Bill Rapaport's Buffalo Restaurant Guide

Alphabetical Listing of Restaurants: P

[– am] Pizza Plant

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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Page's Grille and Bar.
4725 Transit Rd. (south of French Rd.), Depew.
608-0172.

[ARo, 11/05] says: "Page's is an excellent place to go for a delicious casual meal. On the weekends, the bar is packed and seating is very hard to come by, so go a little early. I usually order their Black and Blue Steak, which is consistently good. Service is always attentive and friendly."

[am] Palace of Dosas.
656 Millersport Highway (just north of the intersection with Eggert, where the Grover Cleveland Hwy becomes the Millersport), Amherst.
834-1800.

Takeout available from Takeout Taxi, 631-2222.

[SGP, 7/09] says: "Review: positive. We ordered a spicy Mysore masala dosa and onion uthappam; both dishes were excellent. We also liked the assorted appetizer. We cannot get enough of this place. I think lately they have reduced staff, so only one (or max two) persons try to do everything, which becomes annoying sometimes."

[MDo, 10/08] said: "I went here after reading the previous positive reviews, and it must have gone downhill fast. I went there with my girlfriend and 1 of our friends for lunch, and we were quite disappointed. When we arrived, we were the only people in the restaurant. After seating us, the waiter poured us 3 glasses of water. All 3 glasses still had mouth prints around the rim from previous customers. We all ordered cans of Diet Pepsi and decided to stick it out. We ordered a mixed vegetable appetizer to start. It was tiny. It consisted of less deep-fried potatoes than in a small order of McDonald's French fries and 5 battered, deep-fried pieces of cauliflower. After that disappointment, I ordered the Express Lunch, my girlfriend ordered Paneer Masala, and our friend had to order twice before she found something they had all the ingredients for (they were out of several items on the menu, and they had only been open 30 minutes). When my Express Lunch arrived, I was amazed. In the middle, was a giant, 2-foot-long dosa, a rolled up Indian crepe. Unfortunately, only about 8 inches of the dosa was filled with anything. The filling was a potato-and-onion mixture which tasted like oniony, salty potatoes and nothing else. I could see from the color there was turmeric in it, but I couldn't taste any spices. Served with it were coconut chutney and sambar, and some things to dip in them. The sambar didn't taste like any sambar I've tasted before; it tasted suspiciously like Campbell's Vegetarian Vegetable Soup. According to my friends, their dishes were a little bit more flavorful, but the sauces were very watery. Neither of their dishes were that spicy. Unless you count the unfilled parts of the dosa, the portions for all our dishes were quite small. Still, this cost us $40. I've been to a lot of Indian restaurants, not just here but in other cities as well, and this was one of the worst. I'd be surprised if it stays open much longer."

[WHN, 6/08] said: "I think I could become a vegetarian, if all vegetarian cuisine was as flavorful as that served at Palace of Dosas. We ordered a spicy Mysore masala dosa, the Palace Thali (described in detail in the review of [CV, 10/07], below), and a mixed vegetable korma. All the food, which we shared, was delicious. I can't wait to go back to try other menu items."

[ECB, 2/08] said: "Stopped by for lunch with a friend last week. We started with the Assorted Appetizers, which included iddly, vadai, alu bonda, cutlet, and bajji, and was served with coconut chutney and sambar. It was very tasty and good to split between two people. My friend got the Masala Dosa, and I got the Mysore Dosa. The potato curry inside was very good, but the dosa itself was divine. I also tried the Pickle, which was as good as any I've tried. My friend finished up with the Gulab Gamun, and both had the Masala Tea. A fine lunch and full of flavor."

[CV, 10/07] said: "I was browsing your website, and I came across "Palace of Dosas". Thanks for keeping such a comprehensive list. Last night for dinner, I went to Palace of Dosas with a colleague from California. Buffalo and its suburbs have needed such a restaurant for a long time—South Indian vegetarian. South Indian food is quite different in taste, texture, and spice compared to the North Indian-style food. I hope the patronage supports this restaurant, and the restaurant is successful. Certainly, the food was very good, and I intend to go back with more people. When we walked in, there were not many people, but more and more patrons arrived as we were finishing dinner. It is a modest place, and décor is OK, which is not really a problem. Both my colleague and I had the South Indian "Palace Thali". Thali is a traditional full meal and is very popular in Southern India for lunches and dinners. The Palace Thali had sambar (lentil and tamarind base), rasam (similar to mulligatawney soup), beans curry, eggplant with paneer curry in a tamarind base, papadam, roti, steamed rice, pachadi (similar to the North Indian raita), and kesari (dessert). The eggplant curry was spicy and went well with the roti. The sambar and rasam had good taste and were authentic. My colleague commented it would have been nice if they had served two rotis. The Thali was "sumptuous" and filling. My colleague also tried the masala dosa, since it was something that he had never tried. I got a taste of it, and it was authentic "ghee" masala dosa. All in all, thanks for listing this place on your website. I would recommend the place for Buffalonians who want to try something new and good. I definitely intend to go back with family and friends."

[LCo, 9/07] said: "I went to Palace of Dosas on a Wednesday night and it was deserted; hopefully the buzz about this all-vegetarian south-Indian cuisine hasn't died down. The food definitely deserves all of the positive reviews it has had. We had the assorted appetizers to start. The dish came with five different options from the appetizer menu and sambar and coconut chutney for dipping. For only $2 more than any single appetizer, it's definitely a worthwhile choice. As an entrée, we tried the mysore masala dosa and the rava masala dosa. The spicy heat of the mysore masala dosa in this dish gives a good boost to the blander masala (a mixture of potatoes, onions, and peas). The rava masala dosa is a wheat dosa with spices mixed into the batter. The spice level is much milder than the mysore dosa, but the spices again work to enhance the flavors of the masala."

[CEW&JML, 8/07] said: "We are vegetarians, have been to India twice, and find few choices in the Buffalo area with the variety and interest of this restaurant. Why travel to Toronto, when very good South Indian cuisine is available in Eggertsville? Having eaten there four times, we strongly recommend the Palace of Dosas. The entire menu is designed for vegetarians (not vegans), with varying degrees of spiciness possible. As Americans who love India, we found the cuisine brought back pleasant memories. The setting is convenient (although large vehicles will find it hard to maneuver around the building), the decor pleasant, and the service OK. Definitely worth a visit, probably more than one. The number of persons of South Asian descent whom we have seen there indicates that positive word has spread."

[GMK, 6/07] said: "I don't know if I've spent too much time at Duff's, but I found the food at Palace of Dosas to be pleasantly warm, not hot at all. It also was amazingly fresh and neatly prepared. We had a fantastic time and are looking forward to going back. The service was better than described by [MCz] (whose review did encourage us to go) but still sketchy. The restaurant was fairly crowded for a Tuesday night, and deservedly so."

[MCz, 4/07] said: "This restaurant bills itself as serving authentic-style, south Indian cuisine. I'm not sure what that means, but I was pleasantly surprised by the degree of heat in most every item we tried. If you don't like it spicy, please don't go here and complain about the heat. Buffalo needs more restaurants that are not afraid to serve up the heat. This is a totally vegetarian restaurant that serves items unusual to the area, including dosas (large Indian crepes that can be filled with various vegetable combinations) and utthappams (pancake-type presentations of rice and lentil flour with different vegetables embedded in them). The food we tried was all very tasty, but the service needs improvement. No one was given a menu when they were shown to their tables (we watched as the three or four tables seated after us each had to get up and retrieve their own menus, as we had to do). Once the orders were taken, everything moved along quickly, though. The appetizers, dosas, and utthappams are all served with the same two dipping items, coconut chutney and sambar, which seemed to be like a vegetable soup. Both are spicy hot. We also tried the vegetable biryani, a rice dish that was wonderfully spiced with all sorts of unusual (to this palate) flavors and textures. If you like Indian food, want to experience something a little different, and aren't afraid of spicy food, this restaurant is worth a visit."

El Palenque Mexican Grill.
951 Niagara Falls Blvd. (corner of NF Blvd. and Eggert Rd), Amherst.
446-9206.

[NB, 7/09] says: "I have eaten here several times in the past, and it has been a favorite place of mine to get good Mexican food. My mom and I went to eat lunch here recently. The food was good; it has been better, but as we finished eating I noticed a roach crawling across the floor!!! We motioned for the waiter to come over, and after he saw it he promptly stepped on it and said he needed to call the ‘bug guy’. Gross. We paid our bill, got out of there, and never looked back. I will be making my Mexican at home for now."

[TKa, 2/09] said: "My parents and I went to El Palenque after my dad heard it was good from a couple of his friends. The inside was cuter than I expected from the condition of the outside and the fact that it is an old Denny's. The booth benches were all ripped, but I was still hoping for an authentic Mexican dinner. The chips and salsa were outstanding! I was already sure I would love the food here. My mom went to the ladies room, and I followed. The bathroom was filthy, with tissue and paper all over the floor and sink. The partition between the stalls was missing a section, so there was no privacy. The waiter was not very helpful and acted like we were bothering him. He never stuck around long enough to really answer a question about the menu. We were still hoping the food would make up for the shortcomings. Nachos were very disappointing, with not very much cheese, and the cheese was a funny consistency, with no flavor. After the waiter made a fuss that jalapeños were extra, they came with plenty. Food arrived and was not nearly as good as expected. My mom took one bite of her steak and said it was too done and tough to eat. My dad liked his vegetable mixture and chicken, and offered to share with my mom. I had the combo that included a taco, enchiladas, and rice. The taco was not great, but, to be fair, I requested they keep the meat off, and they subbed beans, which was nice, but the taco was just so-so. The enchiladas were small and disappointing in flavor and texture (same bad cheese as on the nachos). None of the food comments matter, as we only got a few bites before my mother turned white as a ghost and announced there was a bug under her plate. She lifted her plate to reveal a black roach! It crawled out from under her plate and across the table. We called the waiter over, as my mother got very upset and we needed to leave."

[JGr, 6/07] said: "My boyfriend and I visited El Palenque on 6/13/07. This place looks a bit sketchy from the outside. However, we like to take risks with our restaurant picks, so we went in to check it out. I'm so glad we did—the food was great! The menu is quite extensive. There are over 30 "combination dinners" available, in addition to other meals, sides, salads, and desserts. I got the taco, beef enchilada, rice and beans combo dinner. It was all very tasty, although I thought the ground beef in my enchilada could use some more flavor. I spiced it up with one of the available hot sauces on the table. My boyfriend got the beef chimichangas, which had pulled beef rather than ground. I had a bite—they were delicious! We also really enjoyed the complimentary chips and salsa. The total bill with two Dos Equis (beers) and two meals was $23, and we were absolutely stuffed. I can't accurately comment on the service, because we were dining at an odd hour and were one of only two tables being served at the time. The service we got was fine, though. We'll definitely be going back to sample more of that huge menu!"

[BL] said:

[3/07] "Follow-up since first visit: Liked this restaurant the first time with tasty food and sufficient portions. The place warm, service was attentive even with a good number of diners, the price was fine, and the place was clean. Went last night, and the food is still tasty but meat fillings were skimpy with no lettuce or tomatoes, and cheese hardly noticed. For 8 dollars, one large but lonely burrito should come with adequate filling noted above and rice and beans. The place was chilly at the windows this time. Service was the waitress taking the order and later removing the plate and giving the check. We had to flag down another waiter for extra chips, because we were still pretty hungry. The bill was about the same. Also note the carpet was messy this time, with lots of broken chips on the floor. Numerous servers had down time to clean up. I think we will stick with El Caporal and maybe a few other locations that people have mentioned on this site. We were disappointed."

[1/07] "We were in the mood today (1/20/07) for Southwest/Mexican and took advantage of the first review to enjoy a good meal. Thank you, [CJK]. May we also compliment El Palenque for turning on the heat—as in temperature! How nice to sit and enjoy good food in a warm environment on a cold winter day. Our meal came to about $24 as we added guacamole to enjoy with those fresh chips and salsa. My tasty order was basic—#17—beef burrito/chicken enchilada with rice and beans. Spouse had the huge San Jose Burrito—pork with green peppers, onions, and a guacamole-like salad with lettuce, tomato, and cheese. Sauces are very good and nothing too spicy. I gave away some of my rice and beans to compliment the burrito, because they were not part of that order. We went the soft-drink route, though there is beer, wine, margaritas. Lots of fun color enliven this older, former Denny's, and many people were enjoying their meals. One thought would be to remodel the ladies' room one day and update it. Thanks again for the first review, and thank you, El Palenque, for good food and service and a warm dining room to eat in!"

[ABi, 3/07] said: "This area has always seemed a little light in the sit-down Mexican-restaurant area, so any addition is welcome if only to have another option. Luckily, El Palenque is as tasty as it is novel. Meaning an arena for cock-fighting (I asked), El Palenque is ethnically festive without being obnoxious, with vibrant decorations hung on the brightly-colored walls and nice touches such as murals painted on the tabletops. The piquant environment is complimented by the extensive menu, which is amazing in itself as an illustration of how many variations of a tortilla stuffed with protein, cheese, and veggies there can be. I got a platter featuring a hard-shell taco, burrito, and enchilada; there were several dozen specials like this all priced at $7.50, with more elaborate entrees around 10 or 11 bucks. Everything was delicious: The taco beef was surprisingly bold and full-flavored, and the cheese was perfectly melty. The enchilada's chicken was cooked long enough so that it was firm yet easy to break apart with a fork, and the burrito was of similarly high quality and just spicy enough to be interesting without being overwhelming. My girlfriend gave her dishes identically gushing reviews. The only area that could be improved would be the desserts: I got sopapillas that were overly crunchy, while my lady's fried ice cream was lacking in the fried part, with a virtually undetectable shell. It was closer to just plain ice cream with lots of whipped cream, but overall El Palenque was excellently enjoyable. And it's fun to tell people to try the Mexican restaurant that once was the Denny's where one of the best scenes from Buffalo 66 was filmed."

[MRT] said:

[2/07] "Please cancel the previous rave review. I brought a good friend to El Palenque Saturday, 2/10/07. The food was absolutely awful that night. I could not eat my entree. It tasted awful. I was not the only customer who felt this way about the food that night. I shall never visit El Palenque again."

[2/07] "This is another rave review for El Palenque. My husband and I visited El Palenque on Wednesday, 02/07/07. Early on a weeknight, the wait was only 10 minutes for a table. Earlier that week, I had clipped a coupon for the restaurant that gave us one free entree. A note about visiting the restaurant on the weekend: the wait for a table can be very long. The easiest way to get to El Palenque is to take Eggert Road and turn right into the restaurant's parking lot on Niagara Falls Blvd. It is currently true that El Palenque beats all the other Mexican restaurants in the area. The chips and salsa that arrive when you sit down is very good. We were hungry, and so we ordered a cheese quesadilla to begin. The quesadilla arrived, covered with delicious tomato sauce. We each ordered fajita burritos, which were very delicious. We ended our meal with one order of sopapillas. With two soft drinks, and our coupon, our entire meal was only $22. We shall definitely return."

[CJK, 1/07] said: "4.5 stars out of 5. Note: They must have just recently opened, because there is no name on this former Denny's building. This place is just as good as, if not better than, some of the other chain Mexican restaurants when it comes to food quality. The veggie heads out there will be pleased to find a decent selection of vegetarian meals/combos. The menu just explodes with a wide range of variety of combo and dinner choices, and the prices are quite reasonable (for two people = $19.39 with soft drinks). I was told a take-away menu is in the process for next week. I went with the Jumbo Burrito, and my girlfriend had the spinach/veggie enchillada. The meals arrive at the table less than 15 minutes after ordering...not too shaby considering the place was busy. The nachos and salsa before the meal were fresh and delicious. The burrito was prepared with lettuce, cheese, and sour cream on top, along with a slice of tomato. The beef inside is seasoned just right and is not spicy at all, but they do have a bottle of the extremely spicy habanero hot sauce (made in Mexico) on the table, for the adventurous. The are not many negative things to say about El Palenque, and it is a worthwhile dining experience."

