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Last Update: 11 February 2012
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Last Update: 11 February 2012
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17 Noir
[am] [
] Saigon Bangkok
Saigon Café
Sake Café
Sakura
Salsarita's
[
] Salvatore's
Sample
Samurai Japanese Grill
[ m] San Marco
Santasiero's
[am] Santora's Phase II
Sara's Deli
Saville's Farm Market
Savory's
Sawyer Creek Hotel
Say Cheese! Pizza Co.
[] La Scala Ristorante (East Amherst)
La Scala Restaurant (Jamestown)
[] Scallion Bistro
Scarlet on Virginia
Scharf's Schiller Park
Schimschack's
Schunk's West Hill Grill
[a] Scotch 'N Sirloin
[–] Schwabl's
Seabar
[a] Sean Patrick's
Seneca Niagara Casino
Seoul Garden
Shadow Lounge
The Shamus
Shango
] Shogun
am] Siena
am]Sonoma Grille
a] SoupHerb Gourmet] Spilios[—],
,
 ,
|
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) |
All phone numbers are in area code 716, unless otherwise indicated.
17 Noir.
6380 Fallsview Blvd. (in the Galleria of Niagara Fallsview Casino), Niagara Falls,
ON, CANADA.
905-374-6928; 1888-FALLSVUE [1-888-325-5788]
[8/04] Given 3½ (out of 4) stars by Janice Okun, Buffalo News restaurant reviewer.
[BL, 2/06] says: "A very good evening the other night at 17 Noir. This is the signature restaurant at the Fallsview Casino Resort. It's fine dining amidst roulette table imagery—the red stairs were fun and the seating intimate. Probably a good view from this escarpment location during warmer months. We would suggest a jazz soundtrack or piano if possible for background music. Attentive service (Ann was her name, friendly and knowledgeable). Our choices for appetizers were the strozzapretti pasta with braised rabbit, chestnuts, and pecorino romano and foie gras "en Torchon" with quince chutney, and pumpkin spice bread. Both recommended, we traded back and forth with joy. Have wine with those—sommelier was quiet, efficient, and made excellent suggestions. Main entrees: We went the more traditional chops route—provimi veal chop and NY strip with Chardonnay (Deveans?—wonderful bouquet!) and a Merlot. Steaks are grilled nearby in an open circular area; fresh herbs are on display at the counter surrounding the chefs. Fun to see. Ended with Cognac Courvoiser and a sorbet dish with fresh fruit—many other good choices, but we are partial to sorbets. Delicious. Food loyal to Canadian sources...foie gras from Quebec, sorbets made locally by an Italian shop. Great dining, and fun to see this casino and the surrounds. The menu can be downloaded from the website."
Saigon Bangkok.
[] [am] 512 Niagara Falls Blvd. (south of Sheridan Dr.), Tonawanda.
837-2115.
8080 Transit Rd. (at the corner of Maple and Transit Rds. in Tops
Plaza), Williamsville.
632-8884.
Reviews of the original Tonawanda location:
[WHN] says:
[7/09] "We went to Saigon Bangkok on the Boulevard with a group of six. My wife has been there several times recently, but I haven't been in about ten years. We had an assortment of fried spring-rolls and fresh summer-rolls as appetizers, and a few of us had Vietnamese hot-and-sour or Won Ton soups, which were very good. Two of us ordered bun. Whenever I have had bun, it's been more like a Thai num, but served over cold rice-noodles, with stir-fried meat, bean sprouts, peanuts, and lettuce on top, with nuoc cham (diluted fish sauce with garlic, lime juice, and chilies) on the side. Neither of us ever had it served with hot noodles. It wasn't bad, just not what I was expecting. But I would say the noodles were overcooked, and it could have used more spice, which a side dish of nuoc cham would have provided. I looked up some bun recipes online and found that some are soup, like Pho, so there must be regional differences within Vietnam. Everyone else liked their main courses, which were from the Thai side of the menu."
Reviews of the newer, Williamsville location:
[5/09] Given 3½ (out of 4) stars by Janice Okun, Buffalo News restaurant reviewer.
[AFN] says:
[6/09] "You can probably tell that I like Saigon Bangkok a lot by the fact that I've been there three times this month, but this time a friend and I went to the new location at Maple and Transit. We had spring rolls to start, then shared orders of Panang curry chicken and chicken Pad Thai. Both were delicious. I would say Saigon Bangkok is now better than Jasmine or The King and I
[SR, 12/09] said: "While in Buffalo over the holidays, I had dinner with a friend at Saigon Bangkok at Maple and Transit. This was my first visit to that location. I had one of their specials, Massaman curry with eggplant and pumpkin. It was really, really delicious. My friend had Prig Khing pork with green beans, which was also very good."
[ECB, 3/09] said: "Having only just tried out the NFB location for lunch with a friend, my wife [AAB] and I decided to do dinner at the location that just opened around the corner from us. We found the interior to be pleasant but a bit cold. The waiter kindly went to turn up the heat to accommodate and was similarly attentive and helpful throughout the meal. My wife started out with the Tom Yum Soup, while I opted for the Vietnamese Hot & Sour, both with shrimp, and both turned out to be outstanding. We then had a Spring and Summer Roll, but were a bit put off by the rice-paper wrapping. Not the fault of the restaurant, the ingredients were fresh and the sauces were wonderful, but the texture just didn't agree with us. My wife only took one bite and explained that she just didn't like it, and they took it off the bill without asking, something we very much appreciated. Finally, I ordered the Red Curry with Shrimp hot, and she had the Panang Curry with Chicken. Absolutely divine. Accompanying our meal, we had the Vietnamese iced coffee, which was also very good. Despite our mis-step with the rolls, we were very happy with the meal and are anxious to return."
[CWi, 1/09] reported that there is a new branch at 8080 Transit Rd. (at the corner of Maple and Transit Rds. in Tops Plaza), Williamsville.
Saigon Café.
1098 Elmwood Ave. (between Allentown & Buff State), Buffalo.
883-1252.
Given 3½ (out of 4) stars by Janice Okun, Buffalo News restaurant reviewer.
[JCr, 1/09] says: "Recently, I had my first dining experience at Saigon Cafe, and I must say it certainly will not be my last. We stopped in on a Friday evening around 7:30; the host told us that there was a 30 minute wait, and, if we would like to grab a drink next door, he would call my cell phone when the table was ready, so we were more than happy to do that. 2 pints later, and the table was ready, my phone rang, we walked next door and were seated. My wife and one of her girlfriends order a squid dish of some sort, which they both really enjoyed. Our other guest had the Pad Thai, which was reported to be very good, as well. I went with the deep-fried whole red snapper; it was excellent. Crisp on the outside and moist inside, this fish I believe was topped with peppers, scallions, and a spicy Thai basil-type sauce. This was an excellent dish. Most entrees are between $8 and $14, with my whole red snapper entree being the most expensive at $21. Great value, great food, great service; we will certainly return again."
[LCo, 5/08] said: "I've been to Saigon Café twice in recent months and enjoyed both visits. As starters, I had the Vegetable Tempura and the Tofu Spring Rolls. The Tempura was crisp but light and was served with a light sweet and sour sauce instead of a soy-based sauce. The Tofu Spring Rolls are fresh and served with a peanut sauce. On one visit, I had the Tamarind Tofu, which was served with white rice. The sweet but sour tamarind taste complimented the tofu and vegetables very well. On another visit, I tried the Tofu Curry. It was lightly fried tofu with a red curry and vegetables, served with white rice. It tasted great, and the portion was more than I could finish. I've always had a good experience at Saigon Café; the food is fresh, the service is great, and they have a nice range of vegetarian options."
[JFi, 4/06] said: "Saigon Cafe is a wonderful, quaint restaurant that has an enjoyable atmosphere. I started my dining experience there with some grilled pork rolls and some fried rice. For my dinner entree, I had the chicken with curried peanut sauce. For dessert, I had some of the fried bananas, which were wonderful. I enjoyed the meal because it was something different and out of the ordinary, in which I would not normally try. The service was very attentive, and they make sure that you are taken care of. The dinner was inexpensive. I would give this restaurant four stars and recommend it to anyone looking for something different."
[MRT, 10/04] said: "Saigon Cafe is a small restaurant on Elmwood. There are only 12 tables in the entire restaurant. There are fresh flowers on each table. My husband and I each began with fresh vegetable rolls with a peanut hoisin sauce. They came accompanied with noodles and carrots. They were very delicious, and I ate all the noodles and carrots with the delicious sauce. While they have a good wine list, my husband ordered a beer, and I a pot of ginger tea. There is a sheet of specials besides their regular menu. We each ordered from the specials. My husband order grilled chicken with curried peanut sauce. I ordered grilled tuna with lemon grass, coconut milk, and vegetables. I ordered my entree with a 7/10 hotness, because I wanted to enjoy the taste of the dish. My husband commented that I ordered the better tasting of the two specials. I know I greatly enjoyed the tuna and the sauce. For dessert, I enjoyed a classic creme caramel. I will most happily return to Saigon Cafe. You do not need reservations on a Saturday night, it is not very expensive (my entree was $14, my husband's cost $9), the food is delicious, and the service very attentive by all."
Sake Cafe.
8222 Transit Rd. (north of Maple, in East View (Lowe's) Plaza), Williamsville.
689-2888;
1-866-722-7740.
[12/07] Given 3½ (out of 4) stars by Janice Okun, Buffalo News restaurant reviewer.
[WHN] says:
[6/09] "We had an excellent dinner at Sake Cafe on Tuesday, 6/9.
I had an appetizer of yellowtail sashimi with jalapeno peppers and roe.
The fish was fresh, and the slices of jalapeno added an extra flavor
element not usually found in Japanese cuisine. For main courses, my wife
had chicken teriyaki, which she said was very good, but maybe not quite
as good as Morimoto in Philadelphia. I had shrimp tempura, accompanied
by an assortment of tempura-coated vegetables. My main course was
excellent also. Both meals were accompanied by rice. All meals include a
choice of Miso soup or salad. Everyone else had various sushi entrees,
which they also enjoyed."
[3/09] "My wife, our daughter, son, and grandson dined
at Sake Cafe on Monday
3/16. Our son had eaten here previously and recommended it over
Wasabi
and
Fuji Grill,
but we had not been to Sake Cafe before. When
we first arrived, there were two small children running back and
forth, obviously offspring of one of the chefs or kitchen workers. I
found this to be annoying, but their mother quieted them down, and
they stayed in the side room for most of the evening. As noted in
other reviews, the cuisine is pan-Asian rather than just Japanese. To
start, we shared beef satay, served over greens with a mango dressing
instead of the usual peanut dip. I also had a crunchy, spicy tuna
roll. (I had ordered sea urchin, but they were out of it.) Both
appetizers were delicious. For main courses, our son and daughter
each had a different platter with an assortment of sushi. I had beef
negimaki, with teriyaki sauce and steamed vegetables, accompanied by
a bowl of rice. My wife had vegetarian fried rice, and our grandson
had mango chicken over steamed vegetables, also with a bowl of rice.
All entrees come with a choice of miso soup or salad. I chose miso
soup, while the others chose the salad with a miso-ginger dressing.
My son said the dressing wasn't as good as
Taki
in Niagara Falls (Ontario), which he described as similar, but with more subtle flavors.
Overall, the meal was excellent, and the variety of choices satisfied
everyone, especially my wife, who won't eat raw seafood."
[AFN, 9/09] said: "My sister and I had lunch at Sake Cafe today,
Tuesday, 9/1. Their lunch combo includes miso soup, a salad, dumplings
stuffed with pork, a California roll, and a choice of entrees served
with rice and steamed vegetables. We both chose chicken teriyaki. The
amount of food was amazing for the price—$7.95—and the quality was
first rate, as was the service."
[3/08]
I [Bill] had dinner here with a visiting speaker and 5 other faculty
colleagues. Excellent service. I had the shumai (4 Hong Kong-style
steamed shrimp dumplings) as an appetizer; they were excellent, though
the sauce was a bit on the spicy side. For my main course, I ordered
the Malaysian yellow curry clay-pot with chicken (it also comes with
tofu or shrimp), described on the menu as having "mild spiciness".
This was served in a nicely decorated bowl: chunks of
chicken and veggies in a very spicy sauce (if that's "mild", remind me
never to try "medium" here!) with a bowl of rice on the side. It also
came with a bowl of miso soup that was served before my shumai. The
soup was OK, but a bit on the smoky-tasting side. To our pleasant
surprise, the server offered to give us separate checks. I'm sure
we'll
be back, but if I had to compare this to other Asian fusion
restaurants,
I'd have to say that
the late, lamented
O Restaurant was my favorite in the Amherst area.
[ECB, 2/08] said: "Took my wife here for her birthday, and the
experience blew away our
expectations. We started with the Peking Duck appetizer, which came as
two huge rolls cut in half, with onions and an asparagus stalk, served
with a dollop of duck sauce and a drizzle of hoisin on the plate. The
duck was superb, and the vegetables and sauce complimentary. She got Miso
Soup with her meal, which she said was the best she ever had, and I got
the wonderfully spicy Tom Yum Soup, brimming with fresh seafood. For
entrees, I had the Shrimp Pad Thai, and she tried the Kamikaze Sushi
Platter, which came in a large wooden boat with a small plastic cube
that emitted shifting colors. My dish was superb, and hers was
transcendental. I have never particularly liked sushi, but the fresh fish
served here won me over. It is a whole other league from what we've
tried elsewhere. We finished off the meal by sharing a Tempure Banana
and a glass of plum wine. A fantastic meal and a relaxed atmosphere. We
shall be returning."
[ABa, 12/07] said: "Let me start out by saying that I love sushi.
So when I heard that
there was a new Japanese restaurant, I quickly grabbed my girlfriend and
took her out for a nice meal. We started our meal off with the crispy
calamari. The calamari was a little too breaded and deep fried for me.
I felt that it covered up a lot of the taste. It wasn't bad though, and
my girlfriend liked it. We then ordered five rolls: a tiger roll,
crunchy spicy yellowtail, shrimp tempura, sweet potato tempura, and
tuna. They were all great. There were ample amounts of fish in all of
the rolls. The tiger roll was a little too busy for me, but the
presentation was beautiful. I look forward to returning to Sake Café
to try out some of the food from their kitchen!"
[MRT, 11/07] said: "Sake Café is an excellent new restaurant on
the right hand side of
East View Plaza. It is a savvy pick for diners who love Japanese food
and for those who rarely eat it. The new restaurant showcases sushi and
exquisite American-Japanese cuisine. We visited Sunday, November 11,
2007, when the restaurant had only been open a few days. They will soon
have their liquor license.
American-Japanese here includes a host of appealing dishes beyond the
expected teriyaki-tempura brigade. An appetizer of sliced rare tuna with
an herb and pepper crust presented alongside a salad of sprightly mixed
greens is a prime example.
The spare decor is decidedly Japanese.
They have charming wooden booths, and the food presentations are
beautiful.
I began with a delicious Japanese garden salad, and continued with Thai
Basil Fried Rice.
My husband began with Shrimp Tempura with a lovely coating, and the most
delicious dipping sauce. He and our friend each ordered a piece of tuna
sushi. Speaking of sushi, the restaurant soars with impeccably fresh
fish. My husband also ordered Malaysian Chicken Satay. My husband's main
dish was New York Strip Steak Teriyaki. Our friend ordered a piece of
tuna temaki.
The biggest break with tradition comes with
desert.
The dish called
rice cake ice cream is a Japanese cousin to tartufo. In this version, disks
of ice cream are robed in a smooth, creamy, flavored rice coating. Our
friend ordered the vanilla, and we each ordered the coffee flavored.
We shall certainly return."
[DaK, 11/07] said: "While driving through the Lowe's Plaza on
Maple and Transit a few
weeks ago, noticed a small sushi restaurant starting to take shape; last
night drove by again and noticed the Grand Opening sign—decided to
try it
out. Upon first entering, you notice a small bar with a few stools and a
flat-screen TV; modern funky light fixtures add a nice touch. Overall
decor
was pleasant, with nice booths or seating at the sushi bar if you wish.
My
husband and I started with edamame, as we always do, but this time it
came to
the table hot—not warm, but hot—not what I was expecting,
but we
really
enjoyed it. Next, he had a green salad with some interesting ginger
wasabi
dressing, and I had a Japanese vegetarian soup—both average, nothing
spectacular. The real treat came with the sushi—the large plate
came to
the table, and we were both afraid to eat such a beautiful work of art.
Sushi is truly an art form, and in Buffalo the presentation just doesn't
seem
to be as appreciated as in other cities, but this was the exception. We
enjoyed the Lady in Red (specialty roll with a soy wrapper), spicy crab
roll, an asparagus roll, and a shitaki mushroom roll with a sweet sauce.
All was wonderful—never had a mushroom roll around here, but it was
quite
good and more flavorful then I would've thought. Great new spot that
others
should try—very friendly employees, too."
[2/10] "We went to Sake Cafe for dinner on Saturday, 2/6/10. The
sushi and sashimi were as fresh and good as always, but the miso soup was
barely warm, and my wife's Malaysian Royal Chicken Curry was inedible. As
soon as she took one bite, she said there was something wrong with the
chicken. I tried it and agreed it didn't taste like chicken. I asked if
they might have made a mistake in the kitchen and used strips of tofu
instead, but she was sure it was not tofu. The chicken itself was
flavorless, and the texture was rubbery and reminded me of a processed,
‘plastic’ chicken sandwich I once had at
Tim Horton's.
Perhaps they had
marinated it for too long (?). When she complained, our server took it
away, along with the bowl of brown rice she had ordered ($1 extra), and,
at my wife's request, replaced it with chicken teriyaki, which she had
always enjoyed at Sake Cafe. This, too, was a disappointment, because it
was lacking in flavor: not enough teriyaki in the sauce, but the chicken
did taste like chicken. They also returned the same bowl of brown rice,
which by now was cold and unappetizing. You would expect them to provide
fresh rice, since it is cheap and easy to cook. Usually, my wife has some
leftovers and takes them home for lunch the next day, but it was so poor
that she didn't want to have any the next day. They did provide a free
dessert to compensate for the chicken dishes—sort of an Oriental
version of profiteroles—with vanilla ice cream inside a thin shell,
dribbled with chocolate sauce. They were quite good. Since we've had many
good meals at Sake Cafe, we'll probably go back, but not too soon. PS: their
downloadable PDF menu says they offer hibachi dinners, but they
don't."
Sakura.
3719 Union Rd., Cheektowaga.
683-7310.
[TD, 2/07] said: "I dined at Sakura restaurant last night despite the negative review it received. I must say it was the best sushi experience I have ever had, and I am a frequent diner at Sushi Train, in Toronto; Taki, in Canada; and the many glorious restaurants here in Buffalo. For starters, my guest and I had the miso soup, which was excellent, and the edamame, which was noticeably better than at other restaurants. We ordered the Shrimp Tempura Special roll, Special Spicy Crunch Roll, two nigiri pieces of eel, and a Spicy Tuna Roll. The wait for our food was longer than it should have been, due to a large take-out order coming in and a large party dining in the restaurant placing their order simultaneously. To compensate and thank us for our patience, the owner, who was speaking fluent Japanese to his co-chef as well as to the waitresses, offered us a complimentarly Wakame (seaweed) salad, which was delicious. Then he came out with a "Flaming Tuna" appetizer. Hands down the best sushi dish I have ever eaten. Served in a creme brulee-type dish, it consisted of spicy tuna, cream cheese, and tobiko. The top was treated with a torch to give it a nice crispy finish, and the dish was set atop another shallow dish, which was then filled with vodka and lit on fire so that the dish was warm and bubbly while being devoured. The owner then offered us another special roll, on him. We entrusted the decision to him offering only that we like spice. He brought out the spiciest roll both my guest and I have ever eaten. It was amazing. The rest of our food was terrific as well. I cannot wait to go back. I did pay attention to all the negative comments left and did notice the repeated "ding" the other reviewer thought was coming from the microwave. It was from the service bell used by the Japanese-speaking chefs to attract the attention of the Japanese-speaking waitresses. The decor of the restaurant was impeccably clean, simple, understated, and delightful."
[ALR, 12/06] said: "My wife and I eat at Sakura at least once a week. We often order a few pieces of nigiri, a couple basic rolls like tuna or salmon, and one or two "special rolls". The fish has been consistently fresh and delicious. We've tried just about all of the special rolls, but actually feel guilty about eating them because they are so artfully prepared. The restaurant itself is impeccably clean, and the waitresses are always very helpful and friendly as well. We have yet to try to speak Japanese to the sushi chefs, but we also don't think it's a prerequisite for making great sushi. Sakura should definitely be on any sushi lover's list of places to try."
[RDK, 11/06] said: "Quite possibly the worst Japanese restaurant I have ever gone to. I get the feeling that the first reviewer is affiliated with the store in some way. A while back, I gave a negative review to Fuji Grill, but if you compare the two, Fuji Grill beats Sakura by far. When I first arrived at the restaurant, the hostess greeted me, and I took a seat at the counter. I was wondering if the chefs knew Japanese, so I asked if they are Japanese. They said "yes". So I spoke a little Japanese to them to see if I can order in Japanese (I'm Japanese). They lied to me and told me they can't speak it. Well, I thought "whatever", but it certainly did not give me a good first impression with them. I then ordered their lunch menu "Sushi Box", which came with 4 nigiri, 1 roll of California roll, some tempura, some cooked egg, and something else on the side. I also ordered shrimp shumai. Everything was prepared really fast and came to my table within 5 minutes. But before that, I remember hearing about 4 microwave rings in the kitchen. So I was actually scared of how much of my food was cooked in the microwave. What do you know? My tempura wasn't even fried in the oil! It seemed like they bought some pre-made tempura and warmed them up in the microwave. It was barely warm and very soggy. Tempura is supposed to be crispy and hot. Fuji Grill at least makes their food from scratch and fries their tempura. The shumai tasted OK, but I ordered it as an appetizer, and I at least expected them to bring me another small plate to put soy sauce in, but all I got was 1 soy sauce plate in the beginning. I ended up dipping shumai in it, and then ate sushi with it with all the oil floating on the soy sauce afterwards. The sushi was at most "OK"; their fish tasted all dry, but the good thing was it didn't have a bad smell. I was very angry after I ate the meal, but I decided not to blurt it out. Instead, I wrote it down on the back of the receipt that I was very unsatisfied and that they need to study more about Japanese food because they obviously know very little about it. I definitely will not come back again. If you're looking for good sushi to eat, do visit O Restaurant and Lounge. They know what they're doing, and their food tastes great. I haven't tried Kuni's To Go yet, but will very soon and write a review on it as well, but I have a good feeling about that place. Don't go to Sakura."
[CA, 4/06] said: "Drove by the "grand opening sign" last week and, being a sushi fan, decided to try it out. Presentation was fantastic, and the taste and quality matched. We only tried a few specialty rolls and sashimi. The rolls were some of the best we've ever had—and I am comparing not only to local favorite Kuni's but also to the originality of local O, as well as Toronto's highly rated Blowfish and Philadelphia's Morimoto's—yes, the one owned by Iron Chef Morimoto. The tightness of the rolls at Sakura was of marked distinction. The chef obviously knows how to pair flavors and have them work off each other—as with the Sakura roll. And the sashimi was fresh and sliced to perfection. The salmon wasn't the best we've had, but still very, very good. The red snapper, octopus, scallops, and eel were of top quality and extremely tasty. The décor is simple, yet elegant, and the menu is very traditional. Sakura doesn't have a liquor license until the last week of April 2006, but you won't need anything to wash this cuisine down. You're missing out if you don't try Sakura—I'd go so far as to say, it's probably the best sushi you'll find in Buffalo, roll-wise, and the sashimi/sushi was great as well. Pricing is reasonable, and service was phenomenal."
Salsarita's Fresh Cantina.
—WARNING: WEBSITE PLAYS LOUD MUSIC!
110 W. Chippewa St. (in the Hampton Inn, downtown), Buffalo; 845-5237.
3901 Union Rd., Cheektowaga; 633-8484.
4375 Transit Rd. (in the Shops at Main plaza), Clarence; 631-7673.
Review of the Cheektowaga location:
Salvatore's Italian Gardens.
6461 Transit Rd. (not far from airport), Depew.
683-7990.
[3/10] Listed as one of 41 "Restaurants We Love" by Buffalo Spree magazine.
[4/07] Listed as one of Buffalo's "27 Best Restaurants" by Buffalo Spree magazine.
Known primarily for its amazingly gaudy decor. The decor is indeed gaudy, though some of it (especially the Christmas decorations) are not bad—a bit like being inside a New York City department store window.
[WHN] says:
[1/06] "We went here with another couple on Saturday night after the holidays. We had a 7 PM reservation, but our table wasn't ready, so we ordered a bottle of white wine at the bar. After finishing the wine an hour later, our table still wasn't ready, so we walked around to look at the garish displays. When we returned, we had to wait still longer. After about two hours, we were finally seated. After another 15 minutes, our waitress finally showed up to take a drink order. We didn't want any drinks at that point, but she said she would be right back to take our dinner order. When she returned 15 minutes later, we ordered our dinners and a bottle of red wine to go with them. The quality of the food—we all had salads and steaks—was fine (or maybe we were just starving at that point) when it was finally served around 10 PM. In due course, the waitress brought our check, along with a $50 gift certificate. We thought that the gift certificate must have been compensation for the ridiculously long wait and slow service. When she came to take our payment, we asked if we could use the gift certificate that night, or if it was for future use, and she said we could use it immediately. We paid and started to leave, but as we walked through the bar area on the way out, the waitress chased after us and shouted something like: "Wait! That wasn't your gift certificate. It belonged to another table", and acted as if we were thieves trying to leave without paying, instead of quietly saying that she had made a mistake by putting the gift certificate in with our bill. Obviously, it was embarrassing. We paid the $50 and left. None of us will ever darken Salvatore's door again."
[GOw, 9/11] said: "Salvatore's was gracious enough to honor an expired gift certificate. We called and explained the circumstances, and they okayed a 3-month extension. This was an example of good customer service and was very much appreciated. I believe this was the first time we have been here since the family split and Russell opened his place just a bit north on Transit. It was almost sad walking in and not being greeted by Mr. Salvatore. The evening started off strange as we approached the host station and the gentlemen were complaining about something. We had 7:30 P.M. reservations and were seated immediately by a 60+ yr-old gentleman. He showed us to our seat, pulled out my wife's chair, and laid her napkin on her lap. My wife got a weird look on her face and appeared uncomfortable. She waited until the host had left, and she said he lingered over her lap and actually stroked her hand. She wasn't really sure, and we laughed about it. I wanted to know if it counted toward my daily amount of touches that I am required to make (on J.). I received a glare. Service is always top notch, and we were not disappointed with superior service from Glenn. I am guessing he has been a professional waiter and probably here for many years. His style and pacing were excellent. We started off with escargot. Only the 2nd time in my life ordering these and it will probably be my last. Nothing wrong with the preparation. They tasted good, but they are snails. Jan had one, and I finished the other 5. I think they were $15. We took advantage of the 3-for-33 specials. I had the veal marsala: delicious; sauce was pungent with fresh mushrooms. Crisp tender veggies. Salad was fine. Lots of veal, and not little thin-cut pieces; this was a good sized portion. Jan had the classics trio—chicken milanese, gnocchi, and Steak Russell: very good; steak cooked perfectly. We ended by sharing a light, white, amaretto cake and took home a Snickers pie for the kids. It is obvious by how packed it was that they are still quite the WNY destination. Looked like a lot of banquets going on. They have live music. Oh, and they have maitre d's that perform a little foreplay to get the evening started on a romantic note; what else could you ask for!"
