Bill Rapaport's Buffalo Restaurant Guide

Alphabetical Listing of Restaurants: N

99 Fastfood
[am] Natalie's
Neapolis
New Star Chinese Buffet
New Yorker Pizzeria
Niagara Café
Niagara Culinary Institute
Niagara Fallsview Casino
Nichole's Wanakah Grill
Nick Charlap's Ice Cream
Nick's Place
Niko's Big Fat Greek Restaurant
[a] Nina's Custard
Nite Cap Grill
Nite Cappe Restaurant & Tavern
No Anchovies Pizzeria—NAME CHANGED TO Johnny J's Lancaster Pizza
North
La Nova Pizzeria
NovelTea Neighborhood Bistro

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.

---

[m] 99 Fastfood Restaurant.
3396 Bailey Ave., Buffalo. 836-6058.

Japanese and Vietnamese. (Formerly called "Pho 99". Reviews are for the original location downtown, unless otherwise noted.)

I ate here in [6/01] and had a very tasty "rice vermicelli combo" (Bun Tom, Thit Nuong, Cha Gio) consisting of rice vermicelli, pork skewers, egg rolls, and charbroiled shrimp, with a sauce that I used as a dipping sauce until the waiter came over near the end of my meal and told me I was supposed to pour it over the whole thing. I had a Conchita milkshake: a milkshake-like, fruit-flavored beverage (other varieties include Jack, Avocado, and Durian).

[MEL, 5/99] says: "One of the few ethnic restaurants in downtown Buffalo. This new restaurant specializes in pho (Vietnamese beef noodle soup), though I also had a very good salmon teriyaki here. Service is not quite fast food, but still pretty fast. A truly welcome addition."

[AC, 8/02] says: "One of the few places my friends and I are willing to drive to for dinner. The service there is not your high-class restaurant type, but they get their job done right and promptly. Seating is immediate if available, and the prices are good for college students. If you order the right dish, you will leave that place full. My recommendations are #35: Vietnamese Barbecue, Pork Extra Large, and #29: Noodle Soup with Beef and Tendons, Extra Large. The price is fair, and you get your money's worth. Other dishes are also good and filling. My rating: I go there whenever I can for dinner."

[HPK, 10/03] says: "My co-worker and I have been on a never-ending quest to try every Asian-type restaurant in Western NY. Our most recent visit was to 99 Fast Food, downtown Buffalo. What a great treat. This is not a place where you get dressed up or, for that matter, a place where you sit down to fine linens. But it is a place where you can get some of the best Vietnamese food we have ever had. I had the Pho Shrimp—a wonderful ginger broth with tons of shrimp and many side dishes to put into the soup. My co-worker had Seafood and Vegetable Teriyaki, which he enjoyed immensely. I felt like I was eating real Vietnamese food, authentic—not changed for the American palate. When you go there, try the chili sauce in the glass containers on the table—hot and tasty."

[AJB, 11/03] says: "You may have read in The Buffalo News recently about Ho Van Nguyen's 99 Fastfood, which stands in the shadow of City Hall and is in the way of the new Federal Courthouse. Donn Esmonde did a piece about Ho, and there was also some news about Senator Schumer stepping in to help the businesses on Ho's block, all of whom are to be condemned by eminent domain to make way for that new Courthouse. The only problem is that those business are supposed to be offered fair market value for the properties, but they're getting lowball offers from the Federal GSA instead. Anyway, Ho does plan to move to a new location further up Niagara Street when he is forced to move, but since he'll need all the help he can get, go eat his wonderful food. I always order the Pork Spring Roll, which is served with a delicious peanut sauce. I usually opt for the ginger chicken & broccoli or one of the Pho soups. Simply put, you cannot go wrong in this place. Everything they make is delicious, and served hot & fast. The place is so popular now that the lunch rush between 12-2 often finds people waiting in line for a table. In my opinion, it is the best, heartiest, tastiest Asian food (non-sushi) in the area. And how nice that it's in downtown Buffalo, and that it's open for both lunch and dinner."