Panaro's.
571 Delaware Ave. (Allentown), Buffalo.
884-1033.

[LFo, 3/08] says: "My sister and I both had 3/24 off from school and were looking for a place to go to for lunch. I always wanted to go to Panaro's but haven't been there yet, since they are only open Mon-Fri from 11am-3pm. Finally, we had our chance. It was a small, cozy place, with a lot of the customers probably being regulars, as the waitress seemed to know who they were. We shared our meals and enjoyed both. We got the chicken parmesan sandwich on foccacia bread and a pizza with ricotta cheese and spinach. We didn't have to wait long for our meals, and the food was delicious. The chicken parm sandwich seemed to melt in your mouth. The crust on the pizza was very good. On the menu, it said that the dough was homemade. Both of us would definitely go back again. Of course, we had to get some homemade desserts to bring home to our parents. We all enjoyed the slice of cassata cake. We noticed a lot of customers getting a slice of cake, as well. My dad, sister, and myself really enjoyed the cream puff (which was huge), and my mom liked the cannoli. Prices were very reasonable, and they have take-out as well, which is another plus. I am sure that we will end up going back many times during the summer!"

Pancake House.
Arcade Center Farm, 7298 Route 98 (one mile north of Arcade, in Wyoming County).
585-492-3821.

[BL] says:
[5/07] "Update: Is always closed Easter weekend. It gets very busy during those Maple Syrup weekends but easy seating the rest of their breakfast season."

[2/05] "Great Breakfast! Pancake House is open each weekend in February-April (Saturdays and Sundays from 8 a.m.-2 p.m.) during maple-syrup season. Folks can enjoy the sweet taste of local maple syrup served with tender pancakes. All-you-can-eat pancakes, eggs, and sausage or ham (we prefer sausage) for $6.50. About $3.50-$4.00 if you prefer one-plate breakfast, but guarantee you will want more on the pancakes. Home fries are a side and good. Best pancakes we have eaten—as delicious as light, tasty crèpes we experienced in France—that good. Rustic and casual, simple setting, couples or families frequent the restaurant. The service is organized, friendly, and attentive. Building is near a stream where, as the snow melts, you see the return of spring. Take home the maple-walnut muffins—moist and delicious. The Center is seasonal, selling fruits and vegetables in the summer and apples, pies, and their cider in the fall. We discovered it last year and looked forward to this February. Nice ride in the country, too."

Pane's Restaurant.
984 Payne Ave., North Tonawanda. 692-7076.

[RFS, 1/97] says: "Good Italian and American food, nice decor, and family atmosphere. Owned by the people that own the Grapevine. There are some similarities in menu. Good food, soups, and lunches; however, I find the sauce to be a little acidic. Reasonable prices."

Panera Bread.
[a] 1593 Niagara Falls Blvd. (between Romney Rd. and Ridge Lea Rd.), Amherst. 836-6818.
8200 Transit Rd. (near Maple, in Lowe's Plaza), Williamsville. 636-4705.
5744 S. Transit Rd., Lockport. 433-6481.
3995 N. Buffalo Rd., Orchard Park. 667-2302.

Review of the Lockport location:
[WHN, 5/09] says: "My wife and I have recently eaten at the Panera Bread outlets on NF Blvd. and in Lockport, as well as while on a trip to the Hudson Valley. It's nice to have consistently good sandwiches, soups, and salads in a fast-food environment that offers something other than burgers and fries."

Reviews of the Niagara Falls Blvd. location (see also Lockport review):

[AFN, 3/09] says: "My sister and I had a late breakfast/early lunch at the Niagara Falls Blvd. location on Sunday. Their breakfast sandwich of eggs, sausage, and cheddar cheese on Ciabatta bread was delicious, and only $3.99."

[ABi, 1/06] said: "Panera is a quasi-fancy chain whose philosophy is that calling a sandwich Panini and putting grill marks on the bread means you can charge two dollars more for it. That's the impression I got from their Pepperblue Steak Sandwich that I gave a try for a recent dinner. It featured a fairly meager portion of Quiznos-quality sliced beef, along with the standard lettuce, tomato, and onions. The meat and toppings were OK, not great, and there weren't enough of them, rim shot. It was doused in what the menu deems bold Gorgonzola roasted red pepper sauce, which, in reality, basically made the sandwich slightly tastier and a good deal more sloppy. Packaging food prettily doesn't lend itself to good value; it was six bucks, and I could have eaten another and still been a little hungry. To be fair, said sandwich did come with a side item, namely a hunk of bread, French, in lieu of a more traditional potato dish. I don't think it's particularly good news when an unadorned piece of cooked dough is the best part of your meal, but it was; the crunchy exterior hugged a chewy soft core, the way it should be. They also sell bread on its own, although they didn't have in stock the Three Cheese variety I requested. In its place, I was offered bread featuring asiago cheese, the size which, in a fit of Starbucksesque pretension, is named a Demi. Normal people would call it a small loaf. While it tasted like a display case model, in fairness, I may have enjoyed my first choice better. I guess I would eat the sandwich again, although I wouldn't want to pay for it. The markup for equipping a restaurant featuring self-bussing tray service with a fireplace and naming menu items in Italian is unreasonable, particularly for what you get. I used a gift card Santa left in my stocking to pay for my purchase, and, if I hadn't, I might have felt irritated as I looked through my refrigerator for something more filling."

[WHN, 11/05] said: "Part of a national chain. My wife and I stopped here for lunch last Sunday. I had a smoked turkey sandwich on "three-cheese panini" bread, and she had a Tuscan chicken sandwich on rosemary and onion focaccia. Both were very good, for about $6 each, including a bag of chips. A soup and half-sandwich combo is about the same price. You wait in a quick-moving line to order your sandwiches, and receive a pager that notifies you when the food is ready. There's a separate line for ordering bread, bagels, pastries, etc. Similar to the Atlanta Bread Co., where I've eaten in Atlanta Airport, but not locally."

[JGM, 11/05] said: "I was glad to see Panera Bread had opened up here in Buffalo. It's a national chain, but it started out in my home town of St. Louis, and they've always had consistently good (but not great) sandwiches, soups, and pastries. The best thing, though, is that they have free Wi-Fi! For that reason alone, Panera Bread is often my office away from home when I'm traveling."

Reviews of the Williamsville location:

[9/08] I [Bill] had lunch at the Williamsville location. My initial reaction upon walking in was that this was merely a larger version of Bagel Jay's, with a larger menu. I had a Mediterranean Veggie Cafe Sandwich on tomato basil bread, with sweet peppers, feta, cucumbers, lettuce, tomatos, onions, and cilantro hummus. The bread was excellent; the filling was tasty; the sandwich was very messy to eat. I found the place somewhat confusing: It wasn't at all clear where to order, nor where to put our trays when we were finished. I might come back if I'm in the neighborhood, but generally I prefer Bagel Jay's for this kind of food.

[WHN, 1/06] said: "Same food, service and quality" as the Niagara Falls Blvd. location

Review of the Orchard Park location:

[AFN, 4/08] says: "A friend and I had lunch at the Orchard Park location on Friday, 4/4. The New England clam chowder and Caesar chicken sandwiches we had were very good. Panera's is a good place for a quick lunch while shopping."

Pano's Restaurant.
1081 Elmwood Ave. (between Allentown & Buff State), Buffalo.
886-9081.

[LMR, 6/09] says: "My first time at Pano's, and it won't be my last. Very good food, quick service, and the portions are huge. Almost everyone went home with leftovers. Decently priced, too. Got the soft shell crab, special dinner item that night, with an orange-chili dipping sauce and some stir-fried vegetables on the side. All done julienne-style, so the carrots were like noodles. They were fabulous, and you got four crabs: way too much, but so good I ate them all. It was $13.99 and a large risk getting these in Buffalo (only had soft shell crab in Florida), but it was a risk with good results. There were 6 of us and no complaints. Well, only one complaint, and that was the parking. Very limited, and most of us had to park around the block. So be prepared for that. However, we had a nice table downstairs by the windows, and, if the weather had been nicer, we could have the glass doors opened up to the street. What a nice dining experience to feel like you are eating outside. Restaurant is nicely decorated, very warm; also a plus: You can either dress up or dress down. The restaurant, like their menu, is so versatile that anything goes. Never been? Recommend you check it out."

[BMcWS, 1/09] said: "We've never been to Pano's, although we've heard of the controversy that surrounded its recent expansion. I read a review of it in Buffalo Spree, which prompted us to go. I heard from a friend that they do not take reservations and that it is often crowded, so we got there at about 4:40 on a Saturday. The restaurant was busy, but not completely full yet. We really liked the decor—very modern, warm, and inviting. You're given a menu in a plastic folder and also given a paper menu with additional entrees on one side and specials on another. They serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner all day, with a Greek leaning. Our son ordered chicken fingers and fries, which he liked. My husband ordered the gyro dinner, which has pitas and Greek salad on the plate and comes with choice of potato. He liked the gyro and salad very much. He chose mashed potatoes, which were actually smashed potato, since they had skin in them. They were not hot at all—completely room temp (but they tasted fabulous). He asked for gravy, and that came room temp also. My daughter ordered a chicken and pasta dinner from the paper dinner menu. On the menu, it described it as coming with chicken, several vegetables, feta, and goat cheese. She asked for it without vegetables. The pasta was penne, and the chicken had been marinated in a Greek marinade and had a nice taste. There was not a lot of cheese at all, so she wasn't bowled over. I ordered lobster mac and cheese. It was good but a slight disappointment. This wasn't lobster mac and cheese and was instead what I would call pasta with a cream sauce and some pieces of lobster. This was more creamy than cheesy. It also had some spinach and cherry tomatoes in it, but not as many as I would have expected. It was good, but not what I thought it would be (if you want good lobster mac and cheese go to Russell's). My daughter and I each got a salad with our dinners, and it was wonderful—all green, with cucumber, cherry tomato, green pepper, and red onion. The salad dressing comes to the table in a carafe, and it was very good (Greek). For dessert, we shared rice pudding (which was possibly the best we've ever had) and this fabulous hot chocolate called "Essential". It was a very thick and creamy hot chocolate—more a dessert than a drink. It tasted like melted chocolate mixed with cream, and it was wonderful. I would go back for that by itself."

[YO, 4/06] said: "Pano's is an excellent restaurant; they had nice decorations and also had movie lights connected to the fans, which looked good. I loved their chicken souvlaki dinner; it was very tasty—something I never tasted before. It was very crowded, which meant to me that people enjoyed the restaurant. Their service was great; the waiters were nice and patient with me as I looked all around the menu. They also helped pick a meal which they thought I would enjoy. They work very fast, and their food is cooked well done; they accept all credit cards (so if people don't have cash they're well). This restaurant is great, and I recommend it to anyone who is looking for a great place to eat and have a nice time."

[RB, 4/06] said: "Pano's is a nice restaurant. It was very clean, and the service was fast. Pano's is very crowded, so expect to wait a good 10 minutes for a table, but, when you're seated, the staff is very fast. The staff is nice; they explained the dishes to me, and they don't have a problem with substitutions. Since it's so close to Buffalo State College, there is a young crowd inside. I had the chicken souvlaki dinner, which was very good and filling (you'll end up taking some home), and the price was decent. The price was $10, and that's a good price to pay for a full meal, especially on a budget. Overall, it was a good experience."

[AB, 7/05] said: "Pano's is one of the best reasonably-priced, non-chain places in the area, with a great and diverse menu that goes way beyond typical Greek fare. It's almost always packed for weekend brunch, and they have a huge menu, on which everything is good. Every evening, they have dinner specials, with usually a few of the best dishes consistently appearing on it. The service is fast and friendly. The only negative experience I had turned into an example of Pano's's excellent customer service. One night they burned my boyfriend's meal and had to re-cook it, but didn't re-cook my meal. I told them mine tasted bad (it had been sitting under a heat lamp), and they generously comped not only our appetizer and my meal, but also two desserts. I can't say enough about this place: family-friendly, of consistent good quality, and a great overall value. I especially recommend going for brunch—the meals are delicious!"

[GB, 11/03] said: "Terrible. It used to be great when it was just the tiny spot down the street, but now the food isn't prepared as well, the portions are tiny, and the costs are through the roof. Expect to pay $14 for two skimpy open souvlakis—that does not include drinks or anything else. Read on...and they have forgotten how to make a closed souvlaki—I recently stumped the cooks and the manager (Pano's son)—it was the tiniest piece of pita bread, shaped more like a crescent moon—big enough to hold maybe a few pieces of lettuce—the meat was very scarce, and the feta cheese (for which they charge extra) was darn near non-existent. I was also surprised to find out that they don't make Texas hots any more—Pano's used to have his own "secret recipe", and the stuff was quite amazing. They don't even serve hot dogs. Overrated—Overpriced—Underachieving food—Service was slow."

[HPK, 11/03] said: "Very good traditional Greek food, better than "the dime a dozen" Greek places that are all over Western NY. Falafel sandwich was excellent. We all enjoyed our food. A little cold in the patio, but that should be expected this time of year."

[MEL, 4/98] said: "Another Greek-American diner (more American than Greek). Some people rave about this place. I like it OK but wouldn't go any further."

Papa Jake's Saloon.
1672 Elmwood Ave. (north of Buff State, near Great Arrow), Buffalo.
874-3878.

[JCr, 10/09] says: "This past Friday, 10/23, was my first visit to Papa Jake's, and it will most certainly not be my last. We had a party of 6, so we called ahead and made a 7:45 reservation. We arrived a few minutes early, to a busy bar area, ordered a round of drinks, and were seated promptly. Behind the bar, they have a nice selection of craft beer on tap, which is all reasonably priced. For our entrees, most ordered the fish fry, my brother-in-law ordered the meatloaf sandwich and fresh cut French fries, and I chose a single order of chicken wings hot and an order of French fries. Everyone who ordered the fish fry was very pleased with their choice, and having tried a few bites of my wife's order, I would concur this was a great piece of fish, cooked about as good as you can cook a fish fry. My brother-in-law enjoyed his meatloaf sandwich, as well. It arrived topped with a very tasty barbeque sauce, sautéed onions, and perhaps provolone cheese. This is a huge sandwich, which he ate about half of, and saved the other half for later. I did try this as well, and it will most certainly be what I order on my next visit. For my meal, the chicken wings were plump, juicy, and hot, and the fresh cut French fries lived up to the hype and were among the best I have ever had. These can be ordered plain, with gravy, or loaded. Food-wise, everyone was completely satisfied. Service was good, we never had to wait for a refill, we did not have to wait too long for our food, and it didn't come so fast that you feel you're being rushed along. Price-wise, everything was extremely reasonable; the cost came to $23 per person after tip, with everyone ordering an entree and a couple drinks each. Ambience-wise, the restaurant appeared to be clean; we had no issues with a sticky floor or dirty table, as noted in a past review. The men's bathroom was clean and appeared to be recently updated. Noise-wise, it was not as quiet as a library, but certainly not too loud where you would have to shout to one another to communicate. Overall, a great experience, and I regret not visiting sooner, as this will certainly become a regular establishment for us to visit."

