Bill Rapaport's Buffalo Restaurant Guide

Alphabetical Listing of Restaurants: M

Macaroni Grill
Macri's Italian Grille
Magruders
Mama Illardo's
Mangia Ristorante & Caffe
Manhattan's
Mansard Inn
Manzella's
Marco's
[am] Marie's Restaurant
[a] Marinaccio's
Marotto's
Mattina's
[a] Maybeck's Deli
McKenzie's Bar and Grill
Le Metro
Metropolitan Bar and Grill
Michael's
Middleport Inn
Mighty Taco
[m] Milano's Pizzeria
[m] Ming Cafe
Ming Teh
Mississippi Mudd's
Mode
Moe's Southwest Grill
Molinaro's Ristorante
Montana's Cookhouse
[a] Moscow Nights Cafe
[am] Moti Mahal
Mr. Bill's
Mulberry Italian Ristorante
Murphy's Tavern on the Green
Muscoreil's Bistro and Dessert Gallery
Muse
Mustachio's Pizza
[am] My Tomato Pie
Mykonos
My Little Margie's

Key:

[—], , ,	Bill's rankings
[XXX]	recommendation from contributor whose initials are XXX
[a+]	on UB Amherst Campus (in the UB Commons)
[a]	near UB Amherst Campus (within 2 miles)
[m]	near UB Main St. Campus (within 2 miles)

(For more info on locations, see Geography)

All phone numbers are in area code 716, unless otherwise indicated.

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Macaroni Grill.

Now called "Pasta Grill".

MacDuff's.
317 Pine St., Jamestown. 664-9414.

Previous editions of this guide began this entry as follows: "I may be mistaken, but I seem to recall eating here often and loving it when I lived in Jamestown in the late 1970s." Well, I was not mistaken! [MER] and I ate here [5/04] when we were in Jamestown for the Lucy-Desi Days festival run by the Lucy-Desi Museum (Jamestown is Lucille Ball's birthplace and home town). The restaurant is even better than I remember it, and is clearly one of the finest in Western New York (and beyond!). It's small (8 tables) and owned by the chef (Gary Templin) and his wife (Donna Templin), who is the maîtresse d' and waitress. There's no menu; Donna Templin recites and explains it from memory (and her memory is excellent: She actually remembered me from 23 years ago!); you can, however, see a menu online. By intention, you dine leisurely here (our meal lasted a full 2 hours). It is also on the expensive side: Dinner for two with wine and tip cost us about $130. They have an extensive wine list, as well as wide offerings in single-malt scotches. [MER] began with Shrimp de Jonghe: warm shrimp in a garlic sauce with breadcrumbs and sherry; I began with Lobster Cocktail with Pesto Mayonnaise, which was smooth and light. For our main courses, [MER] had Char Broiled Filet Mignon with a Horseradish Crumb Crust, while I had Sea Bass with a Ground Pecan and Lemon Zest Crust; both were accompanied by the best broccoli we have ever tasted (being served with a lot of butter helped!) and red potatoes. The meal was accompanied by warm, homemade rolls, almost like popovers. For dessert, [MER] opted for a cheesecake with strawberries; I had Homemade Orange Ice Cream with Bittersweet Chocolate bits, served in a brittle chocolate shell. So: Visit Jamestown, enjoy the Lucy-Desi Museum, and have dinner at MacDuff's! (But not on Sundays, when they're closed :-(

[EL, 12/00] says: "My husband and I ate there in '98 and had a great meal. Their wine list was quite good, and they have an extensive selection of single malts. Not only that, the owner/operators told us all about the ghost legends associated with the building (an old house, where they also live). It's the only decent place in Jamestown in terms of fine dining, so it's worth knowing about."

[KGR, 7/02] says: "I would definitely give it three stars on Bill's ranking system. I currently live in Jamestown, NY, but have lived in Boston, New York City, San Francisco, and Paris, and I have to tell you that not since my days in France have I had meals like this. Fantastic! Homemade hard rolls, a generous and well-thought-out wine list, an impressive collection of malts and the Lavender Crème Brulé is to die for. Totally worth the trip to Jamestown (perhaps on your way to or from Chautauqua Institution). The atmosphere, though charming, could use a little upgrade, but the meals have always been superb. The menu, delivered orally, is ever-changing, and, since it's only the two owners doing the preparations and serving, make sure to leave plenty of time to relax (in the true European style). Meats are always done perfectly to order, and their Coquilles St. Jacques, which have been on the `menu' the past 7 or 8 times we've been there, made me really homesick for a stroll along the Breton coastline. Be prepared to be impressed by the food, the malts, and the fact that you've found this surprisingly quality European eatery in, of all places, Jamestown!"

[MCH, 3/05] says: "A birthday supper was a most pleasant experience. The decor was relaxed, and it was nice to listen to Mozart while dining. Filet was exquisite. My daughter tried the Breast of Chicken with almond stuffing. Her first bite and her eyes went all agog..."this is wicked good!". Dessert: I had the homemade Orange Ice Cream with crumbled chocolate. My wife took a taste, and it was "dueling spoons" from then on. They offer an excellent choice of wines and single malts. It was a little pricy, though; the meals for 3, two glasses of wine, $140.00. Not an everyday eating establishment, but, my birthday, 'tis okay."

Given 4 (out of 5) stars by Janice Okun, Buffalo News restaurant reviewer.

Macri's Italian Grille.
6929 Williams Rd. (in The Summit), Niagara Falls, NY.
297-9980.

[PT, 12/07] says: "Macri's is a good Italian restaurant that used to be located in Niagara Falls's Little Italy, but moved to the Summit Mall a couple of years ago. The menu is mostly standard Italian fare, but there are a few unusual entrees. I had Shrimp Abruzzi in a white wine and lemon sauce with garlic, tomatoes, onions, and Feta cheese over linguini. My husband had Veal Levesque—breaded veal scallopini layered with spinach and mozzarella, with linguini in a red sauce. Both dishes were excellent. The house salads and Italian bread that are included with the entrees were also very good. The prices are very reasonable; most entrees range from $10.95-$17.95."

[AFN, 4/08] says: "My sister and I had lunch at Macri's on Friday, 3/28. She has been there many times and loves it. It was my first time. One of their Friday luncheon specials was, of course, fish—haddock—either as a fish fry, sauteed, broiled, or Italian style. For $7.99, it includes a choice of soup or salad, and potatoes or vegetable. We both had salads, while my sister had the mixed vegetables, and I had French fries. Our only complaint was that the salad was served on the same plate as the fish and super-hot French fries, so it was warm and somewhat soggy as a result. Overall, the meal was very good."

Macgruders Restaurant and Pub.
4995 Broadway, Depew. 685-4400.

[MEL, 8/99] says (based on his visit to Taste of Lancaster): "I had a perfectly acceptable chicken with pasta here. I can't say it is worth a long drive, but, if you happen to be in Lancaster or Depew, you could do a lot worse than Magruder's."

Mama Illardo's.
Basement of HSBC Building (downtown), Buffalo. 852-1571.

[MEL, 7/99] says: "Like Sorrentino's, an exemplar of bland, tasteless, Sun-Belt-style pizza. To eat this sort of garbage you have to have a tender stomach suitable only for such bland fare (and I know people who do). But if you're going to eat something blah, why not eat something good for you instead of this rubbish?"

Mangia Ristorante & Caffe.
4264 N. Buffalo Rd., Orchard Park.
662-9467.

[LMC, 9/05] says: "Orchard Park was in dire need of a new and different restaurant, and do we have one now! Mostly Italian but also offers seafood dishes, pork chops, etc. I've only had the Italian entrees, but my husband can't get enough of their pork chops. I have yet to be disappointed with my choices (veggie ravioli, vodka penne pasta) and last time had to force myself not to finish the ample serving of penne. It was just as good for lunch the next day! The atmosphere is casual yet sophisticated, with a great bar, which makes any wait for a table pretty painless. Service is great—food is delivered pretty quickly after you're seated and have placed your order. Summertime offers limited bistro tables outside with a great view of the summer activity at the Four Corners in OP. They are getting busy enough now that reservations are recommended. Almost hate to put out the word and just keep this Orchard Park's best kept secret!"

[JJa, 7/07] says: "This was my first visit to Mangia Ristorante & Caffe, although 2 of the 3 people whom I dined with have been there several times. We didn't have a reservation, so we stopped at the bar for our very brief wait for a table. I indulged in a Manhattan, and it met my high standards. We were seated at a table in the window; nice touch. The restaurant is "cavernous": large rooms, high ceilings, but lots of windows. Our server was young, reminded me of Monica/Courtney Cox of "Friends". She was knowledgeable about the menu items and evening's specials. As is my habit, I narrowed my entrée selections down to 3 and asked the server her opinion on the items. She didn't hesitate to recommend the Penne al Gorgonzola: pasta with chicken, sundried tomatoes, spinach, and a Gorgonzola sauce. She explained that the Cinque Cipolle was not a "traditional" French onion soup, but five caramelized onions in a chicken broth served with parmigiano crostini. The selected Caesar salads were offered with or without anchovies. I was minorly disappointed that my chosen anchovies were not mashed into the dressing but lay across the salad. Bread basket contained a good, crusty Italian, as well as a well-seasoned focaccia, served with seasoned olive oil for dipping. Additional bread was offered as basket was emptied. Entrees were very generous, and my Penne Gorgonzola was excellent! Other diners at the table had Penne Siciliane, pasta sautéed with eggplant in a light tomato sauce with melted fresh mozzarella; Linguine Bolognese, a tomato sauce with beef, pork, and veal served with a linguine noodle; and Pork Milanese, a breaded, pan-fried pork cutlet on a bed of greens. Service continued to impress throughout the meal. I watched the diners at the next table enjoy cannoli and some sort of chocolate layered torte. Even though I took at least half of my entrée home, and I have an infamous sweet tooth, dessert was deferred. Might like to go back late some night just for coffee and dessert. Not the typical red sauce, spaghetti, and meatball or sausage place, Mangia Ristorante is recommended by this reviewer!"

Manhattan West Restaurant and Bar.
32 N. Main St., Alfred. 607-587-9363.

Alfred, NY, may be on the far eastern fringe of Western New York, but this place is too good not to include. [MER] and I have been eating here since 8/97 on a more or less regular basis whenever we visit my step-daughter in college (at Alfred State). Food ranges from burgers to gourmet dishes, with wonderful daily specials. [MER] swears by their fajitas and, especially, Ellen's Chicken Tortellini. I have never been disappointed by their specials. I know of no restaurant in the immediate Buffalo area that has this range and quality of food (well, maybe Carmine's, but they are primarily Italian, and maybe Akron House, but they're not exactly in the immediate Buffalo area). (I should note that they currently seem to be calling themselves merely "The West".)