[AG, 11/06] says: "The surviving sister restaurant is still turning out great pho (beef noodle soup), grilled pork over rice, and great Vietnamese egg rolls. A limited but highly consistent menu keeps the place full of UB students and soup-seekers looking for the best pho in town."

Natalie's Café and Deli.
807 1/2 Millersport Hwy., Amherst. 446-9715.

[DH, 4/97] says: "An excellent Lebanese restaurant just down Millersport from the Amherst campus. They catered the [Conceptual Structure, Discourse, and Language] conference last spring. They're cheap and good, though they aren't the quickest to get the food on the table, and the atmosphere leaves something to be desired."

[AG, 9/02] says: "Solid Lebanese deli that ought to be a favorite for felafel-seekers, vegetarians, and vegans. The roasted eggplant burger, one of eight homemade veggie burger options, outshines McDonald's. Nice zippy hummus, tame babaganoush, satisfying chicken shawarma (with french fries in the pita with the meat and salad)."

[AMSo, 9/07] says: "Very veggie-friendly. It's in a strip plaza. Look for the CAPUCCINO sign in the window. K. and I decided to find it and try it, and boy, were we impressed! There is lots of seating—and the son of the restaurant owner pointed out that the tables can be moved together (they are set up in tables of 4) for larger groups. K. had the megaderra sandwich, which consisted of lentils and other tasty stuff all wrapped up in a pita with hot sauce on the side. I had the ratatouille sandwich, and we also ordered a plate of stuffed vegetarian grape leaves. We also got waters, and I think our bill was under $20 for two people. The food was good, especially the grape leaves—they were served piping hot!—and were so tightly wrapped and not as oily as other places. The owner's son explained that it's because his mom prepares them fresh at every order. The food was really, really good, and there were so many vegan options! Along with what we ordered, they had literally five different kinds of handmade veggie burgers, baba ganoush, falafel, at least 3 different vegan soups, tabouli, and more. Everything is fresh, it's a family business, and, when we left, we felt satisfied but not stuffed, which is a nice feeling. You know how you'll get dinner and then leave, feeling like you have a lump of concrete in your belly? You'll definitely not get that feeling @ Natalie's. We felt very healthy and very content. And we'll most definitely be back there in the future. Unfortunately, I don't have the menu with me, but I believe they are open till 8pm on weekdays, and are also open on Saturday. Your best bet would be to call them personally to inquire about hours. Like I said, more than ample seating, lots and lots of options (both veggie-friendly and omnivore-friendly), and an extremely knowledgeable family staff who can answer questions and make recommendations about what to choose when you have a dietary restriction. (But we sure didn't feel restricted with all the choices, I'll tell ya!!)"

Neapolis Family Restaurant.
1389 Bailey Ave. (in the East Lovejoy area), Buffalo. 895-8467.

[MEL, 8/98] says: "I had a nice chicken souvalaki from here — not comparable to Ambrosia's but pretty good for a place off the beaten path."

Nektar.
451 Elmwood Ave. (just north of Allentown), Buffalo.
881-1829.

Southern Mediterranean; martini bar. Seafood, lamb, beef.

[MER] and I had dinner here [1/05]. It was excellent (including the service and the tap water (see below ;-). I had one of the specials: a delicious mahi mahi in a spinach cream sauce over bright-orange red-pepper couscous, accompanied by a 1/2-ear of corn on the cob (a feast for the eyes as well as the taste buds). [MER] began with a delicious mozzarella salad with breaded eggplant and blackberry balsamic vinaigrette, followed by a chicken curry with apricots and grapes, which she enjoyed so much she wouldn't let anyone else taste it (and she doesn't like curry!). Dessert was a berry crepe; a pleasantly unusual surprise, but it could have been a tad warmer and sweeter. All in all, a good experience. Definitely a 1-star experience at the very least; I hope to return.

