grab some brewed-in-Buffalo beers (the barleywine and Aviator red are wonderful) and swag, and Dolci for some gelato. Dolci’s peanut butter and chocolate gelato is especially tasty. For the nightlife, I’d drag em down to Nietzsche’s for whatever funky band is rocking out late into the night. If it isn’t apparent already, I avoid Chippewa like it’s the plague – it is 100% not my scene.

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My favorite part of these Buffalo Foodie articles are learning about new menu items (super dynamite roll and wasabi dumplings both sound amazing) or maybe realizing that I would totally love fried hot peppers on my sub.  I’m a newbie when it comes to reading Phil’s work on Black & Blue & Gold but I have definitely become a fan over the last couple of weeks.  He clearly has a passion for sports in the Buffalo area and it comes across in the quality of his writing.  I highly suggest you bookmark his blog, follow him on twitter or “like” his blog on facebook.  Odds are if you can pull off 1 of those 3 things and you will definitely appreciate doing so.

Buffalo Eats would like to thank Phil for his awesome answers and for taking time out of running his own blog to contribute to ours.  Please support Phil and all of our former foodies by clicking on their respective links on the sidebar under “Friends”.

Normally we try to avoid franchise or chain restaurants at all costs, in fact I’m pretty proud that out of the almost 150 restaurants on this website, less then 10 are national chains.  However, I have to give praise when praise is due.  Five Guys Burgers and Fries doesn’t operate like your normal fast food burger chain.  You can’t even compare what they put on a plate with McDonalds, Burger King and Wendy’s.

Unfortunately for Buffalo, we have yet to acquire a franchise in the area.  Which is why, during a road trip to see Minus the Bear in Rochester, I made sure we stopped by one of the 3 locations in the area (soon to be 4!).  Using my handy dandy iPhone I found a location that was about 15 minutes away from our concert, so we headed over to the Pittsford location.

It took us a couple minutes to find the restaurant in the Pittsford Plaza, but we managed to find the relatively small location near the massive Barnes and Noble.  We excitedly headed right to their counter to check out our options.  Their menu is incredibly simple, several options of hamburgers with various fixings (regular hamburgers are 2 patties, small are 1).

So I ordered a large bacon hamburger with pickles and tomatoes (they have even more toppings available).  Contrary to the subpar picture below, the burger was fantastic.  Really fresh ground beef, fresh toppings and a toasted roll.  Sure it was a little bit of a longer wait then you would get a typical fast food burger around Buffalo, but the wait was worth it as they really did make everything fresh to order.  While not one of the best burgers I’ve ever had, it was definitely memorable.

In addition to my delicious hamburger I ordered a large french fry, which turned out to be the star of the meal.  For 4 dollars I basically got an entire brown paper bag filled with incredibly crispy and delicious fries. One of the neat aspects of all Five Guys locations if they post where exactly the potatoes are from that day.  On this particular day they were from somewhere in Idaho, but I don’t remember the exact city.

I have been looking forward to eating at a Five Guys for years; Alli went on a trip to Washington DC and unknowingly tried their food and has raved about it every since.  My standards were pretty high for a $5 hamburger, and yet they were completely meet.  I had extremely high hopes for their french fries as well; I had heard stories of their grease content almost destroying the paper bag they were served in (in a good way).  They didn’t let me down either.  I was able to bring my little brother and his 3 friends and they were all equally impressed with their food as well.

I know this doesn’t sound like something I normally would advocate, but if you are in the Rochester area I recommend at least just one visit to a Five Guys location.  After reading an awesome article about the men who started the chain and finally actually eating their food, I am now a huge fan.

Tomorrow downtown Buffalo (more specifically Delaware Avenue) will be taken over by tents, massive crowds of people, live music and lots delicious food.  Alli and I are going to break down the menu that was posted a couple weeks ago (check it out here).  Basically, here are two lists; one of food we’ve had and can recommend, and another of items we haven’t tried and really want to.  Feel free to look at our journal from last year (Day 1, Day 2) and get an idea for how seriously we take this festival.

Been there, done that:

• Caribbean Experience “Beef Pattie” – 3 tickets.  This and The Niagara Cafe’s offerings are must try items.  Fried seasoned crus; with ground beef inside, it’s like a delicous hot pocket.
• Cecelia’s “Fried Cheese Ravioli” – 5 tickets.  MUST TASTE - Every year Alli looks forward to the Taste of Buffalo just for these Ravioli’s.  Why they took them off the regular menu at Cecilia’s I will never know.
• Eddie Ryans “Beer Cheese Soup” – 3/5 tickets.  This isn’t on par with Pearl Street’s version, but it’s still worth a taste.
• Garris BBQ “Fried Chicken” – 7 tickets.  MUST TASTE – Hands down my favorite menu item in 2009, so much so that I ventured over to the east side to order this a couple months ago.  Getting it hot and fresh out of the frier is amazing.
• JP Bullfeathers “Jack Daniel’s Glazed Chicken Fingers” – 8 tickets.  Yes, I know Chicken Fingers are boring but the glaze is actually fantastic.
• The Niagara Cafe “Pastelillo (aka Beef Pattie)” – 6 tickets.  See above.
• Orazio’s “Oreo Peanut Butter Delight” – 4 tickets.  I normally don’t get excited for the desserts but this was memorable last year.
• P&R Bakeery “Humming Bird Cupcake” – 5 tickets.  It’s become a tradition to stop by on our way out of the festival and pick up a Cupcake to go.

On our wishlist:

• Bing’s “Crab cake / Sicilian Cigar Combo” – 8 tickets.  What I’ve gathered from my internet research is that a Sicilian Cigar is Swordfish wrapped around nuts, raisins and cheese.  I’m not exactly sure what that is but I’m willing to try it.
• BW’s “Pork Spare Ribs” – 7 tickets.  Growing up in Orchard Park it is a shame we have yet to really try BW’s at their restaurant location.  We had something similar at the Taste of Orchard Park but their reputation is great for BBQ.
• Cecelia’s “Maytag Blue Burger Slider” – 8 tickets.  Blue cheese and Burgers are great, and Sliders are probably the best way to eat a hamburger during the Taste of Buffalo.
• Chester’s Cajun Grill “Grilled Bourbon Tenderloin Tips” – 8 tickets.  Never been to Chester’s but the name of this menu item sold us both.
• Encore Restaurant “Blue Crab Sushi” – 3/6 tickets.  We bailed on Encore at the last minute during this past restaurant week and I was sad I didn’t get to try out their sushi selection.  I am still sketpical, but this is the time to try it.
• Joe’s Deli “Muffaletta Sandwich” – 8 tickets.  My friend Dino swears by this sandwich and it’s time I see what all the fuss is about.
• Mazzariello’s “Fagottini Pasta Purses stuffed with Walnuts & Gorgonzola” – 8 tickets & “Banana Pepper Dip with Dipping Bread” – 6 tickets.  I’ve had a family member talk up this Banana Pepper dip lately and it’s now on my radar.  The Fagottini just sounds delicious and Alli has a serious love of Gorgonzola going on right now.
• Papaya “Crab Spring Roll” – 6 tickets, “Korean BBQ Ribs” – 6 tickets.  Papaya served a really good meal during restaurant week and since I don’t have a lot of cash laying around this is a cheap way to try out more of their menu.
• Torches “French Made Fries” – 8 tickets.  I’m completely sold on Torches and unless this is just a fancy name for a boring ole’ French Fry (I doubt it) then I will put faith into JJ Richert and try whatever they are serving.

Sure there are literally hundreds of other items that you may fall in love with, but we recommend for the average festival attendee to try something new.  Many love Applebees (we actually don’t) and I’m sure that slice of pizza or something from Jim’s Steakout is tempting.  But you will have every day for the rest of your Buffalo life to eat a chicken finger or a slice of pizza.  Step outside the box and try some Indian food from Kabob and Curry or some English/Irish cuisine from WJ Morrissey’s.  Take this festival as a chance to inexpensively take 1-4 dollars and try out a restaurant or menu item you normally wouldn’t.

We will be tweeting on the go, letting people know how it’s going down, where the crowds are and if we find anything amazing.  So incase you don’t already, please follow us on twitter and if you see a guy with a Hartford Whalers cap, come over and say hi!

Remember back to the Abbott’s Custard post when we promised that this summer we were going to have a large number of ice cream spots featured? Alli and I realized that we are getting married in less than a year and we would prefer to both be under 1000 pounds for that special date.  So our ice cream trips have been significantly cut, but this last weekend we treated ourselves and got to enjoy a place I’ve wanted to try for a while.

I was hoping that Condrell’s was going to be sort-of a “blast of the past”; with an old fashioned soda fountain, nice bar seating and old 50′s style decorations, etc.  Well, this unassuming little spot on Delaware in North Buffalo unfortunately doesn’t have that much of a vintage feel, but that didn’t make it any less delicious.  Walking in you sit right down and wait for one of the workers to help you out (unless you are their for some chocolates).  We started with two glasses of water and Alli and I looked over their massive menu.

What I ordered was basically a S’more sundae (bottom picture); one scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream and one scoop of Chocolate Ice Cream, crushed up Graham crackers, a marshmallow sauce and some hot fudge.  To be honest, it was exactly what I’ve wanted for months and is something I have been craving for more of since ordering it.  I have ordered s’more sundaes in the past but there always seems to be something amiss.  Some places use actual marshmallows instead of a marshmallow sauce, some don’t have graham crackers and instead just put the whole thing in a waffle cone (as a less satisfying graham substitute). This sundae, however, had exactly what I think a s’more sundae should have, and, to me, was pretty close to perfect.  Alli ordered a hot fudge sundae with bananas.  That is typically her go-to sundae no matter where we go.  According to her report it was quite good and very filling as they don’t skimp on the serving size.

It really reminded me of the top quality that you would get from West Seneca’s Antoinettes, and similarly they also serve various chocolates that you can buy by the pound as well as a VERY large selection of ice cream, sundaes, and sodas.  So, before the heat wave ends in Buffalo (it’s coming quicker then you think) I highly recommend you stop by Condrell’s this summer.

We made reservations for the Saturday of Memorial Weekend and understandably there weren’t a lot of people at the restaurant.  From everything I have heard though, reservations are usually a must for Torches as they are busy almost every night.  We sat down right away and the server immediately poured us some water and I ordered a Hoegarden.  They actually had a pretty decent beer selection; I don’t remember the exacts but it was 10-15 different bottles at least.  Compliments of the chef, our waitress brought over some marinated chicken (seen above) and white rice.  Even though it was pretty small in portion, the chicken was delicious and it was something to hold us over until our appetizers arrived.

I had ordered their Pierogi Cake ($8) which probably will go down as one of the most interesting menu items I have ever eaten.  When ordering an item that has the word pierogi in its title, my initial thought of what this was going to be differed greatly than what I saw when my waitress put this in front of me.  The Pierogi Cake had a crispy/fried outside that fell apart with my fork and had a fluffy potato inside filled with pieces of Kielbasa Sausage and covered in hot sauce and sour cream.  All while sitting on top of a delicious pile of sweet and sour cabbage.

For the main course Alli and I both ordered specials they were serving that night.  Alli went with Torche’s version of Steak and Eggs (~$36) which is a Dry Aged (28 days to be exact, overhead the chef talking to a couple a the bar) Rib Eye steak topped with a poached egg that was then breaded and deep fried.  The entire package was crazy delicious and when Alli (reluctantly) let me try a piece of her steak it literally melted in my mouth.  (Alli edit: It was by far the best meal I have had in months, years even.  The steak was incredible; juicy, enormously flavorful, and topped with a garlic/herb butter that they finished at the table.  The deep fried poached egg was something a little different but complimented the steak perfectly.  I don’t even have any other words to describe it other than absolutely incredibly delicious).  I ordered myself the Puerto Rican style Skirt Steak (~$22) which was also served with a sweet potato filled with a corn salsa.  This was the first time I’ve ever tried a Skirt steak but it was very similar to Flank Steaks that Alli and I have cooked at home in the past.  A thin steak that isn’t the most flavorful on its own but with some marinating and/or sauce can be fantastic.  With a crispy crunch on the outside, the beef was incredibly tender inside and covered in a tangy and slightly hot sauce.  It was really good, but in comparison to the one bite of the Ribeye, you could tell the difference in flavor with the cuts of meat.