[AWJ, 4/04] says: "To confirm your statements regarding the Manhattan West. As a graduate of Alfred University, and former Allegany County resident (Wellsville), I have had more then one occasion to frequent the West (which it is indeed now called, at least since 1999). While they still have some of the entrees that you discussed, they have broadened their menu to contain more "student friendly" fare, including excellent burgers, muffalata sandwiches, and a wonderful jerk chicken sandwich. Even with this change, the West is still the primary meeting place for faculty and staff from the University, and one of the better establishments in the county."

Manhattan's.
4206 Lake Ave. (Rt. 78), Lockport.
433-7060.

[CR, 12/06] says: "You must try a new restaurant in Lockport called "Manhattan's". Great menu, and very affordable. Everything was a 10/10. I had the Chile Diablo, which has a seasoned cheese blend stuffed in a banana pepper, breaded, sautéed and topped with a green tomato chutney. For my entrée, I had the Veal Margarita, which is sautéed veal, layered with crispy lasagna noodles, breaded eggplant, and buffalo mozzarella balls, baked and topped with a delicious light sauce. For dessert, I had Manhattan Cheesecake, which is made at the restaurant: cherry vermouth cheesecake with a chocolate bourbon crust topped with cherries and vermouth-infused whipped cream. My wife had the San Marzano Tagliatella, which is brandy seafood cream sauce, consisting of crab, lobster, and shrimp, saut&eacue;ed with vegetables, over tomato tagliatella pasta. She loved it! The dining room holds approximately 50 people, and quite busy the Saturday night we were there, I would definitely make a reservation. It was a very comfortable and warm environment. The staff was very pleasant as well. I highly recommend."

Mansard Inn.
3365 Abbott Rd. (north of Milestrip, not far from McKinley Mall), Orchard Park.
828-1115.

[WHN, 10/05] says: "About once a year for the last 10 or so years, we have gone to the Mansard Inn with friends from Hamburg. The Mansard Inn has been there for many, many years, so I was surprised to see that no one has ever reviewed it. It's not gourmet dining, but the food is very good. Their breads include freshly made corn bread, rolls, and muffins. My wife and I have never been able to get past their Chicken Almondine (about $13.00 including soup or salad). It may sound old fashioned, but it's delicious—sauteed and served with a creamy sauce with, of course, slivered almonds. Side dishes include a choice of several vegetables, and rice or potatoes. Their home-made potato chips are delicious. They aren't on the menu, but will usually be made upon request. Our friends tell us their lamb chops (about $25.00), prime rib, and steaks are also excellent. There is a lengthy list of evening specials, too."

Manzella's.
3347 Delaware Ave. (not "Delaware Road", as their website has it!), Kenmore.
874-1133.

[GOw, 4/08] says: "I've been meaning to go to this restaurant for years. Recently, 4/4/08, we went here for dinner and really enjoyed it. This is your typical small, locally owned, typically-decorated, Italian restaurant. We were there pretty early, 5:45 pm on a Friday, and the bar was full, but only a couple tables were occupied. My wife and I were seated promptly and started off with a couple of martinis. We chose the fried calamari for an appetizer. This was rather standard/traditional...not really a complaint, just got what we asked for. My wife ordered the eggplant parmesan, and I went with the chicken asiago. Both were very good, with ample portions. The chicken was served with artichokes and red pepper; tasty. Salads are fine, and bread is a nice (ordinary) Italian. The prices are fair, service very good, and all in all a very nice meal. Check it out; standard, well-made, Italian food."

Marco's Italian Restaurant.
1085 Niagara St., Buffalo.
886-8776.

[FR, 7/02] says: "They serve traditional Northern Italian fare. I found the food to be quite good; the service was good, and the atmosphere and prices relaxed. The ingredients were very fresh and well chosen—all the flavors blended well. My companion and I shared an order of garlic bread and stuffed hot peppers as a starter. The peppers were a bit too hot for my companion, but perfect for me. Salads next—too much dressing but not overpowering (just wet). The dressing was a nice house of oil/vin and well spiced. My entree was Sausage cacciatore—very good; well balanced and full of flavor. Companion had NE clam chowder—very good; not too creamy, fresh ingredients, great overall. Half the food came home, as the portions are very large. With all that food and 2 glasses of a decent red wine, the bill was $40 including tip! For excellent N Italian food in a casual atmosphere that won't set you back too much, try Marco's! I'd give it 2 out of 4 stars."

[AFN, 3/07] says: "After school, a group of us went to Marco's for dinner, before heading back for an evening activity. We have been here several times in the past, and the food has always been very good. This time, I had delicious chicken parmigiana. Everyone else enjoyed their dinners, too. Among West Side restaurants, it's hard to choose between Marco's and Faso's because both have excellent Italian food." A few months later, [AFN, 8/07] reports: "While attending a seminar downtown, our group went to Marco's for lunch. My eggplant parmesan sandwich was delicious, as was the accompanying salad with tomato basil dressing. (French fries are also an option, instead of salad.) One friend had a hot stuffed pepper sandwich with mozzarella, which she said was very good. For only $5 or $6, it's hard to beat the price (and tastiness)."

[LCo, 1/08] says: "For dinner at Marco's recently, a friend and I shared the Fava Beans appetizer, which is fava beans with greens and garlic. The portion was large, easily enough for four people. It was a little under-seasoned, but still good. I also tried the Veggie Marco: broccoli, mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, and a wine sauce, all served over linguine. The dish tasted good, but it seemed like the vegetables may not have been fresh. Overall, the service was great, and I enjoyed the casual atmosphere."

Marie's Restaurant.
1927 Eggert Rd., Eggertsville.
833-6967.

[MCl, 9/06] says: "I will never go there again after the rotten plate of heaped grape leaves they delivered to my table a few months back."

La Marina Seafood Market and Grille.
1503 Hertel Ave., Buffalo. 834-9681.

[MER], [SLD], [LDD], my nearly 8-year-old son, and I ate here [10/03] as guests of the owners. I was quite impressed: The house balsamic vinaigrette on my salad was delicious, as was the salad, which seemed to have basil leaves in it. My bouillabaisse was excellent (though more like the Italian version than a French version, which is to be expected in this Italian seafood restaurant!). And my fruit layer cake for dessert was heavenly. My companions all enjoyed their meals, too: These included a pasta dish with lobster, which even [MER], who hates seafood, liked, and stuffed-pepper appetizers, which were rather on the spicy side. My son liked his chicken fingers and loved his profiterole dessert (as did [MER]). They used to serve Lebanese cuisine on Thursday nights, but I don't know if they still do, since the former owners who were responsible for that have left and now run La Scala.

[RDM, 4/05] says: "My husband and I decided to return to La Marina last night (04/14/05). We hadn't been in a while. It was one of our favorites when we lived in the city. Even though it was a bit fancier and definitely more expensive, we had a wonderful meal. The service was great. Our waiter and his trainee were attentive and polite. We started with one of the evening's appetizers. The grilled calamari and octopus was delicious. We ordered this dish because we loved grilled calamari but were also blown away by the crustini bread with white bean hummus and mixed greens with red wine vinaigrette all on the same plate. For dinner, I had the Cajun grilled grouper. It was also delicious and had a spicy bite to it. I also enjoyed the grilled green beans and roasted red potatoes that came with my entrée. My husband also enjoyed his dish, which was a pork rollitini stuffed with fontina cheese. We enjoyed coffee and chocolate ganache-covered éclairs for dessert. La Marina is still one of my favorites!"

[JCr, 1/06] said: "Recently, I dined at La Marina again for my 3rd time since I moved into the North Buffalo area about a year ago. All my dining experiences there have been great, and this was no exception. I started with the house salad, as usual, with gorganzola, which was just a decent regular mixed greens salad. For our entrees, I had the jambalaya pasta with sautéed chicken and sausage with sweet peppers, in a spicy Cajun herbed tomato broth. This was a good entree but could have been a bit more balanced with more chicken and sausage and a bit less pasta; however, it was nice and spicy. They do ask you how you would like it in regards to spice though; so, if you don't like spicy foods, this is still something you can enjoy. My fiancee ordered the Sicilian calamari with couscous: spicy calamari sautéed and served over Israeli couscous with raisins, capers, and pine nuts. Overall, another good all around dining experience at La Marina." But [JCr, 3/06] now says: "This past weekend, I once again dined at La Marina; however, this experience has mixed reviews. In my last review, I had declined to mention the service that was sub-par, because it was supposedly the waitress's first night on the job. This evening, we were graced with similar service; for starters, the service was slow. When our bottle of wine came, just like last time this waitress had trouble opening the bottle and proceeded to break the cork again; at least she didn't slice her finger open on the bottle opener like our past visit. Secondly, our salads took forever, and, when my Caesar salad came, it was the same mixed greens salad with onion, tomato, and garbanzo beans as everyone else's but with Caesar dressing, which I didn't even try but looked more like Ranch to me. I sent this salad back and was presented with a real Caesar salad very quickly. From here on out, our service was good, as was the food, although I must say that apparently they must have an aspiring singer on staff now, because, during our meal, she came out to sing happy birthday to two different people at nearby tables and happy anniversary at another; sure that might be nice for TGI Fridays, but when I am paying $20-25 a plate, I would like to enjoy the atmosphere and not feel like I am on the set of American Idol. For our entrees, my fiancée chose the shrimp and scallop penne pasta dish with spinach and cream sauce, which I had for lunch the next day and was very good. My future brother- and mother-in-law chose the broiled halibut special, which was reported to be very good. For my entree, I ordered off the specials list as well; this was a tempura tiger prawns entree with cheese ravioli in a lobster coral sauce. This was a very good dish, in presentation and taste. The dish came out with two huge prawns, which must have weighed about 8oz. each, almost a meal in itself. This was a very good entree; however, it's not something I would usually order, because the sauce was quite rich in flavor. Overall, I would say that it was certainly not my best dining experience at La Marina; I will probably give this place a break for a while until I return."