[LMR, 7/09] said: "Went for the first time on Friday, July 3rd. Sadly, I was disappointed. Having never been, I was very excited to go, as I had heard great things about this bar/restaurant. Upon entry, it's a quaint, small, local bar, which was packed with people. So you naturally take that as a good sign. There was a bit of a wait, but not too long. Got some good drinks from the bar. Then we were seated outside. Which was nice, but very loud with the cars and fire engines, but it was just great to eat outside, something you don't do often in Buffalo, so I didn't mind too much. Then came our waitress, and it was downhill from there. Came over as soon as we sat down, so she started off well; then we didn't see her for a while. When she finally came back, she took our orders and left. Ordered breaded fish fry with crab macaroni and their famous French fries, and boyfriend ordered the meatloaf sandwich with side of steak-cut onion rings. Food took a bit too long, but finally arrived. Our waitress brought over napkins and one steak knife. Then came back with the bus boy and gave us our plates, but no silverware. She bolted, and the bus boy asked if we needed anything. We said silverware, and I wanted Frank's hot sauce for my fries. Got the silverware, but no hot sauce. My fish fry, though good in size, was on the ‘fishy’ side, not very fresh tasting. The crab macaroni, which a side dish of it was over $3, so I figured it had to be outstanding, was nothing. I could have made this at home for less. Noodles, celery, and imitation crab. Boring! French fries, however, were the saving grace and very good—real fries with the skins on. Meatloaf sandwich was also not so great. Guess that's why they slapped on so much BBQ sauce, smothered onions, and melted cheese, but the meatloaf itself was ‘mushy’, said the boyfriend, and all I could taste were bread crumbs. And what happened to those steak-cut onion rings? Well, they must have been tiny steaks, ’cause these looked just like the frozen, skinny onion rings you get out of a bag. Very disappointing indeed! So, sadly, not the great meal I imagined or had heard about; maybe it was an off night or they were too busy to really impress. Therefore, I was not impressed and more than likely will not be going back!"

[RML, 6/09] said: "A friend and I went to Papa Jake's on Sunday (6/28/09). As we walked in, it was dark; our feet stuck to the floor. The seating has several tables here and there, and several booths, also an outdoor patio. The patio was dirty and loud, so we sat inside. The table was sticky, the place smelled, the music was blaring, they had a huge TV screen with sports on, and several men at the bar high fiving and screaming at each other. We ended up taking a table where I had a view of the men's room. We asked for the seafood platter, were told it was only served on Fridays; asked for the mussels scampi, were told ‘we are out of mussels’. My friend asked if we could have scallop scampi and calamari. The calamari were overdone and greasy; the scallops were good but bland. We had to ask for a knife, bread, and water. We could barely hear each other. This is more of a frat-boy place than a great dining experience."

[KJR, 3/09] said: "A casual restaurant/bar open for lunch and dinner 7 days a week. I eat here frequently and find the service always efficient and the staff friendly and attentive. They carry a wide variety of beer on tap (offerings from Long Trail, Sam Adams, Guinness, and our local Flying Bison Brewery). The reasonably priced menu includes better-than-average Buffalo pub fare, homemade soups (the French onion is excellent), fresh salads, great hot sandwiches on thick French bread (the meatloaf sandwich is enough for at least 2 meals!), and several entrees including nightly specials. Fresh clams, oysters, mussels, and crab are available daily. The Friday seafood offerings include huge filet of fish, shrimp, and scallops, fried or broiled, and served with award-winning hand-cut fries and potato or crab-macaroni salad. Fridays can be quite busy (especially during Lent), so you'd be advised to arrive early or be prepared to enjoy a frosty brew before being seated. The noise level can be high during busy hours and also during Sabres and Bills games (which are shown on two, large, flat-screen TVs behind the bar). Overall, a great place to enjoy a casual night out."

[] Papaya Café.
118 W. Chippewa St. (downtown, in the Hampton Inn), Buffalo. 856-2444.

[4/05] Given 3½ (out of 4) stars by Janice Okun, Buffalo News restaurant reviewer.

Pan-Asian. (Not related to a now-defunct Papaya formerly on Hodge St.) Same owners as Saigon Café and the late, lamented Tsunami (and a worthy replacement for it).

[MA, 8/08] says: "July 08: Went to Papaya before Wicked on a Thursday in July with a friend. We were able to get a table outside, which was nice. It went downhill from there. With the exception of the plates for our main course, all the silverware and appetizer plates arrived dirty. They had to replace my fork and knife three times (they were rolled up in a napkin and just kept coming unclean). I order a Thai noodle dish; my friend ordered the chicken tandoori. His meal was very bland. I think it was the blandest meal I've ever tasted. The base was coconut milk with no spices. Mine was OK: a bit bland and had very little sauce. I love to eat and rarely leave anything behind ;-), but I got so bored with this meal, then I didn't end up finishing it. I've been here twice before (in Feb 06 and in 2007) and loved my meal both times. The food quality has sharply declined since then. I don't consider myself to be fussy and really like most meals, but this meal was a complete disappoint[ment]. There are too many good restaurants in Buffalo to waste time at the bad ones—I won't be going here again."

[AJD, 3/08] said: "My wife and I went to Papaya on Chippewa this past Friday evening. We have been there before, but not for several months. The dinner and service were excellent. The wine list is not extensive but has a good variety at reasonable (restaurant) prices. We started by sharing the Thai calamari appetizer. The portion size was perfect for two to share. The calamari were done perfectly, and the dipping sauce was a nice combination of sweet and spicy. My wife had the fish special. The fish was nicely done, and the sauce again was a perfect match. Only slightly negative thing about the evening was that the portion size of this dish was smallish. I had the Tropical Prawns with roasted eggplant in a spicy cashew sauce. Outstanding is all I have to say. The eggplant and prawns were cooked properly, and the sauce was delicious. The waitress was very friendly and helpful, and added to the experience. We dine out very often, and this night was one of the better ones. We cannot wait to go back."

[1/07] This is my [Bill's] step-daughter and son-in-law's favorite restaurant; they rave over it. And now I know why: [MER] and I ate here for the first time [1/07]. She began with the chicken pot stickers, which were so tasty that she refused to let me taste them (which would have deprived herself of whatever I tasted :-). However, my Har Cao (steamed shrimp dumplings) must have been equally good—melt-in-your-mouth good, in fact. [MER] had the Chicken Pad Thai, which she enjoyed despite what she described as a slightly fishy taste. I suspect her taste buds might have been fooled by the odor of the fish that I was eating, namely Sake Miso Butter Fish in soy syrup and wasabi oil, accompanied by 3 sweet rice rolls (which did seem to be on the fishy side, but maybe I just don't like sweet rice), crispy asparagus, and mushrooms. The butter fish was as tender as, well, butter. For dessert, our server told us that we could either go next door to The Chocolate Bar or have one of Papaya's desserts made by Butterwood Gourmet Desserts (who also run The Chocolate Bar). We opted for their white chocolate mango coconut "bome" (did they mean "bombe"?) and were glad we did: a white chocolate mousse on the bottom, with a mango mousse on top, flavored ever so slightly with coconut. Next summer, we're thinking of filling our swimming pool with it and diving in, it was that good. I also want to say a word about the excellent service. The hostess (Maria) was our principal server, but the serving seems to be shared by the staff: Whenever the meals are ready, a server (not necessarily "our" server) immediately brought them out, and whichever server happened to pass by our table when it needed bussing did the bussing—a very efficient operation.

[SMD, 4/06] said: "My sister and I went here for lunch the other day. I would give this restaurant high marks all around. The waitstaff was very knowledgeable and friendly, the food was delicious and of high quality, and the atmosphere made us feel like we were in Toronto or NYC, but the prices were just right for Buffalo. Very reasonable! For starters, we ordered the summer rolls and dumplings. Both were delicious! Our entrees included: chicken pad thai and panang curry with shrimp. All of the food was right on the money in both taste and presentation. They also offer either brown or white rice with the entrees, depending on your taste. I can't say enough good things about Papaya and can't wait to return. Our server advised that they are usually quite busy during the dinner hour and have a more expanded menu than what is available for lunch. Nice wine list and desserts available."

[BA, 11/05] said: "Thanks for your website, a recent discovery. I have been travelling to Buffalo regularly over the last six years, and appreciate the information imparted from you and your fellow Buffalonians. The downtown area does not lack for restaurants a cut above the local diner, but Papaya is different and attractive for many reasons. The whole fusion thing provides something for just about everyone. Each dish is prepared well and as requested, tastes great, looks wonderful on the plate, and stimulates sharing. The fresh fish always receive accolades, even from the heavily meat and potato crowds I am often with. The shellfish is properly cooked, never overcooked. And, the Asian treatments—fish, fowl, or pasta—all work well. The pasta dishes are all very flavorful. Service is prompt, thoughtful, and knowledgeable, particularly as regards their wine list. Desserts are fine, whether brought in or created on the premises. Just want to emphasize the service. Very friendly, yet not obtrusive, responsive to all questions, impart enough information about the specials first time out, and really have the set up, plate removal, and hospitality thing down pat. The bar is also commendable—knowledgeable, friendly barkeeps."

[CA, 11/05] said: "This place gets a full board of stars on all counts. Walking in, the atmosphere was sultry and smooth. We sat at the bar for a few drinks—great martinis and an experimental bartender. We had the Calamari and Spring Rolls for a first course—hands down, the calamari was the best I have ever had. Huge, tender pieces, lightly fried, and dipping sauce so good (an Asian fusion sweet and tangy sauce) that we asked for some to be served with dinner. The Spring Rolls were also very good. For our main meal, we had a marlin and a seafood thai basil. The marlin was good; the Thai Basil Seafood was incredible. It was super spicy, mixed with vegetables and large pieces of fresh seafood. I like to try new things, and would love to try the rest of the menu, but this dish was so tasty, I would not only go "destination eating" for it, but I wouldn't be swayed to not get it. It was that good. For dessert, we tried the crème brulée. I am not a crème brulée fan, but this one was banana flavored. I would order that again as well. The service was phenomenal, from the bartender to the waitress (who made excellent suggestions and wine pairings). Would definitely recommend this restaurant not only for something new, but for some of the best food you might ever have."

[HPK, 9/05] said: "Located at the new Hampton Inn downtown, I went there the other day for lunch. My friend whom I was going with said to me, "It's a new Thai restaurant." I have never been to a Thai restaurant like this. I would call it "New Age Fusion Thai, Thai Food." The food was delicious and very reasonable price for such quality at lunch time. I had something called Fiery Udon Noodles with Shrimp. This was not Udon soup but rather their own creation that is worth a try. I highly suggest this restaurant."

[PGL, 4/05] said: "There's a new Asian fusion restaurant downtown that opened 2 weeks ago. The place is really good and is quite authentic. It somehow made me forget I was in Buffalo."

[m] Parkside Candy Co.
3208 Main St. (at Winspear, west of UB Main St. Campus), Buffalo. 833-7540.

Ice cream, (homemade) candy, good sandwiches. A fantastic interior.

[AJ, 9/03] says: "Being new to the area, we love reading about places with fantastic architecture, and Buffalo is full of such places. But not only does Parkside Candy have incredible eye appeal, we indulged in the best Strawberry Cheesecake Milkshakes you can imagine; the sandwich menu was cheap, with some big sandwiches served with a ton of fresh potato chips for $3.75. I give it 2 stars!"

Pasquale's.
3720 Seneca St., W. Seneca.
674-0123.

[JJa, 8/09] says: "Given that there are 3 Pasquale's locations in Erie County (West Seneca, East Aurora, and Derby), I was surprised to find no review here. Glad to be the first for the newest restaurant, Pasquale's in West Seneca. It is on the site of the former Leghorn BBQ chicken restaurant. There is a small waiting area when you enter. A newly designed, full-service bar in the back room is shared with 3 booths. The large dining room features booths and tables. Menu features pretty standard Italian fare. Sauce is thick and tasty. I've dined here several times, and I've done take-out. Take out has a convenient, separate entrance and reserved parking spaces. On this week's visit, my sister, her 10-year-old granddaughter, and I dined on a too-hot-to-cook evening. 10-year-old always orders pizza, double cheese. This night I wanted an icy salad, and the Caesar was my choice. It is large and very well made. I followed my salad with an order of fried calamari with marinara sauce to dip. My sister ordered a garden salad and also had an appetizer to follow, the Buffalo Shrimp. They were very large and well coated with a good-but-not-Frank's hot sauce with requisite side of bleu cheese. Too tepid for me, but I like hot wings! Of course, the adults nibbled at the pizza as well as sharing tastes of the apps. Pizza has good crust, again, good sauce, and, yes, there was plenty of gooey cheese. Service was friendly and fine. I appreciated the touch of adding a small container of sauce in the carton with my leftover calamari. No room for dessert this time. Guess we'll have to go back."

Pautler's Drive-In.
6343 Transit Rd., E. Amherst.
688-6463.

Under new management; see BMcWS's 4/09 review below.

[BMcWS] says:

[4/09] "I sound like the area Pautler's expert, since this is an updated review of this long-standing area favorite, which I reviewed 2 years ago. Under new management yet again (this time owned by two local families), we decided to give Pautler's another try on a cold spring night. It was bustling and busy. The menu has been downsized. There aren't as many choices, but the old standards are there—fries, burgers, hot dogs, ice cream, and some specials. On the night we went, I had a chicken sandwich from the specials board. I expected a chicken breast, but it came with chunks of chicken on the roll (hard to eat, since they kept rolling out) that had been marinated in souvlaki sauce. Also on the bun were big pieces of onion, spinach, and cheese. I had to go up and ask for some mayo to liven it up, and it needed salt and pepper. too, but it was OK. Two family members had hot dogs, and those got a thumbs up. I'm sorry to report that the new owners must have borrowed the old owners' burger recipe! It's still bad. There is clearly onion in it (or maybe some kind of seasoning that tastes like onion, but what kid wants an onion-flavored burger???), and ours was burnt on the outside (so much so that it was crispy) and not good on the inside. That went uneaten, because none of us could stomach it. The curly-Q fries were good. We stopped back later in the evening for ice cream. They have soft serve and Perry's hard ice cream. We sampled both, and it was all excellent. Both the hot fudge and the butterscotch sauce were wonderful. The service was fine—regular counter service. The restaurant is still too loud inside to make it relaxing in any way."

[Of its previous incarnations, BMcWS said …]
[8/07] "Pautler's has changed hands many times over the years. Its latest incarnation is just about the same as it was in the past. This is a great place to go for a hot dog and ice cream. On our most recent visit, we had hot dogs (always good), curly fries (excellent), and sweet potato fries (some of the best in the area, since they are actually crispy and not mushy). My son's hamburger was a big, big thumbs down. They clearly mix onions into the hamburger meat. He didn't like it at all, and we all thought it tasted (and smelled) funny. I don't know why you would think you should do this to hamburgers at a standard burger joint where you're going to get lots of kids. I tried a special of the day—a turkey melt that included bacon and cheddar on rye with mayo. This desperately could have used some nice ripe tomatoes and maybe some Russian dressing instead of mayo. It was bland. The ice cream is good as always. They've added a nice wooden deck on the side. Decor inside is minimal but clean and cute. Because of the design of the building, it is always very loud inside and impossible to hear."

… and other reviewers said …

[KG, 10/96] says: "It's a bit over-priced but it is a neat atmosphere."

[RM] says:

[6/96] "I have visited Pautler's a fair number of times during this Little League season. As always, a fun place to take the family after a ball game. Their hot dogs and fries seem to hit the spot. They have some new items on their menu for the adults watching what they eat. I have had some of their salad and chicken items and was more than satisfied in terms of my expectations from a hot dog and ice cream place. Quite enjoyable if your expectations are in line."

[5/95] "Nice place to go with the kids for a hot dog and/or ice cream after a baseball or soccer game."

Pearl St. Grill & Brewery
76 Pearl St. (downtown), Buffalo.
856-2337.