[BK, 11/09] said: "I had the opportunity to dine at Salvatore's on Thanksgiving Day with six family members and friends. It's always been a pleasure to experience the excellent food, outstanding service, and gaudy decor at this restaurant. Overall, it appears that little has changed since my last visit, which was before Russ Salvatore handed the business over to his son in 2008. Upon entry, we were immediately exposed to an ostentatious display of Christmas decorations and a massive sign noting that no coats are allowed in the dining room. Although I always hear patrons voicing displeasure over this policy, I have personally never had a problem with it; the coat-check services are more than accessible, and individuals who are incessantly cold should learn to dress accordingly. After checking in at the host station, we were promptly seated and provided with menus. Our waitress arrived shortly thereafter and described the lone special, which was a turkey dish in accordance with the Thanksgiving holiday. Most of the members of the group had already enjoyed wine and appetizers earlier in the evening, so we decided to forego drinks and opted for a single order of Salvatore's signature bruschetta bread. Five of the seven members ordered the turkey special, while I ordered the chicken Milanese and my sister ordered the white truffle gnocchi from the regular menu. The primary reason we chose to celebrate the holiday at Salvatore's was that they offered items from their regular menu; most similar-caliber restaurants in the area we checked with only offered a limited menu or some sort of holiday buffet. The bruschetta arrived shortly after it was ordered and was a perfect combination of fresh tomatoes, garlic, basil, and olive oil on warm Italian bread. The entrees were equally as good. The chicken Milanese was dipped in an egg batter and encrusted with a breadcrumb-parmesan blend. It was among the best I've had in the Buffalo area. The mashed potatoes and green beans that accompanied the dish were good, but nothing extraordinary. I also had the opportunity to try some of my sister's gnocchi, which were served in a white truffle pancetta cream sauce. Her only complaint was with the overwhelming portion; she ultimately decided to take about 3/4 of the dish home with her. The remaining members of the group seemed to enjoy the turkey, which was limited to white meat and accompanied by mashed potatoes, squash, and green beans. After everyone was finished, the plates were cleared, and we were provided with dessert menus. Everyone ordered coffee, while only my sister and I chose to order dessert. She opted for traditional cheesecake topped with strawberries, while I opted for the banana Foster ice-cream cake. The cheesecake was fairly run of the mill, but the banana cake was absolutely exquisite. The dessert was comprised of banana ice cream mixed with walnuts and topped with cinnamon and caramel. I'm not sure if they make their desserts in house, but it was unlike anything I have ever eaten. The waitress arrived soon thereafter with the bill and was quick to resolve an error that was identified. Overall, our recent experience at Salvatore's was a pleasant one. I probably won't return for quite a while, but I'm glad to see that the business has largely managed to maintain its high-caliber food and service."
Bill said:
[9/05]
[MER] and I returned exactly one year later with those same
visitors (see below) to celebrate the
successful
business matter. Once again, a superb meal! I had one of the daily
specials: a pecan-crusted sea bass with baby corn and asparagus, in a
raspberry butter sauce, served over basil fried rice—a wonderful
mixture of sweet and savory. One of the visitors had a Porterhouse
steak, which he described as excellent, and [MER] had an outstanding
chicken marsala. We shared desserts, which the waiter kindly split into
portions for us; I had a very good apple pie with ice cream. The
service was among the best I've had anywhere.
[9/04]
[MER] and I took out-of-town visitors here. They
wanted to be impressed, and we had some business matters to discuss.
Salvatore's fit the bill perfectly: It's certainly impressive, it's
large enough that we had the privacy we needed, and the food was really
excellent. I had a tender and juicy swordfish in tomato sauce, with
shrimp, baby corn, baby carrots, and garlic mashed potatoes. Salvatore's
continues to be an excellent restaurant, and its exhuberant decor adds
to the fun. I have raised its rating to 3 stars.
[5/00]
After a few OK-to-mediocre meals here in the 1990s,
we returned to the restaurant and had a fantastic meal!
The meal began with a delicious bruschetta,
soaked in a tasty olive oil/tomato/garlic concoction. This was followed
by a complimentary "salad" of olives and some other unidentifiable
pickled items in a tomato sauce; one taste, and we passed on the rest,
but it was a nice touch. That, plus the lack of bread, were the only
real
downsides to the meal. There was a good mixed sald with tomato
vinaigrette. I had a seafood bisque with large chunks of
shrimp and scallops; a bit on the thick side (which is not to my
liking), but the flavor was wonderful. [MER]'s mozzarella and tomato
with a bleu cheese/purple onion/minced carrot dressing was also
wonderful (at least, [MER] thought so; I hate bleu cheese). For the main
course, I had whitefish stuffed with crab, and [MER] had steak à
la Russell (as in Russell Salvatore), both of which were superb. For
dessert, nice (though ordinary) strawberry shortcake.
The service was among the best I've seen in Buffalo: equal to that in
the finest NYC restaurants.
I should add that our meal was quite inexpensive, since it was part of a
package deal with the affiliated (and quite impressive)
Garden Place Hotel
(though we were entitled to order anything from the menu at a
slightly extra cost).
[10/09] On Friday, 10/30, [MER] and I returned to Salvatore's for the first time in a long
time. We had 7 P.M. reservations and,
despite arriving early to a busy, bustling restaurant, we were seated
promptly. We began by sharing an appetizer of 4 large shrimp with a
side of cocktail sauce, followed by a cup of minestrone for [MER], which
she said was piping hot and exquisite, and a bowl of the soup du
jour—potato and leek—for me, which was good but a bit
thicker than I like it. We were then surprised by a plate of 3
appetizers for tasting, sent over by manager Russ Salvatore (grandson of the
founder), who knows us
because [MER]'s older son went to high school with him. The plate
consisted of a small portion of potato gnocchi in a white truffle sauce
(absolutely first rate); 3 deep-fried, bleu-cheese stuffed olives (which
[MER] said were good; I admit to not trying them, because I hate bleu
cheese); and 2 large kobe meatballs (also excellent). Then came our
salads: caprese for [MER] and a house salad with a very mild and pleasant
tomato vinaigrette for me. These were accompanied by warm bread with a
garlic-flavored oil for dipping and a wonderful olive tapenade for
spreading. Of course, by now we were both so full that the main courses
were bound to be too much to handle! [MER] had a 7-oz. filet mignon,
accompanied by large, perfectly-grilled asparagus and mashed potatoes;
she declared the filet just ever so slightly better than her gold
standard at
La Scala because of a nice
"crunchiness" to the outside. I had wild scallops sauteed in white-wine
scampi butter, with Mediterranean orzo (heavily flavored with rosemary,
I think), baby corn, those wonderful asparagus, and red peppers. The
scallops were huge, perfectly cooked (you could cut them with a fork),
and very tasty. Too full for dessert, we took home a tiramisu for our
14-year-old son, an amaretto cake for [MER], and bread pudding for me; our
son thought his tiramisu was really good. We're saving our desserts for
Halloween evening.
Service by waitress Laurie was friendly and impeccable.
We are still convinced, despite some grumblings from previous reviewers,
that Salvatore's is one of the best restaurants in the area and that its
gaudy, Tavern-on-the-Green-like decor just adds to the magical
experience.
Dinner for two, with tax and a couple of glasses of wine, but before
tip, was $136.
[DCh, 7/09] said: "My wife and I truly appreciate your fine site, [Thanks!] and, given that we frequent Western New York restaurants 3–4 times per week, I thought we would qualify as ‘seasoned’ (pun intended of course!) culinary experts. Here is a review I felt would benefit your many readers, given that the establishment once was considered an area icon of sorts; however, with the many fine dining choices that have emerged since its inception some 35 years ago, it is truly becoming dated, jaded, and past its prime in my humble opinion. Let me start off by stating that both my spouse and I have dined at many of the finer establishments (and some ‘not so hot’ ones, as well) within the confines of Western New York throughout the past 25 years, so we believe that both our palates and our sense of proper restaurant ‘decorum’ are rather well honed at this juncture. Last Friday evening (July 24th), we found ourselves in somewhat of a quandary, as we had hesitated to make reservations earlier in the day at any of our top choices (Tempo, Hutch's, Friar's Table, or Daniel's) and, much to our chagrin, discovered they all were booked solid for most of the night. As a result, we opted to go to what we thought was still a ‘fine dining’ option (maybe not quite on par with the likes of Daniels, Hutch's, etc.) as well as being in somewhat close proximity to our residence: Salvatore's Italian Gardens. The highlight of the evening was a very enthusiastic greeting from the gentleman positioned behind their rather haughty ‘entry chamber’, but, from that point on, things regressed rather quickly. We were seated promptly by the aforementioned gentleman; however, in what looked to be a rather sparse crowd, our server was nowhere to be found. Actually, we did ‘find’ her (Anne) chatting incessantly with a couple seated directly above us (in a tiered seating arrangement) for at least 10–15 minutes. I was thinking to myself that this couldn't possibly be our server, given that she was looking directly down (literally) on us and knew we hadn't been offered a beverage or even acknowledged in over ten minutes, but, lo and behold, she finally graced us with her presence and rather nonchalantly stated "Sorry for the delay; what would you like to drink?" HUH? ‘The delay’ was self inflicted, but she could truly care less about the fact that we saw her chit-chatting with her friends about personal matters while blatantly ignoring us the whole time. We did get our drinks in a fair amount of time; however, once again, almost immediately after serving them to us and taking our order in a very robot-like manner, she went back to her friends seated directy behind us!! In fact, our salads were brought to us by another staff member, and, after we had finished and our plates were taken away, she came back to our table (hallelujah!) and stated "Oh, did you get your salads yet? I forgot to check!!" Apparently, Salvatore's ‘impeccable’ service standards are not limited to their waitstaff, though. My wife orded the Steak Salvatore, which was to be grilled tableside, and at almost $40 for this entree our expectations were certainly high. Big mistake: A gentleman by the name of ‘Gary’, I believe (who appeared to be a veteran employee), did not even wish us a ‘good evening’ or engage in any conversation of any sort. No, he simply methodically grilled the steak, avoiding even eye contact!, and not even asking my wife how she wanted it prepared (medium rare, medium, etc.), while coughing sporadically into his hand and pretending that we weren't even at the table. He literally dropped the plate down in front of her, cleaned up his tools of the trade, and started to march out of the room. However, just before he finished, he, too, yelled up to the couple behind us and stated, "Don't worry, I'll make sure your steak is great!" Unbelievable!!!! The quality of both of our meals (I, too, had a steak, although thankfully not one grilled at tableside!) was so-so—certainly not on par with an E.B. Green's, a href="listb.html#buffalochophouse">Buffalo Chop House, or The Western Door. We left without ordering dessert (we didn't want to impose on either our server or ‘master chef’ any further); however, my wife felt compelled to phone Salvatore's the next day to let them know about the shoddy service we received. The manager on duty said he was ‘deeply concerned’ that we weren't treated properly, and ‘Mr. Salvatore himself’ would likely phone us later that day (it was a Saturday) or first thing on Monday morning. Well, you know I'm sure where this story is leading: As I write this almost one week later, we have yet to receive a phone call back from Mr. Salvatore. Of course, he, too, is probably preoccupied in taking care of the folks who sat behind us that ill-fated Friday evening! Bottom line: overpriced for the quality of food they're serving and absolutely the worst service we've experienced at an alleged ‘fine dining’ establishment in the Niagara Frontier since 1985!"
[L&GK, 3/09] said: "I love your site [Thanks!] and never before submitted anything. But the following experience yesterday led me to write this. Food was good to average; but condescending maitre d'. They say you must check your coat. When my wife said she's always cold and preferred to wear her coat, the coat-check lady said OK as long as she didn't take it off. OK, but then another hostess warned us again, and then the maitre d' warned us yet again. When we said we now had been told three times, he got snotty and arrogant, saying it was for liability reasons, so no one trips and sues. Don't they think they will lose more business than any economic gain from not being sued? Can't they at least do so diplomatically and once (perhaps a sign) rather than three times? What about purses left on the floor? After this happened, I googled ‘"Salvatore's Italian" coat’ and found that others had the same ridiculous experience. I don't know if this was the rule when the father owned the restaurant, but hopefully the son will realize the error of this being their policy."
[CEP, 1/07] said: "My significant other and I were celebrating our one-year anniversary and were looking for a nice restaurant to do so. We chose Salvatore's, despite reading mixed reviews, figuring that it would be a WNY "experience". The Christmas decorations were still up in the halls and lobbies, which were beatiful to look at during our short wait (we made reservations, because it was New Years Day). Upon being seated, it was nice to realize that the extravagent decorations did not overtake the dining area, which was spacious. The service was excellent. I had the Salmon Wellington, which had a very nice cream sauce, but in favor of pacing myself, I did not eat most of the pastery. My boyfriend ordered the Surf 'n' Turf, which he could not rave about enough. All in all, the most detracting feature of the restaurant was the range in diners' attire. During our dinner, the formally dressed family next to us was replaced by a passle of children in sports jerseys and baseball caps. I would dine here again, but it wouldn't be my first choice for a night out."
[JAu, 12/05] said: "There are few more extraordinary things than Christmas at Salvatore's. The over-the-top deocrations are incredible, and there is so much kitsch that it's cool. Maybe my memories of the place are improved by the atmosphere of holiday cheer, but I always had the impression that the service here was top notch. Either my memories were incorrect, or this place has taken a turn for the worse. The service was rude, the meal was mediocre. Much like other reviewers here, I noted the fake potatoes on contact. I left angry that I spent my time there and that my host spent his money. It was just one of those dining experiences that make you want to grind your teeth. If you are looking for Buffalo's finest dining experience, it's not here, and it has not been for some time. Keep looking."
[CP, 12/05] said: "I completely agree with [KATS]'s review. This has to be the most overrated restaurant in Buffalo. If you're an out of town guest or tourist, please don't be fooled into thinking this is a true representation of Buffalo's finest. It doesn't even come close!!! What it is is over-the-top gaudy decor with mediocre overpriced food. I've given this place plenty of chances (not by choice) and was disappointed every time. Don't waste your money! I give it a negative [—] review."
[KATS, 11/05] said: "I had been to Salvatore's on numerous occasions for banquets and weddings, and the food was always better than expected for those types of events. So I was curious to see what a normal restaurant meal there would be like, and I had an opportunity last night at a birthday party for a family member. First of all, everyone could not make it at the exact reservation time, but we thought that 12 of the 15 people could sit at the table and order drinks and appetizers. No such luck. They made us sit in the lobby and wait for the last 3 to arrive. Then we had to wait another 30 minutes for them to show us to our table—which had been empty since the moment we walked into the restaurant. I hate restaurants that will not seat you at your table and make you "wait at the bar". Left Bank does this as well, and, while I normally have no issue having a drink and waiting for a table to get ready, I will not do this when my table is empty and I want to sit. It's simply rude. Enough of the bad hostessing problem and on to the food problem. What can I say? This is the worst meal I have ever had in a supposedly upscale restaurant. For $32, I expect real mashed potatoes, not potatoes from a box. My husband's shrimp? They had been frozen and reheated. The texture was disgusting. I asked the waiter how they cook a "rare" steak (having just had a pan-seared steak that was even too rare for me). After assuring me that the meat was cooked "extremely rare and bloody", I decided to go for a medium rare sliced filet with wild mushrooms and sautéed cipollini onions. My meat? Well done. Not a bit of pink on it. The vegetables? Sat in the warming tray too long and were overcooked and soggy. The Caesar salad? Dressing from a bottle. No anchovies, even though they were requested. I am so happy that I was not paying for this meal. I cannot believe how incredibly disgusting the food was. I have nothing positive to say except that the little bit of bananas Foster ice cream cake that I had was excellent. Even the 6-year-old's ravioli was some type of frozen and reheated monstrosity. I would have sent my food back had we not been with a large party. I was disgusted. For that type of money, and for being a "special occasion" restaurant, they are ripping people off. Box potatoes; need I say more? I will never go back there again. Next time, I'm picking the restaurant. Café Gar Angelo on Hertel is superior."
[EC, 2/02] said: "I had the pleasure of going here in late January for my fiancee's birthday. It was the greatest dining experience I've had in my long first year here in Buffalo. Sure, it's very gaudy decor, but the big picture makes everything worthwhile. The lighting was quite dark, but intimate. The service was very good & professional. The food was better than fantastic...It was superior. The owner sent over a nice mini-birthday cake with an impressive sparkler-like torch. Everything was wonderful. It was pricy, but worth every penny. Best place in town, hands down. Can't wait to go back!"
Sample.
242 Allen St. (Allentown), Buffalo.
883-1675.
[3/10] Listed as one of 41 "Restaurants We Love" by Buffalo Spree magazine.
[4/07] Given 3½ (out of 4) stars by Janice Okun, Buffalo News restaurant reviewer.
[RN, 9/08] says: "Having frequented the restaurant in the past, I was shockingly disappointed with our latest visit to what has gone from a great concept restaurant to a mediocre-at-best, cocktail lounge. We started off with their Mediterranean plate: an assortment of spreads served with warm pita bread. The hummus, the best part of the plate, was over-acidic and tasted more of lemon than the more traditionally flavored hummus with notes of garlic and tahini. But the tapenade (just pureed kalamata olives?), eggplant, and ceci bean salad, respectively, were all boring and uninspired. And yet we moved on. Let me again say that my original visit was delightful—as I recall, consisting of unique "gourmet"-style items. But this visit we had beef on wick? While the description is appealing enough—something like red wine and fresh horseradish braise—we could not taste the red wine, and especially not horseradish. Now risotto: a nice idea, but, again, executed with unenthusiastic candor. I can understand keeping dishes simple, but rice and peas, no matter how well prepared, is bollocks. The list goes on, as our flight went on, and our dismay arose. But I will leave it here. It is a real shame to have to write this, but maybe Sample needs a wake-up call. Truly, a great restaurant at one time that has now fallen to the wayside."
[DJL, 1/08] said: "1/19. Terrific. Four of us at 5:30. Beautiful space, nicely appointed lavatories. Brandon our server was very attentive, and the food was a wonderful taste adventure. I am the picky eater of the bunch. The Chef's Flight was our choice. Each of us. Well, the portions were perfect, and the diversity of flavors and textures were great. We were full (that big breath) by the end of four. But we sucked it up and powered on. We did it and were happy with how we managed to do it. Great desserts. Next time, we'll choose separate entrees, but we got to Sample all and I liked 95%. The Mediterranean was not my fav. Oh well. One negative was the coffee. French Press Yay! The flavor of the coffee was disappointing, and it wasn't hot. The tea Janet had was also not hot. We'll be back for certain. We are attempting to follow your list after our Shea's performances and eat our way through it."
[MPM, 11/07] said: "I had heard some chatter about this restaurant, and my wife and I paid it a visit on 11/9. The waitress was fabulous and suggested a Chef's Flight, which was a sampling of everything on their menu staged in 6 courses of 3 items per course. Very creative spin on some favorites like beef on weck, tater tot, pumpkin soup, etc. Very creative matchings and great plate presentation. The Chef's Flight was 6 courses, which was $41, to split with my wife, and we had a bottle of wine. Very reasonable. I am a large man, and I did not walk away hungry. It was a real delightful culinary adventure, not just going out for dinner. I would recommend it to anyone and plan to introduce the experience to as many people that will listen to me."
[ELC, 6/07] said: "A very interesting concept—I ate here in 7/07 and found the food to be quite delicious. The Key Lime Pie in particular was fantastic! It's a little pricy—the cheese board appetizer was good, but not worth $10 in my opinion. They do have a "cocktail party" package, but it should be available without a beverage (it comes with champagne—not good for those who like mixed drinks, wine, or N/A beverages with their dinner), and possibly with salad or something substantial. The food is wonderful and incredibly creative, but don't come here hungry b/c each "bite" will cost you big $$$!"
[SAS, 4/07] said: "Positive. Sample seems like a cross between tapas and a night-long cocktail party. Diners select from an array of morsels (one or two bites each) listed on their regular menu and a nightly specials list. My wife and I started with a raspberry bilini and their "Unbloody Mary", a house specialty made, I can only guess, with yellow tomatoes. It tasted like its bloody cousin, but much lighter in color and texture. Our opening course was a cheese tray (with three fromage samples and homemade crackers) for $10. We then ordered 6-7 "samples" each, priced from about $2.50-$5 each. The focus, of course, is on quality and blends of flavor, not quantity. I particularly liked the "club" sandwich with lobster and pancetta, as well as the lobster ravioli special. The micro beef on weck was very tasty, leaving me wanting more. My wife loved the grilled cheese and tomato soup, a tall shot glass of roasted tomato soup (as advertised) with a matching toy size sandwich of melted goodness. Not much in the way of salad or vegetables on the menu. Dessert was a sample of three creme brulees and a sample of three pastries. Both were very good, but the creme brulees seemed pricy at $6. We enjoyed, and were quite satisfied by, our tasty meals, but we did suggest that they create a package deal with a salad and a customer's selection of samples, say 4 or 6 of them, for a fixed price. We all need our leafy greens!"
Samurai Japanese Grill.
9648 Transit Rd. (in Tops Plaza, near N. French), E. Amherst.
688-7808.
[8/08] Given 3½ (out of 4) stars by Janice Okun, Buffalo News restaurant reviewer.
Bill says: [11/11] We wanted to order delivery from Koi Sushi on Sunday, 11/6/11, but they didn't answer their phone (and they still don't, so I've listed them as being closed), so we called Samurai. MER had chicken with peanut sauce; our son had Samurai Fried Rice with chicken, vegetables, and pineapple; and I had mango chicken. We ordered the chicken dishes with brown rice (extra cost). All 3 dishes came with miso soup and salad. The soup was a bit on the smoky side, but I rather liked it anyway, though MER didn't. The salads were a kind of mesclun (not the usual iceberg), small but with a very nice, mild dressing. MER was unhappy with her peanut chicken: not enough peanut flavor. I was very happy with my mango chicken. Both were large enough for 2 servings each. Our son finished his equally large portion of fried rice and liked all of it except for the pineapple. The bill, with tax and delivery but without tip, came to about $13 each. My son and I were pleased enough that we'll be willing to try it again some evening when we're on our own for dinner and I don't feel like cooking.
[WHN, 6/10] said: "We had our first meal at Samurai Japanese Grill last night. My wife had a teriyaki chicken bento box, and I had a sashimi bento box. Their bento box dinners include a choice of miso soup or salad, and a choice of a California roll or a tuna roll. I chose miso soup and a tuna roll, while my wife chose a salad, with a gingery dressing, and the California roll. The bento boxes also included a bowl of white rice, shrimp tempura (two shrimp), vegetable tempura (broccoli and zucchini), harumaki (spring rolls), and gyoza (the Japanese version of a Chinese-style pot sticker, filled with pork, vegetables, and spices). In addition to the usual side dish for mixing soy sauce and wasabi, a sake and soy sauce dipping sauce was served for the tempura dishes, and a sweet and spicy sauce for the sushi rolls, as an alternative to soy and wasabi. My wife thought her teriyaki chicken was good, but not as good as Sake Café's (prior to our last visit there). The sashimi served with my meal included yellow fin and salmon, and three other kinds of fish, two of which, I think, were yellow tail and mackerel, but I couldn't identify the third one. All were fresh and excellent. The accompanying dishes were very good, too. There was too much food for my wife to finish, so I helped with some of the tempura and a couple slices of California roll, which had a little fish roe atop the rice, which seemed a little odd, since people who order California rolls probably don't like real sushi made with raw fish. In any case, I would say Samurai will go to the top of our list of Amherst-area Japanese restaurants."
[KaB, 12/08] said: "I went to lunch at Samurai with two friends that haven't lunched together in years. Buffalo News recommended this restaurant ("Stunning little restaurant that serves beautiful and tasty Asian food."), so we had high expectations. Our server had poor communication skills. After taking our order, she came back and told us that our lunch entrée did not include miso soup and a choice of sushi rolls. We pointed out that the menu said that. She went back to the kitchen and out came the manager, who explained that the menu was printed wrong and if we wanted the soup and sushi we had to order the bento boxes. Rather than disrupt a special lunch, we changed our order. Our lunch came out, and the miso soup was too salty to eat. The bento box was OK, but, having eaten at Wasabi and Kyoto recently, it was nothing special. The manager came over and interrupted our lunch to explain how they don't like to commit to printing the menus when they are getting started up because some items sell and others don't, etc. I can't understand why they can't afford to stand behind the menu. What does a bowl of miso soup and only 3 sushi rolls cost? I can say it cost three people and their families and friends never trying this restaurant. By the way, the décor is nothing to write about. Wasabi and Fuji Grill are comparable."
[m]
San Marco Ristorante.
2082 Kensington Ave. (near Harlem), Amherst.
839-5876.
[7/09] & [4/06] Given 4 (out of 4) stars by Janice Okun, Buffalo News restaurant reviewer.
[4/07] Listed as one of Buffalo's "27 Best Restaurants" by Buffalo Spree magazine.
Clearly one of the best restaurants in the area; very expensive.
[WHN] says:
[3/10] "On Saturday, 3/20, my sister-in-law and her husband took us to San Marco for a belated celebration of my wife's birthday. We were seated in the ‘wine room’, which is always a nice area. My wife and her sister started with Caesar and arugula salads, respectively. Our brother-in-law had pasta e fagioli soup, and I had caprese salad made with roasted red peppers instead of out-of-season tomatoes. The appetizers were delicious. For main courses, the ladies had shrimp and scallops in a cognac and shallot sauce with angel hair pasta. I had quail, sauteed, then grilled, in a porcini mushroom sauce, over wild mushroom risotto, with roasted potatoes, asparagus, zucchini, and carrots. Our brother-in-law had vitello alla nonna—veal scallopini and eggplant with asiago cheese, topped by a creamy tomato sauce. For dessert, my wife and I shared chocolate lava cake with hazelnut gelato, while our relatives had cherry, blueberry, and raspberry tarts with vanilla gelato. It was an excellent meal, with excellent service. After dinner, my sister-in-law asked what was my favorite Buffalo-area restaurant. I said that there are just too many excellent ones to pick a favorite, but San Marco is certainly one of my top choices."