[AJT, 7/07] says: "We tried La Marina by accident. How so? The "Italian Festival" had shut down a few blocks of Hertel Ave. and impeded our travel to our regular Friday night venue, Casey's. It was Friday. This is Buffalo. Ergo, we ordered the fish fry. There's a couple of variations on the battering: Beer or "regular". We had the regular. Since it was a nice night, we sat on the patio. While we were greeted immediately, our remote location made service a bit slow. Beer and a Kahlua and cream helped us while away the wait for salads. The beer was $3.50, while the Kahlua was $7.00. (Yep, $7.00 for adult chocolate milk!) The salads were, well, salads. Nondescript and edible. I forget what dressings were ordered, but "clear" and "Italian" seem to jog my memory. I liked the fish. Freshly thawed, well coated, and somewhat crunchy. My partner did not think the batter was as good as she is accustomed to having. French fries were fine. However, the kitchen would really have to be careless to screw up deep frying. For $13.95, in Buffalo, one would expect a piscatorial extravaganza. That didn't happen."

[a] Marinaccio's Steak and Seafood.
5877 Main St. (near Rinewalt St. and near Highland Dr.), Williamsville.
633-7755.

Under new management as of 3/20/06, now specializing in steak and seafood.

[WHN, 4/07] says: "My wife and I, along with two other couples, ate here on Saturday night, 3/31, for the first time since it changed from Northern Italian cuisine to Marinaccio's Steak & Seafood. Besides a variety of steak cuts and seafood, they offer numerous other choices including veal and lamb chops, duck, and several pasta entrees. We all had Caesar salads to start, then steaks—four filets, a rib eye, and a NY strip. All the steaks were excellent—tender and cooked to the degree ordered. Entrees come with a choice of baked potato or steak fries, but everything else is extra, including a choice of several sauces for $2. It strikes me as incredibly chintzy for a restaurant to charge extra for sauce on steaks that cost $37—$42. That said, the $2 green peppercorn sauce was very good. My only other complaint is a very limited selection of wines by the glass—three red varietals, two whites, and a rose, all from the same winery. (These days, most upscale restaurants have equipment to preserve opened wines using inert gases, such as nitrogen, to keep oxidizing air out.) The bottled selection is somewhat better but still quite limited. And their wine list states: "Vintage subject to change", even though they don't list the vintages. That is unacceptable, especially since the wines cost up to $100 per bottle. The service was very good. Overall, I would give it one star on the Rapaport scale."

[EMW, 10/07] says: "We visited Marinaccio's on a Friday evening in October for the first time (we had a gift certificate from restaurant.com, which I unfortunately forgot to bring, so now we will have to go a second time). We had made reservations, expecting the restaurant to be packed around 6:00PM, but that was not the case. It was nearly empty! Maybe this should have been our first clue as to our experience. We had a few drinks at the bar to wind down from the week, and they offer 2-for-1 well drinks from 5:00PM to 8:00PM, which was a great special. The dining room is decorated beautifully, and, based on the appearance, I figured we were in for a special meal. I agree with the previous post—a poor selection of wines by the glass (all from one winery), but my glass of Merlot was actually tasty. We each started with Caesar salad, which was delightfully delicious—a real Caesar salad with anchovies, not a plate of wilted romaine drowning in thick creamy dressing. About halfway through the salad, my dinner partner realized that when he ordered his entree (filet of sirloin), the waitress neglected to ask how he would like the steak to be cooked. We figured she would realize the mistake after giving our order to the kitchen. Not so! Our meal arrived, and upon our query as to the doneness of the steak, she realized her mistake and sort of mumbled that the steak was cooked medium and he would enjoy it. The steak was in fact closer to medium well, which is not how my dinner partner preferred, and, while the steak was good, for a $30 entree in a restaurant that calls itself a steakhouse, you would think one would be able to choose the doneness of the meat (or at least bring it out medium rare!). No offer to recook the steak was extended. I ordered the Zuppa di Pesce, which was described as a selection of seafood prepared in a "fish fume", with sides that evening of asparagus and herb risotto. It sounded delightful. What I received was a large bowl of clams, mussels, shrimp, scallops, salmon, and tuna, in a sort of tomato broth. The seafood itself was amazingly good. However, it was served with brocollini (not asparagus) on top of the seafood, and there was no risotto in sight. As I began eating, I think I located the "risotto"—it was actually orzo pasta floating around in the broth, much like rice in a soup. It was very odd, and not at all what I expected (risotto as a side with asparagus). We split the tiramisu for dessert, which was edible, although not outstanding. For a $100-plus meal at a steak and seafood house, the meal did not live up to our expectations, but, since I still have that gift certificate, we'll give it at least one more chance."

[4/06] The new steak/seafood incarnation has been given 3½ (out of 4) stars by Janice Okun, Buffalo News restaurant reviewer.

Marotto's.
3365 Delaware Ave., Kenmore.
873-0551.

Seafood.

[LY, 1/08] says: "My friends and I go out every month. This year, we decided, instead of the chain food restaurants, we would start enjoying the local dining fair. In addition, we decided to eat foods outside of our normal eating cuisines. Yesterday, we tried Marotto's Restaurant, and I have to say it was quite good. For appetizers, we had the scallops cooked in butter, garlic, and Romano cheese. I have never eaten scallops before, and now I have to say that, if I ever do again, I can't help to compare them with these. That's how good they were! We had their spinach bread, and that, too, was very good. The bread was stuffed full of spinach and cheese. My only problem is that the French onion soup was a bit weak for me. For our main dish, I had one of their specials, a fish named Tralfle (sorry if the spelling is off). Again, not being a fish person, I was absolutely amazed at how well I enjoyed it. It was coated in bread crumbs and Romano cheese, then pan fried in butter, lemon, and garlic. Yummy! Finally, dessert; I had a small Hot Fudge Sundae that was made with homemade hot fudge and peanut brittle. The atmosphere was nice, and our server was great. I have to say I will defintely go back."

Mattina's Pizzeria.
3744 Delaware Ave., Kenmore. 877-5949.

[MEL, 7/98], based on a tasting at the Italian Heritage and Food Festival, says: "The sheer awfulness of Mattina's pizza motivated me to send [you] this e-mail. The pizza has an unspeakably bitter taste that I cannot describe; I can say only that it is easily the worst pizza I have ever had outside the South."

[TMr, 11/04] says: "I have always really enjoyed Mattina's wings, especially the BBQ variety. The pizza is also good, though it tends to be too dark on the bottom for my wife. I've not had any trouble with service until recently. Back a few months ago (actually, the same weekend as the wing festival downtown), I called in an order that included pizza, BBQ wings, and a chicken taco. I arrived just a bit early from the 20 minutes I was told it would take to complete the order. The pizza was done, and the wings came shortly after. However, the taco was late. When it finally came another 20 minutes later, it was unceremoniously dumped on the counter with a grunt of "there you go" from the guy that served it up. I found out that "the guy" was the manager for the night, which surprised me, given the fairly rude way in which he was treating me and the other customers. Given that I normally don't order tacos, I asked if there was something about them that took longer to prepare (so I would know in the future). He told me very curtly that they were busy, so it took longer. I responded by telling him that in the 20 minutes I was there, I only saw about 4-5 other customers come to the counter, so clearly the issue was not that they were busy. Most of that time, I saw the employees standing around chatting with each other. He obviously didn't like that I was calling him on this fact, and told me essentially to take my food and leave. I replied by suggesting to him that I would have preferred that he give me the real wait time on the phone so I would not have had to wait 20 minutes in the restaurant (after the original 20 minutes I was told) to get my food. He then flatly told me to leave, turned and walked away. I told him that I was the customer, that I had a valid and reasonable question, and to not turn his back on me. He responded by telling me to leave, or he would call the police! Apparently, Mattina's believes that their food is of such exceptional quality that they need not provide any customer service whatsoever and, in fact, can act in an abusive manner. Given the wealth of other pizza joints in the area, I think they need to rethink that policy. I can tell you that I will never return to this restaurant or any of their other locations as long as I live."

[m] May Jen.
47 Kenmore Ave. (near UB Main St. Campus), Buffalo. 832-5162.

Cantonese & Szechuan.

I used to think this was far superior to its more elegant sibling, now closed, formerly in the Allentown/Elmwood Ave. area, but my last meal here was not as good as my last meal at the Elmwood Ave. location; maybe they've switched chefs. Outdoor dining in summer. WARNING: no non-smoking section; however, they have expanded since my last visit, so this warning may no longer be needed.

[MEL, 2/98] says: "One of the area's better Chinese places at both locations."

[HS, 11/99] says: "Your restaurant guide has been very helpful in the past, usually pointing towards a good meal in Buffalo. However, I must add my input on a recent trip to May Jen/University Plaza. My wife and I had quite possibly the worst Chinese meal ever. The seafood with mushrrom snow-caps, etc., tasted like Birdseye frozen vegetables in a watery slurry sauce with a chunk of imitation lobster. The chicken lo-mein: 75% onions, 20% chicken, and 5% La Choy crunchy noodles. I hope you get a chance to re-visit this restaurant. May Jen presents [itself] as a very clean and elegant restaurant, but the food leaves a lot to be desired. The wait-staff did not even care to ask why a majority of our dishes were untouched. I hope you pass this on to your faithful readers."

[JKu, 7/02] says: "I have a few words of advice when passing by May Jen: DO NOT ENTER. I have actually never had bad Chinese food, until I ate at this establishment. I ordered the Sesame Chicken, which in my experience is pretty popular at any Chinese restaurant. Well, when I took my first bite, it tasted as if they had never even made the dish before; it was that terrible. I will never go there again, and neither should you."

[GI, 9/02] says: "This is by far the best Chinese food that I have ever eaten! Each dish is visually a piece of art and can be customized for desire. The wait-staff is very friendly as well as professional. The atmosphere is very clean and peaceful. Thank you May Jen for always providing me and my company a wonderful place to dine."

[CJH, 10/02] says: "I am from Hong Kong, and my taste buds are suited for South-East Asians. I can't believe how nasty the food tastes here at May Jen. Not only the food is nasty, but their service is bad too. What makes a dumpling at May Jen? Thick pancake-like wrappings for the outside, and dry, nasty, frozen meat on the inside. What makes a real dumpling? Thin wrapping with a little chewy and teeth-bouncing feel for the outside and delicious, juicy, fresh meat on the inside. Fried rice is just like MSG plus salt plus last night's vegetables plus tons of soy sauce and rice. This is not Chinese food but some sort of food you serve for people you don't want to come again. Never ever step foot into this place. Worst experience and worst food ever. I'd rather have you buy yourself a real Chinese cookbook imported from Hong Kong. Please. Don't torture yourself."