[AAB, 7/09] says: "I went to this restaurant this last weekend with a friend. On a Friday night, this place is packed with a lot of people drinking beer. I was a little sad that I was not able to drink any this time around, as I like places that brew their own, but my friend had some and seemed pleased with it. I had a beef and barley soup that was a little thick, but still good, and a pulled pork sandwich that was incredible. The pork was tender, and the BBQ sauce with it was plentiful and rich; they were not stingy with their sauce. It went perfectly with its onion roll and the home-made chips. They also had some very good coffee. The meal was good enough to put me in a good mood after the bad treatment I received from both of the hostesses. The Pearl St. Grill is not a place for the handicapped to go and enjoy a good meal. They have one handicapped-accessible entrance, which is locked. It leads to a platform that you can not get off of to use the facilities if you are handicapped, because there are stairs that connect it to the rest of the restaurant. But, since the designated handicapped area is locked and roped off with caution tape, it doesn't matter. I negotiated myself up the stair at the regular entrance, and we were told it was a 45-minute wait, which seemed perfectly reasonable, given the massive crowds, although I could see many empty booths and tables. There is no place to sit to wait. As we waited, friends of the hostess came in, did not get told to wait, and were seated prior to everyone else in line. I waited, standing, increasingly in pain, until I asked how much longer our wait was to be. I indicated that I was needing to sit down because of my cane. The woman behind the counter angrily told me she would seat me ‘whenever’. So I found some stairs that went to another level and sat on those, waiting basically on the floor. Finally, a hostess came to seat us, and we went way in the back and up to another platform. I asked, pointing to an empty booth on the ground floor, if we could sit there instead. She told me it was ‘reserved’ and smiled at me sweetly as I took my painful time getting up the stairs to the platform. I was unable to use the facilities all evening, because it was too painful a prospect to go up and down them again. For most of our meal, that booth remained empty. When it was filled, it was filled with people carrying drinks; they had been waiting at the bar. If you are able-bodied, you are welcome at this restaurant. If you are not, they send a message loud and clear that your business is not welcome."

[LCo, 2/08] said: "I tried the Portabella Steak Fries appetizer at Pearl Street. It's a portabella mushroom cap that is sliced, breaded, fried, and served with a side of marinara sauce. They taste great, and the mushrooms aren't too watery, as other fried mushrooms sometimes are. I've also had the Onion Rings that come with a side of "Lake Effect Mustard". Not to ruin the surprise, but the "Lake Effect" is horseradish. They're pretty tasty, and the portion is huge. The food at Pearl Street is a little expensive if you're just looking for traditional pub or bar food, but for a classy twist on fried mushrooms and slightly-less standard dipping sauces, it might be worth it."

[LC, 4/06] said: "Thirty-seven dollars, after tax and 20% tip, for lunch. Lunch. My friend had soup, chicken grilled salad, and coffee. I had the onion rings, grilled chicken sandwich, and two club sodas. Our bill was $31.50. If we each had had a beer, the bill would have pushed forty before tip. I hate restaurants like these, because they cheat you on everything they can. My sandwich had one measly tomato and leaf of spinch, and the chicken was no thick boneless breast. Most places would have at least piled high the tomatoes and spinach and served a thicker chicken breast. The cole slaw? One of those chintzy plastic cups that wasn't even filled. (It was awful, too.) Even the mints are bite-sized. The mints! So I know the kitchen has probably been ordered to cut every corner possible. Go there, if you want to pay 40 bucks for a lame lunch."

[MEL, 4/98] said: "A downtown microbrewery with the usual assortment of unusual beers and pub food. However, the food is somewhat better (and a better value) than most places of its ilk. I especially liked the pub fries, good thick French fries drowned in cheese and bacon."

Peking Garden.
3666 Delaware Ave. (north of Sheridan Dr.), Kenmore.
873-0293, 0390.

[SZ, 1/07] says: "I just found an excellent local Chinese restaurant and would like to share this information with those who are interested in Chinese food. The restaurant is called "Peking Garden" but is actually Canton-styled. They serve two types of food: authentic Chinese food and American-Chinese food. Be sure to mention which type you prefer so that you get the right menu. The best food they have is their dim sum, which I believe is comparable to any top restaurant in China."

[JTH, 5/06] says: "This is a composite review after about two years of patronage. This family-run restaurant's main business is take-out, so the eat-in ambience is minimal, although they are trying very hard to spruce things up. It's a one-man show by the owner-chef. We were skeptical when they decided to offer dim sum at lunch on weekends, and indeed things started shakily. The chef was clearly learning on the job and improvising, service was slow, and they even gave us plastic utensils! Since then, there have been gradual and substantial improvements on all fronts. Don't expect Toronto or LA standards, but this is really the only decent dim sum place in town. Apart from dim sum, it is not advisable to drop in to have an impromptu meal. On the other hand, we have had several perfectly acceptable dinners by informing them at least a day ahead about the size of our party and an approximate budget, and asking them to whip up something. On a wintry night, you do have to ask them to turn up the heat!"

[JG&LG, 3/06] says: "Peking Garden on Delaware Avenue in Kenmore may have good food, but I didn't get a chance to eat it when I went to the restaurant. It's sort of a glorified takeout joint with cafeteria lighting and is not a welcoming place to sit down. When I went with friends recently on a weeknight at 6:00 P.M., there was no one in the place, and we soon found out why—the restaurant was freezing cold. Someone came out from the kitchen, and she had a coat on! I don't mind an informal, funky place, but, although this place might be better with heat, it's not a place to hang out with friends comfortably."

[YYK] says:

[2/06] "When I was at the Peking Garden the last time, I overheard someone ask if the Peking Garden was Malaysian. I did do a review piece on it a few months ago, and I just accessed your website again and saw that the Peking Garden was listed under Malaysian. The Peking Garden is not Malaysian. However, there are no Malaysian restaurants around WNY that I know of. I've searched the Internet for a long time trying to come up with something that's on this side of the border, and within an hour's driving. The closest ones are in Toronto and New York City, which I go to whenever I'm in town. I reviewed the Peking Garden's Hong Kong Chow Mei Fun because it's the same thing that you can get in Malaysia, for the sake of Malaysian students or interested folks. That's why I wrote: "Unfortunately, there's no Malaysian restaurant around here unless you want to go to Toronto, so when I find anything that can pass as Malaysian, I intend to share it." I apologize if that led you to believe the Peking Garden is Malaysian. Other than that one dish that I can pass off as Malaysian, I have yet to find another Malaysian dish around here."

[10/05] "I have been going to the Peking Garden since over a year ago. I have also been sampling their dim-sum on weekends since they first started making them. I have to say that the dim-sum is getting better, a major improvement from when they first started. Some items on the menu are very good; some, like the 'cheong fun' need improvement. Customers need to pick and choose through trial and error. One thing great about this place is that they make everything in-house. Nothing is frozen and reheated for consumption. The owners are always friendly and very generous, and if you go during the weekends, the grandmother of the family will chat you up. In general, food is good here. I have brought many friends to the Peking Garden, and so far, I haven't heard any complaints from my friends. The whole point of this review is to tell you how much I enjoyed their "Hong Kong chow mei fun". I haven't had good "chow mei fun" since I left Malaysia years ago, and during my last visit to Peking Garden, their "chow mei fun" really hit the spot. It's as good as any "chow mei fun" you can get at any good hawker center in Malaysia. The texture is just right, and the flavors were combined very nicely. My guest and I had a blast eating it with chili sauce, Malaysian style. I realize that many people are ethnocentric when it comes to food. I'm not any different. I love Malaysian food, and having been gone for about close to 9 years, I look everywhere for food that resembles food at home. Unfortunately, there's no Malaysian restaurant around here unless you want to go to Toronto, so when I find anything that can pass as Malaysian, I intend to share it."

Peller Estates Winery Restaurant.
290 John St. East, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON, CANADA.
888-673-5537.

Winery restaurant.

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

[WHN] says:

[12/08] "It may sound redundant, but we had yet another extraordinary "Signature Tasting Menu" dinner at Peller on Thursday night. The amuse bouche was a tiny raw oyster. The first course was black-pepper-seared tuna with tuna tartare, accompanied by a merlot. My wife won't eat raw fish or seafood, so they substituted a grape tomato on cheesy toast for my oyster, and wild boar sausage with fennel roasted pear for the tuna. The next course was pear and Riesling soup with horseradish creme fraiche. The accompanying wine was an off-dry Muscat. The salad was watercress topped by a rosé poached egg, with elk bresaola and aged sheep's milk cheese. Unlike on a previous visit, the watercress had most of the stems removed, so the salad was very good. The accompanying wine was gamay noir. This was followed by black truffle linguini with lobster in a cream sauce, paired with "sur lie" chardonnay. We had this on a previous visit and recommend it highly. It's also on their regular menu, as are many of the other courses from the tasting menu. The intermezzo frost was raspberry ice. The main course was veal tenderloin, wrapped in veal bacon, with root vegetables, and accompanied by a different merlot. The cheese course was a bleu, infused with icewine, broiled like brulee, and placed atop a toasted brioche slice. This was accompanied by a sweet, Champagne-style "Rose Ice Cuvee". The dessert course was cherry and apple crumble, with maple ice cream and cardamom creme anglaise. This was served with a vidal icewine. Finally, with coffee, the post-dessert was chocolate-covered raisins. This was a totally unique experience in that we were the only people in the rather large restaurant. We've never seen anything like that before, even on a weekday in winter. We were somewhat amazed that they would stay open for just two people. Our server said she had been at Peller for 5-1/2 years and had experienced only one other evening when only two people dined. We asked what they would do if no one came, and she said that they would probably stay open till 8:30 in case someone came in without reservations. Even under those circumstances, we were never rushed, and had a very enjoyable meal, with excellent service. Oh, yes...the US$ is up vs. the C$, so the price in US$ is about 25% less than last spring. They also offer a smaller tasting menu now, with 6 courses instead of 8, for C$115 with wine or $C80 without, vs. C$140 with wine and C$105 without, for the 8-course "Signature Tasting Menu"."

[6/08] "Last weekend, we had another extraordinary "Signature Tasting Menu" dinner at Peller. The amuse bouche was chilled strawberry soup. The first course was seared foie gras with a rhubarb-and-goat-cheese tart, accompanied by Cabernet Franc Icewine, somewhat like Port. The next course was carrot and Riesling soup with prosciutto-wrapped flounder and fresh fava beans. The accompanying wine was a dry Riesling. The salad was asparagus topped by a rosé poached egg, with duck prosciutto and chevre noir, with verjus dressing (made from unripened green grapes). The wine was pinot gris. This was followed by black truffle linguini with lobster in a cream sauce, paired with "sur lie" Chardonnay. The intermezzo or frost was a strawberry ice. The main course was mustard-and-chervil-crusted lamb chop, with cabernet franc as the wine. The cheese course was Benedictine Bleu, made in Quebec by the monks of that order, then infused with icewine at Peller. This was accompanied by a sweet, Champagne-style "Ice Cuvee". The pre-dessert was a lemon custard, similar to creme caramel, but without the crust. The dessert course was a chocolate pear mousse with a grilled pear and heart nuts, which I've never heard of, but which were very flavorful. This was served with an oak-aged icewine. Finally, with coffee, the post-dessert was a powdered-chocolate covered marshmallow, made in-house by the pastry chef. Beside the delicious food, we are always amazed by the knowledge of the staff—not just the servers, but also the bus staff—who seem to know every detail about both the food and the wines. Peller must spend a great deal of time educating their staff. Once again, worthy of the highest possible rating on anybody's rating scale."

[1/08] "We had an extraordinary "Signature Tasting" menu over the weekend (Saturday, 1/5/08) at Peller Estates. The complimentary amuse bouche was a small piece of veal topped with Gruyere, served on a toasted baguette slice. The first course was foie gras and artichoke "cheese cake". Then a white bean soup, with pork belly and black truffle tortellini. As a fish course: pecan crusted monkfish, with lobster knuckles (I didn't know lobsters had knuckles, but I think it is the meat from the joints of the claws) with black truffle linguini. For the frost, blackberry ice, followed by duck breast with a rolled medley of potato, parsnip, and cauliflower. For the main course, roasted elk, topped by a scallop, served on a cheddar, truffle, and zucchini croustade. This was followed by a cheese course of a soft goat cheese from Quebec called Bouquetin, with a fresh fig and walnuts. For the penultimate course, a pre-dessert of coconut cream, something like creme brulee without the crusty top. Finally, for dessert: brown sugar Bavarian cream, with black currant compote, and a pecan with a spun sugar "tail", for lack of a better word. Each course was accompanied by a Peller wine chosen to match the respective food. The meal was one of the best we have ever enjoyed anywhere. Neither my descriptions, nor those on Peller's menu, do justice to the complexity of the flavors and the excellence of the meal. I have been privileged to dine at some great restaurants, and would rate Peller's food and wine, service, and the overall dining experience on a par with Gary Danko in San Francisco and Charlie Trotter's in Chicago, to name two."

[5/07] "Over Memorial Day weekend, my wife and I revisited Peller with the intention of having another "Tastings Menu" dinner. Unfortunately, several items on the menu were foods we didn't care for: duck and squab carpaccio (eating raw poultry doesn't appeal to either of us), chilled green pea and something soup (I don't care for chilled soups), and pickled perch (reminded me of pickled herring, which I don't care for). Also, the price has gone up about 40% since our last visit, to C$140 with Peller Estates wine accompaniments, but now includes 7 courses vs. 5 courses previously—a 40% increase in the number of courses, so it's proportionally the same price. So, we passed up the "Tastings Menu" and opted to order from the à la carte menu instead. For C$35, the sommelier will choose wines paired to the menu choices, so we chose that, also. After an amuse bouche of a raw oyster in a tarragon cream sauce (I had two, since my wife won't eat anything raw), I had fois gras and wild game terrine, with cabernet franc ice wine; my wife had chilled lobster salad, accompanied by sparkling ice wine; next, we both had locally-made prosciutto with asparagus and greens, along with a dry Riesling. My wife didn't like the greens, which were watercress, which she found to be too bitter and "stemmy". (The stems had not been removed.) The waitress noticed she hadn't eaten the watercress and said she would have the price deducted from our bill, which she did—including mine, although I hadn't complained and ate most of the watercress. For main courses, my wife chose flame-roasted duck breast, and I had saddle of rabbit, wrapped in bacon. Both were accompanied by spring vegetables. Mine also included potatoes Anna, and my wife's included spring rolls. The accompanying wines were Cabernet Sauvignon with her duck, and gamay noir with my rabbit. Instead of dessert, we had a three-cheese course—Ermite bleu and both a hard and a soft goat cheese, all from Quebec. They were excellent and were accompanied by a semi-dry Riesling and a Chardonnay. The service was exceptional, with the waitress explaining in detail menu items that we had questions about and offering her opinions on which dishes she would recommend and why. Peller obviously spends a lot of time training its staff. Definitely worthy of 3 stars."

[1/06] "During the Christmas—New Year's holiday season, we enjoyed another extraordinary "Tasting Menu" dinner (C$99 including wines; C$74 without wines) at Peller Estates. We were seated immediately, in front of the fireplace, when we arrived for our 7:30 reservation. The "amuse-bouche" was scallop ceviche. The first course was seared foie gras over an apple and cheddar tart, accompanied by Chardonnay ice wine. The soup course was smoked salmon bisque with an unfiltered "sur-lie" Chardonnay. The fish course was skate wing over lobster and salt cod brandade, with a Basque-style sauce. The accompanying wine was an off-dry Muscat. After the "frost", the main course was sauteed duck breast, accompanied by Merlot. Dessert was chocolate raspberry mousse, accompanied by Cabernet Franc ice wine. The service was perfectly paced and impeccable, as we have learned is the standard when dining at Peller."