[MPr, 1/05] says: "I had a strange experience at Nektar last night. We had a party of fourteen and ordered plenty of appetizers, bottles of wine, and mixed drinks. Our waiter or busboy offered us two types of water: carbonated or plain. One was in a stylish blue bottle, and one was clear and said "Voss" on the side. He refilled our water a few times over the night. The bottles he was pouring from were already opened with no cap. Our bill was over $700, and the food was fine. I really loved the stuffed bannana peppers. However, we were charged $40 for water; what a slick scam. We were never offered or presented free tap water. I am aware of the new trend in "artisan waters". I would appreciate a little more disclosure that this is not the "house" water and is à la carte. I will never go back unless they change their "water" policy."

[HPK, 1/05] says: "After reading the above posting, I must add my two cents to this discussion. Last year, I took my wife there for Valentines Day. What a big mistake! Not only were they over an hour late with sitting us, all our food was either cold, wrong, etc. The meal for two people took almost three hours to get through. Our waiter was nonexistent, and one thing I hate is having to ask for my water to be re-filled. They did not try to pull the "flat" or "sparkling" thing that the previous reviewer mentioned, but that is happening in more and more places."

Given 3½ (out of 4) stars by Janice Okun, Buffalo News restaurant reviewer.

New Star Chinese Buffet.
1999 Elmwood Ave. (in the same strip mall as the Elmwood Regal Cinema, between Kenmore and Hertel), Buffalo. 873-8439.

[MEL, 8/99] says: "This Chinese buffet should do brisk business, because it is the only restaurant in the same strip mall as the Elmwood Theater, which in turn is the only first-run, non-art-film-oriented, movie theater in the city of Buffalo. The food barely met my extremely low expectations; a few things were execrable (most notably the chicken balls and most of the desserts) but most were tolerably mediocre."

[PH, 10/01] says: "My husband wanted to try this place, and though I usually avoid buffets (read barf-fet), I agreed. When we first entered, I was really repulsed by the overall smell of the place. But I doggedly followed the husband to a table near the steam tables. I could not find a single thing that appealed to me. My husband and several obese women filled their plates. My daughter took her cue from me, and we both refused to eat, which really pissed off the husband! You pay as you enter, so the meal was a bust, and a silence between my husband and myself ensued for several hours. When the odor of a restaurant is foul, that is usually a good clue. I wanted to ask for a refund for me and Danielle, but husband was so aggravated that we left with a rank smelling cold over our heads. Never again!"

New Yorker Pizzeria.
160 Allen St. (Allentown), Buffalo. 882-0222.

[MEL, 5/99] says: "Nondescript pizza; not bad but why would you eat here when Just Pizza is two blocks away?"

Niagara Café & BBQ.
525 Niagara St. (between Jersey & Pennsylvania), Buffalo. 885-2233.

[PF, 1994] said: "This is one of two restaurants serving standard but very good Puerto Rican food."

[CC, 5/95] says: "A good place for Latin-American food—more specifically Puerto Rican/Cuban-style food, not Mexican or Caribbean (the kind you can get in thousands of places in the NYC area): ropa vieja, carne asada, bistec, black bean soup, yellow rice, etc. Only Gino's pizza place in the Rainbow Mall...makes me feel as much like I'm in NYC (culinarily) as this place ;-)."

[MEL, 10/97] says: "Solid Puerto Rican food. Stewed chicken was excellent. Goat stew was adequate, but not as good as other P.R. places I've eaten (specifically, a place called Lozada's in Cleveland; if you are ever in Cleveland, I recommend Lozada's with every breath in my body!). Note that the selection here is broader (and healthier) than at El Fogon, which just has half a dozen entrees, all beef, pork or fried. (...after living in Miami 2 yrs., I have a soft spot for this kind of food)."