[a] Maybeck's Deli.
1598 Niagara Falls Blvd., Tonawanda.
835-9115.

They do take-out, too.

[TMa, 4/08] says: "I felt compelled to write up Maybeck's because I find myself ordering lunch from there on a regular basis. Their service is fast, and their menu includes lots of lunchtime staple items (fries and onion rings, as well as mixed veggies, deep-fried mushrooms, poppers, and excellent wedge fries). They serve all kinds of sandwiches, from the typical (BLT, tuna, ham) to the not-so-typical (cappicola, filet of fish). Their fish sandwich is a huge hit here in my office, and their BLT is top notch—their bacon is substantially crispier and juicier than anyplace else I usually order lunch from. They also have decent pizza and tacos, as well as chicken wings. Essentially, they have all "standard" lunch fare and then some, and it's all really well done. They make their own gravy, and, while it's not available every day, it's an outstanding garnish for their wedge fries."

McKenzie's Bar and Grill.
4151 Lake Shore Rd., Hamburg.
627-9752.

[RDM, 11/05] says: "Just wanted to send this review of McKenzie's. I'm supprised no one has reviewed it yet. A Southtowns staple! McKenzie's is a casual bar and grill with an upscale menu. The chalkboard in the main dining room shows the night's specials. I always enjoy dinner here, since it has a wonderful atmosphere and most of all great food. Last time I ate here I enjoyed the Roma stuffed tomatoes for an appetizer. They were stuffed with a luscious mixture of spinach and blue cheese and served on a bed of mesculin greens. My husband enjoyed the French onion soup. Both our Caesar and garden salads were fresh and delicious. For the main course, I enjoyed the strip steak topped with mushrooms and cheddar cheese and the horseradish smashed potatoes. The steak was perfect. My husband ordered the Mahi Mahi special, which had a light sweet sauce. McKenzie's just added an outdoor patio this season. There is also a great view of the lake in each dining room. Always great food!"

[a] Le Metro Bakery and Café.
[a] 5110 Main St. (just off the I-290, in the Walker Center plaza), Williamsville.
631-2725.

Note: The former Allentown/Elmwood Ave. branch is now called "Mode".

[MER], one of our daughters and son-in-law, and I had lunch here [12/07]. MER had a "classic" chicken-salad sandwich with almonds, celery, and romaine on country wheat, accompanied by red-colored taco chips; she loved it. Our daughter had a "classic" turkey club, with bacon, cheddar, lettuce, tomato, mayo, and fried; she declared it the "best ever". Her husband had a "specialty" Philly cheesesteak sub: shaved rib eye, lettuce, tomato, onion, on a sesame sub roll, with fries and Provolone; he was amazed at how delicious it was and how non-sloppy (compared to the run-of-the-mill Philly cheesesteaks he has had on the road). I had the vegetarian pho: Vietnamese hot pot with basil, mint, lemongrass-infused broth, rice noodles, sprouts, red peppers, broccoli, celery, napa cabbage, and (tasteless) crispy tofu; it was very good, but a bit messy to eat.

[MDB, 2/96] says of the Williamsville branch: "Outstanding breads, soups, and pastries."

More recently, [JAK, 3/07] says: "My wife and I stopped into Le Metro on Main St., Tony Walker Plaza, in Williamsville last night. This has always been a reliable standby, but we noted that they have changed their menu to more of a bistro style, which looked interesting (especially cheese plates, charcuterie, pates) but more limited. Requiring a gluten-free selection, the new menu has some challenges. We were seated promptly in the main dining area, and, aside from the menu, nothing else had changed. Decor, layout, and loud-sound reflective ceilings are still the norm. Now to the changes. I hate to put too much emphasis on the service based on a single server, but it was clear that she was not well trained. The wine list was described as "just printed", and wines by the glass were practically nonexistent on the list. The waiter had to physically bring out bottles for us to see to understand what wines and producers were available. My first choice was not available, despite being on the menu. Bread (for those of us not gluten-challenged) was great as always. We did find that some of the Asian-inspired dishes do not seem to fit with the new theme—the "Japanese Beef Barley" soup was thick and overly sweet-spicy. The duck confit salad was more of a deconstructed salad with seared duck and not what was expected from the description. The crab cake appetizer was OK tasting, but overwhelmed by the chipotle-adobo flavor. They were also burned on one side. I pointed this out, and the waiter, upon returning, said that the kitchen indicated that they were told they "cook up weird". Fine on one side, burned on another, is not weird but careless, and never should have been sent out. And they were burned-side down. I will note that, without making a fuss, we were discounted two glasses of wine and a free loaf of ciabatta, but this is certainly not enough for a return visit any time soon. A tried-and-true has some explaining to do."

[SR, 7/07] says: "I had dinner with a friend at Le Metro while visiting my parents and friends in Buffalo. My scallop dish was very good; although the menu said the scallops were "seared", the outside wasn't really browned at all."

[WHN] originally said:

[10/07]: "Had lunch here on Friday, 10/12. First time at this location. The blackened grouper sandwich with mixed green salad and French fries was delicious."

But less than a year later, [4/08], he tells us: "We had an uncharacteristically bad luncheon experience at Le Metro on Sunday. It started off poorly when our waitress practically threw our water glasses onto the table. It continued downhill when my wife's water had a decidedly brown tinge to it, probably residue from whatever was last served in the unwashed glass. I hate to think what it might have been. (Our server brought a clean glass with clean water when this was pointed out.) We probably should have left then, but didn't. Our waitress never brought bread, although she served it to tables all around. For lunch, my son and my wife ordered cheeseburgers. I ordered a turkey club. My daughter ordered a blackened grouper sandwich. In a few minutes, our waitress returned to say they must have had a big run on burgers because they were out of them. My wife switched to the blackened grouper sandwich; our son switched to chicken and black bean chili. Being Sunday, not a good day for fish deliveries, we found out that the grouper was frozen and, therefore, should not be spoiled. My turkey club was huge, tasty (it's hard to spoil a club sandwich), and I took half of it home. My only complaint was that the accompanying French fries were just warm, not hot. My wife's and daughter's grouper sandwiches skimped on the fish—both women combined the two small pieces of fish onto half of the bread. My wife said hers tasted "fishy", was greasy, and perhaps had been cooked previously, then re-cooked. My daughter thought hers tasted all right but agreed the fish was much smaller than usual. Both thought the accompanying mixed green salad was not as good as usual, with brown lettuce and missing ingredients. Both have had Le Metro's blackened grouper sandwich with a side salad before, so know what it should taste like and what the usual serving size is. My son's chili arrived with a dirt-encrusted spoon and, he said, tasted as if some ingredient had been burned. As the table was being cleared, my wife asked our waitress (who had never come back to ask how everything was, or if we needed anything else) if they had a different chef on duty on the weekends, to which she replied, to paraphrase: "The food's not as good on weekends." If that's the case, maybe they should just not open on weekends. Anyway, she said she would see what she could do about my wife's meal. In fairness to her, I saw her talking to someone, presumably the hostess/manager, through the open kitchen door, but apparently her superior's answer was "nothing", as she brought the check with no adjustment and no comment. My son, who had not been to Le Metro before, said he had always heard good things about it and was surprised at how bad it was, and said: "They better get their act together". We will absolutely never go back on a weekend, since they knowingly serve inferior food, and will think hard about going back at all."

[AFN, 1/08] says: "My sister, niece, and I had lunch at Le Metro today, Wednesday, 1/16. We all had some variation of chicken salad—a sandwich for me, a chicken salad platter for my sister, and a chicken salad/tuna salad combination for my niece. The lunches were all very good."

[DaK, 1/08] says: "Dined at Le Metro yesterday evening and have nothing but good things to say. Started the evening with some mussels in a tomato and leek broth; for a person who is not big on shellfish, even I had to admit that these were very tender and flavorful. My husband enjoyed one of the night's specials, a steak pot pie, which he said was wonderful and couldn't even finish the entire portion, it was so large. I had the Mediterranean Tuna salad, which consisted of mixed greens, olives, capers, some cherry tomatoes, and a nice piece of tuna steak cooked to my liking (medium rare). With 2 beers and 2 glasses of wine, the entire meal was around $70.00, a small price to pay for great food and good service."

Metropolitan Bar and Grill.
80 Main St., Lockport.
438-8800.

[WHN, 10/07] says: "Our Lockport friends wanted to try this new restaurant, which opened in September, so six of us went there last night, Saturday, 10/27. After we were seated, fresh, hot rolls were served. To start, two diners ordered the soup of the day, seafood chowder ($4 for a cup, $7 for a bowl), which they said was very good. The rest of us ordered various salads to start—Caesar for me, with anchovies and a crispy cheese wafer; a house salad of mixed greens with Gorgonzola and pecans for my wife; and "chopped" salads for the others, with greens, hard-boiled egg, and a lot of other ingredients. All the salads were very good; priced at $7 or $8. Four members of our group had one of the Saturday-night specials, prime rib ($24 for 16 oz., $31 for 24 oz.), served to varying degrees of doneness from medium rare to well done, as ordered. I had one of the other nightly specials, a veal rib chop ($35) with lemon-herb and mushroom sauce, also medium rare. Our last group member had baked cod stuffed with crab Florentine ($21), another evening special. All main courses included smashed potatoes with sundried tomatoes, and squash. The meals were all excellent. The wine list offers many choices by the glass in the $5-$8 range; or bottle, mostly in the $25-$35 range. The menu has many selections, including a variety of tapas for around $11, and main courses such as tandoori chicken; several cuts of steak, including a Delmonico, topped with tomatoes, olives, garlic, and Buffalo mozzarella, which the Tuscans would call Carne alla Pizzaiola; and numerous seafood choices like plank-grilled salmon, pepper encrusted ahi tuna, and lobster and crab ravioli. A band was about to start playing as we left at around 9 o'clock. Overall, the food and service were very good. We are looking forward to returning soon." "Soon" meant [12/07]: "We liked Metropolitan when we had dinner there a few weeks ago, so we returned for lunch. I had a grilled panini sandwich with roast turkey, prosciutto, capicola, roasted red peppers, and gouda cheese. Delicious. My wife had a Caesar chicken wrap that she said was also very good. Both sandwiches were accompanied by spicy, house-made, potato chips that were excellent."

Michael's Restaurant.
1615 Pine Ave., Niagara Falls, NY.
282-4043.