[10/09] "Along with friends, on Saturday night 10/24, we returned to San Marco for the first time in about a year and a half. Upon arrival, we were warmly greeted by the owner as if we were frequent customers rather than people who only dine their once a year or so. When I made the reservation, I asked for a table in the room with wine stored on the walls, but was told it was booked, but they would honor my request if they had a cancellation. Apparently they did, because we were seated there, as I had requested. My wife and both friends had Caesar or mixed green salads to start. I had the ‘risotto del giorno’—risotto with wild mushrooms—which was delicious. For the main course, my wife asked for, and was served, an entree-sized portion of their lobster ravioli appetizer. This has always been one of her favorite dishes at San Marco, and tonight was no exception. She thought it looked too large to finish, but she managed to eat all but one ravioli. Our friends had chicken Milanese and grilled whole trout, which were both described as excellent. I was looking forward to rabbit with truffles, which is shown on their website, but it wasn't available. Instead, I had an excellent veal rib chop in truffle oil with a Sangiovese and herb sauce. For dessert, we shared a chocolate cake and apple ‘strudel’, which turned out to be a thick-crusted apple pie. It was OK, but not what I expected, but the chocolate cake was said to be very, very good. With our meal, we had a bottle of Michele Chiarlo Gavi and a Banfi Chianti Classico Reserva. One thing to note: They used to have some bargain-priced Piedmontese wines, for example a Beni di Batasiolo Barolo from Piedmont for $40, less than double the $22 retail price at the time. Now, the lowest-priced bottle of Barolo is $80, but they still have some relatively economical Tuscan wines. When we were leaving, the owner warmly bid us a good night as if we were friends, rather than customers. He certainly knows how to run the front of the house and make people feel welcome. Our friends and we agreed, it was another excellent dining experience at San Marco, which remains one of my favorite Buffalo-area restaurants."
[4/08] "We returned to San Marco on Friday night, 4/25, for dinner with our son and visiting daughter. Three of us started our meals with one of their often-featured specials, lobster ravioli, with a tomato cream sauce and baby shrimp. The ravioli was perfect this time—not as salty as the last time my wife had it. My son had pasta fagioli—bean and pasta soup—which he pronounced as very good. For the main course, my daughter and I had one of the frequently featured nightly specials—whole fresh rainbow trout with a lemon butter, pink peppercorn, and caper sauce. I've had it before (although I don't recall the pink peppercorns from the last time), and it was, again, delicious. My wife had Chilean sea bass, also finished with a white wine, lemon butter, and caper sauce. Our son had grilled venison, something you don't find very often on restaurant menus in Buffalo—in a Barolo wine sauce. All were accompanied by roasted potatoes and vegetables, and all were excellent. 3 stars."
[4/08] "My wife and I dined at San Marco with another couple on Saturday night, 4/6/08. To start, my wife had lobster ravioli, which she said had a different, and less tasty, sauce than the last time she ordered it a couple months ago, and was also overly salty. I ordered another evening special, cheese-filled tortellini in a cream sauce with mushrooms. It was quite good, but also overly salty for my taste. Our friend and his wife had Caesar salad and the tortellini appetizer, respectively. For main courses, my wife had her San Marco favorite, veal Marsala (which they call something else). I had Sardinian wild boar in a Barolo wine sauce with pink peppercorns, a house specialty. I had it the first time we dined at San Marco years ago, but haven't had it since. It was excellent. My friend had whole rainbow trout, and his wife had filet in a Cognac-pepper-cream sauce. They both said their meals were delicious. The service was less than we've come to expect from San Marco: The meal, which consisted of two courses plus coffee, took nearly three hours. Nevertheless, it's still one of my favorite restaurants."
[2/08] "After a hiatus of about a year and a half, my wife and I dined at San Marco on Thursday night. For appetizers, we both had an evening special of house-made lobster ravioli, topped with a creamy tomato sauce with baby shrimp. Exquisite. For the main course, my wife had the restaurant's version of veal Marsala, made with black truffle oil and topped by porcini mushrooms. I had one of the daily specials—fresh rainbow trout with a lemon butter and caper sauce. Both dinners were accompanied by winter vegetables and roasted potatoes. Both were delicious! For dessert, my wife had a chocolate "dome cake" filled with cappuccino cream. I had a caramel pear tart with vanilla ice cream. The desserts were excellent as well. San Marco remains one of the best restaurants in the area, in my opinion."
[10/06] "Having gotten through 9 days of partial (emergency generator) power, as a result of the "October surprise" storm, I called San Marco on Friday, 10/20, and found that they had just reopened and had a table for two available the next night, albeit either earlier or later than we would have preferred. We opted for earlier—6 p.m. Saturday afternoon, our utility power was restored, so we had reason to celebrate that night. Driving down a darkened Kensington from Main, the street lights, traffic signals, King and I, and other businesses and homes were still dark, without power. We thought San Marco might have lost power again, but the block from San Marco to Harlem was normally lighted. After a glass of Pinot Grigio, my wife and I both had an evening special, an exceptionally tasty shrimp and lobster risotto to start, followed by Caesar salads. For the main course, my wife had a variation of Veal Marsala made with black truffle oil, while I had Vitello Nonna—veal escalopes and eggplant with a creamy, tomato-flavored sauce. Both were tender and delicious. San Marco had not gotten their wine delivery, and were out of the wine that I ordered, but the owner, Frank, recommended an Amarone Valpolicella that was excellent. For dessert, my wife had a chocolate cake, and I had a fresh pear tart, which were both very good. I would rate San Marco as one of my top five favorite Buffalo-area restaurants, along with Rue Franklin, Hutch's, Tempo and Left Bank."
[MTC, 10/11] said: "Quick Score: 3.25 out of 4. Upon calling for reservations for two, I was told that the only times available for dining were 5:30 & 9:00; I opted for 5:30. Upon arriving at 5:30, we were seated in the back wine room, which provided an intimate dining experience. We did notice that we were the only couple in the entire restaurant at this point, and, by the meal's end (around 7:15), San Marco was approximately half full. I mention this, because we were told they were ‘booked’ the whole evening other than 5:30 and 9:00. The server was very attentive and knowledgeable; he was a nice guy and didn't detract or add to the experience, so he scores well in my book. First Course: Gnocchi Del Barone & Capesante al Vesuvio—The Gnocchi Del Barone are best described as good, not great, with the proper texture and consistency. I have had better gnocchi in Buffalo (Mulberry). The cream sauce was the real letdown here. It was described as a ‘gorgonzola’ cream sauce, but the gorgonzola was nowhere to be found. The cream sauce was fine, but, since it was billed as a gorgonzola sauce, it fell a little short. The Capesante al Vesuvio came with four scallops, roasted red peppers, and pesto risotto with a lemon-sage sauce. The roasted red peppers and the pesto risotto were a nice accompaniment to the scallops and added nicely to the dish. The scallops, on the other hand, were rather small but were cooked properly. I assume they opted for four small scallops as opposed to two larger scallops for plating and presentation. Entrée: Filetto al Carbone & Saltimbocca alla Romana—I ordered the Filetto al Carbone; it is a grilled, tenderloin filet in a creamy, porcini-mushroom sauce with cracked pepper & brandy. The steak was ordered medium-rare and was cooked and seasoned to perfection. The meat was accompanied by roasted red potatoes and roasted vegetables (carrots, squash, and zucchini). The roasted potatoes and vegetables were an afterthought, in my opinion, designed more to fill you up than add to the meal. The steak was topped with a slice of portobello mushroom, which was a tad strange because it was paired with a porcini mushroom sauce (a porcini on top would have been more appropriate, tying in with the sauce), but it was still good. The flavorful and rich sauce partially covered the filet, and extra sauce was left to the side of the meat for dipping. My girlfriend ordered the Saltimbocca alla Romana, which is a scallopini of veal with a white-wine sauce topped with prosciutto and mozzarella. The veal was tender and crisp; the prosciutto and mozzarella added a nice salty aspect. The white-wine sauce paired nicely with the meal. Overall, the meal itself was very good, with a few hiccups along the way. I tend to nitpick a little when reviewing San Marco but rightfully so when reviewing a fine-dining establishment in Buffalo. In the end, I crossed off one of my to-do restaurants in Buffalo and enjoyed a nice birthday dinner with my girlfriend."
[JoM, 6/11] said: "We attended a birthday dinner at San Marco's on 5-26-11. For appetizers, the table split an order of the lobster ravioli, grilled scallops, and an order of gnocchi. Everyone really enjoyed all three choices: The lobster ravioli were served in a pink vodka sauce and accompanied with baby shrimp. The grilled scallops were very large and came with cooked red peppers with a lemon-butter drizzle. The gnocchi came in a creamy white sauce and were very flavorful. One of the evening specials was venison tenderloin with risotto, which my girlfriend chose. It was spectacular. It's hard to find many restaurants who offer venison. It was ordered medium rare and cooked to perfection. I ordered a strip steak with an olive oil and rosemary glaze. It also came with baby potatoes and steamed vegetables. I ordered it medium rare, and it came as asked. I was happy with my choice, as there was nothing left on my plate at the end of the meal. The couple we dined with had pasta dishes and raved about both dishes. We ended the meal by splitting an apple cobbler with the table. It came with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and was a great complement to our excellent meal. The service was quick and professional. Overall, we were pleased with our experience. I recommend!"
[JPe, 1/10] said: "Positive. We dined at San Marco Saturday night (1/16/10) and had a very positive experience. It is very pricey, but worth the treat for special occasions. We started with the lobster ravioli and gnocchi appetizers. Both were excellent: small, but very very tasty. I had the wild boar, which was very good, but tasted the strip steak, which I thought was much better: one of the best tasting bites of steak I've had in a long time. The other two at our table had the salmon and the scallops. Both were excellent. The scallops are huge and perfectly cooked every time. The atmosphere did not seem cramped, as others have complained about. The squeaky kitchen door, however, needs some WD-40. This was quite annoying, but hardly worth mentioning. I was also glad to see they had draft beer available, because I previously was told they only served wine. I had two pints of Sierra Nevada, which were very satisfying, since I'm not a wine drinker at all. My wife enjoyed the Cabernet, and my niece enjoyed the Riesling. Not sure exactly which wines they were, but they didn't specify when ordering, so they were the house wines I assume. Anyway, they were both excellent. Let me just say I believe you will be very pleased if you give this restaurant a try."
[PT, 8/09] said: "After reading two negative reviews in a row, I feel compelled to put my 2 cents in regarding San Marco. We have had many excellent meals there over the years, and have always had superb food and service, never once felt crowded, and don't understand the comment about their food being "too heavy", but I suppose it depends on what was ordered. I haven't been to NYC in a long time, so can't comment on San Marco's prices vs. NYC restaurants, but their prices are certainly on a par with the other top-notch, Buffalo-area restaurants mentioned, Hutch's and Rue Franklin. Likewise, we have not been to Il Fiorentino since they moved to Orchard Park, but, at their previous locations, we felt their prices were on the high side. In any case, on our most recent visit to San Marco a couple of months ago, my husband and I both had lobster ravioli, followed by a shared Caesar salad, then a rabbit stew for me and venison for him, and a shared dessert of chocolate cake. All the food was superb, and, unlike NYC restaurants where we've dined in the past, sides of potatoes and vegetables are included, whereas everything was extra in NYC. We always request the ‘wine room’, where the tables are definitely not too close together. I agree with Janice Okun's 4-stars and with your own 3-star rating."
[RGF, 8/09] said: "I am a UB faculty member on leave (for seven years now), and I read your guide to keep up w/ the restaurant scene for my return visits (and for nostalgic reasons: I grew up in Buffalo).… It's great. Kudos for keeping it going all these years. Now that I live in New York (and I see you are a New York native), I've learned a whole different way of eating—and I take MLA [Modern Language Association] committee members out for dinner frequently, so I know the scene here (and love it). When I return to Buffalo, I am more often than not disappointed, sadly. Thanks to your guide, I can find some new gems. On recent trips I've found the following to be up to my New York standards: Hutch's, Rue Franklin, Il Fiorentino. San Marco's food was too heavy and the tables too close together for a quiet conversation. It had New York prices, which surprised me. Anyway, just to say I appreciate your work." [Thanks for the kind words!]
[CPu, 11/08] says: "Review: Poor. After hearing all the rave reviews, I figured it was time for my first trip to San Marco. I honestly don't see what all the commotion is about. While some would say the atmosphere is "intimate", I call it cramped. We went for an early dinner and were the first party to be seated. The next two couples that arrived were seated right next to us on either side. Literally 2 feet away! Why do that when there was plenty of room to spread us out? Obviously, this bothered the other couples as well, as all three tables spent the evening whispering in a vain attempt to have some privacy. For appetizers, we ordered the lobster ravioli with baby shrimp and the mushroom risotto. I like lobster, I like shrimp, I like ravioli. I hated this appetizer. It tasted way too "fishy". Maybe that is what the chef was going for, but I didn't like it. The mushroom risotto, on the other hand, was awesome. Finally, a restaurant that realizes risotto doesn't always have to be surrounded by pounds of melted cheese and butter. This was by far the best thing we had. For the main course, I ordered the shrimp and scallops in brown sauce with angel hair. My date ordered shrimp with spinach ravioli. The scallops were small, sandy, and had no flavor. The shrimp tasted bitter, mealy, and "off". Maybe it was previously frozen. The sauce, however, was excellent. Same went for the date's dish. Good sauce, bad seafood. The raviolis were OK but nothing to write home about. For dessert, we split the apple pie. It was decent and came with cinnamon gelato, which was tasty. All in all, San Marco did not live up to the hype, and I will not be returning."
[BL, 8/06] said: "A fine meal for us at an outstanding area restaurant. This was our first time at San Marco's, and we were not too familiar with Northern Italian cuisine. But not a problem. Quality in all areas from ambiance (in our case, we wanted a warm, romantic setting and got it) to service to excellent food and creative menus. We will go back again and try several other items on the menu. Very, very good. But more important, and not trying to sound silly about this, the main ingredient that you feel at San Marco's is an atmosphere of love. There are many repeat patrons who obviously have a warm relationship with the owners, and you see this as they enter and greet each other and are seated. It stepped up a notch our entire dining experience. Very happy, very loving, and then couple that with great food and surroundings—what more could you want? A confident and competent dining establishment. ($103 before tax and tip for shared appetizer, salad, and soup, separate entrees, two glasses of wine each and desserts.)"
[JCr, 1/06] said: "This past weekend, I enjoyed a nice meal at San Marco Ristorante. This was my first dining experience there, and I would say that it was a positive one. I went with a party of 7, and I must say the service was good for the most part. We did wait a while between our first and second courses, and, when the second course did come out, they brought them out individually, and it seemed to be almost 10 minutes between the first entree and the last being served. For our first course, ravioli with lobster, mixed greens salad, and a thin-sliced, cured meat (can't recall what exactly it was) served on a bed of arugula and drizzled with olive oil and balsamic. All of these starters were reported to be very good. For our entrees, most of us ordered off the specials. My fiancee and her mother ordered the sea bass with a pesto sauce, which was said to be tasty but like [Bill's] review was reported to be a bit "crisp". A few other guests ordered the veal special, which I am not sure how it was prepared, but was quite good. My future brother-in-law ordered the wild boar, and I ordered the venison on special; both were cooked with olive oil and balsamic and finished in a type of red-wine reduction with juniper berries. Both of these dishes were very tasty and very tender. A variety of different desserts were had, and all were supposedly very good. All in all, it was a nice dining experience,but there are many restaurants that I prefer that I would return to before this one, and many more that I haven't tried yet that I would visit before a return trip. 8 out of 10."
Bill said:
[6/99]
I was here with [MER], my father, and my
son: My father and I started off with a wonderfully tasty risotto with
white truffles and porcini and portobello mushrooms, [MER] had a
buffalo-milk mozzarella with tomato salad, and we shared a
bruschetta—all excellent. For our main course, [MER] had a delicious
quail over the same risotto we had had as an appetizer, I had a sea bass
in a lemon-caper sauce, and my father had salmon; we all agreed that our
meals were excellent (even I, who normally doesn't like sea bass, but
the owner recommended it since the chef was no longer making the
sole I had originally ordered, on the grounds that it had spoiled).
For our 3-year old son, we ordered a plain grilled chicken (not on
the menu), which they happily prepared and served with our appetizers.
Our desserts were a chocolate cake for our son (which we all shared), a
raspberry trifle, and a chocolate-walnut pie, again all superb. The
service was excellent.
[10/03] Began with an absolutely
exquisite buffalo mozzarella salad with roasted red peppers and
artichokes instead of the usual tomatoes (which, they said, were out of
season); the mozzarella was soft, almost custard-like. For my main
course, I had one of the evening's specials: sea bass in a pesto
sauce; it was tasty, but the skin seemed a bit on the crisp (dare I say
burned?) side. Dessert was an excellent apple tart with ice cream. As
always, the service was impeccable.
[AK, 6/99] said: "The other night, my wife and I had a fabulous dinner at San Marco's on Kensington. We called at roughly 7:00 P.M. on Tuesday night and were told that there would be no problem seating us. We were seated promptly and were two of about eight people there. LisaBeth ordered a fresh buffalo mozzarella and red pepper appetizer, while I had an exquisite truffle risotto. I had a very nice Cabernet (I don't recall the vinyard) with the meal. For an entree, I had an excellent spinach ravioli with a sun-dried tomato sauce. LisaBeth had a wild mushroom pasta (it was a pasta I was unfamiliar with—a thin, somewhat wide noodle). I had a magnificent cappuccino, and we shared a double-chocolate (mousse and dark chocolate) cake. The whole meal was slightly over $60 and was truly incredible. Everything was done to perfection. The service was warm and friendly without being intrusive; the waiter and host were both very helpful and knowledgeable. I have not had a better Italian meal in Buffalo. The food has dramatically improved from when I was last at San Marco (when it was in Kenmore)—and it was incredible then."
[RM, 5/00] said: "The best northern Italian restaurant in town. The place to take a visitor to impress them with quality food. Listen to Frank's advice and go with the specials. Truly excellent food. Desserts are good, but not the strength of the restaurant."
[ALS, 6/98] said: "An excellent Northern Italian restaurant"
[RSK, 5/98] said: "I'm not claiming to be an expert, but this is a great restaurant by any standard."
[PW, 5/98] said: "This is the second-best restaurant in Buffalo (to Warren's). Fantastic and unusual food." [Editor's note: Warren's has closed.]
[GDT, 8/96] said: "By a wide margin, the best Italian restaurant in Western New York. The Grimaldis (Nancy is the chief of the kitchen, Frank is the master of the floor) put together a delightful combination of well-prepared food, delicious wines, and warm surroundings that sum to a wonderful dining experience. The emphasis is on northern Italian cooking, principally Tuscan but with a generous Venetian influence as well. Particularly well-prepared game courses, such as the ever-present grilled quail and the more seasonal wild boar, rabbit, and red tipped venison, are the pride of the place. Vegetarians (my wife is one) find a half dozen pastas, soups, risottos (on occasion), and polentas to choose from. Appetizers include the quail (rated by my French friends as better than their French brethren); the mixed antipasto, which includes a very good prosciutto from Parma; and freshly roasted red peppers with fresh bocconcini. Soups include pasta e fagioli, which can be ordered spicy or mild. Many of the pastas are freshly made locally, including the gnocchi, which are as light as air. Linda, the pasta cook, is particularly adept as pulling the pasta from the water within seconds of perfection. This restaurant cooks all its pasta on order, as opposed to the usual practice in other `Italian' restaurants of pre-cooking the pasta and re-heating it at meal time. Among the favorite main courses here is the salmon finished with a light lemon sauce; others choose the gamberi, the large shrimp finished on the grill and served in a shallot sauce that is flambeed in cognac. The kitchen is open to suggestion on side dishes and saucing. The wine list recently admitted a few well-chosen California vintages to complement the great Italian choices, including seven Brunellos, six Chiantis, and a number of Barolos, Barberas, and Pinot Grigios. Service is efficient and friendly without being smarmy. While a good Brunello di Montalcino Talenti can easily boost the cost of a meal past the century mark for two, it is still possible to eat modestly in cost, yet feel immodestly well fed and wined. Are there any negatives? Sure. Desserts, with the notable exception of Nancy's tiramisu, are not made on site. San Marco is open Tuesday through Sunday nights from about 5PM. There is absolutely no smoking."
[ALS, 8/96] said: "Excellent environment in their new location and wonderful northern Italian cuisine."
[PJE] said:
[5/94] "Very good (better than Just Pasta now, I think)." [Editor's note: Just Pasta has closed.]
[BJ, 6/94] said: "I greatly enjoyed the pasta and salad. Not much for vegetarians here, but whatever they had was very good."
Santasiero's Restaurant.
1329 Niagara St. (West Side), Buffalo.
886-9197.
[5/11] Given 4 (out of 4) pennies by Joan Barone McDonald, Buffalo News "Cheap Eats" restaurant reviewer.
[3/10] Listed as one of 41 "Restaurants We Love" by Buffalo Spree magazine.
[4/07] Listed as one of Buffalo's "27 Best Restaurants" by Buffalo Spree magazine.
[JCr, 1/08] says: "Can you really beat this place as far as price goes? My parents took my brother and me to this place every Sunday for dinner during the summers on our way back from Bay Beach, and I am quite fond of this place. I have not dined here in many many years, but I still occasionally order take-out from here, and it is always fantastic and quite affordable. My mother still makes the best red sauce, but Santasiero's is a close second; however, their meatballs are second to none. I really love this place and hope it sticks around for many, many more years to come."
[LE, 5/07] says: "Santasiero's was a favorite place to eat dinner when I grew up and lived in Buffalo, and remains a favorite when I got back to visit. The food has been consistently great throughout the decades. Santasiero's has a charming menu posted on the paneled wall in the back room of the tavern. The food is incredible for such a cheap price. The sauce is excellent. Their pasta fasoul (spelling?) is just about the best in the entire country. Santasiero's is a precious gem for people coming back to their hometown. Its warm, casual, down-to-earth atmosphere, large portions, and great food all make for a comforting, homey experience."
[MEL, 6/99] says: "Good, nutritious fast food in a quaintly blue-collar setting. Just go to this little bar/restaurant on an industrial street, ask for a plate of spaghetti, and for $3.75 you have a good, filling meal in about 3 minutes (and the bread comes about 2 minutes before that!)."
[MD, 4/98] says: "Another fine Italian restaurant....Talk about vintage West Side buildings, I felt like I was in Sicily! Just take a look at the ceiling in the front room."
[am] Santora's Phase II.
1402 Millersport Hwy. (across from Marriott and Red Roof, in Triad Apartment
Bldg.), Amherst.
688-3081.
[GF, 12/05] says: "Ordered wings and pizza from here for a large group: two large pizzas and two 50-wing buckets. I had ordered from here before, and it was OK. This time, terrible! The cheese barely covered the pizza, and there was minimal pepperoni. The flavor of the wings was all right, but nothing worth writing home about. To make it worse, there were obvious little tufts or whatnot (where the feathers had been plucked) in the skin. Gross! I know they started that way, but no one wants to see that before you bite into it."
Sara's Deli.
Suite 122, 55 Cross Point Pkwy., Getzville.
636-7272.
[1/10] Given 3½ (out of 4) pennies by Anne Neville, Buffalo News "Cheap Eats" restaurant reviewer.
[CCo, 8/07] says: "This place specializes in Mediterranean and American food. They have excellent take-out service or, if you prefer, they have a few tables to sit at. You can also buy lotto, cigarettes, snacks, beer, coffee, and other beverages. I chose to have the chicken-finger basket—talk about good food, great pricing, and a good amount (I couldn't finish the entire meal). The fingers were more like my hand size, and I could order them any way I wanted. My companion choose one of their wraps, which was plentiful as well as made to order on your choice of honey wheat, white, or tomato wrap. I will continue to patronize this establishment; they are great!!"
Saville's Farm Market.
3910 N. Buffalo St. (Rt. 240), Orchard Park.
662-4485.
Savory's.
5564 Camp Rd., Hamburg.
648-0044.
[7/10] Given 3½ (out of 4) pennies by Anne Neville, Buffalo News "Cheap Eats" restaurant reviewer.
Breakfast (including "Eggs Benefict" :-), lunch; dinner on Fridays. Wraps, salads, "paninis" [sic], burgers, etc.
[KRN, 7/10] says: "We had Sunday breakfast here 7/18/10. The place was very busy, and we had to wait a couple of minutes to be seated. The menu was large, with many more specials on a large blackboard. I had the southwestern-style eggs Benedict, which had two poached eggs over bacon and a square of sweet, and mildly spicy, cornbread. This was topped with a chipotle hollandaise sauce and served with hash browns or home fries. It was very good. My wife had the Poco Loco Scramble, which was topped with a fresh, homemade salsa that she deemed excellent. The food tasted like it was prepared without salt, which is a good thing for those of us struggling with high blood pressure. With 2 cups of coffee, the bill came to $19.53 plus tip. Upon leaving, we noticed a fair-sized garden behind the restaurant: talk about fresh and locally grown. A place we will visit again, as there are so many interesting things on the menu. Service was good. Hours are 6 A.M.–3 P.M. daily, until 9 P.M. Fri., and 7 A.M.–1 P.M. Sun."
Sawyer Creek Hotel.
3264 Niagara Falls Blvd., North Tonawanda, NY.
694-2168.
[ES, 1/07] said: "I went to the Sawyer Creek Hotel for lunch on a Friday afternoon, my first time there. As I waited to place my order, the ccok came from the kitchen and dumped the swill container (the container that catches the overflow from the beer taps) into a pitcher and then continued to fill the pitcher with fresh beer from the taps. He said he was making beer batter for this evening fish frys. Oh my good; can you believe this? I went back a second time, this time just to have a beer and see if he did it again. Again, it was a Friday afternoon, and sure enough, he did it again. Needless to say, I will never eat at that restaurant again. Never. I have contacted the Niagara County Health Department and hope that they address this issue. Can you imagine what they do back in that kitchen?"
[SD, 11/06] says: "Several years ago, we visited this restaurant. I ordered a fish fry, and, although the fish was good, the macaroni salad was spoiled. We didn't see the waitress again until we were finished eating. When I told her the food was spoiled, her response was, "Oh", and she took my plate away. She never apologized or took anything off my bill. Since I don't like to make a scene, I just left vowing never to return. Last week, we decided to give the place a second chance, since it is very close to our home. I ordered the filet mignon, and my husband ordered the baby back ribs. My filet was so tough I couldn't cut it with the steak knife. And my husband's ribs were nothing but fat. I did complain about the steak, because I couldn't even chew it, and the waitress did apologize and ask if I would like something else. I decided on the roast beef sandwich, because I thought it would be quick. 15 minutes later, I received my sandwich, and it was very fatty, but at least it was shredded fat. The restaurant is also very dirty, and the ceiling looks like it is about to cave in. I will never return and would just like to warn others not to waste their money. The fact that there were only 2-3 other couples in the place on a Saturday night should have been a clue. Also, on my credit card receipt, the restaurant was listed as Rico's Cafe, not Sawyer Creek...?"