[GBr, 4/06] says: "Living in Spanish Harlem, I have eaten at plenty of Spanish restaurants, but Niagara Cafe & BBQ is by far one of the best that I have been to. The food is great. Most of the Spanish restaurants that I have been to serve you dry chicken, and the beef in the stew isn't very tender, but that wasn't the case here. The service is great, and I couldn't believe how fast I received my food. The staff was extremely friendly. I told them that I was in there doing a project, and they answered every question I had with no problems. Niagara Cafe & BBQ is a small restaurant with a warm, family feeling. I definitely see myself eating at Niagara Cafe in the near future."

Niagara Culinary Institute Dining Room.
135 Taylor Rd. (at the Niagara College NOTL Campus), Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON, CANADA
905-641-2252 x 4619.

[CLHe, 9/06] says: "My husband and I dined here on September 28, 2006. What a sweet deal! The prix-fixe dinner is $37 Canadian without accompanying house wines made at the school or $46 dollars with 2 glasses of their wine. My husband had the house white and red as part of his dinner and enjoyed both thoroughly. I started with Grilled Monforte Dairy Haloumi Cheese with Local Field Tomatoes and Petit Herb Salad while husband had Smoked B.C. Salmon on a Pickled Beet, Feta Cheese, and Baby Arugula Salad. Delicious! The Haloumi is from a local sheep's dairy and was a really different tasting cheese; I really enjoyed it. The hubby enjoyed the salmon and, after tasting, it melted in the mouth. We also had the Cavatelli Pasta with Truffled Mushroom Cream and Sweet Green Peas as a second starter. I enjoyed this more than he did, but he is more a red-sauce kind of guy. I could have licked the extra sauce that remained in my bowl, but I managed to control myself. For the main courses, I chose Northern Lakes Pickerel Fillet on Oven Dried Tomato and Fennel Tapenade Grilled Creamer Potatoes and Basil Lemon Beurre Blanc, and he had the Grilled Rib Eye Steak "Café de Paris" with Pommes Frites and Grilled Summer Vegetables. Wow! My fish was perfectly cooked, really mild, and the fennel tapenade complimented it perfectly. The steak was also cooked perfectly, medium-rare, and was very tasty. The dessert consisted of three tastings of Lavender Scented Crème Brulee, Summer Berry Compote with Triple Cream Brie, and Vineland Cherry and Almond Financier with Niagara College Pinot Noir Paint. The creme brulee was by far my favorite, with the triple cream brie and compote to follow. The brulee was not overpowered by the lavender and had a really unusual taste; very good! I have to mention that the service here was excellent, very attentive but not intrusive at all. The waiters are part of the hospitality program at the school, and attention to detail is paramount. All plates are served at exactly the same time, and you did not have to ask for anything; it appeared the second you even thought about needing it. Their menu changes 4 times a year seasonally, and the Fall menu comes out in two weeks. I cannot wait to return!"

[WHN, 11/06] says: "My wife and I had lunch at the Niagara Culinary Institute on Friday, 11/10. At lunchtime, they offer a 3-course, fixed-price menu for C$24 (C$29 with a glass of house red, white, or rose wine from Niagara College Teaching Winery). For an appetizer, we both chose mussels steamed in Niagara Pale Ale, and for the main course, beef short ribs braised in NCT Winery Shiraz. Among the other appetizer choices were soup, salad, and bresaola (air-cured beef). The mussels were excellent, such that I asked for a spoon to finish the broth, and my wife asked for more bread (a crusty sourdough) to soak it up. The short ribs were excellent, too—melt-in-your-mouth tender, served over mashed potatoes with assorted vegetables. Other main course choices included locally made sausages, quail, pork tenderloin, rainbow trout, and a vegetarian pasta. There was no choice of desserts, but the plate of three "seasonal sweets" consisting of pumpkin and currant toffee pudding, a chocolate truffle tart, and apple crumble were all delicious. The dining room is staffed by students of Niagara College's Hospitality and Tourism program, and the service was very professional. The atmosphere is very nice, too, with a view of the Niagara Escarpment from many tables. Note: Since we want to return soon, we asked about their schedule, and learned that the Dining Room closes for about two weeks during the Christmas-New Year holiday season; this year the closure is from 12/22/06 through 1/7/07. Other than that, they are open all year." More recently, [WHN, 5/07] says: "We had another excellent 3-course, C$29 fixed-price lunch at the Niagara Culinary Institute over Memorial Day weekend. I had smoked trout with edamame to start. My wife had an escarole and endive salad with spicy walnuts and "Benedictine blue" vinaigrette. We both had grilled beef entrecote, cooked perfectly to medium rare, topped with a mildly curry-flavored butter and accompanied by spring vegetables and sauteed cannellini beans. With the main course, we each had a glass of NCT Winery merlot. For dessert, she had a pear tart with a spicy gelato and berries, while I had white, milk, and dark chocolate mousse. The meal and service were excellent. Note: I don't recall if this is a schedule change, but they are closed Mondays and are open only for lunch on Sundays."