[AG, 3/05] says: "The best family restaurant in Niagara Falls, hands down. Huge, deep-fried calzones, gnocchi with pesto and Parmesan, plus a zillion sandwiches, pastas, and pizzas. If "beans and greens" soup is on the specials board, enjoy an excellent version of this Italian classic. When you look at the prices, and look at the plates that the scampering waitresses are rushing to tables around you, it won't surprise you to notice people are standing, waiting for a table to open up."

Middleport Inn.
28 S. Vernon St. (off Rt. 31), Middleport.
735-6052.

[DKL, 2/04] says: "The quaint location of this off-the-beaten-path restaurant makes the excursion well worth the trip, 40 minutes north of Buffalo, off Rt. 31, in the quaint canal town of Middleport, NY. Coupled with the award-winning, 4-star chef's talent, Zeff Bonsey, and the peaceful, canal-town atmosphere, one is sure to be pleased with the fine dining experience to be had at The Middleport Inn. The grilled salmon dish alone is well worth the trip—tender, light, and tasty—certainly a delight. Menu features a wide selection of freshly made entrees. Great for intimate banquets, private parties, and social functions. We enjoyed our first visit to The Middleport Inn, with its pleasant atmosphere and friendly staff. You will too!"

[JHa, 8/04] says: "I recently experienced the Middleport Inn as a result of seeing it on your site. Thanks; it was worth the trip. Here is my review. This restuarant is a delightful discovery. The old building's exterior keeps the decor, ambience, and dining experience a surprise. The food, or "Cuiseine" as the cheff calls it, is really totally unexpected in this area. The menu has a selection bound to please everyone in your party. It appears that everything is made from scratch, with the experience and passion of the chef clearly showing. I started with the shrimp appetizer to please my husband; guess what: I was pleased with its light, fluffy succulence. Then the soup, a squash gumbo...wow; just that, wow. I topped this off with the beef Wellington: homemade puff pastry, vegetables cooked to perfection. I was done at this point, until my pleasant waitress seduced me with the surprising array of delicious deserts. A great experience that has me vowing to lay off food for at least a couple of days. The surroundings, great. The service, great. The food, a truly vibrant experience. The trip, about 45 minutes, absolutely well worth it."

Mighty Taco.
2363 Delaware Ave. (near Hertel), Buffalo. 871-8670.
5495 Sheridan Dr. (1 block east of Hopkins Rd.), Williamsville. 565-1954.
9360 Transit Rd. (near Casey), East Amherst. 568-1143.
Also: many other locations.

Part of the (local) chain. Tacos, burritos, fajitas, "roastitos".

[PH]'s 8-year-old daughter says of the Delaware Ave./Hertel location [10/01]: "I thought the Mighty Taco bombed because, when me and my mom went there to eat, I ordered a meat and lettuce taco. When the food came, I took the taco and unfolded it—OK, maybe they got half the order right. Oh it had the meat and the lettuce, but under the lettuce there was cheese! My mom also got a chili, and it was freezing cold. And so far I've always ordered for myself and mention, no cheese PLEASE!"

[BL, 4/06] says of the Sheridan Dr./Hopkins location: "We like Mighty Taco, and always order our usual favorites. Use several of the locations. Last time at the above we noticed a change in the chips and salsa. They used to sell a tasty rectangular chip a few weeks ago and now have resorted to a brand in a bag. Not good at all. Bland and commercial. Also they used to have a milder salsa, but, over the last year, we noticed a very spicy one that can do wonders on one of our family member's stomach. Too bad...bring back the better chips and the milder salsa, Mighty Taco. We would pay a little more for a good product."

[WHN, 4/08] says: "I don't know how they stay in business, let alone keep expanding. We used to go to the Sheridan Drive location on a regular basis, but switched to the one at Transit near Casey (which has some sort of Mighty Taco training center behind the store), hoping it would be an improvement. It was not. The "Nachos Deluxe" are soggy from the excessive amount of sauce, meat, and cheese. If you ask for jalapenos, they will probably not be drained, so you'll get a dose of vinegar as well as the peppers. The burrito's filling has gotten noticeably smaller. And if you ask for sauce, it seems like the only difference between mild, medium, and hot is they put on more of the same sauce, to the point where everything else is drowning in sauce. Burrito Bay on Millersport in Getzville is a huge step up in quality, and even Taco Bell, as awful as it is, is better, in my opinion."

[m] Milano's Pizzeria and Family Restaurant.
529 Englewood Ave., Kenmore.
834-4110.

[PS, 11/99] says: "Best pizza in Western New York, hands down!"

[ABi, 1/06] says: "Limp, aggressively bland, grease-laden pizza. It has that cooked cardboard quality pioneered by Bocce Club, which a small percentage of you embrace for whatever baffling reason, so maybe devotees of that bizarre crescent-shaped pie will enjoy this. As for the rest of us, we can do better than food consumed solely as energy for the body. This is the kind of pizza other cities have to tolerate, not us. I'll be fair and acknowledge they have decent, crispy wings."

[m] Ming Cafe.
3268 Main St. (near UB South Campus), Buffalo.
833-6988.

[MS, 9/05] says: "Ming Cafe is a tiny but cozy Chinese restaurant in the University Heights neighborhood, just across the street from UB's South Campus. The restaurant has about ten tables and features carved woodwork and tasteful art throughout. But the real attraction of the place is the food—absolutely wonderful. I am convinced that this is the best Chinese restaurant in the Buffalo area (which admittedly isn't saying too much, but it puts the other supposed contenders to shame). The ingredients are uniformly fresh, from the never overcooked vegetables to the beautiful handmade dumplings. The hot and sour soup is delicious, perfectly spiced and filled with goodies. Favorite dishes include the double cooked pork, which can be spiced to order (hot is blazing hot, not for the faint of heart), and the crispy beef with ginger sauce. The restaurant also has a tea menu, with a good selection of loose teas including Oolong, Jasmine, and green teas. I have been to Ming many times over the past year, and have never had a bad meal. The few drawbacks to Ming are unrelated to food—the service can be on the slow side, as there is only one waitress and only one or two cooks (I think the restaurant is owned by a husband and wife team—the waitress and the cook). This arrangement can also make for weird hours—they were closed for well over a month in the summer while the owners went on vacation. They also only accept cash, which has caught me off guard a few times. The prices are slightly higher than typical Chinese restaurants in town, but the quality of the food makes it more than worth it. All in all, a great restaurant worthy of a star or two at least."

[GMK, 5/08] says: "I just wanted to chime in that Ming is the finest Chinese food I've had in years. Possibly ever. It's expensive for Buffalo, where I am used to feeding two for the price of one, but it is such high quality, it is worth it. The squid appetiser is fantastic, the Mongolian beef is mouthwatering, and everything we've tried has left us happy. This has become my mother's favorite restaurant in WNY, and every excuse she can find, we go. It is a friendly, relaxing place, and I would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone. As the previous reviewer said, bring cash, as they do not take charge cards, and call before you go to make sure they are open."

Ming Teh.
126 Niagara Blvd., Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada.
905-871-7971.

As of [5/06], under new management; Janice Okun has withdrawn her previous near-perfect stars rating.

[JWa, 11/06] says: "Yes, they have had a change of ownership, but this time it's for the good. The dishes have been brought back to their previous expectations with some improvements. There are some new dishes like crunchy chicken in ginger, which is mouth watering, as well as some others. Now for their old dishes. The one dish not to miss is their chewy beef strips in ginger and garlic. Their other standards like double cooked pork and kung pao shrimp are also much improved. As well, their escargot dish is back to its former youth and a nice accompaniment to some hot and sour fried rice. Another benefit to the new ownership is that they now have a lunch special. There are a variety of new dishes on the lunch special with one of those being the crunchy chicken with a side for around the ten dollar mark (Canadian). Lunches run from 11:00 till around 3:00pm. In conclusion, this is the phoenix of Chinese cuisine in the region."

[LCo, 5/07] says: "I ate dinner at Ming Teh for the first time recently. I had a vegetarian spring roll to start; it was deep fried, and the sauce that came with it was bland, but the filling tasted fresh. My main course was the New Pa Pao Chai which is dried bean curd, bamboo shoots, mushrooms and fungus, and some freshly chopped vegetables. Somehow, the menu description of this dish fails to mention the 25 (approximate) cloves of garlic that are also included in the mix. The dish had a great texture, and the sauce seemed good, but the garlic taste was so overpowering that it became nauseating. All that I could think about was how many days it would take me to sweat it all out. The stir-fried broccoli and deep fried bean curd was another dish we tried. The sauce was again overly garlicky, but the bean curd was delicately fried so that it was still moist on the inside, and the broccoli was fresh. The others in my group had the Hot and Sour Fried Rice (medium), and they said it was delicious but were happy that they decided on medium. The service was slow, and our server brought the dishes out one at a time, with painful waits in between each one. The ambiance was nice, and we were seated in the back with a view of the river."

Mississippi Mudd's.
313 Niagara St. (River Road), City of Tonawanda.
694-0787.

[WHN, 9/06] says: "It's your basic hot dog stand, also serving burgers, beef on weck, etc. What makes it special is an upper deck with a great view of Niawanda Park and the Niagara River. Sunday, my wife ordered a Maryland Crab Cake sandwich that was mostly bread crumb filler. I had a cheeseburger that was good, as were the French fries. Nothing special, but since there are so few places on or near the water despite our miles and miles of coastline, it's worth a visit on a nice day. It's run by Berrafato's, which also operates a similar, but larger restaurant in Clarence, and Old Man River, another hot dog stand a block away."

Mode.
284 W. Utica St. (just north of Allentown, at Elmwood Ave.; near Children's Hospital), Buffalo.
885-1500.

[WHN, 2/07] reports: "Per today's (2/2) Janice Okun review in Gusto, Le Metro at Elmwood and Utica is now called "Mode". One of the owners bought out the other one and changed the name."

Of its former incarnation, I said: I had a pleasant, light lunch [1/02]: mesclun salad with grilled vegetables (green and yellow zucchini, red peppers), chevre, and balsamic vinaigrette; good bread and butter.

And others said of its former incarnation:

[KATS, 8/05] says (also of the Allentown branch): "We went for a quiet dinner at Le Metro last night. The quality of the food at Le Metro varies week by week, and last night was not a "top" night. I started with the tomato basil bisque, which was basically a "souped up" tomato soup. I also ordered a safe favorite, the chicken paillard. The buttery lemon sauce, spinach, and grilled vegetables were delicious, but the chicken was a bit dry. However, that didn't stop me from sopping up every bit of the sauce and clearing my plate. My husband's pork tenderloin special was overcooked as well, and neither of us care for eggplant (caponata was served on top), so it wasn't going to be a winner in any event. Short and simple wine list with about 10 varieties by the glass. Good place for a weeknight meal, but inconsistent in quality. Sometimes I have a fabulous meal there, and sometimes it's just average. But never an overall disappointment."