Say Cheese! Pizza Co.
1771 Love Rd., Grand Island. 775-0333.
[11/11] Given 3½ (out of 4) pennies by Anne Neville, Buffalo News "Cheap Eats" restaurant reviewer.
Review of the Grand Island location:
La Scala Ristorante.
9210 Transit Rd., East Amherst.
213-2777.
[12/11] MER and I had dinner here on Wednesday, 12/21/11. The dinner was excellent as always (caprese appetizer, followed by grilled salmon for me and beef tenderloin with a truffle butter sauce and 3 jumbo shrimp for MER, both accompanied by parmesan-spinach risotto and grilled asparagus), with excellent service by Tim. Dinner for two, with wine and tax but before tip came to about $70 each. But the real reason for this review is to praise the dessert: a warm apple tart with homemade, soft, vanilla ice cream. The tart was also homemade, with apples grown on the owner's orchard, walnuts, and raisins, encased in a phyllo pastry, served warm with caramel sauce. I single this out, not only because it was so good, but also because I had had a similar dessert at Tabree recently that was nowhere near as good as this one at La Scala.
[9/11] La Scala has a new chef, from Abruzzo, Italy, and a new menu. I had filet of sea bass with asparagus and lemon risotto (containing chunks of zucchini and yellow squash); the sea bass was mild and delicious, the asparagus were nicely grilled (or roasted?), and the lemon risotto with squash was smooth and excellent; the dinner came with a chef salad with balsamic vinaigrette. MER had her usual, consisting of caprese followed by beef tenderloin, which—despite there being a new chef—were as good as always. For dessert, I had a raspberry panna cotta, which was light and delicious. (Chocolate and amaretto panna cotte are also on the new dessert menu, and arancine are on the new appetizer menu.) Because readers always ask, I will say that our dinner for two, with wine and tax, but before tip, came to about $60 each.
[11/10] MER and I had an early dinner after Black Friday shopping. On our server's (Tom Vullo) recommendation, I began with a new (at least for me) menu item: Mache & Roasted Root Vegetables (cold roasted beets, parsnips, carrots, and butternut squash with a pomegranate vinaigrette)—light and exquisite. For my main course, I had one of the daily specials: cioppino, with salmon, tilapia, huge scallops, huge shrimp, mussels, and clams, in a saffron broth, with beans and sausage—delicious. MER had her usual filet mignon, this time with wonderful scalloped potatoes and fiery veggies. A memorable meal.
[9/10] [MER] and I had a spur-of-the-moment, early dinner here on a Wednesday evening, 9/29/10. I began with a delicious, potato-and-cream-based, seafood stew with mussels, lobster, and clams (a daily special, not on the regular menu), followed by another special: butternut-squash-and-goat-cheese ravioli, with a garnish of fried, julienned squash and caramelized walnuts in a havarti cream sauce—a wonderful combination of sweet and savory. [MER] had her usual filet mignon, accompanied by salt potatoes and grilled asparagus. She had thought, briefly, that Black and Blue Steak and Crab's filet was as good as La Scala's, but having the real thing reminded her that La Scala's is still the gold standard. For dessert, we split an excellent, homemade, apple crisp. Service was by the incomparable Tom Vullo.
[8/10] MER, our son, and I had dinner here on a Friday evening [8/28/10]. We began with an evening-special caprese salad: a tower of 3 large, fresh, beefsteak tomatoes interleaved with 2 slices each of mozzarella, and topped with a sprig of basil leaves, all in a balsamic vinaigrette. The tomatoes and basil were grown locally. Delicious. MER and our son had their usual beef tenderloin cooked medium, MER without the melted bleu cheese on top, our son with it; they both thought that the beef was superb, as always, though our son didn't care for the bleu cheese (a matter of personal taste, not of the preparation). I had an evening special of whole rainbow trout (yes, head included :-) in a lemon caper sauce, accompanied by 3 or 4 roasted potatoes and slices of green and yellow squash and carrot (one slice of each—more of a garnish than a vegetable accompaniment); the trout was superb: tender, tasty, and virtually boneless. For dessert, delicious vanilla-bean crèe brulée with fresh strawberries, cheesecake with fresh strawberries, and the Godiva chocolate soufflé. Perfect service by Tom Vullo and staff. A memorable meal.
[6/10] We had dinner here on a Tuesday evening with out-of-town guests. This was our first visit since the new chef arrived, formerly of The Western Door, and the new menu was available. La Scala is even better than before. MER began with the soup of the day: a chicken broth with saffron noodles, vegetables, and fresh herbs; I tasted it, and we agreed that it was exquisite. I began with a white bean and chorizo soup: a bit on the spicy side (though not overwhelming) with an excellent flavor. Several of us had delicious caprese salads (not on the menu, but made at our request). For main courses, MER had grilled beef tenderloin with "amazing" roasted fingerling potatoes and carrots and squash (but without the maytag bleu cheese, at her request). It was cooked medium to order and had extra spices added, courtesy of the chef, whom we had been introduced to before the meal; everything was hot and "the cat's meow" (filets mignons from the previous chef had been MER's gold standard; this has now been exceeded). I had a new item: leek-wrapped salmon stuffed with mango-pineapple chutney, served over melted leek in a cream sauce, with two potato "windows" (very large, very thin potato chips). This was a memorable dish: The salmon was "gift wrapped" in leek "ribbons"; I had forgotten about the chutney stuffing, so when it flowed out as I cut into the salmon, it was like a surprise gift. The melted-leek sauce was wonderful. One guest had Italian Flag Crepe Manicotti: Three crepes filled with ricotta, one topped with green, basil-mint-tarragon pesto; one with white Alfredo; and one with red marinara—arranged like the Italian flag and tasting wonderful (we all tried some). Another guest had a Veal Scaloppini Purse stuffed with mushroom risotto wrapped in bacon and topped with "tobacco fried onions"; she was going to save some to take home, but she liked it so much that she finished it on the spot. My son had a rosetta pizza, which he declared better than ever; the new chef uses a honey-based dough. And, of course, service by Tom Vullo and the rest of the staff, was perfection, as always.
[5/10] The owner has informed me that they are getting (and may already now have) a new chef and a new menu.
[3/10] We had takeout pizza for dinner on Friday [3/5/10]: MER had the Rosetta pizza (tomato, basil, & mozzarella), augmented with red onion; our son had an off-menu cheese-and-pepperoni pizza; and I had what I always seem to have, the Pasqualina (pesto sauce, ricotta cheese, sauteed chicken, fresh spinach, & caramelized onions). All were delicious, as usual. The pizzas—about 12" in diameter—averaged $11.50 each.
[3/10] On a whim, [MER], our 14-year-old son, and I stopped here for a mid-week, early dinner. They have a new menu (and a new website) since our last visit. We all began with an off-the-menu caprese salad that was even better than their usual high standard. [MER] and our son had the filet mignon, with asparagus, broccolini, carrots, and mashed potatoes; excellent as always (if a tad rarer than the medium that they like). I had the seafood risotto again; still delicious. For dessert, [MER] and our son split a "chocolate ravioli": fried baker's dough enclosing a chocolate ganache, slightly on the bittersweet side; I had a pear poached in (white?) zinfadel, with mascarpone cheese and whipped cream; exquisite. Service was perfect. Expensive (over $175 for three of us, with wine, after tax), but worth it.
[3/09] [MER] and I had another wonderful meal here on a Friday evening (they now have a new menu). [MER] had her usual filet mignon, as good as always. I began with the soup du jour: cream of asparagus—a rich, deep green in color, with bits of asparagus and bits of brie that melted while eating (drinking?) the soup; delicious. For my main course, I had the seafood risotto: "Baby Lobster Tail, Shrimp, Calamari and Asparagus Tips in Saffron Risotto"—exquisite. For dessert, we both had a rich lemon cake and excellent coffee. As always, the service by Tom Vullo was professional in every way.
[1/09] [MER], our friend visiting from Indiana, and I ate here on a Monday night, originally intending just to have a light dinner of pizza, but [MER] and our friend were tempted by a slightly new menu to have a roast chicken (with a smoky flavor) with garlic mashed potatoes and broccoli, asparagus, and carrots; the latter were done to perfection, and the whole dish was exquisite. I stuck to our original plan and had a Pasqualina pizza: pesto sauce, ricotta, sauteed chicken, fresh spinach leaves, and caramelized onion. Really good, though enough for two (I took the other half home).
[10/08] La Scala catered our son's Bar Mitzvah party. The catering was done off-site at The Tonawanda Castle, whose facilities left something to be desired from the perspective of an outside caterer. But La Scala came through with flying colors. Under very adverse conditions, they prepared a meal as good as anything we've eaten at the restaurant: caprese salad; ziti with Bolognese sauce; filet mignon and grilled salmon served with roasted, red, baby potatoes, asparagus, carrots, and sunburst squash; accompanied by homemade bread and their wonderful olive tapenade. Dessert was a pear poached in wine, covered with chocolate, and served with Mascarpone cheese, as well as a dessert buffet of Italian pastries. The coffee was every bit as good as you would have expected in the restaurant. Kids had a burger bar with various toppings and, for dessert, a do-it-yourself sundae bar with various toppings. Superb. (I'll add that the rest of the party was also superbly organized and overseen by Event Elements, who have organized several events for us before.)
[5/08] Stopped in for an early, impromptu dinner without reservations on a night when they were fully booked, but the (new) hostess, who didn't recognize us, offered to seat us in the pizza dining area, which we happily accepted. I began with the pear, strawberry, walnut, and arugula salad with a citrus vinaigrette; it was light and fresh. For my main course, I chose one of the daily specials, a tender and sweet, pan-seared butterfish with a crunchy, tropical fruit salsa (avocado, pineapple, mango, honeydew), accompanied by the most delicious ("Mediterranean") rice I've ever had—a secret ingredient that might have included some cinnamon (it tasted a bit like shortbread). [MER] had her usual, tender, delicious filet mignon cooked medium. For dessert (or "desert", as their on-line menu spells it), we shared the cooked-to-order Godiva chocolate soufflé—a sort of dark chocolate cake-like pudding with hot, melted chocolate in the center. The service, headed by the ever-attentive Tom Vullo with excellent assistance, was perfection as usual.
[11/07] Returned with [MER], my stepson, and my 12-year-old son. La Scala now has a slightly new menu, with more extensive seafood items. I began with an off-the-menu field-green salad with fried leeks, garbanzo beans, beets, tomatoes, and what may have been portobello mushroom slices with melted bleu cheese (which I avoided like the plague) in a balsamic vinaigrette: a perfect starter. For my main course, I had the new Seafood Trio: canatappi pasta (curly macaroni), asparagus, artichokes, spinach, tomatoes, large shrimp, huge scallops, and a baby lobster tail: delicious. [MER] began with a special appetizer: coconut shrimp with polenta, which she loved, and had filet mignon as her entree, tender and tasty as always. My stepson loved his gnocchi with steak tips in a cream sauce (another new menu item), and my son loved his cheese-and-pepperoni pizza (ordered from the separate pizza menu). Once again, a superb meal, and the waitstaff, headed by Tom Vullo, was—as always—impeccable.
[4/07] [MER] and I returned with a friend from out of town. As usual, the food, service, and ambience were superb. [MER] and our guest began with appetizers of beefsteak (unfortunately misspelled as "beef stake") tomatoes and fresh mozzarella sliced with red onion rings and fresh basil, with an olive oil and raspberry honey balsamic vinaigrette; they were both pleased, as was I with my rich and creamy, lightly fried, sweet-potato gnocchi in a maple-walnut cream sauce. For their main courses, [MER] and guest opted for the "cowboy filet", tender as all La Scala's steaks are. I opted for a northern Italian shellfish stew with clams, mussels, shrimp, and scallops, sauteed in San Marzano tomato broth with cannellini, banana peppers, and crostini: delicious. Excellent coffee, and, for dessert, I had a wonderful tiramisu. Be warned: La Scala is not inexpensive; our meal, with wine, came to over $200.
[12/06] [MER] and I stopped by for a late, light supper. I began with a slightly-too-salty shrimp bisque filled with lots of tiny shrimp, followed by the mussels alla romana: sauteed with garlic, basil, cannelini beans, tomatoes, and roasted red peppers in a white wine lemon sauce; delicious—the only thing I should have asked for was a spoon to scoop it all up with. As always, the service was impeccable.
[8/06] I began my meal with a grilled romaine salad with aged balsamic, strawberries, and candied pecans; it was tasty, but I must admit that I didn't like the consistency of the grilled lettuce, and the dressing was a bit overpowering. However, my Mediterranean pasta was excellent: caramelized scallops, sauteed shrimp, and the largest mussels I've ever seen, along with Kalamata olives, artichokes, baby spinach, sundried tomatoes, and red-wine-soaked feta over whole-wheat penne.
[6/06] I returned and ordered from the menu of daily specials. I began with a citrus salad with Bibb lettuce, strawberries, kiwi, and (I think) avocado, with a honey vinaigrette and toasted pine nuts; light and tasty—a great start to a meal. For the main course, I had a caramelized halibut over roasted potatoes, finished with grilled pineapple, mango salsa, and grilled lime, topped with a white wine, lemon, and butter sauce. The salsa had just enough tang, but not overpowering the delicate fish. My 10-year-old son had a pepperoni pizza, which was quite good—more along the lines of the pizzas we've had in France than anything else available in Buffalo.
[4/06] I came with some colleagues and a visiting lecturer; I had a special: pan-roasted filet of escolar (a white fish), [See KH, 9/09]
[2/06] [MER] began with sauteed artichokes battered with parmesan and egg; delicious. For my main course, I had Alaskan halibut, pan seared over artichoke risotto with citrus buerre blanc, garnished with a jumbo shrimp; excellent. Dessert was a wonderful tiramisu. My 10-year-old son had a pepperoni pizza, which he enjoyed (and which I had as a leftover for lunch the next day; also excellent, even for my NYC pizza taste buds :-).
[9/05] We returned and were equally pleased. I ordered from their "specials"-of-the-day menu: Caprese Roma Tomatoes with Sweet Basil, Bocconcini Mozzarella, and Red Onions as an appetizer salad, followed by Golden Rainbow Trout broiled with Apple-Smothered Bacon, Roasted Garlic and Thyme, over Orange and Yellow Snow Crab Lentils with Asparagus, with a Warm Roasted Garlic Sherry Vinaigrette. I was worried about the bacon ovewhelming the trout, but it was merely wrapped around the outside and could easily be ignored; the lentils were nicely crunchy and tasty—altogether a successful dish. For dessert, I was offered a surprise, since it was my birthday: hazelnut ice cream with chocolate sauce and whipped cream, accompanied by various fruits (straw-, rasp-, and blueberries, watermelon, pineapple).
[8/05] In a word, superb! Italian, by way of Lebanon, with at least one chef from the late lamented Pranzo. [MER] and I ate here a few weeks before its official opening, having asked the manager (a friend of ours, as are the owners, who overlap with the ownership of La Marina) if they were serving yet and being told that, though not yet officially open, they had had a "soft" opening about a week before and had been doing a brisk drive-by business since then, which just goes to show how this East Amherst neighborhood had been desperate for this kind of restaurant. Located in the former Salonika site, but completely—and elegantly—redecorated (with separate private dining rooms that are wi-fi equipped and separate pizza and drinks bars), their nearest competitors would be Pietro's and Calvaneso's (definitely not the much more informal Salonika that it replaced). Before eating, we were given a small dish of a scrumptious olive tapenade to spread on bread (along with oil, if we preferred). We both began with the $7 La Scala Fattoush salad ("field greens tossed with tomatoes, onion, cucumbers, toasted pita, dressed with extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice & Cayenne"), which can be ordered plain, mild, medium, or hot (the pita bits are soaked in varying degrees of Cayenne); we ordered "mild" and it was plenty tangy. [MER] had the $32 filet mignon ("10 Ounce served over roasted potato [actually, the potato was displayed vertically to the side of the steak], vegetable [asparagus the night we were here, cooked to perfection], gorgonzola bread & Cabernet demi"); it, too, was cooked to perfection and as tender as marshmallows. I had the $25 bouillabaisse "Marseilles" ("Baby lobster tail, clams, mussels, shrimp, scallops & catch of the day served in an herb tomato broth served with a parmesan cheese crouton"); though not quite as garlicky or saffrony as I like, it was delicious. Dessert for [MER] was a delicious trifle; for me, a chocolate-wafer cup filled with mixed berries; exquisite. We'll be back for more! (Other options included a daily "Minestra"; Caesar salad or baked goat cheese salads; roasted banana peppers, crab cakes, or fried calamari appetizers; a clam and oyster bar; various pastas; tripe, chicken, bethanjhan (stuffed eggplant), seafood, or bracciole among the entreés (as well as daily specials). The separate "Pranzo" lunch menu includes the daily "Minestra", several salads, various panini and pastas, and three varieties of pizza. They also do home and office catering, as well as private parties.)
[4/08] "On a recent Saturday night, we decided to check out this seemingly-always-busy restaurant on Transit Road. I called at 7:30 pm and asked what the chances of getting a table for two were and was told there was a 40 minute wait. I made a 9 pm reservation. We were seated immediately in one of the busiest (fine dining) restaurants I have been in. Wow, I think they may just make a go of it here. The bar was packed and most every table was full with quite a few parties of 6. This is a noisy place—a good noisy. It creates a sense of excitement and anticipation when everyone seems so happy and having a good time. We were able to have fun doing some people watching—lots of interesting characters. The place is beautifully decorated, with warmth and a very cool waterfall. It takes a little maneuvering to get to the restroom—had to elbow a few men in Armani standing around the bar to get there. J had a nice Chianti, and I stuck with a lager. They have no beer on draft; bottles only. I thought our server just forgot to bring me a glass; then I noticed a few other guys drinking right out of the bottle, so I said what the heck and took a good swallow. Seems a little too fancy a place to suck beer out of the bottle, but I am fine with that. We ordered the fried calamari, and it was very good. I believe it had a cornmeal based coating. Nice and crunchy, and the marinara sauce was very good. They also have a bread server who brings bread, olive oil, and an olive tapenade. This was fine. Our server never mentioned a salad, and I assumed it was à la carte, but then he came with 2 dinner salads; I am glad we like Italian dressing, since we were not asked. Not a problem; it seemed a bonus to get this. J ordered the La Scala Eggplant, which was excellent! This is not a typical eggplant parm. This was 3 thickly-sliced pieces of eggplant, crisp and delicious with excellent sauce and al dente spaghetti. Truly, this was one fine entree. I had the chicken marsala—I know, terribly boring of me when there were so many other interesting items to order, but I was very happy with my choice. I love the taste of the marsala sauce with the mushrooms. These were not canned mushrooms, nice and fresh—Portobello perhaps. A good, albeit comfortable, choice. We like this place and will be back."
[KHo, 5/10] said
[unedited; possibly about the new chef and menu]:
"so my daughter and I went to LaScala Restaurant last Friday, 30 April
2010. It is a way to expensive restaurant for us but she had a coupon
for a free meal. I don't want to forget to tell you that
there were only 2 other people in the restaurant (they left shortly
after we arrived) and at that point there was no one else in the entire
restaurant, on a Friday night, at around 6 pm. Their address is 9210
Transit Rd, East Amherst, NY 14051, 213-2777. We both ordered a bloody
mary, we ordered 1 bowl of lobster bisque to split (which was
uneatable/very fishy tasting), we ordered one salad to split, I asked
for iceberg lettuce and they actually quartered a head of lettuce and
put that on the plate with dressing on it. For what you are paying, you
figured they could have cut it up for you. Next my daughter ordered
chicken Marcela, which was ok. I ordered veal parmegian, it was a very
large portion, but was tasteless. I take a bite of the spaghetti and it
is not cooked. When the waiter came and checked on us, I told him the
spaghetti was not cooked, he looked horrified like no one ever
complained to him before. He went back into the kitchen screaming
‘she says the spaghetti is not cooked’ over and
over again. At that point the manager/owner(?) comes over to our table
and squats down near me and says ‘I hear you have a problem
with your spaghetti’, I say yes I do, it's not
cooked. He then replies ‘I don't know if you know
what al dente is, but that is how we cook our spaghetti’
(very patronizing to me and nasty), I reply, that I do know what al dente is and this spaghetti is 6 to 8 minutes away from being al dente.
He replies ‘we don't even cook our spaghetti 6 to
8 minutes, which didn't surprise me, since the spaghetti was
actually crunchy. He then offers me more spaghetti, which I, of course,
turned down, he then offers me another drink, which I didn't
want, the whole time being very nasty with a disgusting look on his
face, I just wanted to get out of the restaurant. He walked away all
pissed off. We finish and get the bill, remember we had a free meal
coupon, and the bill was $54, he didn't give us anything off
for the crunchy spaghetti. Needless to say, we will never go there
again. So my rating for this restaurant is ‘0’."
[The following review is printed unedited, as are the follow-ups.]
[TO, 12/09] said: "My husband and I went to La Scala Restaurant
in East Amherst at 9210 Transit Road
last week.
It took a very long time for the waiter to even approach us. Drinks
(just wine) took even longer. I ordered pasta alla vodka with shrimp
for my main course.
I was okay. Wouldn't order it again. After eating one shrimp and about
five bites of pasta, I noticed a BLACK hair between two pieces of pasta.
It was stuck under one piece and sticking out. I quietly waited for my
waiter. Not to be seen or heard from. I saw the owner, who seated us
and brought it to him and simply stated I found a hair in my pasta. He
took my bowl and said he would get me a new one. About a minute later,
he returned with a new bowl of my pasta (almost sure it was the
original) in one hand and the HAIR in the other between his two fingers.
He stuck it in my face and said that this was not from anyone in the
kitchen. It must have come form someone in the dining area. The
implication was in was mine. I have blond hair! He said it as laying
on top. It was NOT!! It was stuck between tow pieces of pasta.
Apparently, he searched for it. I asked him to please wrap it. He was
clearly annoyed. I was so grossed out after having
a hair that was not mine shoved in my face. I never received an
apology. Never was offered a drink or dessert and I was still charged
for it. My waiter never mentioned it either. The bill ended up being
$224 without tip! Not having eaten dinner, we stopped on the way home.
I was thoroughly disgusted that no apology was given and most
importantly, the black hair was shoved in my face. I will never go
there again."
[To which TO replies, again unedited:]
"My review was anything but unfair. What was unfair was having an
evening ruined by the owner shoving a hair that was found in my meal,
between the pasta, into my face. What was unfair was not even being
offered an apology. What was unfair was still being charged for a meal
that had someone else's hair in it. What is unfair is you trying to
tell, the paying customer, otherwise. Sincerely, the paying customer"
Concerning
my review from [4/06], [KH, 9/09] said:
"I have been a great fan of your site for a long time and have even
contributed some reviews. I have noticed lately that restaurants in WNY
are serving escolar and that some of the reviewers are eating it.
My mother ate escolar about 6 years ago in Saratoga, NY. She got
violently ill. I began researching escolar after that and came across
some pretty disturbing news. Here is a
link to the wikipedia entry about escolar
but if you just search for
escolar in Google, you will come across a lot of articles.
I wasn't sure if you would want to use this information at all on your
site, but felt I should at least let you know.
Thanks for maintaining a great web site!"
[Thanks for the info and for the kind words.]
[WHN] said:
[6/09] "We went to La Scala with our son, daughter, and grandson
last night, Thursday, 6/11. We started with salads, since the small
dinner salads that once came with entrees are no longer included. Both
the house green salads and "de-constructed" Caesar salads were very
good. My wife and I had veal Marsala and veal piccata, respectively. Our
son had an evening special, cowboy rib-eye steak. Our daughter had
eggplant parmesan. Our grandson had "1/2 roasted chicken La Scala". All
the food was very good, but the half chicken was more like a quarter
chicken, with a drumstick and thigh and a little white meat, presumably
part of a breast. He's not a big eater, so it was fine, but an adult or
hearty eater would have had a problem with the serving size. My only
other complaint was that, although we were seated at a round table with
plenty of room, our server said "excuse my reach", two or three times,
then reached in front of me to put or remove a dish at or from my wife's
place. He could have just as easily served from my other side or walked
a few steps to the other side of the table. Maybe I'm being picky, but I
found it very annoying. Still, an excellent meal overall."
[9/08] "We returned to La Scala for the first time in about a
year with
another couple last Saturday night, 9/20. We had dined with them
there about three years ago and were put in a nondescript banquet
room and subjected to poor service and food of varying quality. Our
friends were completely turned off and had not been back since. This
time, I specifically asked that we not be put in a windowless back
room and was assured we would be in one of the main dining rooms. To
start, three of us had their delicious crab cakes, with what the menu
describes as horseradish aioli. They were excellent, although my wife
says hers, made with lump backfin crab meat and nearly zero filler,
are better. The fourth member of our party ordered a Caesar salad,
which was served when the rest of us were served small house salads,
which are included with entrees except when salads are ordered. For
main courses, our friends both ordered filet mignon, which they said
were perfectly cooked and tender. My wife enjoyed her veal Marsala,
which she said was better than
Pietro's.
She also liked the potato
and vegetable sides better than Pietro's side of pasta, but that's a
matter of personal preference. My main course of veal Portofino, with
mushrooms, artichokes, and fresh tomatoes, was excellent. No one else
wanted dessert, but when I heard key lime pie on the verbal menu, I
had to try it. It was delicious. Our friends were happy that they
gave La Scala a second chance, and agreed that it was too bad that
they had waited so long to return."
[8/07] "We met another couple for dinner at La
Scala last night (8/18/07). It
was our first return visit in nearly two years. My wife started her
meal with the "Fattoush" salad of mixed greens. Our waiter warned her
that it was "hot", but she told him she liked spicy foods. Actually,
she thought the salad, and especially the dressing, was bland and not
at all spicy. She said she would not order it again.
[Editor's note: I don't normally interrupt reviews, but here I can't
resist observing that one person's "hot" is another's "mild": I had the
Fattoush once and found it so hot that I never had it again, but my
"supertasting" taste buds just don't like spicy foods. I think "mild"
wings are hot enough. So the fact that [WHN]'s wife didn't think the
Fattoush was spicy doesn't necessarily mean that it wasn't :-).
And now back to the review....]