Niagara Fallsview Casino.
6380 Fallsview Blvd., Niagara Falls, ON, CANADA.
1-888-325-5788.

See 17 Noir, Canyon Creek Chophouse, Golden Lotus.

Nichole's Wanakah Grill.
2293 Pleasant Ave., Lake View, NY.
627-9730.

[MTr, 4/05] says: " "The shack by the tracks"; check it out. A better scale of home cooking. From your usual fish fries (haddock and yellow pike), chicken wings (jumbo), 1/2 lb. burgers, to pork florentine, prime rib, smoked salmon alfredo. A very extensive menu. Very comfortable neighborhood restaurant; (sounds corny) but everyone seems to know everyone, and, if they don't, they get treated like it anyway. Does'nt look like much from the outside, but you have to see the inside to believe it."

[RDM, 7/06] says: "Pretty good pub fare. The Caesar dressing wasn't very authentic, but the salad was fresh. The turkey barley soup was very good. It tasted very home-made. My husband's Reuben looked and tasted great. My son's plate was OK; good fries, but the chicken fingers need improving. They seemed like your typical Tyson fingers from the frozen-food section of your local supermarket. I think they need to switch brands."

Nick Charlap's Ice Cream.
7264 Boston State Rd., Hamburg.
312-0592.

[BL, 6/07] says: "Is anyone noticing problems with their favorite ice cream places lately? Or is Charlap's the only one that we really notice? Most places may have some increased prices but still generous servings with the exception of Charlap's. Charlap's Dairy was a long time WNY favorite famous for huge cones, delicious ice cream, and reasonable prices. If you had visitors, you always took them to Charlap's for a real ice cream experience! Around 2002 or so, it changed hands and reopened under Nick Charlap, a relative, we believe. Ice cream was there but more bland in taste for quite some time. Taste slowly improved over the years as the original full flavors returned and the crowds. (My favorite was always the cashew caramel crunch.) This past summer, we noticed major changes over 3 visits within 2 months. First time, same huge cones and decent flavors and the large crowds. Price for two medium cones came to about $5.00 including tax. Mediums were two generous scoops that went to the bottom of the cone. Second time, about 3 weeks ago, same price for the two mediums but one cone was its usual size and other was small, very restricted scoops. I don't know how else to say it..."restricted" seems right. Clerk indicated they are supposed to be giving smaller portions now, but some of the workers were still giving traditional larger scoops. So one cone was large and the other minute. Very weird that the servers were not on the same page. Yesterday (6/29/07), we paid $4.57 (includes tax) for one restricted single-scoop cone ($2.07) and one restricted double-scoop ($2.50). The single scoop appeared a baby cone. (Now there was still a baby cone...wonder what that looked like!) Both small cones shocked us. We were told they had to reduce the size in order to maintain the price. Sorry Charlap's. You have lost us again. The mood was pretty somber among the other ice cream lovers that evening. Would not mind hearing where the rest of you take in your summer ice cream. We have one other summer one and could use additional suggestions."