Having built up these crazy expectations of Torches I was shocked and happily surprised when it lived up to them and exceeded them.  I enjoy that Buffalo is known for their “every man” cuisine of great Pub Food, but its restaurants like Torches (and others) that showcase some great creativity in Fine Dining.  Alli and I left feeling great, we were both incredibly full and Alli felt that she had one of the best meals she’s ever had.  In terms of service, our waitress was very attentive and even the hostess came over and made sure we were enjoying our meal.  The meals came out in a timely manner, we didn’t have to sit around and just wait for the next item.  Everything seemed to come out when it was supposed to.

While it won’t be an incredibly cheap meal (their dinner entrees are roughly $20 – $35), it certainly is a great location for a birthday or some other celebratory event.  However, you can head on over to restaurant.com and pick up a gift certificate for Torches, but you’ll have to eat during their off hours.  It is only good on weekdays, not including Friday.

You may be thinking, how is this kid qualified to write for such a prestigious blog? I have a long history in Buffalo Eats. I grew up on a farm where buffalo roamed all over the grassy knolls. They like to eat grass, wheat, and even corn when I would hand feed it to them. Oh wait, I think I’m on the wrong Buffalo Eats blog…

But seriously, I’ll be writing mostly about Buffalo. I’ll be writing about the food too. I love food. I know Donnie would be mad if he found out how frequently I go to chain restaurants. However, I’m not afraid to try anything new. As for my favorite foods, I love pizza (especially Zetti’s) and Greek food is da bomb diggity (Feta cheese is my drug.)

I’ll be bringing a different younger demographic to this blog (I heard Donnie and Alli are pushing 80 years old, but you didn’t you hear that from me.) I use parentheses too much. I’ll work on that. Well, I look forward to my first article and thanks to all the readers that already read this splendid blog.

Talk to you soon Buffalo!

Since 1984 the Taste of Buffalo started filling downtown Buffalo with thousands of patrons handing over money for tickets, and since the idea has spread throughout the various suburbs.  Here is the lineup that we know about, if I am missing your town please comment below.

• Taste of Buffalo (July 10th – 11th) : If you live in Buffalo and haven’t heard of the Taste of Buffalo already, then you must have lived in some sheltered household or you’ve just moved here.  This year’s lineup hasn’t different greatly from years prior and we will soon have our own analysis of the menu items being offered.  So stay tuned!
• Taste of West Seneca (July 10th – 11th) : Why they would decide to host their annual Food Festival the same weekend as the 2nd biggest food festival in the United States (that’s also 10 minutes away), I don’t know.  The only place I could find information for the event was on a website showing the minutes from a January Town Board Meeting.
• Taste of Hamburg (July 17th) : During the annual Burgerfest (I have some doubts about Hamburg, NY being the birthplace of the Hamburger) , the town of Hamburg will be having their own food festival.  Surely they will have some local restaurants serving up some notable dishes.  As of right now they have not posted any specific restaurants but it will be in the Village Parking Lot between noon and 8pm.
• Taste of Orchard Park (July 28th) : Last year was a good leap forward for Orchard Park’s mini food festival with the addition of Fuji Grill.  Alli and I had a really good time in our hometown and were really surprised on the amount of restaurants that had offerings.  Well, it was so popular that they are lengthening the strip of North Buffalo Road to potentially include more restaurants.  They haven’t announced a line up yet but I will post the roster when I find out.
• Taste of Clarence (August 2nd) : From 4 to 9 pm at the Clarence Town Park will be the 7th annual Taste of Clarence.  Now I personally have never been but I did enjoy Orazio’s offering last year at the Taste of Buffalo and while the write up from Buffalo Chow makes it seem like it is a mad house with some disappointments, some of the restaurants might bring me in.  Also if you like Classic Cars apparently they’ll have a whole bunch there.
• Buffalo Brewfest 2010 (August 6th) : Being held in the HSBC Arena Lobby (I wish it was still at the Central Terminal), $25 will get you a glass, program, entrance to the Arena, and 20 tickets to try a 3 oz sample of whatever beer you’d like.  Being a giant Beer fan that I am, it saddens me to say that I’ve never been to any of the Brewfests but I really want to try to make it this year.  Adding a second level for more breweries will hopefully prevent some congestion issues.
• Taste of Lancaster (August 7th) : Another festival I haven’t been to but after looking over their website, their previous restaurants list is pretty impressive.  Held on Central Ave between Broadway and Pleasant Ave, they’ve had John & Mary’s, Louies, Fireside Inn, and more.
• Taste of Ellicotville (August 7th – 8th) : Some of the Ellicottville restaurants are over priced and there really aren’t a lot of choices.  However, going out to Ellicottville for a day of drinking (EBC’s Blueberry Wheat is AMAZING on draft) and just being in a gorgeous town is probably worth it.
• Taste of Williamsville (August 8th) : We went for the first time last year and had mixed thoughts on the event.  Parking is a little rough in Williamsville and some of the offerings weren’t as great as we had hoped.  However, the area has a pretty decent selection of restaurants.  That said, we were frustrated with the crowd/set up that we ended up not even doing a write up.  Note: normally the festival is held on a Saturday but this year will be Sunday from 11:30-8.
• Taste of Lockport (August 15th) : Again, I am sad to say that I have never been to any of the Taste of Lockport’s (I guess I have a lot of work to do this summer).  Their line up as of right now is very heavy on the desserts and with a couple wineries.  However, out of all the town festivals they have the best website, or at least the easiest one to find.
• Chicken Wing Festival (September 4th – 5th) : I tell myself every year that I’m not going to go but every year I find myself standing inside Coca Cola Field.  The majority of the venders are actually from outside Buffalo and I know that’s neat to have restaurants from all over the United States, but I just want to have traditional Buffalo wings.  What the festival really turns into is a sauce taste contest and the wings end up being soggy and cold.  On top of that there are limited places to actually eat the wings and you end up standing in the middle of the field trying to hold your drink, blue cheese, and bowl of wings while also trying to eat without dripping sauce all over yourself.  The addition of some tables would be a huge help.  If you want to bring the kids, though, they have a good amount of fun entertainment (dipping for wings, eating contests, concerts) and it can turn out to be a nice day downtown.

Mezza just opened their doors on Elmwood roughly a week ago in the building next to Starbucks and across the street from Jim’s Steakout.  With the loss of Sahara Grill over a year ago (currently Zetti’s) Elmwood lost another one of their diverse restaurants offering cuisine that you can’t get in the suburbs.  However, Mezza will be adding an all new cuisine to the Elmwood line up, Lebanese.  Having a best friend who is Lebanese, I happened to get an awesome introduction into various homemade Lebanese dishes over the past few years.  For even the picky-est eater out there, you will be able to find something on this menu that you will enjoy.  Anyways, onto the food!

We decided to sit outside when we went to lunch last week, as it was a beautiful sunny day.  That said, the inside has been completely re-done and looks fantastic.

We started the meal with an appetizer, the Labne bi Heshwa (6.99) which came with a side of Pita.  This was actually the second time I’ve had this dish (yes I’ve been there twice already and yes I am the mayor on foursquare), I really enjoy it.  Labne has already been featured on the site in a Cookin’ with Walt article a couple months ago.  It’s a yogurt that has a slightly sour taste and a consistency that would be a mix between sour cream and cream cheese.  Added are some sauteed pine nuts, beef, onions and olive oil on top that put the flavor of the dish over the top.  With some grilled slices of pita that you can use to dip into the labne, it’s a fantastic menu item to share with some friends (vegetarians can get Labne solo for 4.99)

My coworker ordered an Open Chicken Souvlaki; I didn’t eat any of the item but it looked great, and had a good amount of chicken, feta, and olives.  She remarked that the chicken was great and might be a good choice for those less-adventurous eaters out there who are unwilling to try a more authentic Lebanese dish.

Alli ordered a Chicken Shawarma, which is a pita wrap filled with chicken (or beef), a garlic spread, pickles, coleslaw, tomatoes and some tahini sauce.  The garlic spread was absolutely delicious, the coleslaw had a good crunch (along with the pickles) and the tahini sauce wasn’t overwhelming but added a nice kick to the grilled chicken.

I ordered their version of Sheesh Tawouk, essentially that translates to skewered chicken. The pita wrap comes with coleslaw, pickles, the same garlic spread, but instead of tahini sauce and tomatoes, it has delicious french fries inside the wrap.  It almost has the issue of being a little dry without the sauce but the coleslaw and juicy chicken makes the whole combination work fantastically.

For anyone who is looking for something new and interesting in Buffalo, this is a great new addition to the downtown restaurant scene.  This authentic Lebanese cuisine is something new that even hesitant eaters can enjoy and the menu is reasonably healthy (sans the french fries in the wrap) and has options for vegetarians and meat lovers alike.  Johnny and PJ are not rookies to preparing food and running a restaurant, they’ve been doing it for a while as their family owns and runs Pete’s Greek Isles in the Boulevard Mall.  Now that they are finally running a sit down restaurant located in a great area of downtown Buffalo, I have a lot of confidence they will be doing so for many years to come.

To note, their portions aren’t massive, they are smaller than you may be used to and almost in a “Tapas” style (having several small plates and tasting a bit of everything).  So if you are a big eater I would definitely suggest trying several plates (prices range from 5-10 dollars for most items).  In addition, they are still just getting started and even though the owners have restaurant experience, it may take a week or so to get all the kinks out.  While we didn’t have any issues with our meal, it should be understandable while they get a trained staff up to speed and everything starts working like clockwork.  And once they get their liquor license (many know how long that takes when opening a restaurant in Buffalo) it will be a great place to grab a drink and sit and enjoy the sights and sounds of Elmwood.

One of the first restaurants that Alli introduced me to when we started dating was Gino and Joe’s in the Main Place Mall.  Since then, in 2008, Joe opened up his own pizza place located in the Tops plaza off Grant Street (behind Buff State campus).  In a unit that formerly was a Mighty Taco (I can’t think of any other MT that has gone out of business) which I knew well as the hang out spot after a concert at Showplace Theater.

I have been slightly “NY Style Pizza”-ed out lately, the newest Zetti’s location recently opened up a couple blocks away from my house and NY Style Pizza on Allen has really dropped off in quality lately.  So I wasn’t really looking forward to trying a new Pizza place, especially one that served big/thin slices.  However I had heard about Joe’s for quite some time now and since it was close to our Puppy Kindergarten Classes, it was a convenient dinner spot.

Alli and I ordered the pizza to go, so while we didn’t eat it “fresh” it was maybe a 5 minute drive back to my house to eat.  The pizza was thicker then what I had been use to with other NY Style locations in the area, it almost seemed like a hybrid of Buffalo and NYC.

The fries were mediocre, obviously the amount of time that it took for us to drive from Joe’s back to our house had an impact on how “fresh” they would taste.  But their fries had that texture of a Burger King fry with a crumbly seasoning that left an awkward feeling in my mouth after eating a couple.  Maybe that style is your favorite but for me that’s not my ideal french fry.

The pizza was really good and I would say it would be my #2 NY Style Pizza place in the downtown area (the Elmwood Zetti’s location still holding the #1 spot).  It probably is the thickest version out of any of the NY Style Pizzerias and a bit more “saucey”.  So while purists maybe wouldn’t be thrilled, I really enjoyed it.

So if you are a Buffalo State student, are in the Grant/Amherst Street (Black Rock) area, or just looking to grab a slice of pizza from somewhere new, check out Joe’s.  They have a pretty good seating area for those who want to eat there on the spot and we only had to wait about 15 minutes for take out.

For the secret ingredient of the challenge both chefs had to use wines from Arrowhead Spring Vineyards located in Lockport, check out the video recap from the challenge below.

The last time I ate at Mississippi Mudds was over 7 years ago and my memories are incredibly vague.  I remembered that it was a basic hamburger/hot dog stand that also served  ice cream and it was located right on the Niagara River.  I remember a dining area that was on the “roof” and a bike bath across the street from the restaurant.  From what I’ve read and gathered since then though, it sounded like Tonawanda’s version of Taffy’s (minus the gigantic milk shake selection).  It’s a restaurant that, when it opens, signifies the beginning of summer for the locals.