[JCr, 4/06] says of the Elmwood location: "Recently, 5 of my friends and I dined at Le Metro, this being my first time there for dinner. I found the service, quality of food, and the value to be very well here. For our entrees, one friend had the roasted duck breast; it was reported to be very good, and this is also his choice every time he dines here, he said. His fiancée had the mussels entree, which was reported to be very good as well. My fiancée chose to order the vegetarian pho; this smelled wonderful, and she reported that it tasted just as well, and, yes, they did have chopsticks this evening, as opposed to a previous reviewer's experience. Myself and another guest dined on the lamb chop entree, with rosemary and a cab reduction. This was also accompanied with porcini mushrooms, asparagus, and fried leeks. This was an excellent entree, and I would not hesitate to order it again. For dessert, my fiancée and I split a piece of raspberry tiramisu; this was absolutely outstanding. Overall, this place was great, and I will be sure to return in the near future." ...which [JCr] did [12/07]: "This is my first return visit here since my previous review, and my latest experience here was far different. We had a reservation for 4, Sunday at 5pm. We were seated right away, and the service was good; the food on the other hand really was lacking. A couple of the diners chose to start with a roasted tomato soup, I believe, which was reported to be good. I had a mixed greens salad, with gorganzola, crispy fried leeks, and a maple vinaigrette type dressing. The gorganzola was basically flavorless; the crispy fried leeks were way over cooked, which is very very easy to do. Basically just a plain salad with a hint of maple, not something I would order again. For our entrees, I chose off the specials menu, Monkfish medallions in some sort of pomengranate beurre blanc sauce, along with truffled roasted Fingerlinger potatoes. This entree was pretty disappointing; the monkfish, naturally bland, wasn't even seasoned and the sauce basically non-existent, the truffled fingerling potatoes undercooked, truffled?, and not seasoned as well. My father-in-law ordered the 22oz. blackened rib-eye; may have been a Delmonico but a similar cut none the less. Regardless of the exact cut, I'm glad I didn't order it; it appeared to rival a steak you would get by paying $3 dollars extra at the Ponderosa buffet. 22oz I think not, prob. not even 16oz. The piece of meat was about 3/4" thick max, and overcooked, which wouldn't be hard with a cut this thin. My wife orderd the gnocchi in a garlic, basil, olive oil type sauce, with seared scallops. The scallops were reported to be good, but the rest of the entree tasted extremely bland and hardly seasoned; the gnocchi, which was said to be made in house, didn't seem to be. My mother-in-law had a boneless chicken breast dish with grilled veggies; this was reported to be good. Overall, a disappointment of a meal; everything seemed to lack flavor, and nothing appeared to be seasoned. I'm not sure if the regular chef was off that evening, but seeing how we were one of the few tables at the time, there is no excuse to send under- or not seasoned food and an overcooked steak out of the kitchen. With so many other great restaurants in the city that have never failed me, and plenty more I have yet to try, it will probably be quite a while before I even contemplate returning to Mode for dinner."

[MaSt, 2/08] says: "My husband and I had dinner at Mode on Valentine's Day; we will definitely go back! We began with appetizers: My husband ordered calamari, lightly battered and fried and served with a garlic mayonnaise. I ordered from the evening's specials: a cheese and pate plate. It was a generous portion of pate, crusted with chopped pistachios. Accompanying it were three slices of toasted Tuscan bread; roasted red pepper strips; a small wedge of Brie, perfectly softened; and some artisanal Gouda croquettes, all on a bed of field greens. Both appetizers were served in very generous portions (about ten dollars each). For dinner, my husband ordered a sea bass special ($26), which was pan-seared and served with roasted fingerling potatoes and haricot vert. He loved it and polished off every bite. I ordered the Beef Bourguignon ($21)—braised short ribs of beef with pearl onions, carrots, and mushrooms served over chive mashed potatoes. It tasted just like my mother's pot roast—succulent and tender; absolutely delicious. We shared a bottle of cabernet ($28) and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Our waitress was attentive, gave us great advice about what we should order, and even noticed that our table was wobbly and fixed it for us. It was a perfect evening, and we enjoyed every minute—the dining room was candlelit and cozy—just what you'd want for a romantic dinner for two."

Moe's Southwest Grill.
5063 Transit Rd., Clarence. 634-7200.
3231 Southwestern Blvd., Orchard Park. 677-6600.

Part of the chain. Takeout available from Takeout Taxi, 631-2222.

[ABi, 5/07] says: "The slogan over the counter at the Transit Road location reads "Moe's knows burritos", and I don't entirely agree. It's more accurate to say Moe's sort of knows a little about burritos. Our lunch there leads me to conclude they have middling food, especially for a company whose commercials, web site, and vibrant interior all attempt to portray the eatery as fun and offbeat. For example, they do self-consciously quirky things like only playing the music of deceased artists on the store's sound system and making employees shriek "Welcome to Moe's!" whenever someone walks in, the latter of which I found more irritating than endearingly peculiar. They also designate their food in an allegedly wacky manner with non-sequitur-type names. My burrito, which featured rice, beans, meat or (gagging) tofu, cheese, and salsa, was randomly dubbed the Joey Bag of Donuts. Um, OK. My girlfriend's, the same lineup plus guacamole, sour cream, and lettuce, was called, why not, the Homewrecker. The names were the most interesting part, as the food was wholly unexceptional. The rice was okay if a little underdone, the other fillings were fair, and the most memorable part was the worst: The steak was Caterpillar Boots leather-tough. I had relatively low expectations for the protein I would get in a seven dollar burrito, and even they were not met; I've gotten more supple cuts of steak at Taco Bell. My girlfriend's chicken was a little better, although it tasted like it had been marinating for too long. The tortillas that came alongside were good and crunchy, and there was a small toppings area where one can spoon out the heat and flavor of salsa one would like for one's chips. There were five or six options, and it's nice to have a choice, be able to try a few, and not be straitjacketed by condiment portion control as long as you don't mind salsa slopped everywhere, as was the condition of the bar when we visited. The help were slow to clean and also remarkably unfriendly. I've never had a burrito made by a surlier employee, with a pronounced frown and contempt underneath simple questions like what meat I wanted, belying and counteracting the obviously forced welcome their corporation dictates they offer customers; my girlfriend's lunch assembler was similarly churlish. In fairness, our cashier was nice, but that didn't overcome the rotten attitude of the two workers who made our food or the mediocre food itself. The food wasn't horrible, but it was barely OK, and it certainly isn't worth the trip to either Transit Road or Southwestern Boulevard if you don't live near either. Those in the mood for a mid-priced burrito would be better served by visiting Ava Cado's, which has similar offerings but better food and nicer workers. I'd be willing to go to Moe's three times between now and November 1st, which is exactly how many coupons it has in the Entertainment Book."

[LCo, 5/07] says: "I recently ate dinner at Moe's Southwest Grill. It's a casual restaurant whose aim seems to be creating the perfect burrito and getting everyone to eat one of them. I opted for the "Triple Lindy" burrito, which has rice, beans (your choice of black or pinto), your choice of protein (chicken, steak, ground beef, fish, or tofu), cheese, salsa, and guacamole. I had black beans and tofu and further customized it by asking for no cheese. All of the burritos are also served with a side of tortilla chips, and there are various salsas on a self-serve bar to accompany them. The burrito itself was huge—more than I could eat in one sitting—and the serving of chips was generous. I was also happy to see that tofu was a choice, given that most Mexican or Southwest style dining doesn't offer it. The taste was at least on par with other restaurants like this in the area (Salsarita's, Ava Cado's), but the portion size and tofu option won me over. The tables looked a little grubby, as did the salsa bar, but I wouldn't go to a glorified fast-food restaurant expecting too much more. Though I did somehow manage to block the greeting when we came in, the constant "Welcome to Moe's!" during a dinner "rush" did become somewhat grating, but not enough to be a compelling reason to stay away. As for the restaurant's self-conscious quirks and the absurd naming of the dishes, roll your eyes, acknowledge the arbitrary nature of language, and eat a burrito anyway."

Molinaro's Ristorante.
77 Pine St., Lockport.
438-0631.

[AG, 3/05] says: "Above-average pizzas and pastas. Offers three pizza tomato sauces: sweet, semi, regular. We took regular. The thinner dough and lighter hand with mozzarella made it more of a New-York-style pizza than the bready Western New York standard. The sauce tastes of quality tomatoes and rosemary. Huge chicken fingers."

Montana's Cookhouse—WARNING: WEBSITE HAS LOUD SOUND EFFECTS
[a] 1620 Niagara Falls Blvd., Tonawanda. 825-5270.
3494 Amelia Dr., Orchard Park. 825-5270.

Part of the chain. Takeout available from Takeout Taxi, 631-2222. Review below is for the Tonawanda location.

[ABi, 3/07] says: "I've never been to Montana, and if the steakhouse named after the state is any indication, it's largely recognizable for exposed semi-authentic-looking wooden walls and mediocre food. My steak was uninspiring, too close to room temperature even for the rare level I requested; it was also a tad tough, which is maybe acceptable for true cowboys but disappointing to us less hearty souls here in suburbia. My girlfriend's filet mignon was better in tenderness terms, as it should have been, but not enough to make me believe her menu choice would have made my dinner fantastic. Although our waitress was pleasant and accommodating, she was missing for long stretches, a trend I've noticed frequently at casual eateries; while it's certainly better than a rude server hovering over the table, there's more to customer attendance than being courteous, and I hope food service managers realize this and recognize when the workload of servers has exceeded capacity. To be fair, I have eaten at Montana's before I discovered this site, and I had decent-to-good experiences with the food, mostly from the sandwich portion of the menu. I would eat here again, just not likely at my suggestion."

[AFN, 4/08] says: "My sister, her daughter visiting from Nantucket, and I had lunch at Montana's on NF Blvd. on Wednesday, 4/23. Their "Big Sky Burger" was huge, juicy, and delicious, as were the accompanying French fries."

[a] Moon Chinese Buffet.
3206 Sheridan Dr. (at Bailey, in Piccadilly Sq. Plaza), Amherst. 836-9988.