The rest of us
ordered Caesar salads, which were very good. A few diced tomatoes and
a slice of prosciutto were served to the side, which was a nice added
touch. For the main course, our wives had a nightly seafood special—monkfish in a saffron-flavored wine sauce. The fish dish was
described as fabulous and "absolutely delicious". My friend and I had
both had veal Francaise—egg-coated veal escallops, sauteed, and
served with capers and lemon. It was perfect. We skipped dessert, but
ordered coffee. Our friends lived in Italy for five years and said
the coffee tasted just like Italian coffee."
[10/05] "Our second visit to La Scala was
somewhat disappointing. The food was
still very good, with three exceptions—cold mashed potatoes with
two of the dinners, one tough steak (out of four), and the coffee
wasn't hot. But first... our reservation was "lost". Once "found", we
were put in a back room with no atmosphere, no ambiance, and no
decor, except for a room-wide mirror on one wall, and large, red
"EXIT" signs over the doors. Very depressing to spend $100+ per
couple for dinner, and be put in a room that has all the charm of a
warehouse. In general, the service was disjointed: The bread arrived
after we finished our appetizers, and our main courses arrived before
our salads, which we would not have gotten at all if we hadn't
reminded the waiter. Yes, we will go back, but we will definitely
specify we do not want to be put in one of their "banquet rooms"."
[9/05] "Excellent! I drove by La Scala many times
recently, and wondered when
it would open. After reading your review, I learned it was open and
made a reservation to celebrate my sister-in-law's birthday. When we
pulled in, we noticed their grand opening sign and hoped they
wouldn't be overwhelmed. No fear. We were promptly seated, and the
service was impeccable and perfectly paced. We shared several
appetizers: excellent crab cakes—probably part of the
above-mentioned
La Marina
legacy—fried calamari, and baked goat
cheese salad. A small house salad is also included with each entree.
My wife and brother-in-law both had pork bracciole ($24), which they
agreed was tender and delicious, with a red-sauced pasta on the side.
I had one of the daily specials, veal chop saltimbocca ($38), which
was cooked perfectly to medium rare, as ordered. It was served with
an unusual, sweet, but tasty, fig risotto. My sister-in-law had sole,
sauteed, I think ($21), which she said was also excellent. This also
came with a side of pasta. All dinners included a vegetable
(zucchini), too. My wife and I shared key lime pie for dessert, and my
brother- and sister-in-law shared a cannoli. Both desserts were very
good. The coffee is imported from Italy, our waiter told us. Although
we had decaf, it was fresh brewed and strong, as coffee in Italy
usually is. The wine list is quite good and fairly extensive,
although with somewhat fewer Italian wines than I had expected. Pasta
dishes are available in half portions for those who want a pasta course,
or a side dish with their entree, as well as full portions as
an entree. We were told they're open for dinner only, so this may
have changed since the August review. We're looking forward to
returning very soon."
[ECB] said:
[3/09] "On the basis of the wonderful reviews it
received here, my wife [AAB]
and I went to La Scala for my birthday back in January. We were
immediately blown away by the wonderful decor. The restaurant is
beautiful and perfectly set up so that the tables aren't so close as to
seem crowded, and the light level is just low enough to be intimate
without making it hard to read menus. Our server was wonderful, helpful,
and attentive. The complimentary olive tapenade was excellent, and our
appetizers, mussels and stuffed peppers, came quickly and were
remarkable, followed by Fattoush and Caesar salads that were just as
good. The only down point came with the main course. My wife's Ahi Tuna
was spectacular, but my Seafood Trio was bland and uninspiring. We
finished up with excellent coffee, cinnamon gelato, and key lime pie. On
the way out, I chatted with the hostess while waiting for my wife to
return from the bathroom, and she sensed my reservations when I said the
meal was good, and was very interested in knowing what I ordered and why
I wasn't pleased with it rather than just accepting my words at face
value. I was very impressed by this. We will definitely be returning,
particularly to give their pizzas a try."
[MRT, 12/05] said: "This is a superb restaurant.
When you are first seated at your table, you are brought a basket of
delicious bread as well as a very tasty olive tapenade and extra virgin
olive oil. It was difficult to hold back on enjoying the bread to save
room
for the rest of our meals
For appetizers, my husband and I each ordered off the specials. I
ordered a
portabella mushroom stuffed with salmon. The taste was outstanding
10/10.
My husband ordered their lobster bisque, as well as their crab cakes
from
their regular menu. I tasted his crab cakes, and they were excellent
(10/10). He rates their lobster bisque 8/10 as compared to
Hutch's.
My husband
ordered the Dover sole off the special menu. He rates that 7/10 as
compared
to the Dover sole of the long lost Grano restaurant in Clarence. I
ordered
their filet mignon. My filet was perfectly cooked, and accompanied with
spinach and mashed potatoes. I rate their filet mignon 10/10.
Both of our meals were accompanied with an excellent simple salad.
For dessert, my husband ordered a Godiva chocolate eruption. I ordered
tiramisu. We rate both desserts 10/10."
[MRT] returned
[11/07]: "Last weekend, on Saturday, 11/3/07, my husband and I
visited la Scala for
dinner.
We once compared La Scala with
Hutch's.
My husband ordered three
appetizers for dinner: crab cakes and 2 items from the specials list: a
shrimp tempura and a pasta with steak tips. I began with the La Scala
Fattoush Salad, and a fish from the specials list with shrimp risotto.
My husband was not terribly impressed with his dishes. I adored my
salad, and so I was very much looking forward for my main dish. I was
very disappointed in the fish. It smelled fishy—it was not terribly
tasty. I left most of it over. I did enjoy the risotto and the
sautéed vegetables that accompanied the dish. I must say that the
service at La Scala is exceptional. We did not order desert (no item
appealed to us).
Editor's comment: They could not order dessert, however, because the
menu
only offers "desert"!]
Rather, we ordered coffee and espresso. Sadly, we are
crossing La Scala off our list of excellent restaurants.
We drove to
Butterwood Gourmet Desserts,
where we greatly enjoyed our
deserts.
[MJH, 9/05] said: "If you are looking for spaghetti and meat ball
type restaurant you are at the wrong place I was very disappointed. Nice restaurant but no Italian food."
La Scala Restaurant (Jamestown).
[8/11] When I lived in Jamestown in the late 70s/early 80s, there
were very few good restaurants and even fewer (good or bad) that
were open on Sunday evenings. La Scala (no relation to its far
superior
namesake in East Amherst) was both good
and open on Sunday evenings. Fast-forward 25 years; my family and
I return to the Jamestown area and try La Scala—it's not too bad. But
then it gets worse. And then it burns down. And then it's resurrected
in a new location: an abandoned motel across the street from its former
location. In the meantime, Vullo's up the road has closed, and we were
looking for a decent restaurant near our lake house. So, with lots of company
visiting (4 adults, 3 teenagers, and our two, very young grandchildren), we tried the new La Scala. We arrived with no reservation, and there was no one at
the desk to greet us, but they had no trouble
seating us in their very large and somewhat awkwardly arranged new digs
(which consist of several, very large rooms).
The food, however, is no improvement over the
old. I was not pleased at all; others in our party were happy, however.
I had Atlantic salmon "encrusted [or ‘encrsted’ as their
website has it] in parmesan cheese and pan fried…served with
a…dill sauce": It was good, but very salty; I did not detect any
parmesan "encrusting", and I don't know whether the large dollop of
melted butter(?) on top was the dill sauce, especially since it arrived
with a small bowl of some sauce-like substance on the side whose flavor
I could not make out. [MER] began with a salty French onion soup (with
very nice cover of melted cheese) and had the veal marsala with a side of pasta, and the house salad with a creamy garlic dressing; she enjoyed her meal
and thought the veal was very good. Others in the party had veal
florentine, chicken parmesan, and strip steak, with sides of curly
fries or mixed vegetables, and salads with Italian dressing or balsamic
vinaigrette. Other menu options include beef, veal, lamb, pasta,
seafood, and chicken. Service was polite, but very, very, very slow, no
doubt due to there being only one waitress for a large room with several
large tables. I doubt we'll return unless we have to. For what it's
worth, dinner for all 7 of us, with drinks, but before tip, came to
a little over $30 per person. Curiously, the rather large tip that I
left was lowered by nearly 75% when I got my credit-card statement.
Methinks our hard-working waitress got cheated.
[
[12/09] [MER], our 14-year-old son, and I, along with a friend from
Snyder and her 14-year-old son and 9-year-old daughter, made
reservations here New Year's Eve. We were offered a choice of a 5:30
or an 8:00 P.M. seating and opted for the
earlier one, arriving at around 5:40 on a lake-effect-snowy evening.
The place was packed and noisy (their acoustics leave something to be
desired). The waiter took our drink order, described the evening
specials, brought our drinks, took our food order, and then we waited,
and waited, and waited, and waited. Refills on the drinks were brought,
and refills on the refills, but no sign of solid food, not even bread,
till we asked, at which point it was explained that, with everyone
arriving at the same time, and all orders being put in at the same time,
and all food being made to order, there was a bit of a back-up in the
kitchen. Hmmm. A bit of bad planning, if you ask me. Had they allowed
random reservations, they might have avoided the bottleneck. The main
course finally arrived at 7:15
P.M.. But that was the low point. The high
point was the food, which was, as always, of the highest quality. Well,
I was a bit disappointed by the bread, which was cranberry-raisin bread,
but my son loved it, so who am I to complain? I began with the evening's
special soup: lobster bisque, which was thin (not thick), the way I
like it, with large chunks of lobster and small bits of celery. The
rest of the table had the bruschetta, topped with melted mozzarella,
tomatoes, and pesto. For my entree, I continued the seafood theme with
a ‘Napoleon’: ‘Jumbo shrimp, scallops and lobster
tossed in a savory cream sauce flavored w/ sherry, shallots and paprika;
served layered on puff pastry’; in some ways, this was a kind of
dual
of my appetizer, with the seafood being the focus instead of the liquid.
The others had beef of one kind or another, most having filet mignon with or without cabernet-shallot sauce
and one having NY strip steak,
all cooked to order,
accompanied by buttermilk mashed potatoes and grilled broccoli (I tasted
both sides; the potatoes were wonderful, but I thought the broccoli tasted
burnt, though Mary thought they were wonderful, too).
House salads with choice of very lightly applied dressings were also
served. We skipped dessert only because our guest had brought us a
chocolate cake from
Dessert Deli.
[7/09] [MER], two friends, and I had dinner here on a Thursday evening. We
had been trying to get a reservation for quite a while, and only
succeeded because a son of one of the friends eating with us works in
the kitchen and made the reservation for us. I take our difficulty to
be a mark of the success of this excellent restaurant. Another
disclaimer: [MER] is well-known to our waiter and the bartender, both of
whom used to work at the late, lamented Vullo's across Lake Chautauqua
in Greenhurst. Once again, we had an excellent dining experience, both
in terms of food and service. [MER] and one of our guests had a filet
mignon, ordered and served medium, accompanied by the ‘vegetable of the
day’, garlic-steamed spinach, and by the ‘starch of the day’, fried zucchini sticks. [MER] likened the filet to her gold standard at
La Scala in East Amherst, and everyone
who had the zucchini praised them highly. Our other guest had the
Bistro Steak, also ordered medium and also enjoyed immensely. I had the
Bar Harbor (pan-seared sea scallops over lobster risotto with lemon
scallion vinaigrette), which was perfect: The scallops were tender, the
risotto was chock full of lobster, and the serving size was exactly
right. All dinners are accompanied by a raisin bread and a choice of
salad: Three of us opted for the caprese: 2 large tomato
slices, 2 large mozzarella slices, 2 large basil leaves, and a delicious
balsamic vinaigrette; the other guest had the house salad, offered with
what seemed like
a dozen choices of dressing. Between the salad course and the entree, a
small raspberry sorbet is served as a palate cleanser.
For dessert, [MER] and I both had a peach
layer cake with an almond-flavored icing; the cake was very light and accompanied
by walnuts. We also took home a chocolate layer cake with a white icing,
for my son.
Dinner for 4, with drinks and tip, came to $200.
If you come here, be sure to walk down the street to get a
wonderful view of the lake and park, and the boutique shops along the
way.
[8/08]
This year-old restaurant is located in the heart of the quaint-village
area
of Lakewood, near
Jamestown
and the
Chautauqua Institution.
We were
there on a Friday night, and the place was hopping. And no wonder: The
food is excellent. We shared the bruschetta with basil pesto, plum
tomatoes, and melted mozzarella; three big slices, very tasty. For
entrees, I [Bill] had the Miller's Wife: sauteed Holland sole with
lemon beurre blanc and asparagus; it was exquisite. It was accompanied
by a salad of mixed greens with a very light Dijon dressing.
[MER] began with a French onion soup that seemed to have a
minestrone-like base (instead of a beef-broth base); she pronounced it
"spectacular". Her entree was a veal Madeira with wild mushrooms,
shallots, and wine, which she also thought was excellent and superior to
the more usual veal Marsala. One of our companions had the Bar Harbor:
pan-seared sea scallops over lobster risotto with lemon scallion
vinaigrette; she was very pleased with her meal. And her daughter had
the Bistro Steak: a 10 oz. sirloin strip steak with wild mushroom
saute and scallion butter,
cooked rare to perfection, and described as being tender as butter.
Between the salad course and the entrees, we were served a blackberry
sorbet. Three of us opted for desserts (none made in house, though
occasionally some are, we were told): a very light triple-berry flan
cake, an almond torte, and a chocolate peanut-butter pie; all were
excellent. The service, though a bit leisurely, was excellent (our
server and the bartender recognized us from
Vullo's, where they used to work and
where we often eat).
We'll be back soon!
Scarlet on Virginia.
[DV, 1/10] said: "Our neighborhood dining group of 10 selected
Scarlet on Virginia for our night out on January 23, 2010, and we were
amazed at how far the restaurant had come since it was the former
Gargoyles most remembered from our college days. The decor is very
classy and understated, beyond the brilliant red bar, lit up behind
glass blocks. We were greeted by the hostess upon our 7 P.M.
arrival, and
were asked whether we wanted to start at the bar or be seated right
away. Our server—Rich—indicated that our table was ready and
that he would
lead us upstairs to the fantastic second floor seating area.
Our group of 10 started with a combination of wine, mixed drinks, and
beer, and Rich managed to get it all correct. One beer was sold out at
the bar, however, and that member of our party had to request something
else.
To start, we loaded up on appetizers: Strawberry bruschetta, banana
peppers, cottage fries, sliders, and an Asian chicken dish. The
appetizers were all tasty and were to perfection, as far as our group
was concerned.
For our entrees, our group ordered heavily from the daily specials,
including a bacon-wrapped, pork filet, a ‘cowboy’ ribeye, and a salmon
dish. Also off the standard menu, the goat-cheese grilled pizza was
ordered by a member of our party with a side order of beer-&-cheese
soup. When the food was brought to the table, one order of the bacon-wrapped pork filet was left out. The member of our party had to wait
5–10 minutes before the entree was finally brought up, with apologies
that another server had taken their dish.
The ribeye—served with steamed asparagus and ‘tobacco’ onions—was
ordered medium well, but it was slightly overcooked, according to our
party member. The pork special, despite being delivered late to one
member, was a wonderful combination of pork, apples, maple-glazed
carrots, and mashed sweet potatoes. The goat-cheese pizza was a little
‘too rich’ for the member of our party who ordered it, but they raved
about the beer-&-cheese soup. The salmon dish also received high marks.
There were no desserts ordered this night, but a wonderful dining
experience was had by our group. Because of the large party size, a $68
gratuity was added to our bill, bringing it to $453."
Scharf's Schiller Park.
[7/07] "Finding Scharf's is a bit tricky, and the
neighborhood it is in is not the
best, but this is surely a piece of authentic Buffalo. Call ahead to
find
out their hours. On the night we went, they were only open until 7.
Also,
skip going on Fridays, since the fish fry replaces the dumplings. Don't
be
alarmed when you get there—the restaurant can be found by going
through
the old-time tavern.
Three of us enjoyed sauerbraten, potato pancakes, Wiener schnitzel,
German
potato salad, and sweet and sour cabbage. Everything was excellent. The
sauerbraten was fork tender. The potato pancakes were thick and crunchy.
All
the sides were excellent. The place was practically empty when we were
there
on a Friday night, which is a shame since the food here was truly
excellent.
We also enjoyed the rye bread that came before our meals, and found our
included salads pleasant."
[WHN, 10/11] said: "G had Thursday, 10/13/11, off work, and we
wound up in Cheektowaga, trying to think of a non-chain restaurant in
the area that would offer something different. We ended up going to
Scharf's for a late lunch/early dinner. I have never been there, but she
had been there a long time ago. As a previous reviewer noted, it's
difficult to find, and we tried several streets that ended at Schiller
Park before finding Crossman. It was worth the effort, although I would
hesitate to go there at night. G had fried fish, with German potato
salad and cole slaw. She thought the fish was good and the
accompaniments were OK, but not great. I had excellent Wiener schnitzel,
with spaetzle and sauerkraut. We shared a small order of potato
pancakes, with applesauce and sour cream on the side, which I thought
were crispier and better tasting than
Ulrich's."
[CMe, 11/08] said: "I am unhappy to report an awful experience at
this highly recommended
restaurant. We waited an
hour and
15
minutes for our dinner with a waitress who never once returned to check
for
drinks or quality of food (which was awful!: tough
squares of roast beef and reheated canned green beans). When we questioned her on
it, she
told us, "I was in the kitchen; they make us scrape our own dishes." We
brought
a visiting friend there; never again."
[DY, 9/02] said: "One of the few places left where you can
get authentic German cuisine
in Buffalo (I recommend that you don't go there for burgers or
steak,
although I'm sure they're excellent; instead, enjoy ethnic cuisine
that
you can't find elsewhere). Their sauerbraten is as good as I've
ever
had, as are their potato pancakes, spaetzle, and dumplings. The
German
band music and wall decorations lend a homey feel to this
German-American
treasure."
[MEL, 3/98] said: "Standard German fare at cheap
prices; I had a beef and noodles entree which was pretty good."
Schimschack's Restaurant.
[3/10] Listed as one of 41
"Restaurants We Love" by
Buffalo Spree magazine.
[J&NS, 11/11] say: "We've been going here for quite some
time regularly but haven't sent in a review, as the meals have
always been very good.
[But that's what we want to hear: how good the restaurants in the
Buffalo area are!]
My wife and I went there on Sunday [11/6/11] with my father-in-law and daughter to
enjoy our anniversary. We got there at 5 P.M.
with
the 5 dinner specials available until 5:30 seating. These specials
consist of soup, salad, entree, and dessert for $14.25. There is
a variety to choose from: talapia, prime rib, BBQ ribs, chicken, and
shrimp dinners. Three out of four of us picked the dinner
specials, my wife and daughter opted for the prime rib, and my
father-in-law had the BBQ ribs. In the specials, the size of the
ribs/prime rib is smaller than if you ordered from the menu. I ordered
the full rack of ribs from the menu for $19.95 instead.
We started out ordering a few appetizers: two orders of artichoke
hearts with cheese and breadcrumbs and an order of twin crab cakes
for the table. We all shared and enjoyed with the loaves of three types
of bread.
The specials began with the cream of broccoli soup, which they all
enjoyed, followed by a salad with the
house special dressing of warm bacon dressing, which is the best. I also
had a salad with the house dressing.
The prime rib was tender and very good; the size of them were
perfect for my wife and daughter, with a little to take home.
Dad's BBQ ribs were also dead-on for his appetite, with nothing
to take home. The steak fries that Dad and I ordered
with our ribs were a little limp and could've been done a little
more, but the ribs were very delicious.
The three all had options for cake, ice cream, or cheese cake; they
all chose the cake to take
home, as I invited them to enjoy the Bananas Foster dessert that
Schimshack's is well known for. No one makes it like they do,
right at your table. So the four of us enjoyed the BF dessert and
coffee while watching the sun set beautifully over the countryside.
As before, the service and food were done well. The ambience is very
enjoyable. Including drinks, specials, and dessert, the price
came to only $122 for the four of us, not including tip. Hats off for
another special occasion that was made memorable by
Schimshack's."
[PBr, 5/10] said: "Review Positive: I went to
Schimschack's for the first time this past Thursday
[5/20/10]
accompanied by two others who recommended the restaurant. We arrived
around 5:30 to a packed parking lot; the restaurant does not look like
much from the outside, just bland white brick facade. Once you enter the
restaurant, though, the blandness fades as your attention is immediately
drawn to the back window-covered wall, which provides a nice view that
rumor has it you can see Toronto to the far left. The dining area is
three tiered, and features a décor done in a colonial style with
turquoise paint seemingly everywhere accented with brown—it
could really use an update. The place was crowded, but we were seated
promptly at one of the remaining available tables. All three of us
started our meals with an appetizer. I opted for the crab cakes, while
the two others selected French onion soup and shrimp cocktail. The crab
cakes were good, with a nice crab-to-filler ratio. The soup, I was told,
wasn't the best, but the cocktail received a thumbs up. For
the main course, I had the day's special: 16 oz., bone-in, rib eye
done Cajun style, with house salad and steak fries. My guests each got the
8 oz. filet mignon, both with a side baked potato and house salad. The
salads were run of the mill, yet edible. The main courses were very good.
I had ordered my steak medium, but the lack of pink suggested otherwise;
but it was great. It had a wonderful blackened crust on the outside that
provided a nice kick and was full of flavor. I can attest that I did not
have one bad bite of that steak. The steak fries, I felt, were a little
too limp, and I would most likely opt for a side of rice next time. My
two guests enjoyed their filets, but both commented that a little more
flavor would be appreciated (both suggested adding a bacon wrap). The
bill came to $130 with tip. We left satisfied, and we all agreed the
service was good."
[WHN] said:
[5/09] "We have not been to Schimschack's in a very,
very long time, but on Saturday night, 5/30, we met my wife's sister and
our brother-in-law there for dinner. My in-laws have been there many
times and love it. Unfortunately, the sometimes ‘spectacular’
view of
Lake Ontario and the Toronto skyline was obscured by haze. Two loaves of
house-baked bread divided into three parts—white, dark and
cheese-flavored —preceded the appetizers. As for the meal, my in-laws
split an appetizer of barbecued, baby back ribs, while my wife and I
ordered sherry crab soup. My wife is usually sensitive to saltiness, but
she thought the soup was fine, while I felt it was extremely salty,
bordering on inedible. The tossed green salads included with the
entrees were quite good. For entrees, my wife ordered shrimp scampi
over rice, and her sister ordered scallops au gratin with a side dish of
rice. I ordered a strip steak, cooked medium rare, ‘more toward the rare
side’, while my brother-in-law ordered a filet, cooked medium. Everyone
else enjoyed their meals, but my steak came well-done. I had ordered a
side dish of bearnaise sauce, which alleviated the dryness of the
overcooked steak to some extent. I probably should have complained and
sent it back."
[MTe, 2/09] said: "My husband and I had the Early Bird specials
here on 2/15/09. On the plus
side, you can't beat the price of $13.95 for soup, salad, bread, entree,
dessert, and coffee. The view was spectacular (we could see Toronto),
with
all tables situated so that you can enjoy it. However, the food was
mediocre at best. Soup tasted like canned broth; salad consisted of all
iceberg lettuce. Dessert choices were limited to ice cream and a lemon
cream pie that I found inedible. On the plus side, both entrees (beef
Stroganoff and prime rib) were quite good, though they are not served
with
any vegetable at all. Service was competent but not friendly. If you are
in the area (we had been wine tasting on the escarpment) and recognize
that this is not haute cuisine, it is not a bad choice—especially on a
clear day."
[SMD, 5/05] said: "I had the pleasure of dining at Schimschacks
recently. I was a little
skeptical, given recent reviews, but it turned out to be one of the most
pleasurable dining experiences that I have had in a long time. While
enjoying the view, we dined on Chicken Rolundo, a boneless
breast
stuffed with spinach, smoked ham, swiss cheese, and topped with a white
sauce and their house specialty of baby back ribs. Both entrees were
delicious and well prepared. The ribs just fell off the bone and were
served with a sweet tomato, not hickory, BBQ sauce on the side. The
chicken
was equally satisfying. Really delish! The service was attentive and
professional, and we both remarked how nice it was to dine in a
restaurant
where the only noise was the murmured conversations of the other diners,
not
music blaring in ears. For dessert, we opted for the bananas Foster,
which
was prepared tableside. It was totally decadent and a great ending to a
really lovely meal. All of the diners around us seemed pretty happy,
too. I
will definitely return to Schimschacks."
[J&NS] said:
[11/03] "My wife and I have been going to
Schimschack's Restaurant for a number of years
and
have always found the food very delicious, the view
outstanding—especially at
sunset—and the ambiance very enjoyable and relaxing. I'm not going to be
repetitive to [T&CT, 4/03]'s writeup,
but that is exactly the way we see
this place.
The Banana Foster is an excellent way to finish off a meal split for
the two of us. It's about
a 50-minute drive for us to get there from Lancaster, but it's always
worth the
trip. I
recommend, to those interested, to get there before sunset. It adds to
the romance of the
evening. 3 stars!!!"
[LG&ST, 1/05] said: "A party of 6 of us went to Schimschack's this
past summer. This is a
restaurant my husband and I have been patronizing for years with fond
memories. What a disappointment this past visit was. The waiter was
harried and inattentive. When he brought our food, everyone's arrived
but mine. The reason? I quote our waiter—"Sorry, but your order didn't
make it to the kitchen." Hmm, didn't make it to the kitchen? What
happened in that no man's land between our table and the kitchen? When
my meal did finally arrive, most of my party was finished eating. Within
minutes, the waiter came to clear the dishes and asked if we wanted
dessert. I had to ask for my plate back as he reached for it, as I hadn't
come anywhere near finishing. The waiter offered a round of drinks on
the house for the trouble, not so magnanimous since we all were having
soft drinks or house wine. (When the check arrived, we were charged for
the drinks anyway.) I wrote a letter of complaint to the management and
got a 20 dollar gift cert. in response. Like I'd go there again! Too bad,
too, as the place used to be quite good, and the view is great. I've
talked to others who've had similar disappointing experiences. The place
is running on its old reputation now, and, in my humble opinion, won't be
running much longer. No stars here."
[BC, 10/03] said: "We went to Schimschack's for our anniversary
dinner and left disappointed.
The menu consisted of the the standard items. Our food was bland and
uneventful. The view was very nice, but the decor inside needed some work. The
service
was good."
[T&CT, 4/03] said: "As we exited the car, our noses were met with
enticing fragrances of char-grilled food. The entrance filled with figurines
immediately relaxed us
as homey feelings came over us.
Our coats were hung, and our host led us to a table with a breathtaking
view. Our server, Sharon, was not only efficient but caring. We never
felt rushed or in need of anything. Courteous checks on our needs were
not handled with "How are you guys doing?". Instead, we heard "May I get
anything for you?". Personal and comfortable.