[10/05] "Although we're not Canadian, for the last three years we have celebrated Canadian Thanksgiving, along with our Columbus Day holiday, by spending part of the weekend in Canada. Peller rates as our absolute favorite restaurant in the Western NY/Southern Ontario area. Visiting Montreal, Quebec City, and elsewhere over the last several years, we've enjoyed a number of "prix fixe" and "tasting menu" dinners, and, while most ranged from very good to extraordinary, nothing can beat Peller Estates' C$99 five-course menu, which includes a glass of wine from Peller's winery with each course. We have had their "tasting menu" three or four times, and have ordered from the à la carte menu at least three times. Janice Okun's 3 1/2-star rating is well-deserved. We would give it four stars. This time, our five-course meal consisted of smoked trout on greens accompanied by a dry Riesling; seared Quebec foie gras over corn bisque accompanied by Chardonnay; squab "coq au vin" accompanied by Baco Noir; duck-leg confit accompanied by Merlot; and a blueberry Napoleon accompanied by Vidal ice wine. The meal starts with an amuse-bouche—"a gift from the chef", with a "palette-cleansing" sorbet before the main course. Individual courses are not large, but collectively they should be more than enough for most people, and the wines are poured generously. Our waitress said she personally preferred a red wine with the dessert and served both the white ice wine and a Port-like red ice wine for comparison. We agreed with her choice of the red. For those who don't want the tasting-menu selections, there is a wider range of choices on the regular menu, with main courses starting from about C$30. It's expensive, but well worth the money for a special occasion. (I don't understand why more Buffalo-area restaurants don't offer tasting menus. The only ones that do, as far as I know, are Rue Franklin and Fiddle Heads, and those are not available on weekends)."

[AFN, 5/08] said: "My niece took her mother (my sister), her mother-in-law, and me to lunch at Peller on Saturday 5/10 to celebrate Mother's Day. We all had the 3-course tasting menu, starting with perch saltimbocca over an endive salad. The prosciutto and sage added an unexpected flavor element to the fish that was delicious! For the main course, I had a small rib steak, served with cocoa bean spaetzle, and artichoke and truffle cèpes. My sister had Moroccan-style lamb shank with couscous. The others had fennel-crusted salmon with risotto. We each had a taste of each other's main courses and agreed all were excellent. About ten different desserts were offered. I chose a "brownie trio". My sister had pear terrine with a sliced fresh pear. My niece had chocolate chevre cheesecake, while her mother-in-law had a pumpkin souffle. We all agreed that Peller was an excellent choice."

[ALS, 7/01] tells me that this is one of the best restaurants he's been in; better than Hillebrand's.

Peninsula Ridge Winery Restaurant.
5600 King St. W., Beamsville (between Niagara-on-the-Lake and Grimsby), ON, CANADA.
905-563-0900.

French.

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

[WHN, 8/06] says: "On our way to Toronto, my wife and I stopped for lunch at Peninsula Ridge. In addition to an a la carte menu, they offer a three course "Prix Fixe" lunch, which includes appetizer, main course, and a choice of cheese or dessert for C$35. We both had a mixed green salad with goat cheese, and pasta with shrimp, olives, sundried tomatoes, and feta cheese. For dessert, a peach tart with fresh peaches and cream. Everything was excellent, including the service. The hostess, who said she is Australian, was very friendly and personable. With a glass of wine each and coffee, plus GST/PST and gratuity, the bill was about C$100. Expensive, but worth it. (It's a shame that the value of the US$ has dropped so much; meals in Canada were much more affordable just a few years ago.) At dinner time, they offer a five course tasting menu for C$80, or C$115 with wine."

[CJH, 3/05] says: "Price is high, and I expected that in a French restaurant on the vineyard. Ice wine is amazingly good, but it costs a lot. I had $200 in Canadian dollars, and I had to use my American money to tip at the end. You wouldn't know what to expect there, because they always give you a special which is free and looks beautiful. I love it, and I will go again. I give it a 3.5 out of 4 stars."

[ALS, 8/01] told me that he had an exquisite foie gras appetizer here, but that the rest of the meal went downhill. Not that it was bad; just that it was not as good as his meal at Peller Estates.

Perison's Restaurant.
999 Broadway (in the Broadway Market), Buffalo.
892-3661.

Polish.

[TK, 3/05] says: "The Broadway Market has a lunch counter called Perison's. I had a bowl of czarnina soup there yesterday. I would put it in the same category as Peter K's: a little Polish mixed in with the usual cheese burgers and french fries."

Peter K's.
2709 Harlem Rd., Cheektowaga. 893-9229.

A venerable neighborhood institution. [MER] and I ate there a few times in the early 1990s; the first time was good, but it got progressively worse.

[MEL, 11/98] says: "A Polish-American restaurant, more American than Polish—which is to say, it has generic American food plus cabbage rolls, potato pancakes, pierogies, and Polish sausage. I had their most unusual dish, a Buffalo-chicken-stuffed potato pancake—a giant potato pancake with chicken and some type of spicy sauce inside, which I loved. (There are alos several other types of stuffed potato pancakes.) I had a pierogi that was not bad but was not one of the best I've ever had."

Pettibone's Grille.
Dunn Tire Park, 275 Washington St. (downtown), Buffalo.
846-2110.

Dunn Tire Park is the newly renamed baseball diamond of the Buffalo Bisons.

[MEL, 10/97] says: "I concur with your other readers; adequate, ordinary American food."

[J&AD, 1993] say: "Pettibone's Grille is located in the stadium, and overlooks the field. It serves standard American food, nicely prepared."

Phil's Charpit.
9980 Main St., Clarence.
759-7700.

[BMcWS, 5/09] says: "Phil's Charpit is the reincarnation of the former Berrafato's, a long-standing, Clarence hot dog and burger stand that closed a few years ago. The decor is very cute—old games are on the wall, and they play oldies music. It's bright and cheerful. The menu is decent—hot dogs, hamburgers, salads, fries, and ice cream. On a recent visit, we had hot dogs, cheeseburger, curly-Q fries, sweet potato fries, and a kids' meal (which comes in a really neat, cardboard, classic-car holder). Thumbs up on all of it. We also had ice cream. The consensus broke there. I had soft-serve ice cream and liked it. The husband had a flurry—a blizzard concoction of soft ice cream and chopped-up candy. He said it was watery and not good. One of the kids got a sundae, but it had very little ice cream and even less sauce. So it seems they need work in the ice cream department. My son got fried dough (what a great idea!) and loved it. We'll be back for sure."

[a] Pho Saigon Vietnamese Restaurant.
1551 Niagara Falls Blvd. (in Burlington Plaza, north of Maple, at Romney Rd.), Amherst.
834-8889.

[KE, 7/08] says: "H. and I stopped in here once shortly after it opened. After our experience at Jasmine, we were extra careful to ask (even though this was Vietnamese instead of Thai). We were told that everything had fish sauce in it, and they had nothing vegetarian to speak of, so we left without ordering anything. I guess vegetarians wanting Vietnamese (which by rights should be much easier than Thai) should stick to 99 Fastfood on Bailey near the South Campus."

[RJ, 5/08] said: "I often use the restaurant reviews, and thanks for keeping up this site. It is a really valuable resource for someone still pretty new to the area! I wanted to add my review of a place which is not listed yet. Pho Saigon is an outpost of Asia nestled in Amherst or at least a sister of such restaurants more common to LA or DC. I have only been to this restaurant once, but I think it is pretty much the real deal. I split the BBQed chicken over rice and the pork vermicelli with my companion at the suggestion of the waitress. Overall portion sizes were moderate. The chicken was lightly seasoned with what seemed like soy and garlic, and came with a side of pickled cabbage. Altogether, this was a satisfactory dish, but the pork vermicelli, on the other hand, was much better. It consisted of a wonderful combination of strongly flavored, meaty, smoky, and piping hot, grilled pork, balanced by chilled lettuce, bean sprouts, and dry vermicelli. The meat makes it a heavy dish, but the vegetables give it a light, refreshing twist. The thin slices of dark pork meat were succulent and considerably juicier than most BBQed meat I have had in the area. I would have preferred the noodles to be a bit more al dente, but, still, this was the best Asian BBQ dish I have had in WNY. The pork dish is served with a crispy spring roll, which was very different from more typical thick-skinned egg rolls. My suggestion is to dip the spring roll into the accompanying fish sauce, which considerably brightens the flavors of the spring roll. The waitress gave us forks and spoons, but I slurped up our noodles with some chopsticks found on every table in a metal container. There was also a fiery and vinegary chili sauce available for those looking to spice up their dishes. In the background, there was top-40, R&B music playing, not blaring. Decorations were spartan in this restaurant, which seated about 25. However, a most eye-catching decoration was the trio watching over diners and the restaurant from on high. These three Chinese statues were supposed to be good luck and symbolize things such as health and wealth. For drinks, we had hot tea, which was complimentary, and an avocado milkshake. As a general rule, I love milkshakes, but the creamy yet mild flavor of avocado made for a surprisingly excellent shake. The sweet intensity of the flavor was stronger than vanilla, although not quite that of a strawberry milkshake. I had never seen this green concoction before in WNY, but it was good. Next time, I will probably have to order the Vietnamese chicken wings or the catfish soup that the waitress also suggested. Dinner for two came to about $25 including tax and tip. Without a doubt, I will be back here, and hope that word of this unique place in the area will continue to spread. Noodles, due to their length, I heard, are a symbol of longevity. Long live the noodle!
Hours: M-Sat 11am-10pm, Sun 12pm-8pm."

La Piazza.
285 Parkside Ave. (across the street from the main entrance to the Buffalo Zoo), Buffalo. 833-2409.

[CC, 8/96] says that this is another pizza place that serves what he and I think are real NYC-style pizzas. According to [CC], "I have come to the conclusion that there is a Buffalo style of pizza—thick, spongy crust; unseasoned sauce; imperceptible oil; and ho-hum toppings ;-)."

Picasso's Pizza.
5413 Broadway, Lancaster. 684-4404.
Other branches in West Seneca, Buffalo, Williamsville.

[BL, 3/04] says: "Disagree with the first report. We think it is excellent pizza, with a great flavor in their sauce. Busy place."

[MEL, 8/99] says (based on his visit to the Taste of Lancaster): "Another nondescript pizza place. But cheesier than most."

[] Pietro's Ristorante and Martini Bar.
5841 Transit Rd., East Amherst.
639-8940.

Upscale Italian.

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

[WHN] says:

[1/09] "My son took us to Pietro's for my birthday on Wednesday, 1/7. I had a delicious, evening special of sauteed veal cutlet in what was described as a light veal jus sur lie sauce (white wine and veal stock with herbs and spices), with ratatouille risotto and asparagus. It was superb. The others had veal dishes from the standard menu, which were also said to be excellent."

[9/08] "We couldn't decide where to take my wife's sister and her husband to celebrate her birthday, so my wife asked where she would like to go, and she picked Pietro's. We met them there last Saturday night. To start, we shared a Tuscan-style antipasto, followed by a poached-pear salad stuffed with Gorgonzola and greens with candied pecans for my sister-in-law, a Caesar salad for me, and house salads for my wife and brother-in-law. For entrees, I had a nightly special—veal français. My sister-in-law had another evening special—sauteed scallops over risotto. My wife and brother-in-law both had veal Marsala. For dessert, my wife had a cannoli; my brother- and sister-in-law shared NY-style cheesecake with fresh plums. I also had the cheesecake. The meals were excellent. The service was very good. Strangely, for an Italian restaurant, they only have three Italian white wines on their fairly large wine list. They were out of the first two Italian whites that I ordered, but on the third try, they had that wine. They did have the first red that I ordered, however. Apparently, the music has been moved back, as the band had not yet started when we left around 10 PM. Still worthy of 3-stars."

[3/08] "Last night, Saturday, 3/15, we went to Pietro's with another couple, who had not eaten there before. My wife's veal Marsala and my veal picatta were excellent. But both of our friends thought their meals—red snapper "frito misto" and veal parmesan—were overcooked, to the point that the fish was tough and the veal "rubbery". I still agree with Bill Rapaport 's three-star rating for Pietro's, but our friends probably wouldn't." We went to Pietro's to celebrate our son's birthday. We were here about two weeks ago, but it's one of his favorite restaurants. Ours, too. To start, everyone had a house salad. For the main course, I had an evening special, veal saltibucco (their spelling), while the others chose veal parmesan. All the dinners were delicious. My veal saltimbocca ([WHN]'s spelling :-), served with a side of asparagus, was excellent, with at least twice as much veal as the same dish (for about the same price) as Touch, where we dined a few weeks ago.

[3/07] "We had another excellent dinner at Pietro's last night, Wednesday, 3/28. The veal parmesan, served over spaghetti, was delicious. The lasagna was said to be among the best ever, including Sinatra's. The portions were massive—one dinner would have been enough for two people, and there were plenty of leftovers for another meal. Definitely three stars."

[9/06] "Last night, Saturday 9/2, we took my sister-in-law and her husband to Pietro's for her birthday. Delicious food. Great wine at about 50% over retail. Excellent service by our waitress, Angela. My brother-in-law summed it up best: "Everything was perfect from start to finish". The band, which started playing at around 9 o'clock, was really, really loud, so, if you want to converse, you may want to plan accordingly."

[MRT] says:

[3/06] "My husband and I greatly enjoyed an excellent dinner Saturday night, March 4, 2006, at Pietro's Ristorante and Martini Bar. We enjoy dining early at Pietro's, before the loud live music begins, because dining is quieter. We ordered a bottle of wine, and were brought warm bread and parmesan-and-basil-flavored butter. I began with their baked mushrooms stuffed with a blend of cheeses & topped with asiago cheese. Once again, my husband began with their shrimp and crab cakes over a Tuscan bean salad with a mild red pepper sauce. We both greatly enjoyed our appetizers. My husband once again ordered their their fresh ravioli with meatballs. I ordered from their specials menu. I was going to order swordfish, but our server told us the swordfish arrived on Friday. I ordered the barbequed cod, which arrived on Saturday. It was delicious. For dessert, we shared a tiramisu, which is a first rate tiramisu, with lots of fresh berries, and berries on the side of the plate. We hope to soon return to Pietros during the week, because of Pietro coupons in Clipper Magazine for one free dinner during the week."

[8/04] "Dinner last Saturday night was wonderful. When you sit down, they bring hot bread, including a delicious piece of foccacia. Delicious olive oil is poured on your plate for dipping your bread. I began with their Caprese—vine-ripenend tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and basil, with a very balsamic vinaigrette. My husband began with their shrimp and crab cakes over a Tuscan bean salad with a mild red pepper sauce. Both appetizers were exceptionally good—10/10. We each ordered their fresh ravioli with meatballs. These we rate 8/10. A friend of ours ordered sesame tuna crusted over risotto with orange teriakyi dipping sauce, pickled ginger, and wasabi. She said it was exceptional. The service is first rate. We always had full water glasses and bread, and our plates were promptly cleared. We definitely want to return, and I will order their tuna next time. Their web site includes a complete menu, sure to please many people."

Bill says:

[12/04] I have been eating here fairly frequently lately and have been consistently impressed with the quality of the food and service, so I am raising it to 3 stars.

We ate here again, on the spur of the moment, last night [12/04] (Pietro's is one of the closest restaurants to where we live). Even though they were extremely crowded (Friday night) and we didn't have a reservation, they offered us a seat at a small table in the bar area. The waiter (Greg) arrived almost immediately and was very attentive, professional, and friendly throughout the meal. [MER] had the caprese salad, which she thought was better than ever, and the veal marsala, which she thought was even better than her all-time favorite veal marsala at Carmine's. I had one of the evening specials: pan-seared salmon with Roma tomatoes and spinach over risotto in a seafood broth; it was fantastic. For dessert, we had a chocolate souffle: A warm brownie-like cake with ice cream, whipped cream, and a strawberry; delicious.