[MEL, 3/98] says: "Chinese buffet that is not great but slightly better than China Express. They actually have a few things that aren't fried!"

[a] Moscow Nights Cafe.
964 Maple Rd., Williamsville.
691-5797.

Russian.

[WHN, 6/07] says: "My prior experiences with Russian cuisine were having chicken Kiev on a business trip to London a long time ago, more recently at the Russian Tea Room in New York, and having excellent beef Stroganoff some place, somewhere that I can't remember. So that is the limit of my first-hand knowledge of Russian food. Based on Janice Okun's 3-1/2 star rating, we decided to try Moscow Nights, which is in half of McMahon's former location, next to Russian-American Market & Deli, apparently run by the same people. We each started with a bowl of borscht, which was delicious, with lots of cabbage, a few turnips, and chunks of beef, but not the beet flavor expected. You don't find chicken Kiev on many restaurant menus in Buffalo, so I decided to have that. The chicken Kiev was a big disappointment: a flat piece of pre-formed chicken ("Parts is parts"), with no butter or chives in the middle. The beef Stroganoff was greasy and mostly ground beef, with a few pieces of beef. The side dishes—rice pilaf and home-style potatoes—were good. 3-1/2 stars? I don't think so, but the entrees were only $6.99 each. Edible, reasonably tasty, but we won't be back."

[5/07] Given 3½ (out of 4) stars by Janice Okun, Buffalo News restaurant reviewer.

Mother's Restaurant.
33 Virginia Pl. (in Allentown, between Virginia and Allen, 1 block east of Delaware), Buffalo. 882-2989.

[MER] and I ate here [1/05] with a party of 9 people on a Sunday evening. The food and service were superb. The location is fantastic, too: You feel as though you have traveled back in time to the turn of the 19th century, since the restaurant's Allentown location is surrounded by late-19th-century buildings. There were 2 equal-length menus, one of daily specials, one of their standard fare. (Because we were a large group, we also had two waiters, taking our orders in parallel!) When the bread plates arrived, they already had a pat of sweet butter on each. I began my meal with an appetizer of roasted garlic and white bean hummus, accompanied by Greek olives and roasted red peppers, served with wedges of pita: excellent. Each meal is accompanied by either a house salad or a soup of the day; I opted for the latter, a deliciously spicy sweet potato and peanut soup (the other option that night was a white bean and Andouille sausage soup). For my main course, I had one of the specials: a baked whole rainbow trout stuffed with crawfish and shiitake mushrooms, accompanied by roast potatoes and delightfully tender asparagus: again, excellent. [MER]'s appetizer was Chinese barbeque ribs, followed by the house salad (minus the bleu cheese) in a buttermilk garlic dressing. For her main course, she had the Dijon peppercorn tournedos of tenderloin with wild mushrooms in a sauce of veal stock and red zinfandel; she liked it, but thought it wasn't anything very special. For me, the highlight was dessert: the very same, famous white satin tart that I used to love at Just Pasta. The service was attentive, excellent, and friendly. We returned for an after-theater get-together with a 10-person party on a Saturday night around 10:30 p.m. [4/08]. We had reservations merely for "after the show", no specific time; although they asked for a credit card to hold the table and told us there would be a $20 charge for a no-show, there was no problem with our arriving later than expected, and we were seated near another group of people who had invited us to sit near them, but who had not yet made their reservations when we did, so I was impressed with the care that the management made to fulfill our wishes. The place was hopping. The service was excellent. [MER] had the roasted garlic and white bean hummus, which I found to be a bit dry. I had bluepoint oysters with a mignonette sauce, which were excellent.

[ST, 3/03] says: "I'm visiting Buffalo from New York City, performing with the Buffalo Philharmonic. A friend and I were looking for late supper after a performance at Kleinhans. We stopped by the Pearl Street Brewery, which is near the hotel, where a waiter steered us to Mother's, which serves until 3 AM. We found it positively delightful. Rather than a "dive" as described on your site, the restaurant has a classy loft feel to it, with friendly staff and a very attractive crowd having a great time. The food warrants a star or two. It's creative, well thought-out, and well executed. It's worth a visit for the wine list alone—great, less-than-obvious selections at prices that would be fair in a retail store. I highly recommend Mother's."

[LC, 11/05] says: "OK, now I am absolutely astounded. One star for Mother's? Mother's is one of the best restaurants in which I've ever eaten outside of New York City, from the imagination and originality on the menu to the superb service, the consistently outstanding food, and the reasonable prices. I have a business acquiantance with whom I dine often, and he has eaten in the best restaurants in the world (we first dined together at Daniel Boulud's in NYC). I often squeam when taking him somewhere new because of his mile-high dining standards. Where do I take him and know everything will be absolutely perfect? Mother's. Unfortunately, I'm beginning to think that your one-star rating says more about you and your taste in restaurants than it does about the quality of Mother's." [Bill's reply: No, it says more about not reading the ratings key. My single star merely reflects only having eaten at a restaurant that I liked one time.]

[JCr, 2/06] says: "Saturday evening, 7 of my friends and myself embarked on a journey to my favorite local dining establishment, Mother's. I was excited; it has been about 6 months since my last visit. As usual, the specials list, which 6 of 8 of us ordered from, was as long or longer than their standard menu. We all started with the standard mixed greens salad with their standard house dressing on crumbled bleu and balsamic. For my entree, I went with the filet of Opakapaka, which was served with a couple gulf shrimp as well as sticky rice and baby bok choy; everything on the plate was delicious. Other entrees that were ordered consisted of lamb chops, pork tenderloin, t-bone steak, strip steaks, and the other seafood special, which was a John Dory filet. Everyone else reported their meals to be superb. Just another great experience at Mother's; the next one surely will be as well." Update, [10/06]: "Last evening, we enjoyed another great meal at Mother's restaurant. We both started out with their house salad (mixed greens with pickled onion) with their house dressing (balsamic vinaigrette with crumbled blue cheese). This evening, we both ordered our entrees off the specials menu. My wife ordered the Yellow Fin Tuna, ordered medium rare and cooked more like medium, along with wasabi mashed potato and steamed baby bok choy. Although the fish was a tad overcooked, she said it was still very enjoyable. For my entree, I chose the twin 8oz. oven roasted Lamb Chops with a balsamic syrup, crispy leeks, and ratatouille. This entree was excellent and was served with asparagus and roasted baby potatos with goat cheese. A couple stingers to round out the meal, and this was just another great dining experience had at dear Mother's."

[BA, 6/06] says: "Had a very nice, very late dinner at Mother's last week. Service was friendly, warm, and knowledgeable. Quite helpful with a wine selection for two people whose favorites are 180 degrees apart. Food looked great, tasted the same, good-size portions. Creative entrees. Fresh fish excellent, simple salad looked fine and tasted better. Late night dinner, not too heavy, hit the spot—will go back again and again."

[WHN, 12/06] says: "We've heard a lot of good things about Mother's, including the above reviews, but had never dined there. My wife and I finally went on Saturday, 12/9. (Our daughter and the chef, Matt Conroy, had dated during college, and he and our son shared an apartment for a while. Matt frequently cooked for our family, and the meals he prepared were always very good, although his formal culinary school training came later.) Back to Mother's... to start, we ordered two glasses of house chardonnay and Southwestern shrimp fritters. This was accompanied by a spicy remoulade sauce, and cole slaw seasoned with sesame oil. Both the fritters and the slaw were excellent. When Matt learned we were dining in his restaurant, he also sent us a complimentary appetizer of shrimp, fresh oysters, and lump crab meat with cocktail sauce. Next, we enjoyed a house salad of mixed greens and cherry tomatoes. The salad, or soup, is included with each entree. The house balsamic vinegar and oil dressing with Gorgonzola was very good. For the main course, I chose an evening special—lamb chops with pine nuts, garlic, and black currants in a marsala-based demi-glace. The chops were perfectly cooked, and the sauce was delicious. My meal was accompanied by mashed potatoes, french fried onions, and green beans. My wife chose an entree from the regular menu—tournados glazed with Dijon mustard in a cabernet wine sauce. Her filets were cooked to perfection, medium rare as requested, and accompanied by oven roasted baby potatoes, and mushrooms. With our entrees, we drank a bottle of Raymond Reserve Napa Valley Cabernet. The wine list has a wide variety of low cost wines by the bottle, ranging from $22 to $42, with most in the $20 to $30 range. Most of the wines are about double retail, but the Raymond Reserve cabernet was priced at $36, about the same as, or maybe a little less than, the retail price. But... one of my pet peeves about restaurant wine lists is that they are usually inaccurate as far as vintage dates and descriptions. Mother's wine list is no exception. The menu lists a 2000 Raymond Reserve, but we were served a 2003. It also said the Raymond was the only Cabernet rated at 90+ by Wine Spectator selling for under $40. Actually, the out-of-stock 2000 was rated at 87 (very good), not 90, and dozens of 2000 (and 2003) Cabernets rated at or above 90 by WS are priced at $40 or less. After sharing two appetizers, plus salads, she could not finish both tournados, so we asked to have one packaged to take home. We didn't have room for dessert, either. Our server, Justin, did an excellent job throughout the evening. One negative note: My wife reported that the ladies' rest room had no hot water, just icy cold water. Altogether, the meal and service were excellent, and I've expanded my list of favorite Buffalo restaurants to include Mother's. Worthy of three stars on the Rapaport scale."

On the other hand, [RSw, 12/06] says: "Ate at Mother's on 12/15. Dining early, we were the first to be seated and the first to order. To our surprise, a couple two tables away was served first. Because the restaurant was still relatively empty, we heard him tell his companion "This isn't what I ordered". We looked over and he was using his utensils to move things around on the plate. He summoned a waitress and made his complaint. The waitress removed his plate and returned in less than one minute with another plate of food. She returned to the kitchen and immediately came out with two plates which she put down in front of us. The plate that was removed from the other diner was piled high with something white and the plate in front of my wife was a filet with lightly fried onions piled high on top of the filet. Thinking that the waitress wouldn't do something like re-serve food we sat there for a minute wondering how they could have produced another meal for the other table so quickly. We asked to speak with the maitre d' and explained our concern. He was extremely apologetic and offered several alternatives. My wife decided to shrug it off and accepted his offer of a new meal. He quickly returned to inform us that the manager said my wife could eat what she was served or she could take it home. He now said that no mistake had been made and that the other diner got a second meal so quickly because they "pre-cook" their steaks. The diner from the other table came over to our table and said that he, too, was thinking about it. He said that the waitress asked him if he ate anything on the plate. He told her no but wondered why she asked. We then asked to speak with the owner, who was present. We explained everything again, and he simply said "OK" and walked away. We paid the full bill, and I left with a hungry wife. We stopped at Leo's Pizza on Seneca St. (good review to follow) for a few take-out slices. We won't ever return to Mother's, but, the next time you're dining there, you can ask yourself... Whose food am I really eating?"