Nick's Place.
504 Amherst St. (near Bush St., in Black Rock), Buffalo.
871-1772.

[AFN, 5/06] says: "We often go here on the rare occasions that we have a lunch break. We're always greeted by "The teachers are here", which, I think, is meant as a warning to the kitchen that we need to be fed quickly, so we can return to school. It's a tiny restaurant in "downtown Black Rock" with typical and good (especially the souvlaki) Greek food. So small that you might have to stand up to let delivery people pass by. Grungy looking, but the food has always been fine. Breakfast and lunch only. Ultra cheap."

Niko's Big Fat Greek Restaurant.
537 Division St. (in Budwey's Plaza), N. Tonawanda.
743-1410.

[LG, 2/08] says: "We just finished a Friday evening meal at this new Greek restaurant. This place just opened (1/08) and replaced Anderson's Ice Cream in North Tonawanda. As with any new restaurant (especially on a Friday), it was packed, and it took a few minutes to get a table. The service was very fast thereafter. It is a bright, clean, diner-style atmosphere with some soft Greek music. This place serves breakfast (all day), lunch, and dinner. The dinner menu is a bit limited, but we quickly found some things to try. We started with the Tzatziki w/pita appetizer ($4.95), which was a great lite starter, with a homemade cucumber and garlic dip and pita bread. My wife had the fish fry, which was excellent and quite inexpensive at $8.50. Her fish was served with very fresh pasta salad with feta cheese, tangy cole slaw, and homefries. I had the Buffalo chicken wrap ($6.00) and mashed potatoes. All the food arrived quickly, considering the amount of people seated at the time. Our waiter was fast and friendly. They do not serve alcohol, but the coffee was excellent and refilled often. All told, this was a great meal at a small price. Their breakfast menu looked great, and I'm sure I will stop by some morning to try it. I highly recommend this place. Our bill was dropped off at the end of the meal without having to ask for it. There was nothing at all to complain about."

[a] Nina's Custard.
2577 Millersport Hwy., Getzville.
636-0345.

[WHN, 9/07] says: "Since it was a beautiful summer-like day today (Sunday), we decided to have hot dogs for lunch at Nina's. When I was 3/4s through mine, I noticed green mold on the bottom of the roll. I was going to just throw it away, but my wife said I should tell them so they didn't serve moldy rolls to anyone else. I told the kid at the counter that their rolls were moldy and they should check them or they might make customers sick. He said: "OK. Do you want another hot dog". Duh...no!"

Nite Cap Grill.
675 Sheridan Dr., Tonawanda.
877-9527.

[MaSt, 1/08] says: "My sister and I stopped in after reading a review in the "Cheap Eats" column in The Buffalo News: At the Nite Cap on Saturdays, the bartender is also the waitress. Ordinarily, I would drive right by a place like this—it looks like a "biker bar" from the outside. The inside is dark and dated, and the menus are pretty much just placemats—soiled, no less. Don't let that deter you: The food is very, very good and inexpensive. The costliest item on the menu (a steak sub) will set you back about $8.00. They offer pints of Labatt's for $1.50. We started with salads ($1.20), which were little bowls of tightly packed, shredded, iceberg lettuce adorned with chopped American cheese and slices of tomato. Nothing exceptional, but perfectly fresh. My sister ordered the meatloaf, and I had a "King" roast beef sandwich (under $4.00). Both were accompanied by chips and a dill pickle spear. Her meatloaf tasted homemade, although she found the gravy a little too peppery. My roast beef, however, was sublime. Thinly roasted, with jus on the side—delicious. I savored every bite. I have been back a few times and have enjoyed my roast beef sandwich on each occasion. My kids have ordered chicken finger subs and raved about them. If you enjoy a dining experience offering quality food at discount prices and aren't concerned about ambience, you'll enjoy your meal at the Nite Cap Grill."

Nite Cappe Restaurant & Tavern.
1769 Abbott Rd. (near Martin Rd.), Lackawanna.
825-9488.