So when my dad was in town a few weeks ago I thought it would be a good place to grab a bite to eat.  Generally anything that has fried food/hamburgers is a good spot to bring my Dad and their menu did not disappoint.

I really wasn’t in the mood for anything specific and could have easily spent about an hour trying to figure out what to eat.  So after deliberating, I decided to get myself one of their sandwiches . The name is eluding me right now but it was basically a beef on weck sandwich with “cheese whiz” like sauce on it.  It was alright; the beef was a tad dry but the cheese sauce helped with that.  The roll was toasty and not soggy, a huge plus in my opinion.  After looking at how delicious my brother’s Chicken Fingers were (not pictured), I sort-of regretted my decision.  It wasn’t horrible, just really not great or anything I would go out of my way to order again.

The Sweet Potato Fries were great, however.  Lately everytime I have ordered Sweet Potato Fries they have been these huge wedges of potato.  Sometimes I am in the mood for a good thick potato but not when I am attaching the word “Fries” to the menu item.  Covered in honey and layering on some butter, they were fantastic…the highlight of my meal until I ordered…

Some soft serve vanilla ice cream with rainbow sprinkles (simple, yes, but my favorite) on a freshly made Waffle Cone.  When they say fresh, they really mean it.  I watched the girl pour some waffle batter into the press and then serve it up to me.  The cone was still warm and it was delicious, maybe on of the best ‘ice cream’ experiences I’ve had in a long time.

It took me almost 7 years to finally revisit Mississippi Mudds but I am hoping that It won’t be as long for my third visit.  In the summer time the bike bath along Niagara River is an awesome way to spend a warm bright sunny day.  So do yourself a favor and get outside this summer and ride your bike down to Mississppi Mudds and grab some sweet potato fries or maybe a fantastic ice cream cone and enjoy summer in Buffalo.

First things first, if you love Mediterranean/Greek food then you are in luck.  In the upcoming days/weeks there will be a new restaurant opening on Elmwood serving authentic Lebanese cuisine.  Mezza was just featured on Buffalo Rising today and you can read what the Eid brothers (Jonny and PJ) have to say about their expectations and their dedication to bringing a unique cuisine to downtown Buffalo.  I should say that I know these guys and I know their family and I fully trust they will not let Buffalo down.  So as soon as this place opens on Elmwood, check it out!

I also read this article from the NY Times about Buffaloians living in New York City who are trying to still have a piece of home with them.  I loved everything bout this article and can attest to how awesome it was watching the Sabres playoff game at Black Finn.  Being in a different city but watching a Buffalo-area sports team on TV is quite the experience, adding in a 20 dollar open bar/free wings put the experience over the top.  However you will have to try to ignore this quote in the article “Buffalo is the Monte Carlo of Western New York”.  I love Buffalo just as much as anyone else but that is going a bit too far, to say the least.

source: http://buffalofood.blogspot.com/

Have you ever seen a restaurant and really thought you would like it but for no apparent reason? Well, that was how I felt about the Elmwood Lounge.  Ever since I moved into Allentown I’ve been dying to go there and I really have no idea why.  All I knew was that they had Lance Diamond shows, they advertised a pretty sweet Saturday/Sunday brunch deal, and that they probably were open late into the night.

So for lunch one day I decided to finally go and see what it was about.  I checked out their menu and got excited; I am a huge Greek food fan and looking over their online lunch menu (which, to note, does not have the current prices) I noticed a selection of Greek dishes along with standard sandwiches and breakfast options.  Walking into the restaurant it was completely dead (and not like a joking “there was 10 people” way).  My coworker Sue and I were literally alone, which luckily meant quick service (even though it was kind of awkward to be the only ones there).

Sue decided to see what a “authentic” Chicken Souvlaki (pictured below) was like and ordered the “sandwich” instead of the salad version.  Well, that apparently means only seasoned and grilled chicken, tomato, onions and feta on top of some pita bread.  There were no olives, no lettuce, no cucumbers (however, I have a feeling one could request them).  By Sue’s account the chicken was great and the meal was pretty filling considering it was only a $6 entree.  It wasn’t the greatest thing she has ever had and truth be told, probably not the best Chicken Souvlaki in Allentown/Elmwood.

I had been craving a burger but I also wanted to try something from their Greek menu, so I found the perfect mix and ordered the Father John Hamburger (pictured below).  Honestly it was pretty awesome; topped with feta, tomato and lettuce, the burger itself was ground beef filled with Greek spices.  The flavor of the actual meat is really what separated this burger from others I have had…delicious.  In addition, any time you can give me a crispy crinkle cut fry I will gladly write praises of your restaurant (just a personal opinion of mine, but crinkle cut are on the top of my french fry hierarchy).

After finally trying out the Lounge for the first time I am looking forward to a second trip. Even though their website has outdated prices, it still is a cheap meal.  I am extremely curious about what their brunches are like and I’d like to dine when it is more crowded/later at night (they are open til 11) or go see a Lance Diamond show. I don’t want to give it any credit for being the best Greek; with several Greek options all in walking distance I think that would be a stretch.  That said, they have a very affordable menu, a good breakfast line up, and a great burger selection.

To note, our service at the end of our meal (for being the only people there) wasn’t that great, we actually had to wait about 10 minutes to get our check while our server was no where to be seen.  I actually had to go up to the bar myself and ask for the check (in actuality it seemed like they forgot about us since we were literally the only ones in the restaurant…)  Aside from that, everything else was great.

• A sad and somewhat polarizing article about how the “pirate” days of working as a Chef are long gone and why some Chef’s hate Anthony Bourdain.  Since I never worked in a restaurant I have absolutely zero knowledge of what really goes on back there, but if there is anyone out there who has worked in a restaurant is this article true?
• If you are looking for a Menu and you can’t find a website or their menu, check out WNYMenu.com for several restaurants on there.  I recently went back to Frank’s Sunny Italy and noticed they had a sign for the website.  Not being able to find a menu is probably my #1 pet peeve with a restaurant, its 2010 EVERY RESTAURANT SHOULD HAVE A WEBSITE.
• Nelson Starr wrote an article (actually a 2 parter!) for Buffalo Rising about the closing of Buffalo Chow, calling out local ‘print’ food critics and essentially how he thinks food should be covered.  While it was an incredibly long article and no one asked my opinion I’m going to just say the following: I don’t consider myself a “proper” food critic.  I don’t have the background knowledge, a degree in journalism nor the interest in taking what I do that seriously.  Our goal is to showcase restaurants and try to open up someone to a new local business instead of spending their money at a TGI Fridays.  That’s all, nothing more and nothing less.
• We updated our Food Porn on The Aud after going back for another visit, check it out!

1. Japan has square Watermelons, yes they look genetically engineered but they’re not.  I’m hoping to see some the next time I visit the Lexington Co-op.
2. A “starving Yogi” says he hasn’t eaten any food in 70 years.  It kind of freaks me out but I was also shocked to know that a person could go for 3 months without food and not die (with some modifications to their water intake).
3. Not too long ago there was news of an impending Five Guys addition to the Buffalo restaurant scene, so I read this piece on the men who started Five Guys, they have an awesome attitude about running their company and it makes me want to eat there even more then before.
4. I just watched Food Inc the other day and I really think that anyone who eats food should watch this, although for any Foodies out there it might be a little eye opening to see what is going behind the scenes of putting food on your plate.

TECHNIQUE:

Stir frying is simple but you it is so easy to wind up with an oily salty mess.  It might taste good but you won’t really be satisfied.  Here is my punch list of stir frying rules:

• Use good quality chicken thighs.  Yes, chicken thighs not breasts.  Sorry, I know they are not pretty but they are cheaper, more flavorful and tender than breasts and certainly more authentic tasting.  Of course I use organic.
• Stir fry vegetables in the correct order to ensure everything is done at the same time.  In this recipe I used mushrooms so they go first since you have to fry them until most of their water is cooked out and they shrink up.  There are web resources out there to help you with your sequencing.
• Use one pan.  A large high quality fry pan is a lot easier than a stir fry pan or wok.  In the USA most people do not have the correct burners on their stove to use a wok the way it is supposed to be used.  I have four stir fry pans and two woks and I really don’t use them anymore.  It certainly looks cool and you feel like you are truly connected to the tradition of this ancient cooking technique but, unfortunately, you cannot just slap a wok on a western stove with their tiny circular burner pattern and expect good results.  A blazing hot 1,000 degree charcoal grill is another story but that may be a lesson for another day.  Usually, I stir fry the proteins until almost completely cooked then set aside while I stir fry the veggies and then add the proteins back in and finish.  This recipe I do the veggies first because I am using so many mushrooms and they take a bit to finish.  I didn’t want the meat to get completely cold and dry.
• Drain the oil from the meat after frying and return to the pan.  Chicken thighs give off a lot of fat.  That combined with your oil is too much oil and will not sit well in the stomach.
• If I am doing tougher veggies then I may squirt a little water in the fry pan after a brief stir fry and cover to give them a good steaming before adding the meat back in and finishing.
• By ‘finishing’ the stir fry I simply mean to complete the flavor that I am trying to achieve.  Usually this involves adding a couple of tablespoons of soy sauce and a little sesame oil.  I may also pepper it up or add some heat in the form of Chinese chili sauce.  I do all of this just seconds before I pull it off the heat and serve.  You can smell the flavor but I do taste a few pieces until I am satisfied.
• Sprinkle corn starch on your chicken before frying.  Your fry will be much tastier and the chicken will melt in your mouth.  I don’t know why it works but it does.
• The Chinese say ‘hot pan, cold oil.’  The stir fry is less likely to stick if you do this.  Pre-heat the pan until a drip of water skips and boils on the surface.  Add oil then start cooking.
• Use real soy sauce.  Read the bottle.
• Use Rice Sticks (basically spaghetti made from rice.)  Soak for 15-20 minutes in cold water until it is kind of soft but has a bit of chew.  You will finish the cooking in your stir fry.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 Boston lettuce.  A Boston lettuce has large, very flexible leaves.  Use iceberg if you want crisp.
• 3 chicken thighs.
• 1 package of mushrooms. Use your favorite.
• 1 shallot diced (more if you like)
• ½ small can of water chestnuts
• ½ package of rice noodles (rice sticks)
• 3 cloves of garlic (minced)
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp butter
• Canola oil or smart balance oil for frying
• Chinese chili garlic sauce as a condiment (careful this stuff is hot!)

DIRECTIONS:

This recipe could not be simpler and the technique sections gives you the good stuff you need to know so this section will be short.

Add around half a package of Rice Sticks to a pot of cold water and soak for 15-20 minutes until soft but still a little chewy.  If you are adding it to the heat later then you want to leave some room to cook so it doesn’t become mushy when complete.  You can do this before you start cooking.

Rinse your boston lettuce leaves and place on a plate.

Put around a tablespoon of oil into a preheated pan at medium heat.  Add diced mushrooms and fry until they are no longer steaming (water frying out) and shrunken.

Add finely diced shallot, minced garlic and a TBSP of butter for the mushrooms to absorb.  Lightly salt (soy sauce later will add enough saltiness) and generously pepper.  Shallots can overcook just as garlic can so lower the heat a little and stir.  Shallots will soften, become translucent and slightly caramelized when done so keep an eye on them.  Add the diced water chestnuts after a few minutes and warm through.

Empty veggies into a bowl and cover with foil.  Wipe out pan, increase heat to medium high and add more oil.  Add diced chicken and fry until done.  It is hard to cut raw chicken into small pieces so I will continue to chop chicken in to smaller pieces with my stir fry spatula while it is frying.  This is usually not necessary but since we are making wraps we need smaller pieces of chicken.  Drain oil from pan when done.  I dump the chicken into a strainer, wipe out the pan then add the chicken back to the pan.

Add the veggies back to the pan.  You could keep the noodles you softened earlier in a separate bowl and add them directly to the wrap at the table but in this recipe I added half of the noodle to the stir fry.  I reserved the other half for the table.  Add soy sauce and sesame oil.  Add more pepper and chili sauce if you are going to make it spicy from the pan.  I kept the chili sauce for the table to add on top.