I've been back twice, with [MER, most recently [11/04], and I must say that both times the meals were wonderful and memorable, as well as the service. I am raising the ranking to 2 stars. At our most recent visit, we arrived on a Saturday at around 6:30 p.m. without reservations; they were crowded, but seated us right away. The waitress (Amanda) was very sweet and attentive. The meal began with mushroom bread and dipping oil; quite tasty. We began with the caprese (tomato & mozzarella salad, with basil and onions), which was excellent. Both of our main courses came from the daily specials menu, which they thoughtfully leave on the table for you to study. I ordered pan-seared black fin ("escalor") tuna with sesame-seed teriyaki glaze over basmati rice, with julienne vegetables. I hate tuna, but was in a mood to try it again; it was light, tender, tasty, and I'll eagerly come back for more. [MER] had a 14-oz. prime strip steak topped with veal demiglaze over garllic smashed potatoes. She liked it, but felt it wasn't as good as a filet mignon might have been. For dessert, [MER] had a pumpkin cheesecake, which was light and flavorful, while I had a heavenly, warm berry tart, accompanied by ice cream and 3 dollops of whipped cream, each topped with fruit.

In [4/02], at the time of my first visit here, I thought this was quite a good restaurant. Unfortunately for Pietro's, the very next day I ate at Tsunami and had a very similar meal that made my meal at Pietro's pale by comparison. The meal at Pietro's began with stale bread, though they did bring warmer, fresher bread once the stale slices were gone. For an appetizer, I had a high-rise version of caprese: a mozzarella/tomato/basil salad; good, but a bit hard to eat. For the main course, I had something called "wahoo"—a swordfish-like dish—served over crab risotto, with a piña colada sauce: good, but a bit on the dry side.

[NI, 11/03] says: "Dinner at Pietro's Ristorante and Martini Bar last Saturday (11/8/03) was wonderful. Reception upon entering the establishment was warm and friendly. Our server was knowledgeable and very helpful. The food was of very good quality, and the servings more than adequate. The only negative was the highly touted Seafood Martini. It was very good but somewhat overpriced. The desserts were great. This place is a winner!"

[JCM, 4/02] says: "The food was OK but over-priced with respect to its quality. I didn't like the atmosphere—the ceiling is too high to be cozy (which the dim lighting seems to indicate what they are trying for). The ambient music was fairly poor, too—it appeared to be Muzak remakes of 1980s tunes."

Pillar and Post Inn.
48 John St., Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON, CANADA.
905-468-2123; 1-888-669-5566.

See Cannery and Carriages

[m] Pinzone Pizzeria.
3225 Main St., Buffalo. 834-3810.

[MEL, 3/99] says: "Another mediocre pizza. Sauce was sticky sweet in a yucky sort of way."

Pita Gourmet.
1930 Military Rd. (in Fashion Outlets of Niagara Falls outlet mall), Niagara Falls, NY.
298-8015.

[PT, 7/08] says: "The last time we ate here, the chicken pita we had was delicious. This time it was soaked in oil, so much oil that it dripped out of the pita onto the table. It was greasy and just disgusting."

Pizza Junction.
1269 Erie Ave., North Tonawanda. 692-6366.

[RFS, 1/97] says: "Some of the best pizza in Western New York. You get a lot for your money—a serious understatement for the `large' pizza."

Pizza Pan.
215 Highland Pkwy. (near Colvin Blvd.), Tonawanda.
876-0886.

[ABi, 1/06] says: "We've been getting pizza and wings from here since Ronald Reagan's first term, and it's always been one of our favorites, maybe even the favorite. The pizza crust is just chewy enough, their sauce is always the right balance of spicy and sweet, and the wings are big and prepared to the area's demanding standards. A familiar place to any St.-John-the-Baptist parishioner hungry after Mass, Pizza Pan is not just consistent, but consistently delicious; it's reassuring to know you're going to get something good, especially considering the irregular quality that occasionally plagues similar places. My sister says Pizza Pan is her favorite for pizza and wings, the king and queen of Buffalo cuisine, and while I philosophically wish I could disagree with her in a contrarian-brother manner, I'm forced to concur. Remarkable: Pizza Pan brought siblings together."

[] Pizza Pizza.
Various locations throughout Ontario. Link to their website (click their name, above) for locations and phone numbers.

[10/03] This is, without any doubt, the best pizza in this area, as good as the pizza I grew up eating in New York City. The particular location I've eaten at is at Sherkston Shores, but I'm sure the quality is equally good at all locations.

[am] [–]Pizza Plant.
[a] 5110 Main St. (Walker Center plaza), Williamsville; 626-5566.
8020 Transit Rd., Williamsville. 632-0800.

Stuffed pizza ("pods"). Vegetarian pizzas available. Takeout available from Takeout Taxi, 631-2222.

[SR, 6/09] says of the Walker Center branch: "While on a visit to Buffalo, I met some friends at Pizza Plant for lunch. I ordered a ‘Mexican Salad’. I didn't read the menu carefully enough, and thought it included chicken. Instead, it came with crumbly, greasy, ground beef over the lettuce. It was awful, but my fault for ordering it. One of my friends picked Pizza Plant, so she must like it."

[AFN, 3/09] said: "I met a group of friends for a dinner at the Pizza Plant in the Walker Center Monday afternoon. I wanted a Margherita pizza, which isn't on their menu, but they accommodated my request by adding fresh basil to a cheese and sauce pizza. It was not very good. The crust was too thick and seemed underdone. There was too much sauce. The mozzarella tasted like the packaged variety."

[WHN, 4/08] said: "I can't comment on the negative rating for their pizza, but on our first visit last night, to the Transit Rd. location, we had their "famous" pods, their specialty, which are like what most pizzerias call calzones. My Sicilian steak pod, with provolone cheese, sweet peppers, and a spicy sauce, was very good and very tasty. My wife had a "custom" pod, with pepperoni, mozzarella, and ricotta cheese. All pods come with marinara sauce on the side. A choice of soup or salad is included or, for an extra $1.99, you can opt for a Caesar salad, which we chose. The salads were very good, too, although I forgot to ask if anchovies were available. Despite the name, this is not your average pizza place. The variety of toppings for pizzas and fillings for pods is more Wolfgang Puck than the corner pizzeria. Also, there is a large menu with pasta dishes, sandwiches, wraps, and more. Probably not the healthiest of dinners, given all the dough and cheese, but it's great for a simple, low-cost meal. We shall return."

[LCo, 10/07] said of the Transit Rd. branch: "I recently ate at Pizza Plant with a large group to support Dine Out for a Cure. To start, I had the vegetarian chicken "whings". I was glad they were an option, but I was totally unimpressed with them. They're just boxed, frozen, veggie wings that you could buy at any store with a health-food section. At $6.99, they just weren't worth it. For my pizza-like selection, I had a Mega (16 in.) pod with broccoli, tofu, soy cheese, and spinach dough. Even though I was deliberately trying to bust the bank with my bill in order to benefit Dine Out for a Cure as much as possible, with just three ingredients (cheese is normally included, but soy cheese is extra), this pod was neatly sitting at just under the $20 mark. I'd like to say that it was Jackson-spot worth of pizza deliciosity(?), but the pod was mediocre at best. The dough was pretty tasty on the outside, but the inside was raw, and the sauce that comes with the pod was too sweet. Overall, I really like that Pizza Plant offers the veggie wings as well as soy cheese, but on taste and cost they are definitely missing the mark."

[BI, 1/07] said: "My wife and I recently ate at the Pizza Plant in Williamsville. We thought the food and service were less than spectacular. First of all, we waited for about 20 minutes, and it did appear to be somewhat busy. We were seated and asked for our beverage orders, which were brought to us immediately. Then our server took our food order. We asked for the Southwest nachos as an appetizer, and we chose to split the Popeye pod. The nachos took about 20 minutes or so to arrive, and they were fairly decent tasting but not amazing. Then our pod (the wrong one) was brought to us. We told the waitress, and she apologized and brought the correct pod to us. The Popeye pod was very unsatisfying. There is no taste to it, very bland and flavorless. Very crusty outside, and not a ton of food in the middle. We would probably not go back; everything from the service to the food was sub-par at best."

[JoS, 11/06] said: "Since there hasn't been a review, much less a favorable review, of Pizza Plant in some years, I thought I'd provide one. For the beer selection alone, this place has no peers in the Buffalo area with the possible exception of Buffalo Brew Pub, Cole's, Alternative Brews, the Sterling Place Tavern, and Mr. Goodbar (although it's more a bar than a restaurant, Goodbar probably has the most impressive variety of beer in the city right now). The nice thing about Pizza Plant is that they are constantly getting new and exciting beers, and they only do a limited number on tap at a time (I think around eight). Things may have changed over the last few years, because most of the beers on tap there are American microbrews, not imports. As for the food, I personally favor the pods, while my wife likes the flat or stuffed pizza, but anything involving their dough is well done. I am not technically a local, having grown up on Long Island, but I wouldn't place their dough and sauce in the company of Just Pizza or Mr. Pizza, which, though while both good, have that sweetness that differentiates WNY pizza from the stuff you generally get around the five boroughs. They also do soups, salads, pasta, and burgers, so there's an alternative to the sauce-and-dough selections. And, finally, there's really nothing like a gigantic plate of their Southwestern Nachos and a nice cold microbrew on a Friday afternoon after a long week at work. Cheers."

[MEL, 8/99] said, after visiting the Taste of Williamsville: "I had one of their pods, and, even though it wasn't bad, I wasn't real impressed, either. It appeared to be little bits of cheese that hadn't really congealed into a pizza. OK neighborhood fare, but not worth a drive."

[BJ, 8/96] said: "A very good place for exotic pizzas. If you wish, you can substitute mozzarella with other types of cheese, e.g., soy, feta, etc. Vegetarians would find quite a selection of inexpensive foods. My favorite pizza place."

[DM, 7/95] said: "(Since there are many negative reviews, I think I'll add a positive one!): I eat here often. I prefer their stuffed pizzas to their pods, but their food is very tasty, and you can have an unimaginably huge selection of toppings. Also has a large selection of beers, many imported."

[RM, 5/95] said: "Specializing in calzones, which they like to call pods. A truly confusing menu, which was cute years ago when it was a bit smaller. While I have never enjoyed their food, many native Buffalonians like it."

[ca. 1980s] My [Bill's] New York City taste buds cringe at this place, but locals seem to like it.

Pizza Towne.
859 Niagara St., Buffalo. 881-7117.

[MEL, 7/98], based on a tasting at the Italian Heritage and Food Festival, says: "Pizza was utterly nondescript; edible but not particularly good or bad."

Pizza USA.
Niagara Factory Outlet Mall Food Court, 1900 Military Rd., Niagara Falls. 298-4255.

NYC-style (thin) and Chicago-style (thick) pizzas.

[CC, 8/96] says that this is another pizzeria that serves what he and I think are real NYC-style pizzas. According to [CC], "I have come to the conclusion that there is a Buffalo style of pizza—thick, spongy crust; unseasoned sauce; imperceptible oil; and ho-hum toppings ;-)."

The Plaka Restaurant.
2904 Delaware Ave., Kenmore.
871-9800.

[KrMa, 11/06] says: "I took my sister, who is not from Buffalo, out to dinner here, because she wanted some Greek cuisine. The atmosphere seemed promising, so I had a good feeling about this restaurant. When our waitress came up to our table, she said, "Is youse ready to order?" That bothered me a little, since I am good with grammar, but I chose to overlook it. [Editor's note: "Youse" is Buffaloese (and Brooklynese!) for what Southerners say as "y'all"; it's the plural of "you", like French "vous" or German "Sie".] My sister ordered the gyro with feta and tzisiski [Ed.'s note: tzatsiki?] sauce, and I had chicken tenders. The food came very quickly, and we started eating. About halfway through the meal, my sister took a bite of meat and found something "hard" in it. I told her that sometimes happens and that it's fine. Two minutes later, she flung a piece of lettuce on the table. It had a bug on it. I immediately told one of the waitresses, and she's like "No way!" And I showed it to her. She took the piece of lettuce away, without apologizing, and did not return to say anything else to us. It took upwards of 5 minutes to get the check after this. There were 4 parties in the restaurant, so it was not busy. On the bill, the gyro was still being charged for. I had a gift certificate, so I put it on top of the check and waited for it to be picked up to explain that I did not want to pay for a bug being in the food. Our waitress walked by at least 5 times before acknowledging us or stopping to ask if we wanted to pay. Finally, another waitress picked up the bill and I explained I didn't want to pay for the gyro. She told the manager, who claimed it was "just a fruit fly" and expected us to pay. I told her that it was disgusting, we gave her the gift certificate, and left. I have never had worse service in my life, and that's coming from a former server!!!"

[MEL, 12/99] says: "I went to Plaka for one of my last lunches [before moving from Buffalo]. I had some remarkably tender broiled halibut, so I would have to recommend it."

[SN, 3/97] says: "(Since I am Greek, I hope my opinion counts!) [This is] my most favorite Greek restaurant in Buffalo. It has the best homemade spanakopita (spinach pie) & pastitsio, and best deserts (including the traditional kantaifi, baklava, and cream caramel)."

Polish Villa. 2954 Union Rd., Cheektowaga. 683-9460.

Some Polish cuisine. One of our colloquium speakers, who comes from Warsaw, was pleased with the Polish food here. One warning: The "Polish Platter", with golambki (stuffed cabbage), sauerkraut and cheese pierogi, kielbasa (sausage), and potatoes, is enough to feed 2 people!

[GMK, 4/08] says: "I wanted to let you know that Polish Villa has very good crepes on their menu. Original Pancake House is not the only place left. They also have a fantastic breakfast."

[MEL, 3/98] says: "Very good Polish food. I loved the potato pancakes and the pierogis; I won't say its the best I've ever had, but I've certainly had much worse!"

Ponderosa Steak House
34 S. Cascade Dr., Springville.
592-5203.

Part of the chain.

[A&JF, 6/09] say: "Have been to a few Ponderosa restaurants through the years; most were very good to excellent. This one in Springville, my wife and I ordered chopped steaks; they tasted like cardboard and were tough. I don't know about the rest of the menu; we won't be trying it. They are supposed to specialize in steaks."

Poppyseed.
3620 McKinley Pkwy. (across from McKinley Mall), Blasdell.
824-0075.

[JJa, 2/08] says: "Last Saturday, after negotiating the purchase of a new car, I was ready for a late lunch. Poppyseed had some new items on the menu, highlighted with a little icon, so you could start with what was new or go for an old standby. I was with my sister, who loves the Moroccan Tuna Salad. But the "Blasdell Ciabatta" was calling both of us, so we agreed to share plates. What delightful customer service: The server divided the salad, sandwich, and fries for us, bringing out 2 complete platters instead of lots of small plates to divvy up. Very thoughtful. The sandwich was warm, with grilled eggplant, roasted red peppers, cukes, and artichoke spread oooozing over all. Wonderful. The tuna was medium as ordered and sat on a bed of mixed greens, black olives, roasted red peppers, bleu cheese crumbles garnished with pita wedges. We both went for the balsamic vinaigrette. I'm not crazy about French fries, but they were crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. Yum. Poppyseed has wonderful desserts, but we passed this time. If you are in the vicinity of McKinley Mall, pass on the chains, and try Poppyseed."