And, in a similar vein, [BMcWS, 6/07] says: "We were surprised to find Mother's an unpleasant experience. The bar scene was so loud it was impossible to carry on a conversation at the table. When we entered the restaurant, we were faced with a wall of people at the bar and no hostess in sight. Eventually, we discovered that she stands at the other end of the bar, behind the crowds, but there is no way to know this when you walk in the door. The clam chowder was thin and not at all thick or satisfying. I ordered a smoked trout spinach salad as an appetizer. Served on the plate were hot potatos, which just seemed weird. The rest of the salad was tasty, but too large a portion. The fried oyster appetizer was overcooked. The cornmeal coating was not tasty. We did not receive bread until we asked for it. Service was extemely slow. The Gorgonzola penne dish was overpowered by the cheese, and the accompanying beets were too heavily seasoned with cloves. My sole entree came breaded and deep fried—completely overpowering for the delicate flavor of the fish. It came accompanied by the same potatoes that had graced my salad plate. The dessert selection was small, with several items unavailable that evening. We won't be going back."

[CSC, 9/07] says: "My guest and I walked into Mother's just as the thunder clouds rolled overhead, and so chose to eat in the dining room, as opposed to the always enjoyable patio. As usual, the music was loud to the point that normal dining room voices had to be raised slightly, but, as I've come to expect this at Mother's, no harm, no foul. We were promptly seated and provided with menus and a wine list. Sadly, the Riesling for which I had been hankering all day was sold out, so we selected the Pouilly-Fume, reasonably priced at $27. Both the wine and bread were presented in short order. The companion's first-course salad was fairly ordinary, dressed with a balsamic vinaigrette, of which there was a watery pool remaining when the salad was gone. That being said, it's nice to see a house salad comprised of more than iceberg, carrots, and red cabbage; these mixed greens were arranged with onion, cherry tomato, garbanzo, walnuts, and crumbled bleu cheese. My corn chowder was very nice, buttery, and rich, though it was improved by the addition of some salt. For the entrée, both my guest and I ordered from the specials list, which is larger than the standard menu and changes with fair regularity. The guest enjoyed his roast duck with Grand Marnier sauce, finding the portion generous and meaty. The duck was served with wild rice, which was acceptable, and some lovely green asparagus. I found my salmon with an Asianesque sweet chili glaze to be cooked perfectly, and the accompanying coconut rice and steamed baby bok-choy to be a wonderful compliment. These entrees, which included soup or salad, were approximately $25 each. It was still pouring outside, so we opted for coffee; it was around 10PM, and the waitress informed us that she would brew a fresh pot. We also shared an enormous slice of chocolate-cappuccino mousse cake, which was rich and satisfying, with just the right amount of cinnamon to drum up feelings of its namesake beverage. Desserts are made by a local pastry chef, who supplies a number of restaurants, and are a steal at $4.50. Overall, as an Allentown resident, I am frequently thankful for Mother's. Where else in Buffalo can one find a meal of this quality until well past midnight?"

On the other hand, [APS, 10/07] says: "Went to Mother's around 8 o'clock on a Friday night (Oct 6). When we entered, there was no host to seat us, and it wasn't obvious what we should do. We waited around the front for a couple of minutes. We then decided to sit down outside, where there was plenty of seating. After a few more minutes, the host emerged telling us all seating outside was reserved, and advised us to be patient and wait. We went back to the front of the restaurant. Again, after waiting there for a another five minutes, I approached the host (who was running around towards the back of the restaurant) if he had a system, and if we could put our name in. He told us that he'd be with us in a few minutes and we had to be more patient. He said if we were, he would seat us by 9:30-10:00pm. The host was very disorganized and terribly rude, and so we left."

[NC, 12/07] says: "Last night, accompanied by another couple, my boyfriend and I went to Mother's on Virginia St., where we had made reservations weeks ago. After first being told that we had to leave a credit-card number or else we would be charged $20.00 per person that did not show for the reservations, we were adamant about making it there on time. Fifteen minutes prior to our reservation, we walked through the doors only to be greeted with the repulsive smell of sewage and/or just a bad night for someone in the bathrooms, which are located near the entrance. Upon seeing our friends at the other end of the bar, we quickly moved towards them, so our stomachs would not turn any longer. No such luck, as the smell seemed to have penetrated the entire bar area. Moving on, we were promptly seated and ordered our apps and dinner. All very pleasing and well made—the stuffed portabella mushroom made me wish I had ordered my own, and the brie was gone quite quickly, too. I had the escular, a Hawaiian fish, which was delicious, and the other diners had regular menu items: scallops with fettucine and the porterhouse—all were enjoyed. After finishing our meals, declining dessert, and paying our bill with a substantial tip that the waitress thanked us twice for, we sat for approximately 10 minutes to chat and digest a bit, only to be told by the host that there were people standing at the bar that had 8:00 reservations and could we please move to the bar. It was 8:05, and there were 3-4 empty tables surrounding us. We graciously moved from the table immediately, only to agree in unison once we hit the front walk that we would not be returning to Mother's again."

[10/06] Given 3½ (out of 4) stars by Janice Okun, Buffalo News restaurant reviewer.

[4/07] Listed as one of Buffalo's "27 Best Restaurants" by Buffalo Spree magazine.

[am] Moti Mahal.
3545 Sheridan Dr., Amherst.
837-3038.

Takeout available from Takeout Taxi, 631-2222.

[EC, 6/04] says: "I went here a year or 2 ago, and it was OK (although I think it was owned & run by eastern Europeans, not Indians!). I never went back until recently, when an Indian friend told me that the management changed & it was very good now. We went down for the lunch buffet, & I was very pleased, indeed. They have a very decent selection of food (not super-extensive, but tasty & well-labeled), service is quick & courteous, and it's only $4.99!!! Although it's a good experience (and a good value), the best part is the fact that they have a large-screen TV which plays a loop of Indian music videos. These might be considered kind of campy & kitschy by U.S. standards, but they're extremely entertaining to watch. I can sum up each one: A man and a woman have some type of romantic relationship, and they travel to all kinds of scenic & exotic locations to embrace, dance, and pout with the aid of many brightly-dressed backup dancers. The Moti Mahal is a must: Good food, good value, good entertainment!"

[KATS, 1/06] says: "Since my brother had never tried Indian food, I wanted to take him to a buffet for his first time. We had planned on Taste of India, but mixed up our days and ended up at Moti Mahal. While it wasn't awful, it wasn't very good. The meat dishes were a bit suspect—the tandoori chicken had a weird smell, so I didn't try it. The spinach/cheese dish was good; the Indian meatballs were fine (if a bit processed tasting). Everything else was of mediocre quality. Next week I'm taking him to Taste of India so he can try excellent Indian food."

[WHN, 1/06] says: "I thought I would express my opinions on the four south Asian restaurants that we have tried in the area. Tandoori's is the best, with Kabab and Curry and Taste of India tied for second. Moti Mahal is a far distant fourth. Everything they serve tastes almost the same."

Mr. Bill's.
1500 Cleveland Dr. (near Cayuga Rd.), Cheektowaga.
634-0783.

[DY, 9/02] says: "Great food, but has gotten a little pricy in recent months. Their prime rib may not be as big as some, but it is juicy, flavorful, and cooked just right. The atmosphere is both casual and "nice"; you'll feel equally at home stopping for a snack after bowling, or going to dinner for a special occasion. I always give bonus points to places where the owners work harder than the employees, and you'll never see Bill or Nancy stop long enough to cast a shadow.:-)"

Mulberry Italian Ristorante (a.k.a. Mulberry Café).
64 Jackson Ave., Lackawanna.
822-4292.

[WHN, 10/07] says: "We went to Mulberry for dinner with two other couples on Saturday, 10/6. Two of our friends from the Southtowns have been here frequently and like it a lot. The restaurant has a New York City theme, with walls decorated with Yankees sports memorabilia, street signs, and the like. The background music is a combination of primarily Sinatra, Luciano Pavarotti, and other singers of Italian descent. For dinner, I and one friend had an evening special—veal cutlet rolled and stuffed with cheese, peppers, and mushrooms—with potatoes au gratin and broccoli. It was good, although the meat could have been more tender and hotter. Two diners had veal parmesan with a side of pasta. Both said their meals were very good. Another friend had eggplant parmesan, also with a side of pasta, which she said was delicious. Finally, one of our Southtowns friends had a sixteen-ounce rib-eye steak with French fries and vegetable. He said it was excellent: "like Smith and Wollensky, but there you would pay $48 for the steak, with everything else extra". All dinners come with a salad, with a choice of house-made dressings. The entrees range from around $15 to $21 for the most expensive item on the menu—the steak. With two bottles of wine (Ruffino Chianti, $20 per bottle), the dinner cost less than $60 per couple including tax and gratuity."

Murphy's Tavern on the Green.
8230 Wehrle Dr. (in the Wehrle Golf Dome), Williamsville.
633-1662.

[GS, 1/04] says: "Excellent fish fry with all the usual accoutrements. The roasted red pepper bisque is to die for. Arrive early, or the wait can be (+/-)30 minutes, but a dalliance at the spacious bar with numerous televised sporting events (and other programming) on about 20 television sets in evidence. Prices are reasonable."

Muscoreil's Bistro and Dessert Gallery.
3960 Niagara Falls Blvd., Wheatfield.
692-9081.

[EMW, 11/07] says: "Muscoreil's has always been our favorite bakery for cakes and desserts, but they now have a restaurant that serves lunch and dinner. As you enter Muscoreil's, you walk past a case of the most beautiful, sinful desserts that you must keep in mind when ordering dinner! There are two intimate dining rooms with probably 10 tables each. While they don't have a full bar, they do have a decent wine list, and we started with a bottle of Riesling. We split a Caesar salad and the crabcakes for an appetizer (although the waitress brought us one crabcake, which we pointed out as a grammatical/false advertisement on the menu). The salad was good, and the crabcake, while it wasn't jumbo lump crab, was served with two delicious sauces that complemented it nicely. For dinner, I had the Penne à la Vodka with Chicken. I normally don't order pasta at restaurants, but it just