The following is another video recap of Buffalo’s version of Iron Chef, Nickel City Chef.  For those who weren’t able to make the competition, it was the 5th of this season and it featured Nickel City Chef Adam Goetz (from Sample) and the challenger Chef Steve Gedra (from Bistro Europa).  For the first time in season 2, the challenging chef won over the Nickel City Chef, with Steve Gedra taking home the victory.  Their secret ingredient of the competition was Maple Sugar, Maple Syrup and Maple Vinegar from Baldwin Hills Farm located in Allegany County (about 50 miles south of Buffalo).

Be sure to get your tickets now if you are planning to attend one of these events, there are only 3 competitions left.  Check out the lines on under Upcoming Events on the right side bar for information about buying tickets.

One of the newest things we’ve added is the Buffalo Food on TV tab and pages.  That will begin to be filled up more and more when I can find more youtube/video clips and post them on the site.  Sadly I’m missing 2 of the Diner, Drive-ins and Dives episodes and the Food Wars episode (however I have some clips I’ll be posting).  If anyone can find either of those please comment here or send the links to me on twitter/facebook.

We are currently writing up a couple restaurants for the site.  Look forward to our adventures to Chinese Kitchen (on Elmwood), Mississippi Muds (Tonawanda), Anchor Bar and the Elmwood Lounge & Bar.  We are also trying to get some new Buffalo Foodies and eventually start a video series that I am crossing my fingers we can actually do this summer.  And of course, look forward to reading many more recipes/cooking tips from our amateur iron chef, Walt.

I would also like to pass along an awesome story that CNN posted last week about Grant Achatz the head chef of Alinea, an extremely well received restaurant in Chicago.  Very inspirational story.

source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jerrygodwinfoto/

Occasionally we go to restaurants without having any prior knowledge on the restaurant whatsoever, in this instance we tried out Williamsville’s Creek View Restaurant without even planning on going to eat there.  On our way to watch my brother’s band play at Club Infinity, we drove down Williamsville’s Main Street in search of a place to grab something to eat.  Pizza Plant had a 1 hour wait and we didn’t have that kind of time, so as we drove down further we saw Creekview which had some available parking so we hoped for a short wait and headed on in.

Walking inside I noticed a large chalk board with specials written on it; my memory fails me, but I vaguely recall creative seafood dishes and an average price of $20 per entree.  I soon realized this wasn’t going to be a cheap meal, but I was excited nonetheless.  We sat down within 10 minutes (impressive on a Friday at 7pm) and I looked over their menu.

They had a menu that was all over the place, some sandwiches and hamburgers ($8 – $12), some small plates (various appetizers) and main plates (steak, chicken, seafood, generally over 15$).  Without dropping 100′s of dollars and trying more on their menu, I don’t want to give a full verdict for this restaurant at the moment.  In a perfect world I would have loved to tried more menu items but this is my impression from their main plate that caught my attention, Fried Honey Dipped Chicken.  But first lets talk about the appetizers.

Alli and I started the meal by sharing an order of two Potato Pancakes, served with 2 pieces of Applewood Bacon.  It will shock some of you readers to know that I actually don’t care for bacon that much, for the most part I think its overrated.  However, I think a thick and juicy slice of Applewood Bacon can make even the most dedicated vegetarian to question their beliefs.  The pancakes themselves were very well prepared, a crispy crust on the outside but still a flaky, soft core.  For 8 dollars I think the appetizer is a tad over priced, but they were still delicious.

New England Style Clam Chowder

Fried Honey Dipped Chicken

When I ordered my meal I had the choice between a New England style Clam Chowder or the Manhattan style, sadly I am still a novice when it come to certain foodie knowledge and had absolutely no idea what the difference was (thanks to wikipedia I know do).  So I ordered what I knew and had a cup of New England style and was impressed.  The chowder was thick and creamy and loaded with pieces of clam and potato.  I really can’t discern the difference from canned and freshly made clam chowder, but judging from the richness of the broth (and lack of being watered town) I would believe they make their own.  Regardless, it was delicious.  After I finished my soup, the main plate arrived, Fried Honey Dip Chicken.  I have to say I was disappointed,  looking back it doesn’t compare to what I had at Garris BBQ (which was much better for about half the price) and it reminded me of having frozen Banquet Fried Chicken.  Just a really sub par entree and disappointing.  The chicken was almost over-fried and the skin was rock hard and the pieces of chicken themselves were very small and frustrating.  The skin didn’t seem to have much of a flavor and there was honestly no difference from what I would have heated up in my oven.

I don’t want to pass any major judgment on Creek View from one crappy entree; like I said the appetizer and soup were both awesome.  But I would definitely need to go again and try out another menu item.  However, with my massive list of must try restaurants growing and growing, who knows when that will happen?  All I know is that if I’m going to spend a good amount of money I’d like to make sure it’s worth it.  I have to mention that the service (both getting a table and our waitress) was fantastic and the dining room next to the creek would be amazing to eat in on a warm summer night.  Again, I don’t mean to discourage someone from eating there but I would definitely not recommend the Fried Chicken.  Luckily they have a large menu with many other interesting items to try.

I could pretend that I didn’t care that Buffalo (and our world famous Chicken Wings) were going to be prominently focused on Travel Channel’s new Food Wars show, but that would be a lie.  Honestly, how much more attention can Buffalo get for their chicken wings? For someone who loves eating in this city, I respect the chicken wing but I would love to see Buffalo on TV for something else.  Sure the Anthony Bourdain Rust Belt episode was kind of depressing and the Guy Fieri clips are kind of cheesy, but I like the idea of Buffalo having more of a well rounded public image then just a chicken wing.

That being said, the series premiere episode of Food Wars wasn’t all bad.  I think the host kind of sucks and I have no idea where they are getting these “die hard fans” that come across as a bit over dramatic.  But I like the idea of talking about Chicken Wings in Buffalo and not only mentioning the Anchor Bar.  Duffs has been long overdue for some national coverage, and while this isn’t going to be an article where I decide a winner for all of Buffalo (that would be an impossible task) I want to take this time to talk about how awesome Duff’s wings are.

Now I’m not sure if it was the combination of not eating wings for an extended period of time, being incredibly hungry, or not having Duff’s in over 6 months, but whatever it was our experience at Duff’s was fantastic.  The wings were perfectly crispy: a nice crunch on the outside while maintaining a tender/juicy wing on the inside.  The sauce (our favorite mild-medium) was just to our liking, not too hot and not too buttery.  Duff’s fries are maybe the most underrated menu item; they are always amazing.  I would liken their fries as McDonald’s fries when they come right out of the fryer.  I have never had their fries when they are soggy, cold or anything less then perfectly crispy and delicious.

I’m not going to crown any restaurant in Buffalo as having the greatest wings as there are too many nominees and too many different opinions of what a “great wing” tastes like.  Duff’s however has one of the best, and I would have a hard time finding someone who would absolutely tell you to stay away or have some strong negative feelings.  I would warn any potential customers to get there early or prepare to wait.  We arrived at 6:30 pm and they had a 55 minute wait, luckily we went down the street and killed some time at Target and made it back to only wait another 5 minutes.  Over hearing a conversation from the bartender, their business has been booming since the episode.  So plan ahead and prepare to have some of the greatest wings around.

Since Cinco de Mayo is around the corner I was messing around with something to celebrate Mexican cooking.  I made fajitas but they didn’t feel authentic and did not get me excited enough to write an article about them.  I did happen to be flipping the channels one day and came across a show on PBS hosted by famed Chicago Chef Rick Bayless.   He does this show about Mexico and Mexican cooking.  This particular show was about something the Mexican’s call Mojo de Ajo.  Super simple, super authentic and just in time for Cinco de Mayo.

Mojo de Ajo is simply a garlic infused olive oil. You can (and should) use it to fry proteins in, add to pasta, use as a dipping oil, or toss with steamed vegetables.  It is amazing.

It is so simple that I won’t even list the ingredients.  Just look at the picture.

Well, you don’t use the entire can of chipotle peppers you use two individual peppers.  You don’t use the entire bottle of oil, just enough to cover the garlic in the baking dish.

A few more words about the ingredients:  In the show Rick used crushed red pepper and, honestly , this makes the finished Mojo much more versatile but to be more authentic you have to use the chipotle peppers.  BTW Chipotle peppers are smoked Jalapeno peppers so they are hot and smoky.   You may or may not like the smokiness pairing but it is worth a try if you have never had them.

DIRECTIONS:

Peel garlic, arrange cloves in the bottom of a baking dish, add around 2 cups of fruity olive oil and a tsp of salt.  Add to a preheated 325 degree oven for 45-55 minutes or until garlic is lightly browned and softened.  The temperature is important since you don’t want to get anywhere near the low smoke point of fruity olive oil.  Your house is going to smell amazing.  Add ½ cup of freshly squeezed lime juice and two chopped chipotle peppers.  Do not mix.  Return to oven and bake for another 20 minutes until garlic is golden brown.  Remove from the oven and use a large fork or masher to thoroughly mash the garlic in the baking dish.  Pour the mixture into one or two glass storage containers and refrigerate.  If you fridge is cold the oil with get cloudy.  That is the nature of olive oil.  It gets cloudy when cold but it does not affect the quality.

You could certainly use crushed red pepper instead of the chipotles to make it more versatile.  In fact, that is what Rick used when he made it in his own kitchen.

A quick recipe:  Camarones al Mojo de Ajo con Chipotle.

INGREDIENTS:

• Shrimp
• Rice (buttered)

Skim a TBSP of the oil from the Mojo de Ajo into a hot pan.  Pan fry shrimp.  Add a TBSP of the garlic from the Mojo de Ajo to the pan, stir and warm through.  Serve over rice.

If there is an underlying theme with all of the Buffalo Foodies it would be their love of Buffalo.  In our newest Buffalo Foodie article we are proud to be featuring another such proud Buffaloian, Tony the owner/founder of CityLove Clothing.  Since July of 2007 when Tony founded the company, they have created over 25 original designs by 15 local artists and 90 different styles and colors.  On top of what has been sold at his store and online, they have created special custom projects for small businesses and non-profit groups to aid in marketing and help fund-raising efforts.

Tony is a native Buffaloian, he grew up in Northern Buffalo and graduated from St Joe’s and Canisius College.  He is currently completing a master’s degree in Urban Planning from the University of Buffalo.  He expects to do various things in his career, but they will all follow the mission: Promote Buffalo.

Recently Tony has joined the staff of the Buffalo State Small Business Development Center in order to increase the assistance he can give to small businesses throughout Western New York.  CityLove will continue its business online, but this means that Tony will be closing its retail boutique on Elmwood in May 2010.  Keep checking their website for more information and to keep updated with the latest news.

Thanks to the magic of emailing and tweeting, we were able to send some questions to Tony about his favorite Buffalo food joints, here is what he had to say:

What are your favorite restaurants in Buffalo?

Tony: Let me make one thing very clear: I hate onions.

I think that Gabriel’s Gate is the best place to take a date for lunch.  I can still remember very fondly the day I went to lunch there with the first girl I ever thought I loved over ten years ago.  We sat in the back patio enjoying an ambiance that would have befit a scene in “The Secret Garden.”  There was a little fountain in the back and the distractions were minimal.  I’m sure I probably had a turkey club, but I know I was wise enough to stay away from the popcorn.  The brick buildings in Allentown look beautiful during sunny days.

I think The Left Bank has to be one of Buffalo’s best kept secrets.  My father grew up on Richmond right around the corner and the house actually shares the driveway.  My grandparents, now deceased, lived in that house for over fifty years.  Things like that really mean something in a place like Buffalo.  I love the stuffed ravioli and it was there that I first had fried calamari as an appetizer.  I think the atmosphere is great for groups of 2-4, both romantic and social.

Over the last few years, Trattoria Aroma on Bryant and Café Aroma on Main Street have moved to the top of the list for great meals.  I love Italian food.

Lastly, there should be an “E-T-S” day in Buffalo.  Their food is excellent and they are a tremendous example of how to run a highly-respectable family business.  Their evolution on Elmwood is a testament to their quality, and a tremendous asset to the neighborhood.