[JRM, 3/08] says: "For many years, this place had been a little, local dive, corner bar (actually, we used to call it the "Nite Crapper"). However, in the past few years, they did a major renovation and opened a new kitchen (I believe by separate owners from the bar). The food is all homemade and very fresh, and they have different specials nightly. We actually had our rehearsal dinner there (had about 80 people) and had breaded pork chops and stuffed steak with all kinds of different side dishes, which were all absolutely delicious (I believe they also will do "to-go" catering). The dining room is really nice, especially for a tavern. It is cozy, clean, and very updated. They have old movie posters on the walls, and a beautiful ornate ceiling, and because the dining room is in the rear of the building, it is totally kid-friendly. They also serve wonderful breakfasts on Sundays, which include gourmet-style omelets and various types of pancakes and waffles, etc., which are all "made to order". This is a fabulous place to go if you are looking for an excellent quality, homemade meal in a casual environment."

North.
140 North St. (in the Lenox Hotel, in Allentown), Buffalo.
884-3106.

[CE, 1/07] says: "I'm writing in regards to our New Year's Eve experience this past Monday evening. We had seen the ad in the Artvoice for the dinner special at North and made reservations shortly afterwards for a nice, big dinner out. Many of us had been there before and assured everyone else that it was a great new place; a real positive change from the previous state of the Lenox hotel. Our night started out as a fantastic time, with just under 30 of our close friends and family together in the bar area before our dinner reservations at 10:00 p.m. Everyone was in a great mood, and everywhere we turned was another friendly, familiar face. We were full of smiles and fully expected a great time together. Unfortunately, there was a substantial delay with our tables, numerous mistakes with our meals, and the way the situation was handled by the management left us all with a very bad impression of the establishment. We had reservations for one big table, and 2 separate reservations for smaller tables made by others in our party. When we asked if we could all sit in the same room, at 2 big tables, we were told that it would take another 25 minutes, which was perfectly understandable. If it had in fact actually taken only that amount of time, there wouldn't have been a problem. However, by the time we were actually seated, it was over an hour and a half past our 10:00 reservations, and we had just barely gotten our salads when we rang in the new year. The party that was seated at the table we needed were given no indication that they couldn't stay as long as they wanted, and in fact their 8:00 reservations lasted until after the stroke of midnight. We were all split up as a result, not to mention having waited for so long to even get seated. Another unfortunate aspect of our night was that one older woman in the 8:00 party thought it was appropriate to respond to an innocent and honest inquiry regarding their reservations in an extremely aggressive and threatening manner. This was highly inappropriate and juvenile, and I was personally shocked, not only that someone would act in such a ridiculous manner, but also that they would remain welcome at a high quality restaurant. I fully realize that the establishment itself has no control over what customers might do; however, the way it was handled was poor at best and insulting and highly unprofessional at worst. The management staff should be prepared for both unruly and lingering customers and know how to properly diffuse any issue so that no party feels they have been treated unfairly. Instead, nothing was done, and our entire party felt mistreated and taken advantage of. When we voiced our discontent, we were met with weak, disingenuous apologies and the offer of a couple bottles of free champagne, which would have been nice, although still not appropriate compensation by the end of the night's problems. I still doubt that anyone even received any of the so-called free champagne, since over half of our big table didn't even have their own flutes (let alone a filled one), and we had to request one for everyone to toast at midnight, which was supposed to have been included in the dinner special anyway. Even worse and unbelievably unprofessional was when some of our dissatisfaction was expressed to the manager himself, and he reacted with anger towards us, as if we were in any way being unreasonable or demanding. He snapped, "I already gave you 2 free bottles of champagne; what do you want, another bottle?". There are almost no words to express the shock of this unbelievably nasty and unprovoked attitude. If the manager in question is North's highest authority, then I am certain that this place will fail miserably. You cannot treat customers in such a way and expect to stay in business in such a small city, where word of mouth and reputation are especially crucial. I do want to note that the waitstaff themselves seemed to be doing their best under the circumstances. They were friendly and apologetic, and much more sympathetic than their manager. Unfortunately, because of his inaction, their hands were tied. There were just so many mistakes throughout the night, including a rare steak cooked to very well done, a raw chicken that had to be sent back, numerous incorrect orders, and candlewax dripped all over a suitcoat that was on the back of a chair (we were begrudgingly offered reimbursement for the dry cleaning bill, only after telling us how easy it is to get it out ourselves and barely hiding the annoyance that we didn't want to have to do that). But the very biggest mistake was the casual disregard of our grievances and the fact that there was no real attempt to make up for all of the other problems. Had we been adequately compensated, our experience might have been able to be salvaged, and we wouldn't have walked out vowing to never come again. Unfortunately, that is exactly what happened, and what could have been a fine Buffalo establishment has lost the business of previously fairly regular customers and everyone we'll talk to about it. What a disappointment."