The only interuption to a soft, candle-lit dinner were the occasional
flames from their dessert confection, Banana Foster. The steak was tender,
and done as requested. The seafood was fresh and tasty.
Our overall experience was wonderful, relaxing, and truly a dining
memory to cherish."
Schunk's West Hill Grill.
[–] Schwabl's.
[3/10] Listed as one of 41
"Restaurants We Love" by
Buffalo Spree magazine.
[SBa, 3/11] says: "OMG, I have just had the most wonderful,
down-to-earth dinner at Schwabl's restaurant on 3/26/11. It was absolutely
unforgettable.
My pregnant sister was craving meat and German potato salad. She
called and wanted to meet at Schwabl's for an early dinner at 4:30 P.M.
I have never craved roast beef in my life, but, when I arrived there early
at 4:05, the smell of beef was very inviting. I was immediately asked
how many in my party. I replied 7, and they suggested I wait for
everyone to arrive. The bartender, Paul, asked if I wanted anything to
drink and provided me with a sample of their Chardonnay. I wanted to
order a carafe during dinner, and this sampling helped me choose which
one I would prefer. While we were waiting, I found out that they did
not serve dessert. I was extremely upset, because I had my 67-year-old mother
with me, who has Alzheimer's disease. She does not eat regular food
unless extremely encouraged to do so, but she will eat ice cream without
any prompting. Paul proceeded to tell me where there was an ice-cream
place within one block and to bring it back to Schwabl's. They were
kind enough to store it in the freezer until we were ready to feed it
to her. I was beyond grateful. It is not easy to take her out, because
she doesn't eat a meal. Thank you, Paul, for helping me get her out of
the nursing home and providing her with a sense of comfort food.
On Saturday, you can get Hungarian goulash, which I ordered. I asked
for mashed potatoes instead of the biscuit. There was no problem with
the substitution. Between the six adults, we ordered 3 roast-beef
platters, Hungarian goulash, and a fish fry. The roast beef was
absolutely awesome and cooked to perfection. One person ordered it
medium rare, and all others ordered it medium well. Each piece of meat
was perfect. The fish fry was wonderful. My brother-in-law ate every
bit of the fish fry. The mashed potatoes, cole slaw, and pickled beets
were unbelievable. The cole slaw is not mayonnaise based but an
oil/vinegar/sugar mixture, which was a nice surprise. Even though I
ordered the goulash, I learned that it cannot compete with the roast-beef dinners. I ordered the goulash but ate everyone's roast-beef
leftovers! I gave back my goulash for the leftovers. The German
potato salad was a little lacking but still good. Everything tasted
homemade. The waitstaff was extremely attentive, and service was beyond
excellent. We lacked for nothing, and everything was brought out quickly
and efficiently. I am a physician who has been to many upscale and
extravagant restaurants. This restaurant surpasses the
Buffalo Chop House
and the rest
(Salvatore's,
Russell's,
and
Prime 490)
for family
atmosphere, simplicity, tasty food, and price.
I would recommend this restaurant to anyone."
[9/09] [MER] and I had an early dinner here with some out-of-town visitors
who needed to be in South Buffalo. Service was fast, friendly, and good. Food,
however, was another story. [MER] and our guests all had beef on weck,
but they were told that only medium and well-done roast beef was
available that night. [MER] was not impressed with the beef. I had the Yellow Pike Plate, which came with a very sweet
side of
cole slaw and a very sweet German potato salad, neither of which I liked
very much (despite my part-German ancestry). All seafood is breaded and
deep fried, also not to my liking. When I scraped off the fried breading,
what was left was tasteless. Well, I thought, at least I'll have a
decent dessert. Nope: The restaurant does not serve dessert!
Dinner for 4, with drinks, tax, and tip, was about $75, averging about
$19/person.
[ATw, 6/06] says: "We arrived at approximately 7:30 on a Thursday
night in late June to find the place packed. We were directed toward the
front of the restaurant near
the bar area, but no one gave us any more information. Finally, we
asked if we should put our names on a waiting list, and were told we
were already
on one. We waited over a half hour, then were told we could seat
ourselves "over there".
We had looked at a menu, so we knew what we wanted. Our server came
over and asked to take our order. I ordered the haddock dinner, and we
were told
they were out of haddock. Now, the menu is pretty limited—maybe 12
items or so in the dinner area, so being out of haddock, which is used
to make 3
of the dishes, was disappointing. Instead, I ordered roast beef on
weck, and when I ordered mashed potatoes, we were told they were out of
those, too.
We got our food about 15 minutes later. The roast beef was fat-filled
and chewy, and the yellow pike we ordered instead of the haddock was
filled with bones. We were not told there were bones in it, so when I took a bite
and chomped down on a bunch of bones, I was not happy. The waitress did
not check back on us for about 15 minutes. By this time, I was disgusted with
the food and had no more pop to wash it down with. The waitress was
fair—not
overly friendly, but efficient for the most part. When I mentioned the
bones, she said "That's the problem with yellow pike." That would've
been nice to know when we ordered it.
All in all, considering the reputation that Schwabl's has, I'm
surprised it was this lousy. Needless to say, we will never return."
[a]
Scotch 'N Sirloin.
Online reservations available via
OpenTable.com.
Although probably not part of a chain, there are a lot of look-alike
restaurants around the country with similar names (e.g., "Cork and
Cleaver").
[JKl, 12/09] says: "We dined at this restaurant on 12/6/09 and were completely disappointed.
It is a far cry from how it used to be during its glory days. Their
menu makes it a point to clarify to patrons what the specific meat
cooking temperatures are, yet the cooks themselves apparently do not
follow the same guidelines. I was shocked to see that an establishment
that has always prided itself on being ‘Buffalo's
Steakhouse since 1969’ was completely unable to cook an 8-ounce steak to the desired doneness. I ordered the dinner special with
chicken and steak, and ordered my 8-oz sirloin medium well, as per the
menu: ‘brown with slight pink in the middle’. When it was delivered, I
cut into it, and blood literally spilled out onto my plate. The meat
inside was bright red, nowhere near medium well. The waitress agreed,
apologized, and took the steak back to the kitchen to cook it to the
appropriate temperature. We were appalled when the meat was delivered
back to the table shortly after, still not cooked to medium well. I
refused to make a scene and send it back a second time, but I could not
believe that a steakhouse could not cook it right the first time, let
alone allow it out of the kitchen a second time without being 100%
certain it was cooked correctly! I literally had to cover the pool of
blood on my plate with a piece of bread. We could not understand how
this was allowed to happen. The restaurant was perhaps at 15%
occupancy, so this lack of attention to our meal certainly was not due
to a plentitude of orders piling up in the kitchen and taxing the
capabilities of the cook. Even worse, the waitress did not check to
see if the steak was cooked correctly the second time and, even after
seeing the bloody steak sitting on my plate at the end of the meal,
uneaten, did not offer apologies or ask if there was anything she could
do to make things better. Our waitress then proceeded to bring out the
birthday cake my husband had ordered for me (yeah, this was all on my
birthday; go figure!), and it was still completely frozen. Wow, what an
end to an utterly unsatisfying dining experience. Although the food
quality was our main complaint, I would also like to note that the
restaurant had a musty smell upon first entering, the salad bar was not
fully stocked, the cocktail waitress was virtually invisible throughout
our meal, and we were disappointed to see that the fresh, thick,
pumpernickel bread that used to be on the salad bar years ago is no
longer part of the experience.
(I've written a complaint letter to their
management; if a response is received [and if you would like to include
it]
[Absolutely!]
I will send it your way!)"
[JSc, 9/07] said: "Our visit to the Scotch and Sirloin Steakhouse
was a pleasant one. There
were four of us in the party, and we had reservations at 6pm on Tuesday
(9/25) for which we were seated promptly. The SnS was very busy, unusual
for
a Tuesday nite.
Appetizers/drinks were ordered: shrimp cocktail, stuffed peppers, and
a
seafood-type of bruschetta (special for the day).
The salad bar was simplistic, but everything was well stocked. Also,
there
were four types of bread that were available at the salad bar.
The appetizers arrived at the same time we came back from the salad
bar.
Good timing!!
We all ordered the NY sirloin with various side dishes. My wife, who
loves sweet potatoes, got a generous plate of sweet-potato French fries
with
her
steak. Some places offer that selection but get skimpy on them. I got
the
veggie of the day, which was green beans mixed with a balsamic sauce.
My in-laws both got baked potatoes heaped with sour cream. If you
love
mushrooms, you must order the side order of mushrooms at SnS. They
are the best in the area. The steaks were grilled exactly the way we all
had ordered them.
My wife and I shared a delicious piece of key lime pie with our coffee
to
finish off a wonderful meal.
We had Gusto coupons for 15 dollars each. Total for the bill came to
$150.00 w/coupons, tip, and tax. We saved 30 dollars on the coupons.
We've gone to SnS numerous times, Saturdays, Fridays, weekdays, and it's
always been consistently good. Maybe that's why they were so busy
on Tuesday; the word is getting around."
[RM, 5/00] said: "It seems to have gone significantly
downhill over the
past few years. The salad bar made me nervous, and the accompanying
dishes
were not particularly well prepared or presented. The steak, however,
was excellent, which made it worthwhile for me."
Seabar.
[6/10]
Raised to 4½ (out of 4) stars by Janice Okun,
Buffalo News
restaurant reviewer.
[Yes, I know that 4½ > 4. It is also my
understanding that the print version of Okun's review "only" gave
Seabar a mere 4 stars, but the online version (unfortunately, no longer
online) really did raise that to 4½]
[7/08]
Given 3½ (out of 4) stars by Janice Okun,
Buffalo News
restaurant reviewer.
[JoM] says:
[2/11] "This is quickly becoming one of my favorite
restaurants in WNY. Although I'm not an adventurous sushi eater, they
have expanded their menu to accommodate all tastes. My girlfriend enjoys
sushi, and this has become her favorite place in the Buffalo area,
although she still enjoys
Wasabi.
We went here for dinner last week.
She ordered the spicy tuna rolls and the California rolls, and loved
both. I ordered the pork enchiladas; they were covered in a delicious
mixture of BBQ and red chili sauce. The meal and service were
phenomenal. The ambiance of this restaurant is awesome; the lighting
on the walls changes colors throughout the evening. As others have
commented, it doesn't feel like a restaurant you would expect to find in
Buffalo. It feels like you're in Soho, Manhattan. Highly recommend!"
[WHN, 10/11] said: "G and I went to Seabar with her cousin and
his wife on Saturday night, 10/15/11. None of us had been there
previously. We wanted to have red wine, and our server recommended
Justin Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon, which she said went very well
with seafood, and it did. G ordered a Japanese salad of mixed greens,
cucumbers, baby tomatoes, and seaweed, topped by some crispy noodles
and tossed with miso vinaigrette. I think her cousin had a mixed green
salad with Dijon vinaigrette. His wife had pickled cucumber salad, with
sushi rice. I had oysters with a cucumber jalapeno salsa. There were
three different oysters offered, and I don't remember the name of the
ones I picked, but they were fresh and delicious, and the salsa added
just enough heat without overpowering the flavor of the oysters. The
salads were also said to be very good. Except for me, our group does not
like raw seafood, so they all ordered seared dayboat scallops, with
chive mascarpone crepes, and zucchini with ginger and tomatoes (I
sampled the crepes and zucchini from G's plate—the crepes were
excellent, and the squash was good, but it's not my favorite vegetable).
I had ‘Chef's Sashimi Tasting’ of five kinds of fish with five
different sauces. The fish included two of the standard sashimi
offerings—ahi tuna and salmon, plus fluke, which I had never had
before, striped bass, which I had never had raw before, and an oyster.
Each had a different sauce, which were all excellent and flavorful, but
I don't remember what sauce went with which seafood item. Each was very
flavorful and a step above standard sashimi plates with soy sauce and
wasabi. I also had a bowl of sushi rice topped with a few sesame seeds:
very good, too. Seabar has color-changing lights behind frosted
plexiglass in various locations around the restaurant and bar area, much
like Morimoto in Philadelphia has inside the back rests of their booths.
For once, I agree with Janice Okun, who gave Seabar a 4 (or 4½) star
rating. It was an excellent meal with excellent service. Even the
non-sushi eaters enjoyed it. We're looking forward to returning."
[AJD, 1/11] said: "We have been to Seabar in downtown Buffalo on
Ellicott St. for dinner twice, and both times we left saying we can't wait
to go back for more. Seabar is one of the best and most unique eating
experiences in the city. All food is of excellent quality, so I will just
talk about the highlights. The sushi is all fresh and delicious; the
‘famous’ beef-on-weck roll is a must try: If you close your eyes, you
would think you are really eating a beef-on-weck sandwich. He nails it,
right down to the caraway seeds in the rice. We also enjoyed the creamy
eel roll. The most interesting appetizer is listed on the menu as
&lsqup;Bourdain's Last Meal’. It is a wonderful combination of three
items—bone marrow, pork belly, and foie gras—all prepared different ways and
all delicious. On to the entrees: I have ordered the short ribs that are
braised for 40 hours, and they melt in your mouth. I have also had the
chicken and waffles, a great combination of fried-chicken thighs on a
savory waffle, with a maple-syrup butter sauce. I haven't seen this on
any other menu in Buffalo, and it is another must try. It was a huge
portion, also. We have also had the Tsunami Tuna and the panko-crusted,
pulled pork, both specials and delicious. They have a nice wine list and
saki, of course. The service is also great. A wonderful experience, and
you really need to try this place; it is not your usual dining
experience."
[KaB, 8/10] said: "My husband and I tried out Seabar on
this Saturday 8/7/10. We asked for outdoor dining and arrived
to find that it was tables set up in a walk-through between buildings.
It was certainly not bad but it also wasn't an exceptional
outdoor atmosphere that we expect in downtown Buffalo. But the location
of our table could not take away from the overall excellent dining
experience at Seabar. We started off with an Octopus Salad from the
special menu. We had never had Octopus, so we weren't sure
what to expect. We had nicely grilled octopus over a small pasta with a
very tasty sauce. The octopus was slightly chewier than normal seafood
we have had before, but it was delicious. My husband ordered the Maine
Day Boat Scallops with Mascarpone Crepes off the menu. The Scallops
were cooked perfectly, as well as the crepes. They were accompanied by a
light salad of micro greens, I believe. I ordered the Sea
Stew from the specials menu. It was a hearty mixture of
scallops, shrimp, and striped sea-bass on top. All of the seafood was
excellently prepared, and the broth had just the right amount of tomato
and seafood flavor. Overall, the meal was exceptional, and I would not
hesitate to recommend the SeaBar to anyone; we are looking forward to
going back."
[DGB, 7/10] said: "On 7/10/10, 4 of us ventured downtown for dinner
at the ‘new’ Seabar. We had dined at the Williamsville location, and I
have lunched at the sushi bar on Ellicott a number of times. Dinner in
the new dining room was a wonderful surprise, as was the menu—who'd
think a place known for its sushi and sashimi could/would invent
fabulous cooked meals with exotic Italian and Mexican influences? The
wife started with 2 delicious, fish tacos, served on a bed of sticky rice
with a balsamic reduction drizzle. She then went on to have seared dry
scallops served with mascarpone-filled blini, and a ‘salad’ of cooked,
diced tomatoes and artichokes. My pork spring rolls were a meal in
itself, stuffed with ground pork and served with a spicy dipping sauce.
Then followed a dish of ‘Spanish Style Prawns’, jumbo shrimp served with
chorizo sausage and saffron over rice—almost a paella. The companions
had whole, battered, and deep-fried sea bass and Hawaiian butter fish,
which were pronounced ‘fabulous’. Our meals were as good as anything
we've had at the more creative restaurants in Buffalo. Warm, coconut, rice
pudding topped off the meal. Michael has not lost his touch and again
lays claim to one of the most—if not the most—inventive, creative,
and adventurous kitchens in Western New York. Lunch now also features
burgers, pork enchiladas, pastrami, and the like, all in addition to
their usual sushi. Worth the trip from the 'burbs."
[AMB, 7/10] said: "We had a terrific meal at Seabar
last night. After a cocktail at the bar (while we waited for our table
to be set up, although we had a reservation), six of us started out
with 2 of the seafood rolls (lobster and spicy tuna) and a meatball
appetizer. All three were delicious and enough to share for two or three
people. There are also salads and what sounded like some good soups to
start with, though we did not order these. We ordered dinners off the
main-courses section of the menu (rather than the extensive selection of
sushi/rolls/etc.). We tried the chicken and waffles (crispy chicken on
some very delicious waffles with maple butter and syrup, & fries),
scallops, and two dinner specials—Hawaiian butter fish with a tomato-based sauce, and caramelized pork (sweet, very tender). They did not
have a steak special that evening, and also served the pork special
instead of the lamb on the menu (in case you are planning on a specific
entree, you might want to check ahead). Everything was excellent, and
we decided (after sharing tastes) that we couldn't choose a favorite—all the
meals were different but tasted great. Portion sizes were good; the
chicken would be enough to share if you wanted to add a couple of the
seafood rolls. Service was fine—only complaint was that the appetizer
was served before the two seafood rolls, which was a little awkward,
because we intended all of them to be appetizers for pairs of people at
the table (and indicated that to the server), rather than passed
around to the group. Atmosphere is very sleek, with fun lighting that
changed colors throughout the meal. We're looking forward to returning."
[JCr] said:
[6/09] "This past Wednesday evening, 6/24, my wife and I returned
to Sea Bar City for a light dinner. We arrived around 8 p.m. to a fairly
busy dining room and were seated right away. They now have an outdoor
seating area that is open as well. For our meal, we ordered a small
shashimi plate, an order of fried-pork spring rolls, and a Spyder Roll
(deep-fried, soft-shell crab). The sashimi plate consisted of 3 pcs each
of ahi tuna, albacore, salmon, crab stick, and a 5th fish I cannot
recall. Everything was great, as usual, and we will certainly return
again soon."
[4/09] "This past week, I had the pleasure to return to
Sea Bar, twice. My first
visit was Thursday, 4/16, to the city location; Saturday, 4/18, to the
Williamsville location. Thursday evening, we arrived at the city location
around 7:45 pm, sans reservations, and were seated right away. This was
my first visit to the city location: The space is a bit smaller and more
of a blank canvas than the Williamsville location; the menu appeared to
be a bit smaller as well. There is a long sushi bar that was pretty
busy, with seating for prob about 8–10 people, and then about another 10
tables, which were half full. For our meal, we ordered the small sashimi
plate, beef on weck roll, shrimp and asparagus spring rolls, and Duck
Bao. The sashimi plate consisted of tuna, salmon, sea bass, and hamachi,
and a piece of flute with salmon roe. This was a great plate; the
hamachi really stole the show. Next up was the beef on weck roll; if you
have been to Sea Bar but never had it, then you're missing out. Next, we
had the shrimp and asparagus spring roll, which was deep fried; inside
was an asparagus spear and shrimp mousse, with a citrus housin dipping
sauce; this was great. For our last dish, this was the Duck Bao. It was
a rice-type flatbread, folded over some sliced duck breast, and various
vegetables and herbs. This was very refreshing, specifically due to the
cilantro. My only complaint would be that the duck was cooked medium
well, as opposed to the medium rare/medium that I would have expected.
Including 2 bottles of their sparkling sake, our meal came to $65 after
20% tip."
[For JCr's comparison of the two branches of Sea Bar,
see above.]
[TRo, 10/09] said: "My husband and I have now eaten here twice and
have not been disappointed either time. Our first time was on June 13,
2009, for lunch around 1:30 P.M.,
and the second time was for dinner on
October 22, 2009. The downtown location is long and narrow, possibly 8
tables with a sushi bar. We ate at the sushi bar both times, since we
like to watch the food being prepped. First time, we had the more
standard sushi fare and their luncheon bento box, which were great. Mike A. (the chef) was at the sushi bar and said that we had come at a good
time since the downtown lunch people had just left. He said it gets
really crazy from 11:30 A.M.
to around 1ish for lunch.
Second time was dinner. We were a little amazed that at 6:00 P.M.
on
10/22/09, we were the only people in the restaurant. Note for street
parking: After 5:00 P.M.,
the meter states it is free, and we double-checked
other cars and they didn't have parking receipts. This time, we went a
little more unconventional and had ‘specialties’ of miso caramel crab
tempura roll, chef's choice sashimi, spider roll soft shell crab, and
beef on weck. Everything was fresh-fresh-fresh; we were especially
taken with the miso caramel crab roll—never thought they would be so
delicious together. We were still the only people there when we left at
7:00 P.M.
I hope they have more of a later night business, as I would
like to have more downtown dinner options."
[CAT, 7/08] said: "We visited SeaBar City just after it opened,
and we had a great experience
overall. We started with their Avocado Shrimp, which was a bit bland.
The
avocado filling was studded with black sesame seeds, but lacked
definition
that a sprinkle of sea salt could have offered. We also tried the Fish
Tacos, which were similar to their fantastic ceviche (offered at the
Williamsville location), but stuffed into a rather stale, Ortega-style
(and
definitely store-bought), hard taco shell! Ugh! We ate the filling, but
left the shells. I hope they seriously consider serving these with
homemade
taco shells—otherwise, the flavorful fish filling is wasted. Things
improved with the "sushi". We actually opted to try the "Beef on 'Weck"
Roll, which I'd previously avoided at the other location. But it really
is
great. We had to add some extra wasabi, and I got a few chewy bits of
beef,
but the carpaccio was perfectly tender and fresh, and the salt and
carraway
added delicious flavor. We were surprised the rice didn't taste strange
with the beef (my prior concern). I'd definitely recommend trying this
roll, even if you are a bit weary. The other highlight is the three
hand
rolls (I can't remember what they are called on the menu). Instead of
traditional sushi rolls, these are more free-form roasted nori (seaweed)
cones, stuffed with sushi rice, a piece or two of fish (ours were
shrimp,
real crab, and tuna), a veggie (avocado or cucumber), and a smear of
spiced
mayo. They were fantastic. This is where having quality, fresh fish
makes
a huge difference. And the three cones are only $9—compared with $7
and
up for individual rolls. So it seems like a deal, as well. We were
actually stuffed by the end of our meal. Our bill was only $50
(including 2
import beers), which is a good deal for excellent sushi."
Sean Patrick's.
[MGE, 1/10] said: "We picked Sean Patrick's Restaurant based on a
recommendation. We were warned that it would be busy on Friday nights;
however, we had made a reservation and thought we would be in the clear.
What a joke.
It was my friend's 19th birthday; we arrived on time for our 7:35
reservation, were told that the wait would be ten minutes, and were led
to the bar area to wait. Thirty minutes later, we asked the hostess how
much longer the wait would be. She said 5 minutes. This routine lasted
for an hour and a half, until we were led to our table by an unfriendly
and patronizing waitress.
We were told that there were no appetizers when we ordered. I asked
several times over the course of an hour where our food was, and the
waitress replied that the kitchen was ‘busy’. I found this quite strange,
seeing that by this time the restaurant had mostly cleared out. When we
got our food, the servers were folding napkins, wiping down tables,
putting glasses away, and stacking chairs.
Both of my parents spoke to the owner the next day, and he was ‘unable’
to take my call. The hostess claimed that she had checked on us several
times throughout the course of our evening, and the owner called our
complaint ‘nonsense’. We were offered a discount for the next time we
patronized their restaurant. Too bad we will never go there again.
Our shoddy service was due to the fact that we were college students,
because every group that arrived after us was seated immediately upon
their arrival. This is age discrimination."
[WHN] said:
[7/08] "We took our daughter and her family to Sean
Patrick's for lunch
before their flight home to Phoenix. Among the Buffalo specialties
ordered were chicken wings and beef on weck, plus cheeseburgers and
fried mozzarella sticks. All the food was good except that the kummelweck
rolls were incredibly salty. Everyone brushed most of the salt from
the rolls."
[AFN, 7/06] said: "My daughter and I had lunch at Sean Patrick's
on Saturday, 7/15. She had a dish called Chicken Madeline—sauteed
chicken in a red-pepper cream sauce
over penne pasta. I had Chicken Souvlaki. Both were very good.
Previously, my husband and I had been here for lunch and dinner a few
times, and to a pre-wedding rehearsal dinner for a large group in their banquet room. On
all occasions, the food and service were very good."
Seneca Niagara Casino.
Seoul Garden.
[CJH, 3/05] said: "Price is reasonable, and food is great. It
would be better if I was
Korean, because they give their own people food first, even though I
ordered before them. Service is okay and could really be better.
Got to try BiBimBob, KimBob, Bulgoki, and that squid stuff. I love
their side dishes, especially their KimChi and dried bean curd. I give
it a 2 out of 4 stars."
[AG, 5/02] said: "The site of a former Chinese greasy
spoon, they still serve Chinese dishes, but the Korean offerings are
a bargain
compared to
Korea House,
especially for lunch. The panchan (side
dishes)
aren't as elaborate as [KH] either, but they're fine, with your
obligatory kim
chee, marinated mung bean sprouts and pickled veg, etc. No table
grill for
your bulgoki—it's cooked in the kitchen—but it's mighty tasty,
and for
$5.75 at lunch, how can you go wrong? Also recommended: dwen jang
chigae
("soybean paste pot stew with seafood, vegetables and tofu"), a
bubbling
little cauldron of tofu, bonito-y broth, and bits of squid and
mussels ($5.75
at lunch). Not on lunch menu, $8.95, another Korean classic: Ohjing
uh
bokum, squid with vegetables and rice pasta discs in a piquant hot
and sweet
red chile sauce, with vegetable."
Shadow Lounge.
[CEP, 1/07] says: "Some friends and I decided to come here on a
Friday night specifically for the fondue. Walking in, the bar was crowded, and we met with
a sign
that said "Please wait to be seated", so we did. And we waited. And
waited. No one ever came to the door, so when we saw a table of four vacating, we
swooped in
and seated ourselves and were acknowledged by the waitress clearing the
table. Once we were seated, we waited and waited some more. After about 15
minutes, the waitress finally came back over, and we expedited our ordering by asking
for the
drinks and chocolate fondues simultaneously. These were brought out
reasonably (for the evening) promptly, and were excellent. When we were finished, we
did get the check after we made a point of asking for it, but were wary about
leaving the
money on the table at such a crowded bar. We couldn't find a waitress
for about
10 minutes, but, when we saw one, we handed it off and left. The fondue,
however, was very good and reasonably priced. The decor was comfortable and
chic, but the live band was ear-splittingly loud for such a small place, which
detracted from conversation and the general experience. Had the volume been down a
few decibels, it would have been wonderful music. Overall, I thought I would go
back on a
weeknight or for lunch, when it would be quieter and less busy, but,
after reading the above, review I might reconsider."