Where are your favorite bars to go and grab a drink?

Tony: I am not a big drinker; I go for the company, atmosphere, and music.

My favorite bar is Soho.  Not only have they been very supportive to CityLove since we had our official launch party there in July 2007, but there is no other place on Chippewa that can draw a crowd of various ages, etc.  That is a testament to their longevity and their awesome upstairs patio.  Much of the SoHo family I can now call friends.  For the sake of being thorough, it is the best place to see beautiful women…..even if some might have attitude problems!

If you want to stand close to your date, go to Hardware and perfect the in-close whisper.

If you value being “friends” with the bartending staff, Coles is a good place to earn extra benefits.  They have been open for over 75 years!

Lastly, it is great to see young entrepreneurs starting their own bars and restaurants…..so I must give a “shout-out” for continued success to Omega Lounge and Encore.

Being raised in Buffalo, What food did you grow up on?

Tony: I feel tremendously loyal to certain places and certain recipes, and I must honor them appropriately.  I grew up in a working family in North Buffalo and I began working the day I turned eleven in order to have basic spending money.  Rather than saving, much of the money I made umpiring baseball at Shoshone Park or delivering The Buffalo News went to restaurants on Hertel Avenue.

I may have my wedding reception at Bob & John’s.  I’m kidding, but I have eaten there more than any other place in Buffalo…..by far!!  My parents got divorced when I was 12, so my younger sister and I would go there at least once a week with my father.

I used to go to Kostas’s when you could smoke anywhere and the walls were all white, wavy stucco.  They used to hate it when us teenagers would all order water with lemon and add sugar….lol….or split a chicken fingers’ meal three-ways.

The Lone Star Grill is the least attractive place ever called a restaurant, but nobody makes Tex-Mex better.  Their nachos are authentic and the smell brings me back every time.  Also, they had free refills on pop.  That’s like gold to middle school kids.  Lastly, my friends and I used to be able to go to Parkers’ Pharmacy and get great “penny candy” after the meal.

Also, “shout-out” to the meat sauce at Frank’s Sunny Italy……love you boo!

Where do you take friends from out of town for a good Buffalo meal?

Tony: I mean no disrespect to the “traditional” champions of chicken wings in Buffalo, but local Buffaloonians will tell you that the real way to eat chicken wings is with pizza.  What this means is that an Italian pizzeria, like Just Pizza or LaNova, is the best place for wings, especially the “sweet” BBQ.

For fancier dining, I would recommend Fiamma, or the ChopHouse for steak.

Most times, my ex-pat friends usually just want either Mighty Taco or Jim’s before they head back out of town.

Is there any food you wish there was more of in Buffalo?

Tony: There should be a Ted’s …. in the city.

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We’d like to thank Tony for taking some time out of his busy schedule for getting back to us and talking about some of his favorite restaurants.  We highly recommend you check out his website and look at some of his designs or follow Tony on twitter to keep up to date.

For those who weren’t lucky enough to make it to the Nickel City Chef competition on April 11th, you would have missed Nickel City Chef Krista Van Wagner of Lackawanna’s fine restaurant Curly’s facing off against new comer Andrew Nuernburger of East Aurora’s historic The Roycroft Inn.  Their special ingredient they had to use was dried and frozen Balaton Cherries supplied from Singer Farms Naturals.  Check out the video recap of the event:

Also they posted a slide show from the event if moving images and sound isn’t your thing:

This summer we at Buffalo Eats are going to try and visit as many ice cream stands as possible.  We have covered of few dessert shops and ice cream parlors, but there are many many more out there.  With summer approaching, we can hopefully give some readers a new location to bring their kids or go with a date for a nice cone/dish on a warm summers night.

While Buffalo was pretending to have summer a couple weeks ago, Alli and I visited Abbott’s Frozen Custard‘s new-ish Orchard Park location in the village, hidden behind the Mobil gas station.  Buffalo isn’t very familiar with Abbott’s, but the franchise has been around Rochester for quite some time (the company was founded in 1902). This wasn’t our first time there, Alli and I actually went twice last year when it had just opened but we felt it was a good place to start our “ice cream” travels.

With Ice Cream stands/parlors there really isn’t much in terms of differentiation.  Most local places carry some type of Perry’s “hard serve” ice cream, you can get the vanilla/chocolate or twist soft serve and most will have milkshakes or sundaes.  So we will try to explain the pro’s and con’s of each place we visit.

Walking into Abbott’s you can tell it’s new, the seating area is very clean (albeit very cold that day with the air conditioning on in full force) and there is plenty of seating indoor and out.  Their topping selection is very large and they have a number of pre-designed sundaes.  Price wise, you are looking at a couple dollars at most for single Cones and their Sundaes are in the $4-$6 range.  On top of that they have various ice cream cakes and pies being offered.  In terms of any type of food that would separate themselves from any other ice cream place, Abbott’s big draw is their custard.  They pride themselves on their homemade frozen custard and while I could not tell the difference between their version and that of any other ice cream stand, Alli swears by it.  (Alli edit: Frozen Custard, especially from Abbott’s, is thicker and creamier than regular soft-serve.  The custard at Abbott’s is very rich and thick and the prefect mix between traditional hard and soft ice cream.  They have some “secret” recipe that entails them using a slow-churn method and the custard is made fresh every day). They also have a large variety of desserts and you can order yourself a old fashioned Float.

According to Alli, her Chocolate ice cream cone was amazing (as she says it is every time).  I ordered their Snickers Supreme Sundae that was comprised of Vanilla custard, whipped cream (pretty sure it wasn’t homemade), pieces of crushed up Snicker Bars, and Hot Fudge and Caramel.  It was pretty delicious, while low on the actual Snicker candy part of the sundae, their hot fudge was pretty good and it wasn’t overly filling.

If you are in the Southtowns area or maybe taking a walk around Green Lake or Chestnut Ridge, then Abbott’s is actually a great place to go.   It is very family friendly, the kids will love the visible row of toppings, and the quality of the ice cream is really good.  Is there anything that stands out? Well, they do make their own custard and they have a selection of pies and ice cream cakes that I didn’t try and could be phenomenal..  For Orchard Park there is only a couple ice cream places and if you are looking for a healthier alternative Vincenzo’s Italian Ice/Gelato is right down the street, but Abbott’s isn’t a bad choice either.  You just have to look for it, since it is kind of hidden.

Japanese food, especially sushi and rolls, is by far one of my favorite cuisines.  I love the fresh, light taste of the delicately seasoned raw fish and I can’t get enough of it.  When I crave it  the only place I go in Buffalo is Kuni’s.    Kuni’s is a small restaurant with a unique atmosphere on Lexington Ave.  At first it might seem like a strange location, but near the likes of Left Bank and Prime 490, the area is growing into one of the better restaurant areas in Buffalo (and to be honest it’s probably my favorite).  Every time I have been to Kuni’s the food has been excellent, the drinks have been superb and the service has been fantastic and my most recent time was certainly no different.

To start of the meal, my girlfriend and I decided on a glass of wine from their great (and mostly local) selection.  I went with Glenora Riesling, which I would recommend to anyone who enjoys an easy drinking white wine, and Erica went with her standard Pinot Noir.  After getting our drinks we each elected to start with a bowl of Miso soup.

Miso Soup

If you aren’t familiar with the Japanese staple, Miso is served before almost every meal.  It is a soup that is made with soy paste and generally is a very light broth with chunks of tofo and sliced scallions.  I acquired a love for it on my journey to Tokyo a few years back where I think I had it at least once at every meal.  Kuni’s Miso is simple, yet very tasty and a great way to start the meal.  The slightly salty and light broth prepared our palates for a seafood filled dinner.

For our meal we decided to split the Large Combo ($21) which contained 10 random pieces of sushi and one random sushi roll, all chosen by the chef to ensure the freshest and most flavorful experience.  I would recommend the combos at Kuni’s to anyone because of the great selection but especially for a newcomer to sushi and raw Japanese cuisine.  It allows the chef to chose what you may like and gives you a great opportunity to taste test all of the fantastic options.

Cheg's choice large combo.

Our combo included a tuna roll, a macarole piece, a tuna piece, a spicy tuna piece, a salmon piece, a tofu piece, a shrimp piece, a scallop piece and a roe piece.  My personal favorites were the Tofo piece, the Roe piece and the Spicy Tuna piece.  The Tofo was marinated in a very flavorful teriyaki style sauce and was perfectly salty and sweet.  The Roe piece (fish eggs) is an experience every time.  You most likely will either love the roe, or hate the roe and it will most likely hinge on how you can deal with the texture.  The little pearls of happiness pop between your teeth and spurts out a fishy, salty jelly that is packed with great flavor.  Finally, you can never go wrong with the Spicy Tuna roll.  Tuna translates to raw preparation so well and its heartiness can stand up to the spicy sauce.  If you have never loved a piece of sushi I would bet that you never have had a spicy tuna piece that was properly prepared.

Once again my trip to Kuni’s did not disappoint.  Their menu can accommodate almost anyone’s taste buds and appetites.  The service is great, the wine is great and the food is even better.  In my opinion, Kuni’s is the best sushi place in WNY (and certainly NOT the most expensive).  Give Kuni’s a try and I’m sure you will become a regular as I have.

Garris BBQ is located on William Street, a short drive from Lafayette Square and the center of downtown Buffalo.  You could easily drive by the location and not notice it, it’s a fairly plain white building with a small sign on the side that says ‘Garris BBQ’ and a neon OPEN sign in the window.  Rest assured that regardless of any preconceived notions you have about this particular area of Buffalo, the atmosphere inside Garris was extremely welcoming.  Since I had no idea if they had a website or what their exact menu was, I decided to stop by after work to go grab a menu.  Their menu has a good amount of soul food with entrees like Fried Chicken, BBQ Ribs (and Chicken), some Fried Fish options and all the familiar sides: Collard Greens, Hush Puppies, Fried Okra, Black Eyed Peas, etc.

So for dinner Alli and I both ordered their Fried Chicken Diner ($8) which came with 1/4 of a chicken (your choice of white or dark meat) and 2 sides.  We both chose the Mac and Cheese, Alli ordered their French Fries and I ordered their Pinto Beans.  The chicken was fantastic, even after it sat for the 10 minute car ride back to my house, I was still impressed with the flavor and crispy-ness.  Sure, it didn’t truly compare to having someone take the chicken out of the fry-er, putting it on a plate and taking a bite right away. But don’t let that stop you, their chicken is fantastic regardless of if its completely fresh or a few minutes to a few hours old.

I honestly can’t put my finger on it, the outer crust was seasoned just right (and is truly at its peak with an optional dose of Frank’s) and the chicken inside was so juicy and delicious that I could have eaten an whole chicken in one sitting.  I don’t know exactly what they do in their prep, but I love it.  If you enjoy fried chicken, just stop what you are doing and go get some now.  Their mac and cheese was very creamy and heavy on the cheese and the pinto beans were in a gravy like sauce that was filled with flavor.  I really enjoyed the meal and probably will go back and enjoy it freshly prepared and hot as they do have a small seating area for maybe 20 or so customers.  Check it out, order ahead (check out their link for a menu) or go in and take a seat; and don’t let anything fool you (area or building) their food is hands-down fantastic.

The first time I cooked a scallop I was hooked.  The knowledge that they were good for you was important to me and that, along with their sweet taste, placed this item on my list of regular home cooked menu items.  Scallops, after all, contain a lot of protein, Omega-3’s, Vitamin B12, tryptophan and a bunch of other good stuff so it’s easy to eat something that you know is good for you.  In fact, in a single serving (~4 ounces or 113 grams) there is almost 16 grams of protein.  Depending on your size and dietary needs this can be 1/3 to ½ of your daily protein requirement.   Knowing this I am shocked that there is not more scallop eating going on.  But, scallops can appear to be a kind of strange an exotic looking food that most people really wouldn’t know how to prepare once they got it home.  We might as well be talking about sea urchin.  The Friday Fish Fry, breaded pop corn shrimp, fried calamari and shrimp cocktail dominate and most people never get much closer to scallops then fried clam strips.  It is hard to imagine actually bringing them home and actually preparing them when this is what you are exposed to.  Oh, I almost forgot fish sticks.