[JDB, 12/07] says: "My wife S and I were down near McKinley Mall and looking for somewhere to eat. After a circuit of the mall in which we saw the usual mall suspects—Red Lobster and Olive Garden—we considered giving up. The only other restaurant we saw nearby was Poppyseed. From the outside, with the neon beer signs and well-shaded windows, it looks a bit like a bar that serves food. But we were hungry, so we went in. Inside, they were doing a brisk business during the Saturday dinner rush. We were seated immediately (there was a wait for booths, but we sat at a table). There was a fairly long wait for a server to arrive (but not outrageous for a busy time); after our initial contact, the server was helpful and efficient, checking back with us regularly. Soft drinks were served in carafes—a nice touch that keeps the drinks full without using enormous glasses where the ice melts a lot as you drink. The menu is surprisingly varied and interesting; a lot of the dishes seem more upscale than one would expect for the environment or the price. S had the balsamic-glazed tuna with grilled garlic vegetables; I had the Moroccan tuna salad. S's entree came with a salad; it was enormous for a side salad, and came with onions, croutons, and garbanzo beans—a nice change. She selected the Cusabi—a cucumber-wasabi dressing—and liked it. Our entrees arrived, and were delicious. My Moroccan Tuna Salad ($10) had fresh field greens, tomatoes, olives, bleu cheese, toasted pita wedges, and a nicely-seared, Jamaican-spiced piece of tuna. I selected the Yogurt-Dill dressing, which complemented the dish nicely. Kudos to our server for asking how I wanted my tuna cooked (I like it very rare). S reported that her entree was also delicious. Service was good; food was excellent. We'll be back."

[AFN, 7/06] says: "My daughter and I had lunch here on Wednesday, 7/12. We both had red pepper and chicken wraps. I thought the wraps were good, but my daughter thought they would have been much better if the kitchen hadn't added lettuce, which became soggy from the heat of the chicken and red peppers. Still, a nice place and fairly economical—less than $20 for two lunches, beverages, tax and tip. They offer many sandwich and salad choices for lunch."

La Port's Pine Restaurant.
48 Pine St. (downtown, between Walnut (right off N. Transit right by Kenyon's) and Main St.), Lockport.
433-9756.

See the "L" listings for LaPort's Pine Restaurant.

[a] La Porta's Pizzeria.
485 W. Klein Rd. (near Hopkins), Williamsville.
688-7740.

[HPK] says:
[8/07] In response to my review below: "You have to ask for NY style when ordering. They do not do it if you just ask for pizza. That could be the difference. Also, never use delivery with them. Always pick up—makes a huge difference. It is not exactly like NY, but it is the best I have had in 10 years being here. Their quality does slip sometimes."

[7/07] "For the first time I can say—"there is good pizza in Western NY." I am a transplant from NYC to here, and I have always been disappointed in the pizza. I tried this place last night. Wow—the closest yet. A little on the greasy side, and the crust is not just there. But—the best yet! OK, all you other New Yorkers out there—check this place out!"

[8/07] On the basis of [RM]'s and [HPK]'s reviews, and being a native New Yorker (i.e., New York City) who has never been very happy with the pizzas in WNY, I decided to try La Porta's. I will say up front that my taste test was unfair, because I had the pizza delivered, and lukewarm, delivered pizza is never as good as fresh, hot pizza in the pizza parlor. The taste was indeed pretty good; not as good as Gino's NY Pizza (which may not even exist any more—does anyone know?) or Ontario's Pizza Pizza, but certainly far better than Zetti's. On the other hand, Zetti's has got the dough right; La Porta's dough is too thick and soft. (I wonder if the fact that I've now lived outside of NYC longer than I lived in it means that I've really forgotten what really good NYC pizza tastes like and that perhaps I've glorified it in my memory.)

[RM, 5/00] says: "Still the best around. Their sauce is the closest I have found to NY sauce, though their crust is still a little too thick for my taste. When I have a choice for ordering pizza, this is where I get it from. I also like their antipasto—large salad with good meats. Try their white pizza, which I really enjoy, or their half-and-half if you are nervous."

Premier Café.
3455 Delaware Ave. (south of Sheridan), Kenmore.
877-3574.

In the wonderful Premier Liquor and Gourmet food center. Eat in or take out. Breakfast, lunch, early dinner. Espresso bar. Sandwiches, salads, entrees, pizzas, cheeses, desserts.

[WHN, 11/08] says: "I had planned to go to Premier Gourmet to buy a new ScrewPull corkscrew, so when this morning's (11/7) Buffalo News "Cheap Eats" column had a 3-pennies (out of 4) review of Premier Cafe, we decided to have lunch there. Like the companion of the News's columnist, we ordered Rosie's Roast Beef Deluxe&$151;warm roast beef with sauteed onions, mushrooms, fresh baby spinach, melted Provolone, and aioli, on a crusty roll, accompanied by cheddar-flavored potato chips, and a dill pickle. Delicious. There are plenty of other choices, but we heard one of the counter people recommend the roast beef (after we had ordered it), and have to agree that it was an excellent choice. We would go back if we're in the neighborhood at lunch time and want a quick, inexpensive ($4.99) meal."

Prima Pizza Pasta.
396 Pearl St. (at Chippewa, downtown), Buffalo.
852-5555.

[MEL, 8/98] says: "Marginally above average. One of the most dependable places on Chippewa."

[J&AD, 1993] say: "Fast food pizza and other Italian standards. Filling, dependable, and inexpensive."

Prime 490.
490 Rhode Island St. (on the West Side, near Allentown), Buffalo.
882-3328.

Beef, etc.

[1/06] Given 3½ (out of 4) stars by Janice Okun, Buffalo News restaurant reviewer.

[EP, 6/09] says: "I recently dined at Prime 490. After going to Left Bank countless times, I decided to try out its neighbor. Going to a place that "specializes" in steak, I expected a nice cut of meat. Unfortunately, their version of an 8 oz. filet was more like a 3 oz. after cooking, skimpy serving size of potatoes, and the smallest asparagus I have ever seen leaves one hungry and steamed at the end of the meal. Take note from your popular neighbor. Healthy portions and more reasonable prices for what is served may help you to consistently have a full parking lot like Left Bank."

[EKr, 4/09] said: "Positive Review: This past Saturday night, I dined with 3 of my girlfriends at Prime 490. I was a bit skeptical, having read some of the previous reviews, but I'll tell you this place really surprised me. The food was fantastic. We started with the stuffed calamari appetizer, which was stuffed with crab, lobster, and shrimp; it was delicious. Then I had the baby arugula salad with roasted red peppers, candied pecans, and goat cheese; this was also good. For my entrée, I ordered the pan-seared sea scallop special. It was served with a lemon-butter sauce with olive and tomato risotto and roasted asparagus. The scallops were huge and were extremely flavorful. Two of the other guests ordered the house specialty, which was a deep-fried, balsamic-glazed sirloin with maytag bleu cheese. It was served with garlic mashed potatoes and asparagus. I ate several bites of the steak, and words can't even describe how incredible this tasted. The other guest ordered a rock lobster tail, and she said it melted in her mouth. Needless to say, we will all be returning to Prime 490 in the near future!"

[TNa, 1/09] said: "Our 21st wedding anniversary. First visit to Prime 490. I read your reviews and was not terribly impressed, but we went anyway. Probably the worst dining experience ever. Service was fine. Waitress tried her best. I was trying to decide between bone-in ribeye or rack of lamb. I typically go with lamb. However, being in a "Prime" restaurant and the menu highlighting the steaks, I asked the waitress what she would recommend between the ribeye and rack of lamb. I explained in great detail my preference in steak. Ribeye can come very marbled with tender loose meat, or it can come with the beef very dense and thick. I prefer the marbled version. She assured me the ribeye is the way to go, guaranteed. Well, I'm served the thick, dense version that is unacceptable. She returned it to the kitchen, where she told me the chef agreed it was a very poor cut. Now I'm waiting for rack of lamb, medium rare. In the meantime, we observe lots of food being brought through the restaurant to the banquet room. Mostly finger foods and small sandwiches. Dozens of them. The rack of lamb is served absolutely raw. Hardly cooked. Returned again and came out cooked but relatively inedible. When the waitress returned the lamb to the kitchen, we could hear her scream at the chef that the lamb wasn't even cooked. Moral of this story is that the banquet cooking took preference. Diners, and there weren't that many, weren't a priority on this night. My wife's meal was fine. Appetizer was fine. Hazelnut gelato was like eating a very strong hazelnut. I wish we would have had dinner at Daniel's."

[JCr, 9/08] said: "I dined with a party of 5 for our first time at Prime 490. This will be a mixed review, good overall, with a few shortcomings. We were seated promptly for our 8 pm reservation, given menus, and water. Drinks took a bit long to arrive, and my dirty martini was not prepared "dirty". I believe this was due to our waitress who really just seemed to be in over her head, even though the restaurant wasn't completely jammed; however, my drink was still "drinkable", so I did not bring it up. Throughout the evening, we were faced with a scatterbrained waitress who essentially would "dive bomb" our table and then retreat, so any needs of ours would have to be readily addressed on our account; otherwise, who knew when our next opportunity would arise. This does not make for the ideal, relaxing, restaurant experience. On a positive note, the Tuna Sashimi app was A++. Most of us ordered a steak of some sort; all were good, not great. It was my father-in-law's 50th b-day dinner, and he wanted a side of pasta; the chef was nice enough to prepare a half order of the seafood penne pasta as a side to accompany his entrée, so that made his night, which was really what mattered most. It was a delicious dish. My mother-in-law ordered a "risotto" entrée, which appeared to be more of a paella. Side order of the "salt and vinegar" mashed potato came in a white bowl from Bed Bath and Beyond that we have a dozen of as salad bowls, hardly a bowl that would serve "2-4" people as a side dish. On the website, they show this dish with homemade potato chips, which would have been a great touch, and I was disappointed this dish did not represent the pictures they have on the website. Overall, aside from the below-par service, in some aspects, and a few shortcomings on the food end, this is a good restaurant that I would be willing to recommend to the right patron. If they want to be considered a "steak house" however, they need to step it up, because when you call Fiamma, or the like, for a reservation the day before, you can't get a table, and for good reason, but when I called Prime 490 after that, it was no problem, and I know I would have had a better meal at Fiamma. I love this city, and want all these places to flourish, so if you read this, Prime 490, you have a good foundation to be a "prime" steakhouse; now step it up and build on it, and you will be just as hard to get into as your neighbor across the street."

[GOw, 4/08] said: "My wife and I stopped in at opening (5ish) on a recent Friday night. Very quiet; no one at the bar even. Since it was a nice evening, we decided to sit outside in their courtyard. While the neighborhood is in general decline and looks a bit like a war zone, we truly liked sitting out there. Our only glitch that we encountered was when I went inside to use the facilities and saw the bartender making my wife a martini up rather than on the rocks as ordered. No harm, no foul; he made the old switcheroo, and she said it was a very nice drink. We started out with 2 appetizers: The first was an evening special of shrimp with Cajun seasoning. I liked this; my wife was sucking down her martini to cool off her mouth. We also had the crispy Cajun crabcakes, which were very good also. We took our time ordering to see how hungry we were and decided after the appetizers to share one entree. We settled on the deep-fried, balsamic-glazed sirloin. This is their signature dish. I know; who would ever deep-fry a steak? This is a wonderful dish, with a very nice piece of steak. The server warned us that it could not be cooked past medium rare, which was perfectly fine with me but concerned J a little. Not to fear though; even though the steak was just on the other side of rare, it was nicely seared on the outside and served nice and warm. It melted in our mouth. We would have liked another dollop of the maytag bleu cheese but ate the entree so fast we didn't see our server until we were just about done. Very tasty dish. They use a very nice steak knife, too; nice touches impress me. We also ordered another appetizer to simulate a surf-and-turf kind of night. We ordered the pan-seared, jumbo, bay scallops. These were fine, but only 2 of the 4 could really be described as jumbo. Not a problem; we had plenty to eat and enjoyed it all. Since we were on our way to a birthday party, we skipped desert. This is a very good restaurant. Interesting that the neighborhood can support 2 (+ Left Bank) rather pricy restaurants. When we were leaving, the bar was pretty full, and a few others were dining. Oh: The restrooms have individual cotton towels to dry your hands; how cool is that?"

[RDM, 5/06] said: "My husband and I decided to try Prime 490 for his birthday dinner. The décor was simple and elegant. The staff was very polite and attentive, although we were surprised at how empty the place was for a Friday evening. We assumed the restaurant would fill up with patrons as we ate, but only 2 other tables were occupied, as well as a few people at the bar. Perhaps this being a steakhouse on a Friday during Lent has something to do with the lack of patronage. We ordered a bottle of Pinot Noir and appetizers to start. I enjoyed the butternut squash and gorgonzola tortellini with currants and brown butter sage sauce but thought the dish could have had a stronger gorgonzola taste. My husband loved his choice of the oyster special from the raw bar. The bread plate was a treat. I enjoyed the bread with green olives, which was warm and just tasted wonderful with the seasoned olive oil. We both really enjoyed the Prime 490 salad. The iceberg lettuce was crisp, the dressing was lemony, and the large blue cheese crumbles really complemented the light-tasting dressing. For my entrée, I ordered the bone-in rib eye with a chimichurri sauce. My husband ordered the 10oz. filet mignon with a triple demiglaze. We also shared the risotto of the evening, which was an asparagus artichoke risotto. Both of our steaks were cooked to perfection. My rib eye was tender, just the best! I liked the chimichurri sauce, too, but would have preferred the cilantro to be more flavorful and not overpowered by the garlic. My husband's choice of the triple demiglaze was a perfect compliment to his buttery tasting filet. I don't have much experience with risotto. It was definitely creamy and a bit al dente. The asparagus and artichoke was fresh and delicious. I think next time I would try a different side, perhaps the braised vegetables. We also enjoyed coffee and dessert. My husband enjoyed his turtle ice cream, which had coffee and caramel flavors, but my triple chocolate mousse was the real winner for dessert. We ended up sharing this one, as it was dark, white, and milk chocolate mousse all layered in a large martini glass and topped with a touch of cream and candied orange peel, Wonderful! We will be back to Prime 490, probably for special occasions, however. Dinner came to just over $300 for the two of us, including our bottle of Pinot ($80) and tip. We had a wonderful evening and felt the price was worth it."

Prince of Wales.
6 Picton St., Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada. 905-468-3246.

See Escabeche.

[a] Prosit.
5428 Main St. (half a block west of SS Peter and Paul Church, next to Pendleton's), Williamsville
633-8975.

[Editor's note: I have been rearranging the reviews so that the most recent is first and the rest follow in reverse chronological order. However, a recent debate about a review of this restaurant is best read in chronological order. Here's the original review, some replies, and a rebuttal by the original reviewer. Enjoy :-)]

[MHa, 1/08] says: "Negative, negative, negative. Generally, I try not to be negative about restaurants, simply because everyone deserves the best chance to succeed. I can't agree here. The food. In a word? Awful. Really, I would not take the place apart if it were not for its arrogance. Look, I know it's in the Village, and I know it's a high rent area, but for heaven's sake, don't insult our intelligence by serving chuck and calling it filet. While the food is described as German or Polish, it is at the very least, a poor rendition of those great cuisines. That's an absolute. The menu consists of a list of ethnic-sounding items, which are printed in two columns. One side of the column of choices comes with a—dare I call it a salad bar—which is called a "Schlacht table", consisting of a wilted bowl of tired mesclun greens, some stale dark bread, some undercooked sausage bread, soup, a tiny relish bowl of pickled celery, and some orange stuff the waitress called a cheese spread. The Gorgonzola crumbles were dry and stale. A few black olives sat listlessly in a bowl, crowded by the butter dish and the other utensils. Not much room to navigate without knocking something over. Where are the beets, the pickles, potatoes, spaetzle? The yin and yang of sweet and sour? The unctuous potato dumplings, the rich gravies are missing. The only crunch is the stale bread. The only bright color was the overpriced wine I ordered. It was a red table wine that was just drinkable, but, then, it was a necessary evil at that point. This is not a German, nor a Polish, nor any other ethnic restaurant that it claims to be. The stuffed cabbage is made with ingredients that are in no way associated with Polish cuisine. Raw is not a good thing for stuffed cabbage, nor sauerkraut. It should be cooked properly, unless it is in a salad. Pierogy with dough that could seal the cracks in a door frame during a cold Buffalo winter are leaden and tough, and the soup is watered down and flavorless. No borscht here, or czarnina. That was my experience; I will not recommend this place to anyone. There are plenty of places to eat good ethnic food, without wasting your money here."