[TD, 9/06] says: "I dined at Shadow Lounge approximately two
weeks ago with a friend. We went
to the restaurant specifically for the fondue, which the restaurant was
supposedly famous for, as well as for the seafood Alfredo, a personal
favorite. The decor, upon entering, was nice enough. The service was
incredibly slow, despite the restaurant being almost empty. We
immediately
ordered the fondue only to be told they were out. After a bit of
chatting,
we were told they were not out of the Maytag bleu cheese, just the steak
skewers that accompany it. So we asked if we could order the fondue and
just get a steak and have the chef cut it up. The waitress shared with
us
how crabby and miserable the chef was so he probably wouldn't want to do
that. We sent him a drink back to help improve his mood. The waitress
apparently understood nothing, because as our throats were starting to
bleed
from having absolutely nothing to drink, despite placing drink orders,
she
came back to take our orders, seafood Alfredo and chicken pot pie, and
asked
what we had decided to do about the fondue. We were dumbfounded. We
expected the fondue out any second. So we cancelled the pot pie,
ordered
instead a steak, specifying that it was for the fondue. Finally
everything
came out, together. The steak was not cut up, apparently both the
waitress
and crabby chef were confused, and the seafood Alfredo would have been
mildly tasty had it been edible. Unfortunately one of the shells around
the
utterly tasteless clams came out shattered, so each bite needed to be
taken
with great care. Eventually, I gave up. The Alfredo sauce was not
tasty
enough to risk chomping down on a clam shell. We attempted to order
more
drinks throughout the meal and were sucking on our ice cubes by the time
the
waitress returned and, again, the bar and restaurant were empty. I will
absolutely without a doubt never go to Shadow Lounge again."
The Shamus Restaurant.
[WHN] said:
[9/07] "Shamus is in an old house (150 years old, they
say) in downtown
Lockport. Our Lockport friends have been there several times and said
they enjoyed it very much. With the Gaelic name, we thought the menu
might include Irish pub fare, but it doesn't; it is primarily beef,
chicken, and seafood, plus some lamb, pork, and vegetarian dishes. We
had an excellent lobster bisque to start, then I had baked chicken
breast stuffed with spinach, mushrooms, and feta cheese that was
delicious. My wife had a garlicky shrimp scampi served over rice that
she enjoyed very much. One friend had filet of sirloin, while his
wife had a seafood pie made with crab, shrimp, and scallops. They both
said their meals were very good, too."
[SMD, 4/09] said: "Positive review:
We made reservations for a Friday night at the Shamus, a risky
proposition, especially during Lent and "Fish Fry season". We were happily accomodated
by the friendly voice on the other end of the line. I have dined there several
times and can report that the staff is always unfailingly polite and
professional. This
night was no exception. The restaurant is located in a charming old
house near
the "downtown" area of Lockport. Parking is available in a tiny lot
beside the
restaurant or on the streets surrounding the restaurant. Once we were
seated, our pleasant server took our drink order and was back quickly when she
saw we were ready to place our dinner orders. I started with a lobster bisque,
which was creamy and delicious. Our house salads were fresh and crisp. We chose
the the maple vinaigrette and crumbled bleu cheese. It might sound a bit odd, but
the combination of the piquant bleu cheese with the slightly sweet maple
vinaigrette is
incredible. Hot, fresh rolls were also served. My dinner entree of
crabmeat-stuffed shrimp was very tasty, and I chose the rice pilaf side. My only
minor complaint was that the "crabmeat" stuffing didn't seem to contain any
discernable crabmeat; however, the flavor was still very pleasing. As my side, I
chose the rice pilaf. My companion ordered the seafood pie, which came with a crunchy
potato-chip-and-bread-crumb topping and sauteed mashed potatoes. It contained
crab, shrimp, and scallops in a creamy sauce and was declared very delicious.
Our stomachs were too full to try dessert, but we did see the dessert tray making
the rounds
to other tables, and it looked tempting. All the diners around us
seemed to be
enjoying the atmosphere and the good food. I look forward to returning."
Shango New Orleans
Bistro and Wine Bar.
[3/10] Listed as one of 41
"Restaurants We Love" by
Buffalo Spree magazine.
[2/10] &
[4/08]
Given 3½ (out of 4) stars by Janice Okun,
Buffalo News
restaurant reviewer.
[4/07]
Listed as one of Buffalo's
"27 Best Restaurants"
by
Buffalo Spree
magazine.
[RHo, 1/12] said: "I went to Shango last week for dinner. Before
ordering, they bring a little dish of pickled carrots, celery, and
olives. After ordering, they bring their wonderful bread basket, which
includes white bread, a beautiful brown bread with seeds on top, and
cornbread. I let my companion have the cornbread, because it undoubtedly
has butter and he enjoys it. I love the other two breads. We both got
po' boys. I asked for some veggies from a vegetarian (non-vegan) dish
as a sandwich. I explained that I'm a vegan and that the buckwheat
crepes were likely not vegan. The waitress was skeptical but said she
would ask. She came, seeming relieved, and said the chef told her it
was no problem. They served the sandwich like the other po' boys, with
sweet potatoes. I was impressed that they left the honey off my fries.
Instead of slaw, they gave me mesclun greens, which I really
appreciated, though I wish they had been dressed in some way. The
sandwich was also lacking in any sort of dressing, though the crepes are
served with a dressing. However, I did get what I asked for, so I don't
suppose I can blame the chef for that. Next time, I will probably ask
the chef to pick the veggies for me rather than to try pull something
together from parts of the menu myself. My dining partner loved his
sandwich."
[JoM, 1/12] said: "We had a family meal at Shango on 12/23/11 to
celebrate my sister and brother-in-law arriving into town for the
holidays. We started with a bottle of the 2007 Wyatt Pinot Noir, which
was fantastic. We did not have any appetizers and skipped right to the
main course. I had the steak special of the evening, which was 2 tenderloin beef tournados served over a bed of sweet-potato hash
browns. The steak was excellent and cooked medium rare as ordered. The
hash browns were an interesting accompaniment and were also very good.
My girlfriend and brother-in-law both had the mac-n-cheese. I had a
bite, and it was possibly the best mac-n-chesse I've had in a restaurant;
it had a panko-rosemary crust on top, which was to die for. My mother
had the Creole meatloaf and raved about it; in fact, that's her go-to
order every time she dines at Shango. My sister had the Creole
bouillabaisse and said it was excellent. My father had a seafood
special of the evening; it was a fish similar to grouper, but the name
escapes me. He was very happy with his selection. For dessert, my
girlfriend and I shared the apple bread-pudding. It was a perfect size
to split and finished off our meal perfectly. Our service was very
prompt and courteous. Overall we had an excellent experience. I highly
recommend!"
[ECB] said:
[9/05] "Shango makes me wish I hadn't moved out of the
University Heights
district. I've been there twice in the last few months and have been
overwhelmingly impressed both times. I had enjoyed their Cajun Brunch
back when they were still the Coffee Bean Cafe and was thrilled to hear
that they'd changed format to a full-fledged restaurant. Their gumbo is
still the best to be had in Buffalo: rich, spicy, and laden with healthy
chunks of chicken and andouille sausage. The fried oyster po' boy
sandwich is excellent, and all of the items my family and I tried at the
brunch were superb. Prices are a bit on the high side, but nothing you
wouldn't expect from a bistro. Service can be a bit slow but is friendly
and attentive. I heartily recommend it."
[SR, 3/10] said: "While in Buffalo, I met friends for Sunday
brunch at Shango. I've been there for dinner, but not for brunch. One
friend had scrambled eggs, asparagus, spinach, tomatoes, and cheddar in a
sun-dried tomato tortilla. My other friend had a Waldorf-style salad of
mixed greens with walnuts, apples, and bleu cheese. I had scrambled eggs,
with Andouille sausage and chili pepper jack cheese, with a side of
roasted potatoes. All the food was very good."
[BK, 1/10] said: "As I was perusing the recent updates on your
website, I came across ARi's 1/10 review of Shango New
Orleans Bistro and Wine Bar. I've dined at this restaurant
approximately a dozen times since it opened and would like to kindly
point out some inconsistencies in her account. First, however, I would
like to state that I have no vested interest or affiliation with this
restaurant or any of its employees; I'm merely a foodie who
enjoys spreading the word about the phenomenal array of culinary
destinations throughout the Great Buffalo Area. With regard to
ARi's review, the author initially states that her party
‘heard about this new "wine bar" when it first opened up, and
it immediately got our attention’. I am puzzled by this
statement, as Shango is by no means a ‘new’
restaurant and has occupied its present location on Main Street since
2005. If the restaurant was capable of immediately grabbing the
attention of these individuals, then why did it take nearly 5 years to
act upon their inclination? The author also asserts that it was
difficult to make reservations, as Google purportedly lists an erroneous
telephone number. Although this was a problem for a sizeable portion of
2009, Google has listed the correct telephone number (i.e. 716-837-2326)
since at least September, when I last made a reservation. The author
also claims that the restaurant's extensive wine list is
poorly advertised, which is contrary to all the experiences
I've had while patronizing the wine bar. The wine menu has
always been readily available at the bar, and the bartenders have always
been eager to offer advice on wine attributes and food pairings.
Moreover, Shango does not, nor has it ever, had a full liquor license.
The restaurant only serves wine and bottled beer. Consequently, I find
it hard to believe the author's assertion that the bar area
had a ‘display…of liquor bottles’. In the end,
it's unfortunate that the author was dissatisfied with her
experience at Shango, as I personally believe that it separates itself
as one of the best restaurants in the area."
[ARi, 1/10] said: "Your site is incredible!
[Thanks!]
We heard about this new ‘wine bar’ when it first opened up, and it
immediately got our attention! We decided to try out Shango with our
friends (there were five of us, total). It was difficult to make
reservations, since Google has the wrong phone number listing for this
restaurant. Eventually, I dialed the number that I was able to find on
the website. Upon arrival for our reservation, we were pleasantly
greeted. Our table was right next to the kitchen entrance, which wasn't
particularly lovely, but no one in our party commented, so I hoped that
I was the only one bothered by it. I suggested the restaurant, so I had
high hopes that everyone would enjoy the dining experience. The menu
selections sounded delicious. I believe there was a specials sheet, too.
We decided it would be fun to order some appetizers to share. We chose
the Pork Sausage Sliders, the Crab Dip, and the Mac and Cheese. We
ordered some other appetizers, too, but they were all sub-par and
evidently not worth remembering. The appetizers were not incredibly
hot, and they were all bland. It was a disappointment after reading the
mouth-watering menu to be served the poorly executed appetizers.
Shango calls itself a wine bar, but the bar area leaves much to be
desired for a wine bar. The extensive wine list is poorly advertised at
the bar, as the primary display is of liquor bottles. I was very
dissatisfied with my experience at Shango and do not plan on returning."
[KH, 4/09] said: "My mom and I had dinner at Shango on April
22nd. It was the first time either of us had been there, so we were
excited to try somewhere new. We were seated immediately near the front
window. It appears there are only 4 tables that are for 2 people. The
table was fine: a little small and very close to the other tables, but
fine, though I would request a booth next time I went. (Although we sat
next to the nicest couple—they overheard us talking about trying the
mussels and offered to let us try one from their order. We declined, but
thought it was very sweet!)
We ordered a bottle of wine from a very nice wine list, and we shared a
mussel appetizer that was a special of the evening. It was mussels in a
spicy, tomato cream sauce. It was very spicy, but really delicious. We
loved it. Then I had a house salad, which was good. My mother ordered
the black pepper linguini, which was a mushroom and cognac cream pasta
with a few scallops and some lobster. She enjoyed it very much. I
ordered the oyster po-boy, which was delicious and huge! I could only eat
half.
Since it was my birthday, we split a dessert of sorbet. It was a large
serving of blackberry cabernet sorbet and peach Riesling sorbet. It was
very good, too. We will definitely return, and I am excited to take my
husband there as well."
[WHN] said:
[8/08] "We returned to Shango with a group of seven. We began
with shared
orders of fried calamari with spicy remoulade and cocktail sauce.
Among the appetizers selected were Shango's "award winning" gumbo,
the soup of the day—shrimp and corn chowder, and Caesar salads.
Everyone agreed their appetizers were great, except that the shrimp
and corn chowder had only one tiny shrimp per cup, but the chowder
eaters said it tasted very good nonetheless. The gumbo was delicious,
with a very dark roux base, but I thought it could have used more
rice on top. After our previous visit, I had decided in advance to
order the pecan encrusted grouper, so I had that for my main course,
as did several others. All agreed it was delicious, served on a bed
of corn maque choux and topped with a mustard sauce. We shared some
rosemary-parmesan French fries, since the fish dish didn't include a
starch. They were very tasty, too. Two people had Creole meatloaf,
cooked with Andouille sausage in the middle, served with garlic
mashed potatoes and maque choux. One diner substituted green beans
for the maque choux, and later said the maque choux looked like the
better choice. He apparently didn't like the meatloaf, either, since
he ate around the sausage and left 3/4s of the meatloaf. He said he
just wasn't very hungry. But the other person who ordered the
meatloaf cleaned his plate and said it was delicious. Finally,
another person had a blackened catfish po' boy with sweet-potato
fries that he also said was excellent. With our meals, the wine
drinkers had the Austrian Gruner Veltliner that was out of stock the
last time we ate at Shango. The restaurant also has an expansive
selection of beers, for those who prefer beer. The service was fine,
too. Overall, this is an excellent restaurant."
[6/08] "I've always wanted to try Shango's Cajun/Creole cuisine, but somehow
never got around to dining there, so when my son asked where I would
like to go for Father's Day, I chose Shango. We went on Saturday
night, 6/14. To start, we were served a small dish of olives and
celery, and three breads—white, brown, and corn—with an olive-oil/spice blend. The breads were fresh and tasty. As an appetizer, I
had an evening special: deep-fried, cornmeal-coated softshell crab,
topped by corn and tomato salsa and greens, with Cajun (i.e., spicy)
remoulade and creme fraiche. It was delicious. My wife had lump
crabcakes with remoulade, maque choux (a traditional Cajun dish of
creamed corn with tomato, peppers, and onion, plus greens with a
mango vinaigrette. We had been to the Eastern Maryland shore a couple
of weeks ago, and she compared Shango's crabcakes favorably to the
ones we had had on the Chesapeake Bay. My son had the soup of the day—broccoli and broccoli rabe soup. His soup was also said to be very
good. For my main course, I had to make a difficult choice between
blackened Ahi tuna, which I have never found locally to approach that
of K-Paul's Louisiana Kitchen in New Orleans, and pecan encrusted
grouper, which I also had in New Orleans, at Commander's Palace. I
decided to go with the tuna, ordered rare. When it arrived, it was
more medium than rare, and more what they call "bronzed" in
"N'awlins" than blackened. At first, I was disappointed at how it was
overcooked, but it was not cooked to the point of being too dry, so
I decided not to send it back. I was glad I kept it. (As an aside,
the most perfectly cooked tuna that I've had locally has been at
Carmelo's
in Lewiston—charred about 1/16" on both sides and nearly
raw in the middle). Shango's tuna was served with sweet-potato cubes
and green beans. I normally don't like sweet potatoes, but these were
prepared with a mild horseradish sauce, which contrasted nicely with
the sweetness of the potatoes. My wife ordered sirloin steak topped
by a cabernet demi-glace, with rosemary-parmesan French fries, and a
Portobello mushroom stuffed with bleu cheese and spinach. She also
thought her meal was excellent. My son had Creole bouillabaisse—shrimp, scallops, crab, Duxbury (Massachusetts) mussels, and catfish,
in a seafood-tomato broth with peppers, onions, and potatoes. He said
the mussels were "muddy" but, beside that, said his meal was
delicious. For dessert, I had the "house special" bananas Foster,
which was served like a sundae, rather than prepared tableside. It
was delicious. The others had pecan pie with coconut and rum ice
cream, that was reportedly rich and excellent. Besides the critically
acclaimed food, it is currently one of only three restaurants in
metro Buffalo with a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence. (The others
are
City Grill
and
Bacchus.) Although they no longer have the
Austrian Gruner Veltliner that I ordered, our server recommended a
white Spanish Garnacha, known as Grenache in France, which he said was
similarly citrussy. I had never heard of a white Garnacha, but it was
very, very good and went well with the spicy dishes. Excellent food,
excellent service, worthy of several stars."
[DaK, 1/09] said: "Went to dinner on a Friday evening with some
friends and had one of the
best
meals in recent memory at Shango. Sat at the bar for a leisurely glass
of
wine before sitting down to our table and had an excellent red wine from
Australia upon the recommendation of the bartender. All 4 diners
started
with the spring greens salad, all with various requests: some without
bleu
cheese, some dressing on the side. All served perfectly as ordered.
Every
entrée was declared as wonderful and all very different: evening
special
steak with truffle butter and French fries (cooked perfectly), ahi tuna
steak, seafood pasta with Creole cream sauce and Creole bouillabaisse.
We
all declined dessert, as we were much too full, but the coffee was
excellent
and kept coming. The pace was relaxed, and, even though we were some of
the
last patrons in the restaurant, we never felt rushed. Wonderful
experience!"
[PT, 11/08] said: "We dined at Shango for the first time last
night, Saturday, 11/22. Some friends
recommended it very highly. The complimentary olive-celery appetizer
was very good, as were the various breads, especially the corn bread. We started
with their delicious gumbo. For main courses, a friend and I had sirloin steak
with bleu-cheese-and-spinach-stuffed Portabella mushroom. My husband had "Mac and
Cheese"
made with a variety of cheeses—Gouda, cheddar, and goat cheese—and
topped with grilled chicken: not your usual Kraft macaroni-and-cheese dinner.
Our friend's husband had the Creole meat loaf with Andouille sausage in the
middle, which
he raved about. The gumbo and all of our entrees were wonderful. From
one of the previous reviews, I read that Shango has a Wine Spectator Award of
Excellence.
I would agree that their wine list, whether by the glass or bottle, is
very impressive and reasonably priced. We had an excellent bottle of Italian
Primitivo.
We will definitely return."
[MPM, 3/08] said: "My wife and I recently went to Shango on 3-21
to celebrate our
anniversary. We were pleasantly surprised with the overall experience.
The location brought back many memories of underage drinking at some of the
local bars; that may be why some are now closed. Our meal was
outstanding, consisting of two appetizers: frog legs with some sort of
cucumber-tomato salad, and I had a quesadilla consisting of Andouille
sausage with smoked Gouda with a fresh slaw. Our main course was a mac
and cheese that was very decadent with smoked Gouda and other blends of
cheese, topped with fresh bread crumbs. I had a 12 oz., bone-in, pork chop
with a root beer reduction sauce; alongside was a sweet potato and Swiss chard
selection. Presentation was great, food was very good, a little pricy
but worth it. Probably the most impressive part was the wine list. Must
have had close to two-hundred different selections from low $20s a bottle
to over $200. We enjoyed a Califonia Cab from Poppy 96. It was
outstanding for $38 a bottle. Don't forget to finish with the bananas
Foster."
[HDe] said:
[3/05] "I went to Shango for my birthday. I
used to go to this
location when it was Coffee Bean Café and wasn't surprised at all when
chef Jim switched this over to a full "upscale" restaurant. His food
at Coffee Bean Cafe was always good, so this was a logical move. I
started with a cup of his well-known sausage-and-okra gumbo. It was
excellent as always but, I felt, overpriced at $3.50 for a cup. It was
loaded with okra but a tad light on sausage and could have used a tad more
zip to it. My companion and I then shared the spinach-and-artichoke dip,
which was huge. I don't mind large portions, but it was large enough to
ruin your appetite! It was served with bread, and I would have liked to
perhaps see some pita chips instead. It was rich and creamy, but
somehow to me nothing "jumped out" flavorwise. We both then had the
mesclun salad with goat cheese. Excellent, but you have to be careful
not to put too much balsamic dressing on it, which was very strong. For
entrées, my companion had spinach ravioli in a rich, wonderful
Portobello sauce. Very rich and satisfying. I opted for the creole
bouillabaisse, which was terrific, loaded with scallops, clam, crawfish,
you name it, in a rich tomato broth. I accented it with a bottle of Kunde
Zinfandel, which was perfect. I did not have room for dessert, but they
looked fabulous. The coffee appeared to have a hickory taste to it, and
was frankly addicting; great cup of Joe. The service was very good and
the
bill reasonable. I'd definitely go again and would put this around 2-2 1/2 stars."
[JAK, 3/07] said: "This past Friday, 3/16/07, my wife and I met
two
friends at Shango for after-work drinks and ended up
staying for an extended appetizer-dinner session.
We've been to Shango three times over the past year
and have been very happy each time, but going with
friends who hadn't been before allowed us to see it
with new eyes, and it was every bit as good as we
thought.
If you've not been to Shango, the first things to
understand are that they have an interesting and
varied list of wines and beer (no hard alcohol) and
that the service tends to be crisp and professional,
but also friendly and helpful. Weston, our waiter for
the evening (and bartender on our previous visit), was
knowledgeable and comfortably able to describe in detail
everything from the drinks to the menu. Very helpful,
especially when you can't make up your mind.
At our table, we had a very nice bottle of a
tempranillo-cab blend and a selection of beers,
including a raspberry-flavored wheat beer and the
outstanding Samuel Smiths Oatmeal Stout. Nice way to
begin the weekend!
After extended conversation, our table of four opted
to share several appetizers rather than separate
entrees. We had a plate of six raw Blue Point oysters,
an order of calamari, a huge plate of mussels with
andouille, and two orders of parmesan-rosemary fries.
Presented as they were ready, this sampling was a nice
cross section of flavors and textures. The Blue Points
were meaty but not overly briny, served with lemon and
cocktail sauce—perfect for those who'd never had the
raw oyster experience before. The calamari were
beautifully cooked, tender and yielding with a flaky
coating and two dipping sauces, one sweet and one
spicier. The mussels arrived piping hot and tender,
redolent of the smokiness of the huge slices of
sausage. The fries—one for each side of the table,
were crunchy and savory and not overly salty. For the
first time in a long time at a restaurant, all plates
went back to the kitchen empty!
It's not that the evening's entrees were not appealing—far from it—but sometimes it's fun to share the
experience, and, with the recent trend toward smaller
plates, we were grateful that Shango had them in
abundance.
So...we're going again when?"
[NK, 10/06] said: "Being a vegetarian, it's a pretty frustrating endeavor to go out
to eat (even
with the numerous restaurants around town), but I stopped by Shango in late
July and absolutely fell in love. The staff were wonderful, they had a
pre-app of pickles and olives and a bountiful bread basket with corn bread,
wheat bread, and spelt, with a side of whipped butter and a jam. I ordered
the portabella po'boy, and my friend ordered the steak po-boy, and both came
with a side of sweet-potato fries and vinegar cabbage salad. Both were
amazing! My mouth waters thinking of this dining experience again—truly
fabulous!"
[KATS] said:
[11/05] "Finally made it to this charming spot on
Saturday night.
Although we didn't have reservations, there was plenty of seating in the
bar area for our table of 4. What a fabulous, well-priced, and varied
wine list. We really enjoyed our Super Tuscan, and the hostess was very
knowledgeable on wines. Our service was a bit slow. The waitress came
over with our menus, didn't ask about drinks, and started reciting the
specials. When she finished, I remarked that I was simply dying of
thirst and would like a glass for the bottle of wine that my friends had
ordered. That took quite a few minutes to arrive. I'm pretty lax about
slow service so long as I have a drink in my hand to distract me. We
quickly ordered the fried calamari—interesting sauces, not rubbery, and
lightly breaded and fried. I had one of their salads with cranberries,
which was excellent. The Creole meatloaf was interesting. It had a
great, spicy flavor, but the texture was off, like it had been through a
food processor too many times. I like a nicy, chunky meatloaf. The
corn salad was great; the mashed potatoes needed some butter. We really
wanted the bananas Foster that the table next to us had ordered, but no
one was going for dessert."
[YB, 4/06] said: "I recently went to the restaurant Shango for a bite to eat
with my significant other, and enjoyed every minute of it.
The creole/Cajun-style cuisine was new to me, and I was
dying to try it. The restaurant decor is very pleasing, with
dim lighting, glazed wood, copper table tops, and up-beat
jazz playing throughout the place. At first glance of the
menu, I was going to "play it safe" and choose the blackened
steak po-boy, but, after some convincing from my significant
other, I went with the creole meatloaf; she had the
fettuccini. While waiting for our meal, we were given slices
of bread with an olive oil and red pepper dipping sauce,
which was very good. Our food arrived promptly and hot, just
the way I like. The meatloaf was cut into 3 slices, and at
first I was disappointed, because I thought the portion was
small, but, when I finished, I was stuffed. The mashed
potatoes were light and fluffy, and the corn was cooked to
perfection. My girlfriend wasn't too pleased with the
fettuccini (though I was) due to the spiciness of the sauce
and ended up eating most of my meatloaf that she obviously
loved. The service in Shango was great; our waiter checked
on us repeatedly, and our glasses were kept full. After
dinner, we had a little room left in our stomachs, so we
decided to have the "house special" bananas Foster. I
thought it would be a small dish that I could eat alone, but
boy was I wrong. It was placed in a large glass dish filled
half way with vanilla ice cream and topped off with the
sautéed bananas and a mound of whipped topping. I would
rate my overall experience at 2½ stars; it was great,
and I can't wait to go back."
[NJ, 4/06] said: "I had
dinner here with my two children and a classmate. This was
our first visit to this restaurant, and it was a unique
experience for us, because we were not familiar with New
Orleans cuisine. The menu did not have a variety of other
cuisine selections, so my children were not interested in
ordering anything. The waitress and hostess were friendly,
and we enjoyed the live music that was playing as we read
over the menus. The atmosphere was nice, but the tables were
so close together that we did not have much leg room, and
the benches were very uncomfortable. Once the waiter read
the specials to us, I began my meal with a New Orleans fish
chowder. It had a nice flavor and a smooth taste. The
combination of the seafood with the tomato broth had a
strong fishy odor and taste. I picked at it a few minutes,
and then I couldn't take it any more. After spending over
thirty dollars at this restaurant, we left to go get take
out."
[MRo, 4/06] said: "The minute I walked into Shango Bistro and Wine
Bar, I felt that I had
walked into a place where you wanted to be seen. The decor was very
stylish, modern, and inviting. They serve a vast array of creole dishes
straight from New Orleans. There is also an extensive wine list to
accompany the menu, which has appetizers, po' boy sandwiches, and many
meat and seafood entrees. There is a lively late crowd with live music
on some nights and a later happy hour. The prices may be a bit higher
than some places, but they aren't extraordinary. The higher price pays
for a unique experience unlike any in Western New York."