SELECTION:

To make this easy with predictable results I always buy flash frozen scallops and thaw them at home just before cooking.  Frozen scallops are quickly frozen very soon after being harvested at sea and prepared for packaging.  Remember where we live.  That’s not the ocean over there!  Flash or quick frozen scallops will always be superior to a four or five day old “fresh” scallop.   You still have to do a little investigating though. If the scallops in the package have frozen together in a large clump, that could be a sign that they may have thawed and refrozen.  You should be able to move them around in the package and feel individual scallops. When you open the package they should smell a fresh, sweet, ocean like smell.  Sea food should never smell fishy.  They should also be all white with no brown spots.  There are different ways to thaw them but I place them in a bowl and run cold water over them until they thaw.  I then dry them off with paper towels and let them air dry until they are completely dry.  They must be completely dry or they will not sear correctly.

There are many different types of scallops but I have found the medium sized Patagonia scallop from Argentina to be my absolute favorite.  It is a puck shaped smaller scallop so it is easy to quickly pan sear and incorporate into pasta dishes but not too small like the tiny bay scallop.  In the picture above they are combined into a creamy tomato penne.

TECHNIQUE:

Scallops taste best when they are cooked to exactly the right level of doneness.  In other words not undercooked and certainly not overcooked.  I personally think they are at their absolute best with some brown crunchy buttery sear on each side.  There are some people that will tell you that you negate some of the goodness from eating scallops when you pan sear them in butter or oil and that you should bake or (gulp) broil them.  Well, these babies are heading for the frying pan.  I have used cast iron, stainless and non-stick.  A good quality non-stick browns nicely with butter and results are fantastic with this recipe.

Preheat the frying pan over medium heat until a drop of water skips across the pan.  Put a tablespoon of unsalted butter in the pan and wait until the bubbling and frothing stops. This is the water boiling out of the butter. Unsalted butter allows you to control the saltiness of the finished scallop.  Swirl the pan and toss in a teaspoon of minced garlic.  Immediately dump your scallops in the pan.  Separate the scallops so that they are not all bunched together.

Lightly salt and liberally pepper the scallops.   You will begin to see steam pull off as the water is cooked out.

In about two minutes you can flip the scallops.  They should be browned and seared on one side.  Two more minutes and you are almost done. Add another tablespoon of butter just before serving to give them a little extra buttery flavor.

This technique is also my preferred method for full sized sea scallops but you have to give them a little more time on each side and use a little more butter.  They should just turn opaque through to the center when done.   It is OK to take a test scallop out of the pan to test for doneness.

Pan seared scallops are amazing on green salads or mixed with pasta.  Any way you prepare them, once you get it right, you will be hooked on this sea food.

In all fairness to Frank’s Sunny Italy, I am writing this post a good 2 months after initially eating there, so if the memories aren’t “vivid” it is at no fault of the restaurant.  But we got caught up with a busy work schedule, planning a wedding, training a new puppy, and restaurant week and thus have gotten behind with our write ups.  When my Dad was in town he wanted to go grab something to eat, and he recommended Frank’s as a casual Italian restaurant with large portions and cheap prices.

So Alli, my brother and I decided to go and give it a try based on the positive words from my Dad.  I must say I was impressed, their food was quite delicious and their portions did live up to my Dad’s billing of being huge.  The service was good and the atmosphere was extremely ‘family friendly’.  Big wooden tables with comfortable large wooden chairs made it seem like I was actually eating in a real dining room.  I also enjoyed the lighting (aside for being great for taking Food Porn pictures); we go to so many restaurants that are bordering pitch black that it’s a nice change of pace to have normal lighting.

My brother ordered the Fettuccine Alfredo with Shrimp. He was put off by the texture of ricotta cheese in the Alfredo sauce.  However, I think the ricotta gave it a unique taste and the generous amounts of pieces in shrimp was a plus too.  I’m not a huge Alfredo fan, I tend to think it’s best in small doses, but I was glad to share some of his meal.  My Dad ordered himself some Chicken Fingers which honestly looked great and super crispy, but who hasn’t seen a chicken finger?  I ordered the Frank’s Special which was essentially a pasta broccoli with chicken but it was smothered in olive oil and garlic.  Now I just recently started to really appreciate garlic and I loved this dish, but for someone who finds the taste of garlic over-bearing or just don’t like it in general…definitely STAY AWAY.  This thing will have your breath stinking for a long, long time but in a delicious way.

If you are in the North Buffalo area and want to take the family out for a good meal, by all means Frank’s is a great idea.  It was filled with families when we went and while the adults can order something Italian there is great options like Chicken Fingers and Pizza for the kids.  While it wasn’t as cheap as my Dad initially said it would be, the entrees were roughly 10-13 dollars each but most likely you’ll be taking home left overs for another meal (or two).

You will have to do some math to figure out the nutrition in your personal serving size but ¼ cup is what I would consider a nice sized single serving.  Publicly available data states that a ¼ cup (~40 grams) contains 160 to 170 calories with somewhere around 6 grams of protein, 3 grams of fiber and 2 grams of fat.

There is a lot more to know about this ancient grain.  I posted links for two web sites at the bottom of this article.  I would encourage you to read about the more romantic details of this ancient food of the Incas.  Quinoa.net also has a bunch of history and recipe ideas to enjoy Quinoa.

Today we will be making a toasted Quinoa super-food breakfast cereal.

RECIPE:

• ¼ cup Quinoa (rinsed)
• ½ cup water
• Blueberries, Pomegranate Arils, Almonds, Honey and Skim Milk.
• Bananas, Oats, Greek Yogurt, Strawberries, Flax Meal and any other super-food you can get your hands on are all optional.  And great options they are.

TECHNIQUE:

There are a couple of things you can do with Quinoa.  It can be ground in a blender and used in baked goods or in smoothies.  You can use the flour to make pasta or combined with wheat flour to make cookies and breads.  The easiest way to consume Quinoa is to simply prepare it like rice or oatmeal.

Quinoa needs to be rinsed when you get it home unless it has been pre-rinsed.

Several recipes suggest pan toasting the Quinoa first and after trying it untoasted and toasted I strongly recommend pan toasting Quinoa before boiling.  Simply put the Quinoa in a frying pan over medium heat and continuously turn for around five minutes until it smells toasty and turns light brown.

While this is toasting you can begin you boil your water.  Use two parts water to every one part Quinoa.  Dump the pan toasted Quinoa into the water and bring to a boil.  Immediately turn heat down, cover and simmer for up to 15 minutes or until all of the water is absorbed.  It will fluff like rice.  Pan toasting helps the Quinoa to retain a bit of crunchiness and enhances the flavor a lot.  It kind of reminds me of preparing rice.  Once it is complete it will look translucent and the germ will separate from the seed.

I used traditional Quinoa but it looks reddish brown since I pan toasted before simmering.

You can eat it plain or jazz it up with extras as I have.  Some recipes suggest substituting vegetable or chicken stock for water if you will be enjoying it as a side dish (or main) for dinner.

A quick Quinoa smoothie that I enjoyed today was made with 3 tbsp Quinoa, 1 banana, 4 large strawberries, ¼  cup greek yogurt and ¼ cup skim milk.   First I pulverized the Quinoa in the blender with a splash of milk.  Add the remaining ingredients and blend for one to two minutes until smoothed to preference.

To find out more about the goodness of Quinoa you can reference two of my favorite web sites, Nutritiondata.com and Whfoods.com. They both have in depth nutritional profiles that you can look at.  Quinoa.net also has a lot of info too. Here are the links for nutrition data from Whfoods.com and Quinoa.net:

http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=nutrientprofile&dbid=143

http://www.quinoa.net/199.html

The terms of use on Nutritiondata.com got my head spinning where I was afraid to even think about their website so I don’t know if I can hyperlink them. (I feel that I have to say that this is not a recommendation but that I am merely informing you that there may not be a website called Nutritiondata.com which may or may not be one of the best online resources for nutritional data and may or may not have amazing graphical representations of nutritional value and may or may not be really, really cool.)

picture source: Buffalo Rising

Normally when I write about a new restaurant I’ll say something to the effect of “I’ve been dying to try this place for a long time now”.  But with the Wine Thief I actually had almost no urge to go.  Plain and simple…I don’t like wine.  It has nothing to do with the taste but I really don’t know much about wine and I’ve never gone out of my way to try different regions or different types.  I love trying different types of beer and working at a ‘beer store’ for a summer really helped me develop my palate.  The problem with wine is it’s a little bit more expensive of a hobby; for 4 dollars I can split a growler or 6 pack with friends and try a new beer.

My mistake was that I never thought about their food, I thought you HAD to like wine to try this place out but I was wrong.  Sure it definitely helps if you enjoy wine and can enjoy their fantastic selection and the cool “wine on tap system” they have, but they have a decent menu as well.  Walking in on a Friday night I was afraid we would have to wait for a long time, but luckily we were seated right away at a really nice table with these antique and extremely comfortable leather chairs (see above).

We started our meal with one of Alli’s favorite things in the world, flat bread pizza.  The Wine Thief has two pizzas on their menu and we (predictably) ordered the Buffalo Mozzarella.  It wasn’t a “proper flat bread” as the crust was a little thicker then I would have preferred.  Their sauce must have had Frank’s or some type of pepper because it had a noticeable kick but combined with a distinctive sugary sweetness.  Their pizzas are big for an appetizer but the two of us were both very hungry and devoured the entire thing.

When I was looking at their menu I noticed one particular item that stuck out, their Duck Tacos ($16).  I haven’t had duck in a long time and the fatty Duck Confit meat mixed with yellow rice, peas, peppers and salsa was fantastic.  Alli had ordered herself the rack of lamb (not pictured) and while satisfied with the taste, was extremely disappointed by the portion.  For $20 she had three really tiny pieces of lamb; basically it came down to about 4 bites of meat, total.  It should be noted that they were cooked to a medium rare and were quite tasty…but the portion was definitely not worth the price.  The Duck Taco entree probably wouldn’t have filled me up on its own either, but since we had split that pizza earlier I wasn’t left hungry.

While the atmosphere is great and the location is a must for anyone who even remotely enjoys wine, for Alli and I it was just alright.  The food was good and the service was top notch, but the pizza didn’t WOW either of us and Alli’s Rack of Lamb was almost shockingly small.  The Duck Taco was something new and their rest of their menu is filled with other fine dining options like Steaks, Seafood and Pork/Chicken, all for somewhat reasonable prices (~15-25).  So while we didn’t love it, I would recommend it for a romantic dinner, a ‘girls night out’ or a place to go to grab a delicious glass of wine.

Slideshow from the event:

It took us a full year but we were finally ready this time around.  We looked over the line up of restaurants and we sat down and figured out what days of the week we could pull this off and where we really wanted to go.  After a year of writing about eating at restaurants, we’ve actually crossed off a lot from our “wishlist” but I was surprised by how many restaurants we still haven’t tried.  So we made a game plan to visit 5 different restaurants over the course of 6 days (we decided to take Sunday and Tuesday off, for health and financial reasons).  Here is how each restaurants went:

Monday March 8th – Mythos

Mediterranean Dips Platter

Athenian Rack of Lamb

Oven Baked Homemade Mousaka

Our first restaurant was Mythos, a Greek restaurant located on Elmwood.  We chose Mythos because of it’s proximity from our house (almost walkable), the fact that we probably wouldn’t need to make reservations, and for the simple reason that Alli was dying for some lamb.  They had a really nice offering for restaurant week, including a 4 course meal of an appetizer, salad, select entree, and a dessert.  Alli ordered their Mediterranean Dips platter for an appetizer which covered some of my favorites, specifically a delicious Kalamata Olive Tapenade.  Alli also ordered their Rack of Lamb which was 4 large pieces of lamb that were cooked to a tender perfection, nice and pink on the inside.  The Mousaka was basically a Greek version of Lasagna with layers of Eggplant, Potatoes, Zucchini, and Ground Beef topped with a layer of Bechamel Sauce.  I’ve never had anything like it, and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it.  I normally hate traditional Lasagna, but the cooked eggplant and zucchini with the creamy-ness of the Bechamel sauce was fantastic.