In reply, [CPr, 3/08] says: "As a server at Prosit Restaurant, I just read the review from I am assuming January of 08?? The description these people gave was so incorrect we have not has a salad bar since last May nor have we had cheese spread or sausage bread since last year this almost sounds vindictive. The owner is very upset by this review because it is so old you should make a better effort to check into what you are printing or who the people are that are writing" [Normally, I edit the reviews that I publish, for grammar, etc. This one, I have left as is. I don't think that a January 2008 review is old, nor can I check into all reviews to see if they are accurate or to find out who the reviewer is.]

And here's another unedited review...
[KeK, 3/08] says: "just read the last review MHa, 1/08 as a frequent patron of this restaurant I don,T understand where this person is coming hand. First of all if you yourself visited the restaurant you would see that what they talked about is wrong.
1 there is no such thing on the menu to include a filet?
2 the recipes are all authentic polish/ German
3 there is no salad bar the word used was a "schlacht table" was that to mean something else??
4 the breads are fresh every day and consist of rye's and raisin bread no sausage bread !
5 there is no relish bowl of pickled celery no cheese spread,
whoever wrote this is from another planet! or had too much wine to drink! it's sad that you would print such a vindictive and untruthful report. the restaurant is always busy with reservations only so what does that tell you! with all the people that do read your reviews I would suggest having dinner first before you print something like this in your review"
After sending [KeK] my standard "thank you for your review" email, I received this from her, which I also print unedited:
"what I sent was a complaint against you
that review I commented about could not have been from this year plus the vindictiveness was something else
yor really should go to the restaurant for yourself and see for your self
this is a family owned and run business with all family members involved even the parents
if who wrote the review had such a bad experience they should have said something at that time not complain over 1 year later!"
Is anyone else reading this having trouble with the chronology? Does time really fly that fast? (Or only when you're not having fun?)

In reply, [MHa, 4/08] writes: "I just read the angry replies directed at my review of Prosit, by the staff and "customers" at Prosit. I stand by my review. I ate there last fall (didn't have time to post the review before January), and I don't think it was vindictive or mean. I believe I said that in the review. I also I called it a Schlacht table, with a "dare I call it a salad bar" aside, which is what the table was called. As to having had too much wine, I actually took most of it home because we didn't bother finishing our meals. That should have been a sign to the owner and staff, but there were no questions asked as to why we didn't finish our meals and declined their offer of a "doggy bag". As for authenticity, again I stand behind my review. It is not authentic; it is not what I associate with Polish, German, Ukrainian, or any other Eastern European food. I have no problem if others think it fulfills their "ethnic" food description or taste. If they enjoy it, then certainly I'm not going to argue with their taste buds or experiences. Suffice it to say, as someone who has lived in the above-mentioned countries, at length, and grown up on ethnic food, I personally do not consider it as such. (My opinion!) If they are angry at the review, then so be it. I apologize that their anger is directed at you, and the web site, which I frankly find delightful in all its opinions and disagreements. I do not apologize for my opinion of the quality and authenticity of the food."

And now for some other voices...

[MZ, 12/07] says: "Just got back from visiting Mom in Tonawanda, and of course used your reviews to plan dinner out. Most specifically, because my background is both Eastern European and Saxon, I love German and Polish-type food. So Prosit seemed to make sense to try, though why it was in the midst of upscale Williamsville village was a question for the curious. The answer: The owner, a trained pastry chef and, from what I could gather, the working chef of this charming, amusing, family enterprise, had wanted to open in upscale, European-influenced Lake Placid. (By the way, I am just remembering she told me Janice Okun wrote up something on this restaurant, but I haven't read it, and think it better to send you my own experience before or if I do. [One horse towns and all that.]) This is decidedly not your old-fashioned, neighborhood, supper tavern, as most of the old Buffalo ethnic places were. This is a talented, experienced woman with a highly-considered concept demanding nothing short of Eastern European food prepared and mixed with memory and desire, as they say. When you walk in the back door and see the collection of antique plates used to serve you, you know you are in for something very deeply considered. The collection of disparate European deco-vintage salt and pepper shakers on the tabletops, alone, left me envious. When you see the restroom papered with 1930s Courier Express clippings and black-and-white family photos, you see a commitment, a fondness for personal and community history combined with an intended, long-term aspiration for the place. When the chef/owner visits your table several times to charmingly, and unobtrusively, chat, you know you've found a home. And when you taste the food...oh, my. The selection is limited, yet there is more than enough choice, as both would have to be, given the extraordinary attention to detail and the intimate size of the restaurant. (I love its smallness; it adds a sense that you are in someplace there only for the fortunate few...of their own instinct and choice.) Personally, unlike one of our earlier reviewers at this site, both my mom and I felt that they gave so much exceptionally delicious food that it was unbearable to leave so much uneaten; our satiety simply couldn't keep up with our taste for the food, so unusually good in such a rarefied ethnic sense, and of such large proportions. You are served, on antique plates, a choice of breads last night ranging from a lovely babka, and including pumpernickel and caraway rye, with fresh creamery butter sprinkled with dill. Very Eastern Europe, and excellent bread at that. (Where'd the babka come from...or was it panettone? No matter, same thing, and very unusual in a restaurant.) Ah, and fresh slices of imported Parmesan. Are we looking at the Balkan Eastern Europe influence here? Could be. The salad was unusually (and more than necessarily) generous for a restaurant. I can't imagine where the previous reviewer dines; this salad wasn't "your typical mixed greens", which, firstly, are not usual and, secondly, here, included unique additions such as homemade pumpernickel croutons, sweet baby peas, also something we couldn't identify but loved, and olives, grapes, more, and an atypical selection of dressings including Polish tomato/bacon and Gorgonzola [not bleu] cheese dressing. "Typical" that I've seen in more expensive Buffalo (and NYC and Chgo) restaurants usually includes the usual roundup of pale green accompanied by next to nothing on the plate. Or 60 percent less of all. The salad came with the entree that both of us ordered, the sampler platter. It was served, unexpectedly, with a lovely, simple, freshly sauteed red cabbage (always intended to be with a texture of "bite" and just as I prepare it, not at all tasteless, unutterably preferable to sauerkraut, especially with the also-unexpected and pretty fabulous sauteed apples); a generous portion of fresh German sausage, a complementarily-flavored—and large—farmer's cheese pierogi and, without question, the most astounding potato pancake I have ever had. Let us wax eloquent here: Forget all previous notions of potato pancakes, either good or bad. This is more akin to a souffle that simply melts as it meets your tongue, even while it looks like your erstwhile fare. Its interior is a lovely yellow. It is, comparatively speaking, tall. There is no hint of grated potato on the inside, although there undoubtedly is. It is large. It is light. It is a delicacy. It is what you would serve on a smaller scale with caviar, if you had the budget. It is a gift served to us without it, on this plate crowded with well-considered food, in this secret enclave of "The Snows of Yesteryear". Reminds me of NYC's upper East Side of a fair while ago. A destination dish, without question. As if these portions were not enough, and they were more than so, the plate is also filled with a freshly-sauteed selection of palate-cleansing vegetables in the European tradition. And without asking, the lovely antique plate, each guest's different, also includes a generous portion of both sour cream and good mustard. I ordered a side dish of golumpki (holubtschi in Ukrainian) to see how it compared to childhood tastes of the dish (which I have always disliked), and to see if they went instead with a more refined version I'd recently had, prepared for a group of us by a Polish housekeeper in Chicago. Indeed, Prosit's version is decidedly upscale, in fact, not surprisingly, unrecognizable compared to the typical Black Rock version made with Minute Rice and canned tomato sauce. No thanks; I'll pass on that childhood version. I'm not a fan in any event, but this at Prosit was a lot more interesting, maybe even made instead with pearl barley, not sure, but I always wanted to try preparing it that way...if I were to experiment with making holubtschi—no rice in Eastern Europe that I can figure out. This at Prosit was served in a nice, if not quite fully drained, pureed trinity sauce, with a stuffing generously prepared with quality browned meat. And nutmeg, I thought I detected. If you like stuffed cabbage, you owe it to yourself to try this, but don't expect the cheapest quality stretcher food fare your gramma might have made, like mine did. (PS: Prosit people, the Polish lady in Chicago put in sour cream to smooth out her sauce, an ingredient which they also feature for special occasions in my Canadian Ukrainian cookbook. It's a nice, elegant alternative.) There were certainly other delicate German dishes I'd loved to have been able to select from, especially veal, but perhaps these can come from daily specials, eventually. I think they are wise to stay with a short menu while Prosit establishes itself; this is not a boil-and-serve ethnic restaurant, as so many reverted to becoming, but is in fact a fine dining experience that offers a certain niche of food preparation done with exceptional care for people who have an authentic inclination, and maybe, probably, a fond recollection, for the roots of its menu. Prices are reasonable, if on the upper-middle end; portions are generous; quality impeccable; service warm; space and privacy limited; reservations required; parking in rear—call for details when you reserve. Children would not be recommended, due to its intimacy and quiet bonhomie. Now, I'll read the Buffalo News review."

[NH, 4/07] says: "We anxiously anticipated our visit to Prosit, being very fond of German cuisine. We arrived and were greeted with a friendly face and told the rest of our party was seated upstairs. It is a very nice atmosphere, with pleasant music playing in the background. We asked about the Friar's Share (imagine a soup and salad bar) being downstairs: "Would we have to go down to help ourselves?" We were told that the waitress would bring up our food from the Friar's Share to avoid congestion in the stairwell. We didn't even know what to expect except that she told us what the soup was: Ginger Champagne with Ham and Carrots. One of us ordered the Friar's Share only, which was $13.95 by itself and $19.95 with an entree. Two of us ordered an entree along with the Friar's Share, one being the Schlaubraten, the other was golumbki. The fourth person in our party just had the golumbki dinner. The waitress came upstairs with three bowls of soup, or should I say consommé. The broth was very tasty, and I had one piece of carrot floating in mine. The other two had a few more items in theirs. She arrived with the salad, which was the usual trendy "field greens". My golumbki arrived smothered in tomato sauce and not very tasty. The side dishes were red cabbage (tasteless), sliced zucchini, and cooked apple slices. It would have been much nicer if a choice would have been given for the side dishes instead of just what they were preparing for the day. I guess we are just used to having a choice of potato or other sides. Every dinner entree came with the same sides. My date had the Schlaubraten, which was OK, but not fabulous as we have had in other German restaurants in our area, and a very skimpy portion was served. The person who only had the Friar's Share was not offered a refill after the waitress brought her some bread filled with sun-tomatoes along with grapes and olives on the plate. She also had to get up to refill her own water glass. It was almost like they are trying to offer other cuisines besides German and Polish with the selections on the Friar's Share. These did not seem like anything you would normally see in a German restaurant, and the servings were very skimpy, to say the least. Also, we are accustomed to ordering a side of potato pancakes or pierogis to share; but at $13.95 each, we weren't about to try anything else. There were no side dishes of that nature available. Their menu is unlike any other I've ever seen. It's too bad our impression was so unfavorable that we will not be returning."

[BL, 12/06] says: "New arrival open less than two weeks. Quality German/Polish cuisine. (Husband and I share this culture mix in both our families, so this restaurant is nice to see.) Good atmosphere with seating upstairs and down. Owners are sweet and gracious hosts. Servers are friendly and knowledgeable. Some tables may be a bit small. Features Friars Table (salad buffet) with excellent soups and sausage bread, which is recommended. We tried entrees of Schlaubraten (delicious roast beef tenderloin in a nicely flavored sauce) and Golumbki (tender stuffed cabbage rolls). Both meals are accompanied by a vegetable, that night being an excellent Brussel sprouts, which we loved (and we do not usually like Brussel sprouts), sitting on a bed of sweetened baked apple slices. Variety of beers and wines. We finished off the meal by returning to the friars table for brie and light fruits and shared a spiced waffle topped with fresh strawberries done up in a light wine sauce. ($53 for the two of us though less if you do not choose the entire friars table.) Unique place with a lot of potential. Good turnout the night we were there. (Only suggestion on the food that I would make is that I would like to see someone make the Golumbki with the regular cabbage juice instead of the tomato sauce we tend to see at most places. The traditional cabbage sauces can be wonderful. This chef could do it for sure.) Prosit means "To Your Health"—a nice entrance to the Western New York scene. We wish it well."

Protocol.
6766 Transit Rd., Williamsville.
632-9556.

[J&NS, 12/08] say: "Our first visit to this restaurant was one that will have us coming back again and again. My wife had been here for a number of luncheons and had spoken to coworkers who raved about this place. We arrived and were seated promptly and greeted by a waitress named Brittany. We started with the appetizer sampler platter for two, which consisted of clams casino, a couple of BBQ ribs, coconut shrimp, and stuffed banana pepper. All were very tasty, my wife loved the shrimp, and the ribs were my favorite. Nancy ordered one of the specials, which consisted of shrimp and scallops baked with three different cheeses in a white sauce. I ordered one of the specialties of the house: the strip steak (King) with lobster butter. Both were excellent. My steak was one of the best I have had. It melted in my mouth. My wife loved the seafood, as well. We shared each other's entree along the way and can vouch for how tasty both were! We saved room for desert, which was a decision maker. The vanilla mousse pie and the Oreo mint pie looked exceptional. But we both opted for the creme brulee and were not disappointed. The service was friendly and very good from the greeter, bartender, and coat checkers, right through to the waitress. Brittany was cheerful and very informative of the specials, and timely in checking how our meal was going. This was a friendly and warm restaurant, which we will be coming back to!"

[WHN, 8/06] said: "We've passed by the Protocol countless times on our way to the I-90 and points south, but had never been there. We were looking for a place to dine with friends on Monday night, and found there are relatively few restaurants open on Mondays. I thought of the Protocol, "Googled" the name, and found: (1) that they are open Mondays; (2) a very positive review on WGRZ-TV's website in a section called "Virtual Vittles". So, we decided to try it. The specialty here is seafood, flown in daily, they say, from a fish market in Boston. There are a dozen or more seafood dishes on the regular and daily specials menus, but they will also prepare it to your specifications, for example: grilled, broiled, blackened, poached, etc., with your choice of spices and seasonings. There are also beef, pork, and chicken dishes to keep meat-eaters happy. All entrees come with a choice of potatoes, rice, or vegetables. Caesar, garden, or spinach salad is $1.95 with a dinner. I decided on a Caesar salad to start, followed by Cajun blackened yellow fin tuna, cooked rare. My wife had a garden salad, followed by a broiled seafood platter consisting of shrimp, scallops, and scrod. She asked that the shrimp and scallops be prepared with a garlic sauce, and the scrod with a dill sauce. Our server said that could be done. One friend ordered a crab cake as an appetizer, and a main course from the specials menu of yellow fin tuna over sauteed spinach with a five pepper sauce. His wife ordered a garden salad with peppercorn Ranch dressing and a small filet, cooked medium. Our server said they had plain Ranch, but that he could add freshly ground pepper at the table. (He forgot.) Ordering filet in a restaurant that specializes in seafood is probably not a good idea; she said the filet was "stringy". Except for the filet, the food was good, but not great. My Cajun blackened tuna and our friend's tuna in five pepper sauce were disappointingly bland, such that our friend added more pepper to spice up his tuna. My wife said her seafood platter was excellent, however. The service was just fair after an initial burst of energy. Our server never returned to ask how everything was, or if we needed anything else. There is a fairly extensive wine list, priced at about double retail. It was a good meal, but not an exceptional one."