La Nova Pizzeria
371 W. Ferry St. (between Allentown & Buff State, on the West Side), Buffalo. 881-3303.
[a] 5151 Main St., Williamsville. 634-5151.

[MEL, 5/99] says: "Though I think the pizza here is not as great as some think, I strongly recommend the BBQ wings."

[RMo, 12/03] says: "I often eat home; I enjoy preparing my own meals; so, eating out is always a treat. I recently ordered a pizza from La Nova. After working a long day, I was happy to enjoy a greasy treat. To make a long story short, I was halfway through my first piece when I bit into a huge piece of glass-like plastic about an inch long! La Nova is usually the only pizza place I order from. When I called La Nova to return the pizza and get my money back, I was greeted with an extremely rude manager who basically told me that it was impossible and that they were to0 busy to send a driver over to pick the pizza up. Some service, huh. Needless to say, I will never order from there again. Please be warned; ordering from LaNova is dangerous, if you want to keep your teeth."

[WHN, 6/07] says: "The pizza from the West Ferry Street location used to be among the best in Buffalo. We have not had it for at least 15 years, so I don't know what it's like now, but the pizza and wings from the Williamsville location are quite ordinary."

NovelTea Neighborhood Bistro.
6045 Goodrich Rd., Clarence Center.
741-1311.

[AFN, 12/07] says: "A friend and I had lunch at NovelTea on Friday. The place is small, but cozy, and nicely decorated with pastel yellow tablecloths and floral centerpieces in teacups. We both had one of the daily menu features, turkey pot pie, which was very good. Of course, they have a wide selection of teas, as well."

[BMcWS, 4/08] says: "My daughter and I had lunch here on a Tuesday afternoon in early April. This is a small but cozy place that quickly fills up. Reservations are a good idea. They recently expanded their menu, which is only available for lunch. They have a nice selection of teas. We went with a pomegranate oolong, which was delicious. We each ordered a scone with clotted cream and jam (these are considered the specialty of the house). Alone, the scones are a bit dry, but, with the toppings, they are wonderful (at our last visit, we took some home and really did not enjoy them plain at home). Mine was a cranberry and white-chocolate scone. My daughter had the mixed berry. I ordered the quiche of the day, which had cheddar and bacon in it. It came in a cute little tart bowl on a plate with a colorful salad and some sliced fruit. The quiche was perfect, and the salad was wonderful, also. My daughter enjoyed a chicken club sandwich that was tasty as well—this also came with salad and fruit, which really makes a very pretty plate. The new menu features a quiche of the day, hot dish of the day, as well as a soup of the day. The menu also has a selection of sandwiches and salads. Service was a bit scattered and slow. We had to ask for sugar for our tea and request water twice before it came. There seemed to be only one waitress for the entire restaurant. We would definitely go back, though. This is a great spot for a "ladies' lunch", particularly if you are not in a hurry."

[1/08] Given 3½ (out of 4) stars by Janice Okun, Buffalo News restaurant reviewer.