The interior of Mythos is really nice and you actually don’t get that typical “Greek restaurant” feel; they create an atmosphere of fine dining with really nice booth seating and dim lighting.  Our service was top notch and we really could not find a thing to complain about.  If you are looking for a good souvlaki, however, I still would recommend Ambrosia that is located across the street.  That’s only because I haven’t tried Mytho’s version but I definitely plan on going back to try more of their menu.  If you are looking for maybe something more adventurous and a nicer setting for a date, I would highly suggest Mythos.

Wednesday March 10th – 31 Club

Duck Fries

Crusted White Fish

Sirloin Steak Diane - Brandy, Dijon, Veal Jus, Scallions

Our second meal was at the 31 Club, located on Elmwood only a couple blocks away from Chippewa.  I know the 31 Club isn’t the biggest secret of Buffalo, but it really is a hidden gem.  Located in an area where fine dining really isn’t expected, 31 Club is one of the nicest restaurants I’ve ever stepped foot into.  The interior is gorgeous, their bar is very welcoming (and I would be just fine eating off their “late night” menu from the bar) and they have a very attentive staff.  Their Restaurant Week deal was a 2 course dinner, an appetizer (soup or salad) and one of their entrees.  Alli and I decided to add something extra and try their Duck Fries because we are both notoriously suckers for French Fries.  I can honestly tell you that they were the single greatest order of French Fries that I have ever eaten in my life.  They were fried to the perfect level of crunchy-ness (if thats even a word) and combined with the flavor of of the black truffle salt and duck fat, they might have been the single greatest thing I ate during Restaurant Week and maybe of 2010.

The rest of our meal was very good but my entree of crusted White fish on top of potatoes and broccolini did not wow me over like the Duck Fries did.  The Whitefish was flakey with a crispy skin but tasted like it was literally layered in salt, so much so that I couldn’t finish it.  Regardless I would definitely consider going back for another visit, their regular menu prices are not unreasonable (20-35 per entree+sides) and they offer a very nice Sunday Brunch.

Thursday March 11th – Papaya

Tuna Sushi Roll

Sizzling Duck

Meal number three brought us to Chippewa and Papaya.  Papaya may win the Buffalo Eats award for “Most times I’ve made plans to go and then eventually canceled or bailed out”.  I’ve been planning to go to Papaya for literally years but for some reason have never eaten there until this week.  I was excited to go because of how long we’ve waited to try it out and because I was dying for Duck.  Their offer was a 2 course meal (an appetizer or sushi roll and an entree) with a glass of wine.  Alli and I both ordered Sushi rolls, Alli ordered a crab roll and I ordered their Tobiko Ahi Tuna Roll.  It wasn’t the best sushi I have ever eaten but what really won me over was their duck that actually came out on a sizzling plate (I tried to capture the steam coming from the plate in the photo).  The Duck was pretty fatty (in a good way) and so so juicy and covered in delicious caramelized onions and cooked broccoli.  I could have used more (that’s usually the case) but the serving size was very filling, and for $18 would be a great entree on any night.

We walked away from Papaya being pleasantly surprised and had maybe the quickest service out of any of the 5 restaurants we visited (which was a nice surprise as they were packed and very busy).  Papaya has a really interesting menu of Vietnamese, Thai and Japanese (sushi) as well as some safe offerings for those less adventurous.  However, if you’re going to Papaya I suggest you stick with their authentic cuisine.  Former staff member Mike highly recommends the Butter Fish and Alli enjoyed the Chicken Pad Thai (as did I the following day as leftovers).

Friday March 12th – Fiamma Steak

Our fourth day really tested the patience of Alli and myself.  Up until Friday we had some awesome service at our restaurants and none of the restaurants felt like they were trying to “sell” us on getting something off the regular menu while ignoring the restaurant week deal.  That was until we went to Fiamma Steak.  It actually started really nice, we sat down very early and didn’t have to wait at all for a table.  The place was filled with young attractive people, always a good sign, and Alli and I were really looking forward to our meals.  The only problem is our service was horrible; our waiter was extremely nice (actually, almost too nice to the point of faking it) but he definitely made it a point to recommend almost every dish on the regular menu and did not even mention the restaurant week deal.  What really made us upset, though, was how unbelievably long it took us to get our food.  I am not even exaggerating when I say that there were four parties of diners who sat down and ordered well AFTER we did and every single one of them received their meals at least 15 minutes before we did.  In actuality, most of those tables actually paid and were on their way to leaving just as we were receiving our dinners. On top of that, our waiter went missing for extremely long periods of time and did not seem to care if we needed more drinks or how our food was.  It was almost to the point where we wanted to get up and leave.

Ignoring the service for a moment, Alli ordered herself their Buttermilk Fried Chicken and I ordered the Lobster Milanese (which basically a flattened lobster tail), both of which  appeared to have been specifically put on the menu just for restaurant week and not something they regularly offer.  The food was good but nothing special, normally a la carte it came with a side and we both ordered appetizers.  Alli ordered their French Onion soup which wasn’t that amazing and I ordered their Fall Harvest Salad which was actually really really good.  It’s sad when you go to a restaurant with such high hopes and expectations and the best thing you walk away from was a really good $6 salad.  I would definitely try Fiamma again as I understand that one day of really bad service shouldn’t be a reason to completely ignore a second trip plus I would love to try something that is normally offered on there regular menu.  That said, however, the experience left a bad taste in my mouth.

Note: Due to low lighting at Fiamma we couldn’t really take any pictures worth putting on the website.  Sorry.

Saturday March 13th – The Place Restaurant

By Saturday Alli and I were exhausted and really really full.  We had eaten at 4 really nice restaurants and sure we had our disappointments but that stretch of fine dining over 5 days was by far an all time record for ourselves.  So when we originally had planned to go to a 5th restaurant that was also “high end” we actually canceled our reservation and decided to go somewhere low key.  Thank god we did.  Place is a restaurant right off the Elmwood strip that seems like someone took a pub from South Buffalo and dropped it in the Elmwood village.  For their restaurant week offering they had a dinner for 2, that came with a soup or salad and a choice of several entrees.  Alli and I both chose their 12 oz Sirloin Steaks and their diner style (slightly thicker and crispy) French Fries.  It was a fantastic meal, it was exactly the low key and cheap yet delicious experience we were looking for after meals at restaurants that require reservations.  I love fine dining but sometimes I love a juicy 10 dollar steak and french fries and Pabst Blue Ribbon (ON TAP!) in a cozy bar/restaurant on a side street of Elmwood.  If you are looking for a really good, cheap meal please check out The Place Restaurant on Lexington (right across from Kuni’s), they have the typical menu of bar food of Chicken Wings, Sandwiches, and yes some Strip Steaks all for 6-15 dollars.  Plus, everyone I know that goes there raves about their homemade soup selections…

Most of you probably have tried these once or maybe twice and quickly decided that they were too bland and dry to be part of your mealtime repertoire.  Why turkey burgers then?  Well, they are really good for you and if you prepare them right they are really tasty.  In fact, by following a few of my simple prep steps they may become one of your favorites.

TECHNIQUE:

First off, I get better results by loosely forming my own burgers from ground turkey.  You can find it fat free or almost fat free.  The latter is a bit juicier and tastier.  Cut off at least a ¼ lb of ground turkey and gently and loosely form the meat into a round shape.  The pictures give you a good idea of how loosely I form the burger.  Liberally pepper the burger and lightly salt.

Olive oil is a heart -healthy oil that enhances the flavor.  Heat a pan on medium heat and add a tablespoon of oil to the pan.  Add a teaspoon of minced garlic and fry until lightly browned to infuse the oil.  Remove the garlic from the pan and save.

Add the burger to the pan.  Flip it over into the pan so you can pepper and salt the other side of the burger.  Fry for a couple of minutes until it is nicely browned then flip over.  Continue frying until the temperature reaches your preference.

Pan frying will cause oil spatter.  A spatter screen is important.  I use my spatter screen to steam the rolls.  Because of its design the silicon screen I use also helps to keep the heat in the pan and get food to temperature while releasing steam to prevent your food from steam cooking.

I don’t want to be responsible for getting anyone sick so you can decide how hot you want your meat.  Most people will tell you 160 degrees.  I personally cook a little below the recommended temperature as indicated by my picture to keep it from drying out and losing all flavor.  Make sure you thermometer is properly calibrated at all times.

Remove the burger from the pan when it is done.  At this point you can just top your burger with the reserved roasted garlic and eat up but I like roasted red peppers.   I return the garlic and a few roasted red peppers to the pan and stir fry until warmed.  Top your burger and enjoy.

My stock method for turkey burgers involved oil, garlic, salt and pepper.  It is great every time.  Whenever you have a few extra minutes it make sense to have fun and experiment.  This burger is a guacamole turkey burger.  I mix jalapeno and roasted red peppers and onion powder into the ground turkey.  I season and pan fry using my stock method and ingredients then top it all with fresh slices of avocado.  Avocado is a good substitute for mayo.

I have shown you a few basic recipes that you can try but the point of this really isn’t to stick to my recipe.  The point is to encourage you to eat delicious foods that are healthier and to experiment.   Ground turkey is healthy, very versatile and pairs well with all kinds of healthy extras.  Try mixing in finely chopped and sautéed mushrooms and/or chopped onions into the ground turkey.  Another favorite is panko bread crumbs soaked in milk and barbecue sauce then mixed into the ground turkey.  Mix a teaspoon of Dijon mustard and a teaspoon of Frank’s Hot Sauce with ground turkey.   A teaspoon of miso added to ground turkey is a great flavor changer.  Mix and match all of these ingredients from all of these recipes together!  Just make sure you can still form a burger and have fun.

TIP:

Reading on line food recipes that someone else has tried and writes about makes it easy to for the kitchen noob to jump in.  There is still a lot of stuff that can go wrong that will frustrate you so I try to include tips that relate to what I cooked today.  Today is oil and smoke point.  I will say that you have to develop a time and technique for knowing when your pan is hot enough and not too hot to add oil.  Many a stainless frying pan has been darkened and flavor of food ruined and by letting the oil heat to the smoke point.  A quick way to check pan temperature is to sprinkle water droplets on a hot pan.  If the water dances and boils off quickly it is just about right.  If it explodes and instantly vaporizes it is way too hot.   I encourage you to search on line for smoke points and recommendations for cooking with oil.  I use smart balance or an extra light extra virgin olive oil.

1. The Recap from Nickel City Chef VI has been posted on YouTube. JJ Richert of Torches (still need to go there) battled against Carmelo Raimondi of Carmelo’s.

2. Chow Chocolat, a very cool dessert shop located on Main Street in downtown Buffalo will be opening a new location in the Walden Galleria Mall.  On March 26th, they will be opening a store near the first level entrance of JC Penney.  They will still be serving their chocolates, coffees and pastries.  Go and check out their location, their hot chocolate is maybe the best I’ve ever had.

3.  Every year in Buffalo a group of restaurants participate in Dining Out For Life, those restaurants  donate a portion of their sales that evening towards charity.  Last year Alli and I ‘donated our appetite’ for the AIDS community in Western New York by going out to eat at Elmwood’s Panos.    Well this year Dining Out For Life falls on April 27th and they have a large list of restaurants that are contributing so schedule your “going out to eat” day around April 27th and eat at one of the participating restaurants.  It’s a Win-Win for everyone.

Sample Restaurant in the heart of Allentown

I have been wanting to head to Sample for a dinner ever since learning about Chef Adam Goetz’s unique concept.  Chef Goetz, who is one of the Nickel City Chefs, turns out miniature versions of fine dining entrees and some of Buffalo’s favorites in his small, cozy restaurant in the heart of Allentown.  Local Restaurant week seemed to be the perfect time to head out to Sample.  To be honest, it was the concept that drew me to the restaurant more than anything, and the concept certainly didn’t disappoint.

Autumn Martini

I had heard by word of mouth that their martinis, which are made with homemade mixers, were fantastic.  I decided to start the meal off right with what they call the Autumn martini.  Its made with a spiced pear and apple puree, spiced rum and a dusting of cinnamon.  The martini was fantastic and would be perfect for a cool, fall day.  The pear and apple puree they use has a great roasted flavor and is thick with chunks of the fruit.  Couldn’t have started the meal in a better fashion.

For dinner, I chose Chef Goetz’s tasting menu, which happened to be the local restaurant week deal and was offered at a fantastic reduced price of $20.10 (normally $36!).  The tasting menu turned out to be a very large amount of food, and without a doubt could be split into two small dinners to accompany some cocktails.  The first course (of 6) was the cheese board.

1st course - Cheese Board

The three offerings on the cheese board were a goat cheese and caramelized onion panini (left), a provolone fondue (center), and house made ricotta topped with pineapple chutney(right).  The goat cheese and onion panini was my favorite sample of the first course.  It was extremely creamy and very flavorful.  The onions were very caramelized and sweet.  The fondue was pretty standard, but I wish the dippers they offered were a bit more creative than pieces of white bread.  The house made ricotta was a bit dry, but the chutney on top was very flavorful and made the first course overall a success.

The second course was the Mediterranean Plate.

Second Course - Mediterranean Plate

The Mediterranean Plate included warm pita (far left), pickled red onion (left center), spicy eggplant (left center), marinated bean salad (right center), olive tapenade (far right) and hummus (far right).  The warm pita and pickled red onion are pretty self explanatory and basically served as accompaniments to the rest of the course.  The spicy eggplant lacked spice and therefore is perhaps a bit misrepresented and the bean salad was fairly bland and covered in an olive oil dressing.  The hummus I would describe as very run of the mill (I think mine that I make at home is much better).  The absolute star of the second course was the olive tapenade.  It was extremely flavorful and salty (like a great tapenade should be).  I would have been happier if they left out everything on the plate except the pita and tapenade.

The third course was a sampling of soups.

The soup course had four offerings, the french onion soup (far left), garbure soup (left center), chicken noodle soup (right center), and a mushroom ramen (far right).  The french onion soup lacked any soup.  It was bread bowl filled with onions and topped with cheese but lacked any broth and was fairly dry.  The garbure soup was my favorite of the four and contained pulled pork and roasted vegetables.  The pork was very moist and flavorful and almost had the melt in your mouth type of feel.  The chicken noodle soup had no noodles, but rather was a play on the soup and utilized the chicken as the noodles.  The chicken “logs” were very well seasoned and had a great salty flavor.  The broth however left a little to be desired.  The mushroom ramen had the most flavorful broth.  It was a light and refreshing soup.  My biggest problem with this course was that all four of my soups were luke warm at best.  Cool might actually be a better word to use.  I love soup of all kinds, but unless I’m eating a tasty gazpacho, I want my soup piping hot.

The fourth course was the first of two main course plates.

Course Four - Main Course #1

The fourth course contained three offerings, sausage/peppers/onions (left), poutine (center), and eggplant parmigiana (right).  This course as a whole was better than the previous two had been.  The sausage was spicy and blended great with the pepper and onion toppers.  The poutine was pretty standard (fries covered with gravy and cheese).  In my opinion, it would be very difficult to mess up fries smothered in gravy and cheese and this version did not disappoint.  The eggplant was a fried eggplant topped with a salsa mixture.  The salsa was served cold and took a little away from the tasty eggplant.

The fifth course was the second of two main courses.

Course Five - Main Course #2

The fifth course also had three offerings, fish ‘n chips (left), steak fritte (center), and beef on weck (right).  The star of this plate was the small take on fish ‘n chips.  The small piece of fish was perfectly cooked, crispy on the outside and served on top of a crispy potato chip and a bed of coleslaw.  All the flavors from the savory fish and potato chips and the creamy slaw blended fantastically together and made for a delicious bite.  The steak frite had a balsamic aoili that was great, but the steak itself was slightly overcooked and a bit tough and served a little cold.  The beef on weck was a tiny version of the Buffalo staple.  It was salty and tasty as always, but I have had a plethora of better beef on wecks.

The 6th and final course was the dessert trio.

Course 6 - Dessert Trio

I must admit, although I really enjoy dessert, I generally avoid having a big dessert after a large meal.  However, this dessert trio possibly saved the entire meal for me.  Two of the three were absolutely fantastic and the third wasn’t too shabby either.  The three offerings were a pineapple upside down cake (left), a creme brule’ (center), and rice pudding (left).  The creme brule’ was my least favorite of the three, which was surprising because its one of my favorite desserts.  It was a little over-caramelized on the top almost to the point of burned, but the custard underneath was excellent.  The pineapple cake was outstanding.  It was moist, sweet, and came with an extremely delicious raspberry sauce.  My favorite dessert was the rice pudding.  I usually enjoy rice pudding, but its not my go-to dessert.  Their version was the best I have ever had.  It was perfectly cooked rice, extremely creamy, and served with pine nuts for a bit of crunch and the perfect amount of honey to give it that hint of sweetness.

My favorite samples over the entire meal, and ones that I would recommend, would be the goat cheese and onion panini, the olive tapenade, the garbure soup, the fish ‘n chips, and the rice pudding.  All in all, it was a fun experience at Sample.  The cocktails and the concept were very exciting and made for a fun evening.  That being said, I think many of the samples are small versions of standard (sometimes at best) meals.  The fact that a few of my samples were served cold and without a ton of seasoning didn’t help the experience.  Was my meal worth the $20.10 that I paid for it, absolutely.  Would it be worth the full menu price…that remains to be determined.  On Tuesday and Wednesday they offer half price and buy-one-get-one entree samples.  If you are interested in giving this small meal concept a try, I would give it a whirl on one of the discount nights.  If a martini and a few bites of dessert is what your craving, then Sample is your place.

Cheers!

It had been a while since I had visited a Mexican restaurant and when my brother (who is an avid Mighty Taco fan) came to hang out with me downtown, I knew that we had to get some Mexican.  This was my first time going to El Canelo, but I had heard that it was one of the more “authentic” Mexican restaurants in Buffalo.  As soon as we walked  in we were seated, given a drink and a basket of chips and a dish of salsa.  Their service is top notch.

The home-made tortilla chips tasted like they had just come out of the fryer; they were warm and fresh.  The salsa wasn’t incredible but the chips were so good on their own, it really didn’t matter.

I haven’t had a hard shell taco in a long, long time.  I use to look forward to eating bunches of them at a time in the school cafeteria or at home on Taco night.  I don’t know what happened since then, but now I always go for the burrito or soft shell.  Well, after having two of El Canelo’s hard shell tacos I might come out of hard shell retirement.  Their fresh ground beef was delicious, and the taco included a generous amounts of shredded cheese and shredded lettuce.  They were part of the Special Dinner for Two ($14.99) that we ordered, which also included:

A Chalupa: a shallow corn cup that is formed by deep frying dough and then covering it with beef, shredded lettuce, cheese, tomato slices and optional guacamole.

A Tamal: (to the far left) which is beef steamed inside a leaf wrapper

A Burrito and some Spanish Rice and Refried Beans (to the right)

A Chille Relleno: which is traditionally a chili filled with cheese and a meat or pork then typically fried after being coated in batter (not in this case) and covered with a tomato sauce

And, finally, an Enchilada: basically a burrito covered in a chili pepper sauce

It was a pretty decent sized feast for two people to share, and for 14.99 it was a really great price.  The Chalupa was very tasty; the corn tortilla very fresh and still warm.  The Tamal wasn’t my favorite menu item as there didn’t seem to be a lot of flavor in the meat.  The burrito and enchilada went great with the sides of refried beans and guacamole.  All in all, this Mexican experience was probably the closest I could get to eating “authentic” Mexican food while living in Buffalo (if there is a place you consider to be even more “authentic” please let me know).  I realize that we will never be Los Angeles, Texas, or any state with proper Mexican food (including Taco trucks which I would kill for on Allen). But,  for a really good price (almost everything on their menu is under 9 dollars), you can enjoy a delicious and filling meal at El Canelo.

When Alli, her parents, and her brother and I decided to go Colter Bay last week, we had a similar experience.  I normally don’t complain about restaurants or their service unless its really bad, and it’s not the worse service I’ve ever had… However, every time I dine there this has been an issue.  This past time we were one of only 3 tables in the whole place and still we had long waits for drinks and food and watched our server disappear for long periods of time. I don’t think I could have written about our visit without mentioning it.

Ignoring the service for a minute, I actually do not have much to say about the food at Colter Bay. Overall, it’s OK, but nothing that really blows me away. We started the meal with some potato skins, which overall were decently good and are a nice and easy snack to go along with a couple pints.  I’d say my favorite potato skins downtown are at Gabriel’s Gate where they basically deep fry them.

I went with something new on the menu and tried Colter Bay’s Wyoming Burger.  Covered with Guacamole, Cheddar Cheese, Salsa and Jalapeno Peppers, their Wyoming Burger had good flavor but, again, nothing outstanding.  The salsa was a suitable replacement for ketchup, the guacamole was a nice touch, and the actual beef was cooked to my order (medium).

Alli ordered herself their Chicken Wings, which I’ve actually had a couple times before and had some good experiences, but let’s be honest, most restuarants in Buffalo serve up a good decent wing.  In any case, they were prepared nice and crispy (my personal favorite), however, they were very small wings, almost comically so.

Overall, if you want to grab an awesome pint of beer (remember draft is 100x better then bottled) I would always suggest Colter Bay.  They have a good size bar that is usually filled with a good crowd, plenty of TVs, and every day of the week they have a beer/mixed drink special.  But, if you are looking for food, there are several other options for pub style food when you’re downtown and sadly I don’t recommend Colter Bay.  If you want to grab something quick while your hanging at the bar it’s OK but it’s certainly nothing worth going out of your way for and their service is just incredibly frustrating.

After watching that video I really really (yes two reallys) want to go to one of these competitions and Alli and I are hoping to make it to one of the later events this year.  So take a look at the video below and check the Events section in the sidebar for future dates and links to buy tickets.

PS: I wanted to say great job to Buffalo Eats friend Nate Peracciny on producing the video above, we love his work.

By the time I first found out about Captain Jack’s, it was too late.  They had posted a “Gone Fishin’” sign on their door and the windows had been covered in brown paper.  To say I was heartbroken would be a stretch but I was pretty upset; the idea of having a restaurant dedicated to making Fish and Chips right down the street was awesome.  So when I read that they had re-opened (they closed because of Fire Marshall issues) I was very excited.

Walking in, I was immediately surprised by the actual size of the restaurant.  Judging from the outside it’s hard to tell how deep the restaurant was and the seating is very limited.  There’s only about 4 tables and maybe 10 seats total so Captain Jack’s makes for a better take out then dine in.  Their menu is nice and simple; they offer several types of seafood in various fried varieties and all for under $10.  You can find shrimp, their fried haddock and cod, chicken fingers (for the boring friend who doesn’t eat fish or those of you who are allergic), clams, calamari and crab cakes.  We tried out their Fish N Chips (that choice was easy) and their House Specialty “The Sea Dog” which is a foot long beer battered Icelandic Cod on a hot dog style roll with lettuce and tartar sauce.

After going to WJ Morrisey’s and The Duke of Kent, I realized that Fish and Chips is really a just a different version of a classic Buffalo Fish Fry.  Captain Jack’s however, served their version with several smaller pieces of Haddock instead of one long piece.  This lead to more batter and that crispy fried goodness around the edges, which, lets be honest, is the best part.  Speaking of which, their beer batter is fantastic.  Even after driving the few miles back to my house it stayed crispy and the actual fish was nice and juicy.  By far one of the best pieces of fried fish I’ve had in a long time and their fries (chips) were pretty good too.  To note, the portion was pretty decent as well, there was more than enough for Alli and I to share.

We also tried their Sea Dog, which was a fish fry “hot dog” but instead of Haddock they used Cod.  The beer batter was very similar to the Fish and Chips but the fish didn’t have any major difference in taste (at least to me, I am not an expert on the difference between the two).  They toasted the foot long roll and it was a nice crispy, but they went a bit overboard with the tartar sauce.  I probably would have enjoyed it more if they could have cut down the volume by half.

Overall, we were very pleased with our spur of the moment decision to stop by Captain Jacks and I really hope they do well.  If you are in the mood for some seafood and crispy fried goodness but don’t want to spend a lot of time (or money) at a sit-down restaurant, I highly suggest stopping by.