[ARN, 4/06] said: "I was extremely pleased with the entire staff at
Shango: they were all
very cordial and inviting when we walked in. The wine list is large, but
glasses can only be purchased on less than a dozen of the wines. The
menu is very fancy, and the entree selection is extremely small, with
lots of meat and fish dinners. My entree (fettucine) was excellent,
though overpriced along with the rest of the entrees. The bananas
Foster dessert was delicious—highly recommend it. Overall, the
atmosphere was lovely and the staff and service great, but the pricy
limited menu will not appeal to college students."
[MALD, 4/06] said: "This small Cajun bistro has a
lovely
appearance and outstanding food. However, the overall
experience is not for everyone. Mid-April, two of
my friends and I ate here. Our first mistake was not making a
reservation. After waiting about 15 minutes, we were placed
in a small booth. Now, when I say small, I mean we had to
take turns moving the table over to one side so we could all
get into our seats—and we are not overly large people. To
add to this tight seating arrangement, the service was
slightly disappointing. Our waiter had no problem taking
orders and delivering drinks, but when it came time for the
bill and a few to-go boxes, we were left waiting almost
longer than it had taken us to order and eat. The food,
however, was delicious. The bread and vegetable appetizers
were a big hit. I had the chicken fettuccini dish in Cajun
spices, and I was delightfully surprised by the taste. One of
my friends ordered a Portobello-mushroom sandwich, and she, too,
was impressed with the taste. (Being a vegetarian, this was
about the only meal option for her.) The dishes did seem a
bit pricy—it was near impossible to get a meal under
$20.00. The desserts looked spectacular, but also seemed a
big pricy. The table next to us ordered bananas Foster, which
my friends and I were anxious to try. However, none of us
were up for dessert. Overall, amazing food; I just feel the
service could be due for a little improvement."
[KN, 4/06] said: "I ate at Shango last week for the first time.
I had the
blackened catfish po'boy with mesculin greens, and I was very
pleased. The catfish was perfectly seasoned, and I really liked
the sweet-potato fries. I was especially impressed with
their dessert selection. I had ordered the bananas Foster,
and I was shocked at the size of it when it came out. It
was more than enough to feed my boyfriend, my sister, and me,
and it was reasonably priced. I would definitely go back to
Shango in the future. The food was great, I enjoyed the
jazz, and it was reasonably priced."
[JG&LGe, 5/05] said: "We just ate dinner (5/7/05) at a great newish
restaurant right across from
the South Campus
Its card says it's a "New Orleans Bistro" and "Wine Bar."
It
has New Orleans-style food from gumbo, to po'boy sandwiches, to barbecued
shrimp and oysters with a very unusual and tasty sauce (a special on the
night we went). I am always a little leary of ordering shellfish in new
places because I am afraid it will be overcooked or just blah, but these
shrimps and oysters were tender and very tasty. I also had a very nice
mesclun salad, and my companion had a wonderful huge bowl of jalapeño
corn
chowder (spicy, but not overpowering) and a salad. We enjoyed two very
nice beers on tap—they had a great selection of microbrews in bottles
and on tap. They also have an extensive wine list and what looks like a
great menu that has something for everybody—vegetarians, meat-eaters,
fish-eaters, etc. They also serve brunch and I think lunch. The
restaurant is where the "Coffee Bean" used to be and is still owned by
the
same person, who was there the night we were there, chatting up the
guests. The service was nice and the crowd was a mix of couples, family
groups
(even with small kids), and just groups. They have a big bar, and the
atmosphere is very pleasant. We will definitely be back and encourage
everyone else to go, too. Reservations are recommended (if not always
required) on the weekend evenings."
Shannon Pub.
[2/10] At the invitation of the owner and armed with a complimentary
gift certificate, [MER] and I, accompanied by our
daughter, son-in-law, 2-year-old grandson, and 3-month-old
granddaughter, had dinner here early on Friday evening, 2/5/10. We arrived
unexpected and unannounced. We were seated in a corner booth, whose
benches were broken. Things got off to a somewhat rocky start: They
had no covered kiddie cups (our grandson's milk was served in a
long-stemmed water glass), there were no kid's menus available
(the waitress insisted they were part of the adult menu, but even she
couldn't find them in any of our copies; so she recited the offerings
verbally), the artisanal beer that my
son-in-law ordered from the menu turned out not to be available (though
the waitress didn't know that till after the rest of our drinks were
served), and the bread we were served looked and tasted like warmed-up
hamburger rolls (sliced so as to be ready for a burger to be slipped
in). I ordered Baked [sic] Salmon Fillet from the Irish Specialties menu,
described on the menu as "broiled [sic!] salmon in a creamy
dill sauce". When I asked the waitress if it was baked or broiled,
she seemed taken aback; after thinking about it for a while, she decided
that it was broiled. Even after eating it, I'm not sure which it was,
but, however it was cooked, it consisted of a 6"x6" square
of salmon (I must admit, I've never seen a square salmon) swimming in
the sauce. At least it tasted pretty good. It was accompanied by
mashed potatoes with dried-out gravy and overcooked broccoli. A side
salad that came with the dinner order consisted of borderline-brown
iceberg lettuce and 1 cucumber slice, also swimming in a creamy Italian
dressing. [MER] had the Open Roast Beef Sandwich with salt potatoes on
the side, which she thought was very tasty—above standard—though the potatoes were room
temperature. Our son-in-law had the beer-battered fish
fry, also with the salt potatoes, which he thought was very good. Our
daughter had the Bruscetta [sic] Chicken, which she found to be
juicy and also very good; she, too, opted for the salt potatoes. And
our grandson had macaroni and cheese from the kid's menu, accompanied by
homemade, chunky (i.e., not exactly kid-friendly) applesauce (the
macaroni was served with a tablespoon for some reason).
We were not originally going to have dessert, because there were only
two offered to us by our waitress,
neither of which were to our liking.
She
did not offer us the
menus, which had the desserts listed on them, on the grounds that they
only had two desserts (the online menu lists a third: Peanut Butter
Pie).
But the bill totalled
significantly less than the gift certificate, so we decided to have
dessert, coffee, and one more glass of wine.
Two of our party ordered the Baileys Irish Cream Pie, which they
loved, and [MER] ordered the only other dessert option, which our waitress
had
described orally as "pecan pie".
When we got home, we checked the online menu to learn that the
pecan pie was listed as Bourbon Pecan
Delight.
(I didn't have dessert, not liking either Baileys Irish
Cream or pecans; good thing I didn't have the pecan pie, because I
dislike bourbon, too.) Our grandson, sitting next to [MER], saw her
"pecan pie" with "whipped cream" (more likely
something like Cool Whip) and gobbled the whole thing up. We were all
rather disturbed when we got home and discovered that it was filled with
bourbon; we even called the restaurant, speaking to someone named
Nicole, who assured us that the "pecan pie" was indeed
bourbon-filled and "really good". Yes, but not if you're
two years old (or perhaps trying to avoid alcohol). Our grandson slept
quite well that night, but Shannon's Pub should be ashamed at this
oversight (not to mention the oddity of only two desserts, both
alcohol-laden, at a restaurant that seems to cater mostly to senior
citizens—the "pub" is in a separate room).
The second glass of wine did not arrive till just before we left.
There is only one rest room, with one toilet, for a fairly large restaurant and bar; customers are warned by the hostess to lock the rest-room door.
Dinners for 4 adults and one child (our granddaughter slept peacefully
in her carseat, on the floor), with drinks but before tip, came to
a little over $90.
So, it was a rocky start and not a kid-friendly restaurant,
but the food was generally
good. However, not good enough for us to want to drive all the way out
to, and up, the Boulevard to return, especially given the alcohol-filled
dessert given to us without any information about its ingredients or any
warning that we might not want to feed it to our
grandson. We do, however, thank the owner
for his invitation.
Review of its previous incarnation at the Lord Amherst Motel in Amherst:
[am]
Sheridan Family Restaurant.
Delivery available from
Takeout Taxi,
631-2222.
[WHN, 6/08] says: "Every few months, several of us meet here for
breakfast to talk about
our respective businesses. I've never had anything besides breakfast,
so I can't comment on other offerings, but those are very good and
quite economical."
Shish Kabab Express
.
[JCr, 12/10] says: "Last evening, I ordered take-out from Shish
Kabab Express and had great results. There were 3 of us, so we decided
to order 3 main plates and 2 sides, of which we ordered the Beef Tikka,
Chicken Schwarma, Falafel, and, for sides, the hummus and the Fatoosh.
This was my first time really eating Iraqi/Middle Eastern food, and it
was fantastic. Each of the main plates came with pickles, onion, tomato,
and a garlicky yogurt-type sauce, which was very good. All the main
dishes and sides were great, but the Beef Tikka was by far my favorite.
This restaurant is very clean inside, if you choose to dine in, and
prices are extremely reasonable, with our entire meal costing about $10
per person."
[MCT, 10/10] said: "I just [10/14/10]
ate at Shish Kabab Express on Hertel
and had to post, literally 15 minutes after eating. I don't think I have
ever had Chicken Shawirma this good, and, if I did, I definitely didn't
pay $3.50 for it! The Iraqi bread (samoon) is perfect; the garlic mayo
is just the right amount of garlic. I really enjoyed watching the chef
slice the chicken right off the skewer and put it in my sandwich. You
could tell he was taking his time and actually enjoyed making your food
for you, compared to rushing you out the door. Can't wait to go back and
try the rest of the menu!"
[SSt, 11/11] says: "I am a huge fan of hibachi, and, since moving
back to the area 3 years ago, I've been satisfying my craving at
Kyoto,
one of my favorite restaurants. We saw one of those deal-of-the-day-site coupons to Shogun, and so we decided to try them again. It had
been 7 years since our last visit, and I don't remember much
about it then. I ordered the Hibachi Steak with fried rice. The
mushroom soup was not clear—the broth was chicken, unlike the
clear mushroom soup I've had at other hibachi restaurants. The
salad was the standard. Our chef did his show and managed to make an
error putting steak on a man's plate; the man proceeded to poke
at it with his chopsticks, and the chef removed it from him and returned
the steak to the grill. He cooked it for a while and then proceeded to
plate it on the gentleman's dining companion's plate. I
was shocked to see that happen. Luckily, the steak didn't get
intermixed with mine, or I would have been very upset. My steak was
cooked a bit more than I would like, and it was very very tough,
something I doubt the overcooking was the only cause. The chef then
left the grill dirty when he was done cooking—something
I've never seen at other hibachis—and there was rice all over
the table from overzealous stirring. I won't be returning."
Bill says:
[11/07] I returned with my 12-year-old son the day that I received
[HPK]'s review; our meal (filet mignon and fried rice) was excellent and
well-prepared. I really think that the quality of the chef is the
governing criterion here (as, of course, it is at all restaurants, but
here the chefs vary much more than elsewhere). I might also note that
I'm pretty sure that the sushi kitchen is a separate operation from the
main kitchen where the appetizers are prepared.
[9/06] As [LF] indicates, it is pricy, and the quality
of the food will vary with the chef, who cooks it at your table. But
I've eaten in other hibachi-style "Japanese" restaurants (I'm told that,
in Japan, some of them style themselves as "Denver ranch"
restaurants :-), and Shogun compares favorably with them.
[12/01] We've been back several times, and it has always been good.
[10/99]
[MER] and I ate here for the first time, on a whim.
We liked it
quite a bit. The chef's showmanship was flashy and fiery (literally),
and our chicken, fried rice, and vegetables were delicious. Dinner
includes soup, an iceberg-lettuce salad with a rather odd-tasting,
allegedly Japanese dressing, and 2 (count 'em, 2) shrimp. Dinner for 2
with 2 glasses of wine, and no dessert, came to $50 with the tip, which
is a bit pricy. (I must add, however, that the meal did not sit well
afterwards; a bit on the greasy side.)
[HPK, 11/07] says: "I have been here a couple of times with
varied results, but it is always
generally good and fun. Last night we had a party of 12 for a triple
bday
celebration. The cook was just boring, he did not do anything. Very
odd.
Also, for the prices, one does not expect to be rushed. Some of our
guests'
sushi dinners were out and ready before any of our appetizers were even
ready. We asked about this, and all they said was, "sorry." The kitchen
is
busy. Of course it is! It is Saturday night! That does not mean it is
OK
to rush us. Other tables were feeling the same way. For 12 people with
tip,
it was almost $700. I hope, if the restaurant reads this, they will take
into
consideration that being rushed does not equal return business."
[WHN, 4/07] says: "We went to Shogun for our son's birthday,
along with ten guests.
Most had steak cooked on the teppanyaki. One or two had chicken. My
son had a sushi and sashimi platter as his main course, and I and one
or two others had small sushi/sashimi appetizers as well. Everything
was first rate. The chef was fun to watch as he sliced, diced, and
cooked the meals. I would say it compares favorably to Benihana,
where I've eaten a number of times in different locations. It is not
the equal of teppanyaki restaurants in Japan, where they serve Kobe
beef, but neither is the price."
[LF, 9/06] says: "This restaurant was truly a bad experience.
The food was awful from the start. The fried rice was
inedible, as the rice was undercooked and the chef
burned the egg, creating a crunchy and burned taste.
The soup was tasteless, and the salad was very blah.
However, my steak was very good and well prepared.
Ordinarily, since the steak was quite good, I wouldn't
give a negative review, but the cost of my meal was
insane for the quality I received. I paid $22.75 for
the entire meal. Now, I've been to several hibachi-style Japanese restaurants, and I've never paid this
much and been this dissatisfied with the outcome; in
fact, I've always had really great experiences with
Japanese cuisine.
The service was unbelievably bad, very inattentive and
unable to clarify items on the menu. The manager was
very hostile and not at all concerned with a
customer's satisfaction.
Overall, the food is definitely not worth the price,
and beware of extra charges, as they will not inform
you of them ($2.75 for fried rice instead of steamed,
and they don't give free refills). I do not recommend
this restaurant to anyone, and I will never return."
[AJB, 8/02] says: "Strange thing happened: We arrived for
dinner, and they automatically
seated us by the Hibachi grills. We had come only for sushi and
didn't
even know they had a separate sushi bar area in the back. The sushi
was
great, and the service was decent—somewhat slow and inattentive,
but
there was really no reason for us to watch the (admittedly good)
showmanship at the grill. Wrong atmosphere for the food we were
eating.
They should ask at the entrance whether you want to sit at the
sushi
bar. Also: They now take digital photos of birthday folks. The
digital shots run as a slideshow on a big-screen TV visible from our
seats, and the birthday boy or girl gets a framed printout of their
photo."
[PH, 12/01] says: "My daughter's 9th birthday recently rolled
around, and, of course, instead of a
kiddie joint, she chose Shogun. It being a school night, we arrived
early
(i.e., 5:30ish). The sushi bar area was already active, but we were led
to a
completely empty hibachi room and seated at a hibachi table at the end
(not
the best seat, that being directly in front of the cooking area).
Since the
place was deserted, I requested that our friendly server (in
appropriate
garb) seat us in front of the table, which she did. Our chef was a very
nice
young man named Bruce, who interacted nicely with Danielle. Danielle,
who of
course did not order off of the children's menu (sigh...), ordered the
number
13—a steak and shrimp medley for 20 bucks. (I, feeling the Christmas
pinch, ordered the Hibachi Chicken—the poor house calls at this time of
year....) Our server brought two bowls of broth ('Mom, this smells like
pee!'—'don't eat it', I growled). An iceberg lettuce salad with an
undescribable
pink dressing quickly followed. We were being given quickie treatment
as
the place started to fill—all adults, who understandably would not want
a
table with a child. The chef did a great job, pleasing child—and
that was
the point of the meal. The food is adequate; obviously one is paying
for the
show and atmosphere, which expensive daughter thoroughly enjoyed. I
had
arranged for the birthday surprise (5 bucks), which consisted of a slice
of
pineapple attractively presented with the ubiquitous umbrella. Our
pretty
server then clapped a 'Japanese' wig on Danielle's head and an oriental
drape
over her shoulders. Expensive daughter was shocked! After a brief
conference, three chefs and our server banged gongs and sang a happy-birthday
song. Danielle was the center of attention, of course, and loved every
moment.
A poloroid photo in a frame was the take-home treat. 50 bucks for two.
And
the daughter left very pleased and requested the same for next year.
Worth
it? Hell, yeah. The chef, Bruce, and the server went out of their way
to
make this kid feel special. We will return for birthday number 10.
(Unless
she requests the Tour D'Argent next year. In that case, please come
visit me
in the poor house!)"
[RM, 5/00] says: "A lot of fun to sit at a table and watch
the chef cook in front
of you. Good food and plenty of it. Nice for couples of families."
[MEL, 9/99] says: "Another of those touristy, Japanese places
where you watch the chefs grill the food (similar to the Benihana
chain in other cities)—but better than I remember. Unlike other
such places, it has sushi that is actually fairly OK, and I thought my
grilled salmon was OK too."
[JCM, 5/95] says: "Very good food and
a great show. A little pricy, but worth it. Informal. Tables seat up to
parties of 10. Reservations are recommended, since the restaurant does
not
have many tables. The dishes were very tasty, and the menu had a good
selection."
The Shores Waterfront Restaurant & Marina.
[KaB, 7/10] says: "We decided to get out of the house on a
beautiful night (7/20/10). We decided to head up to the Niagara River and The
Shores restaurant. We were greeted as soon as we walked up to the
hostess station. We were given our choice of tables outside. We ran
into old friends and ended up sitting with them. This was their first
visit to Shores, and they were thoroughly enjoying the entire
experience. The Shores has changed its menu since we were there last
year. It was definitely a change for the better, with more higher-end
dinner choices. I ordered the crab-cake dinner, and my husband ordered
the turkey burger. The crab cakes were pan seared and came with
coleslaw and your choice of a side. I chose the sweet-potato fries, and
they were the best I have ever had (it may have been the honey butter!).
They were thick sliced and cooked to perfection. The crab cakes were
also cooked perfectly, with almost no filler, and the coleslaw was lightly
dressed and very fresh. My husband's turkey burger was
grilled and came out very moist. Our overall experience at The Shores
restaurant was perfect—the service, food, and spectacular sunset made
our evening out memorable."
[WHN, 6/06] said: "We had a very pleasant lunch on the outdoor
patio at Shore's today,
Sunday, 6/18/06. If you're looking for a great meal, don't go to
Shores, whose food can best be described as not bad. However, on a
nice summer day, it's a great place to relax outside and watch the
activity of boaters and jet skiers on the Niagara River, while
enjoying a drink or two with food that's merely OK. If you stick to
basics like burgers, chicken fingers and wings, beef on weck, grilled
chicken sandwiches, etc., you won't go wrong. On weekend evenings,
there is usually a band playing, so it can get to be extremely busy,
with a long wait for a table and service—and very loud. At lunchtime,
it's usually much less crowded, and much more pleasant, from our
viewpoint."
[SCS, 9/01] has told me that he finds it pleasant enough once a season
and that it has a great view of the Niagara River and Grand Island.
[am]
Given 4 (out of 4) stars by Janice Okun,
Buffalo News
restaurant reviewer.
[MTC, 1/12] says: "Last week, I visited Siena for the first time
for lunch. I ordered the grouper, which was a featured special. The dish
consisted of grouper wrapped in prosciutto, topped with sautéed spinach.
The spinach-topped grouper sat on top of a bed of faro surrounded by a
tomato coulis sauce. The prosciutto was nice and crispy and kept the
fish moist. The tomato-coulis sauce was rich and complex, while the
sautéed spinach added a nicely acidic, lemony flavor to balance the dish.
The dish was extremely flavorful and was a good value priced at 14.95. I
would definitely recommend."
[WHN, 11/11] said: "G and I met for lunch at Siena on Friday,
11/18/11. I had not been there for at least 10 years,
and she had never been there. G ordered penne pasta with garlicky
shrimp, artichokes,
cannellini beans, roasted garlic cloves, and spinach; fresh parmesan was
grated on top, at the table.
I had chicken panini with roasted red peppers, pesto, and provolone, with
a side of chilled green beans and red peppers.
G offered me a taste of her pasta, which was wonderful. I was going to
take half of my large sandwich home to eat later,
but I couldn't stop eating it; it was too delicious to stop."
[NPa, 1/11] said: "I visited Siena this past Saturday [1/8/11]. It was not
my first time there, although it has been several months since my last
visit, and the menu has changed. We ordered a bottle of the Coppola
Claret during the lengthy wait for a table. The bar itself has a nice
atmosphere, but is almost too small to accommodate the number of people
who were waiting for tables. When we were seated, we ordered the
artichoke appetizer special to start. It was prepared differently than I
expected it to be based on the description on the specials list; to my
surprise, the artichokes were not smothered in cheese. They were
perfectly cooked, tender but not mushy, and just lightly sprinkled with
a little parmesan cheese, so you could still tell that you were eating a
vegetable. The bread basket at Siena is always good, and comes with some
high-quality parmigiano-reggiano cheese and olives. The flat bread was
better than I remember it being last time; I believe that they added
some fennel to the topping, which gave it a lot more flavor. For our main
courses, I ordered the chicken cutlets and bowtie pasta with vodka
sauce. I enjoyed this very much. The chicken breading had a nice
parmesan flavor, and the inside was very moist and tender. The vodka
sauce on the accompanying pasta was creamy and flavorful without being
too heavy. My friend ordered the margarita pizza, which was topped with
tomato sauce, pepperoni, and mushrooms. She enjoyed it, but felt there
could have been more mushrooms. I thought that the crust could have been
a little crispier, especially since it was baked in the wood oven, but it
was tasty nevertheless. The service was fine. We got there around 7:15
on Saturday, fully expecting to have to wait. Our wait time was estimated
at 45 minutes, but we waited closer to an hour and a half. I have always
very much enjoyed Siena's food, but I think I would visit more
frequently if they took reservations."
[KaB, 11/10] said: "We went for dinner on 11/2. We were
surprised at how busy they were on a Tuesday night. There were a number
of specials to choose from; they were carefully explained by our server,
and a printed list was left with us. A basket of bread along with
chunks of cheese and olives were served as soon as our order was taken.
I started with the Pickled Beet Salad, which is a new vegetable for me
that I am trying to fit into my diet. The salad was served with
fennel, apple, prosciutto, balsamic vinegar, and a gorgonzola mousse. I
was skeptical of the pickled part, but the beets were not sweet or sour.
Overall, the salad was excellent. We both chose
entrées from the evening specials. My husband had
the Rigatoni, Pulled Pork, Picotta in a veal broth. The meat was very
tender, and the sauce was wonderful. I chose the Mushroom, Asparagus,
Parpardella Pasta. This entrée was also very good. Overall,
Siena lived up to our previous experiences as a nice, warm restaurant
with great service and excellent food."
[CDeL, 10/10] said: "My girlfriend and I had dinner at Siena on
[10/17/10], a Sunday night. We had heard good things about the restaurant
and were told that on Sundays their wine list was ½-price bottles.
Loving wine and a good deal, we decided to check it out, and we were not
disappointed. Our waiter made some suggestions, and we decided to try
the Gattinara. It was awesome, and a wine I'm definitely going to have
to look for again in the future. With the wine, our waiter (I wish I
could remember his name, but I'm terrible with names) made some food
suggestions, which we followed as well. For an appetizer, we had the
Eggplant Stack—which is fried eggplant layered with fresh mozzarella and
slices of tomato with arugula, EVOO, and aged balsamic—also the
Asparagus Milanese, which was unbelievable: It's asparagus spears, a
small nest of arugula, pancetta, shaved parmesan, and a fried egg. We
were told to break the yolk and mix everything together. Wow, it was
good! For my main course, I had the Osso Buco, and it was excellent. My
girlfriend ordered one of their wood-oven pizzas, which she shared with
me, and we both enjoyed that as well. We had such a nice evening. The
staff was friendly, the atmosphere was relaxing and made our meal even
that much better, and it was affordable. We'll definitely be back!!"
[JAr, 2/10] said: ‘For a starter, we tried
the ‘Classico’ wood-oven
pizza: a thin, lightly
crisp crust topped with tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, and basil. It
is a simple dish and was executed very well. It rendered the
complimentary spread of assorted breads, cheese, and olives less
essential, but they were still a very nice touch and of a high
quality. For an entree, I had the Hot Pepper Fettuccini. The menu
states that it is served with Filet Mignon, which turned out to be twin
filets, both cooked exactly as ordered (med-rare). The steaks were
tender and delicious. The pasta also featured roasted red peppers and
basil. The marsala wine sauce was more like broth, but full of
flavor. The beef flavor really coated the pasta, and the peppers gave
a nice heat. My companion had the Linguini Casino with bay scallops,
bacon, olive oil, garlic, and bread crumbs. The scallops were
abundant. At least 30 small scallops were tossed with the pasta. The
scallops were nicely tender, and the pasta was tremendously flavorful
and delicious, the bacon giving a great added dimension to the flavor.
Between the two filets and the surfeit of scallops, these entrees
were both a tremendous value at under $25 each. My companion had some
of her entree wrapped up so that there would be room for dessert. She
tried the chocolate bomba, featuring both vanilla and chocolate gelato
encased in a chocolate shell. The portion was generous, the
equivalent of perhaps three or four scoops of gelato, and very
flavorful. My chocolate souffle was very rich and moist. It was the
first souffle I've had, but was quite enjoyable, and served with
vanilla ice cream, another surprise not noted on the menu. For a
pizza, two entrees, two desserts, a martini from the bar, and coffee,
the bill was under $100 including tax. The meal was both delicious
and an incredible value for the quality of the food being served.
Service was also top-notch, and the restaurant feels very warm and
inviting. I will definitely be back."
[AFN, 1/09] said: "My sister and I had lunch at Siena on Friday,
Jan. 2nd. I had
shrimp scampi served over Italian bread. My sister had
"surf and turf"—beef filet and scallops. The food was very good,
but overpriced.
These were really, really light lunches—mine consisted of two fairly
large shrimp, while my sister's had two scallops and a very small piece
of filet—for about $14 each."
[KATS, 8/06] said: "My husband and I recently re-re-re-tried
Siena, as we're now within
walking distance in their neighborhood. Our experience, like it is
every time we go there, was underwhelming at best. We put our name on
the 45-minute waiting list and sat outside with a glass of wine. After
30 minutes had gone by, my husband decided to go inside to check on our
table, and they had forgotten about us, and our table was ready right
away. I ordered a horrendous grilled romaine salad with bacon and some
sort of thick dressing. The grilled romaine was huge and unwieldy to
eat. The dressing overpowered the dish, and I picked at it. I ordered
the steak and hot pepper pasta upon the recommendation of the
waitress—the steak pieces and peppers were good, but the watery sauce
left much to be desired. On the other hand, my husband loved his rack
of lamb (but he is otherwise not a fan of the restaurant, either). They
were out of the 3 or 4 wines that we asked for, and we ended up with an
overpriced Cabernet. We took half the bottle home, and it ended up down
the sink. We will be back—everyone we know always wants to go
there—but there will be some kicking and screaming."
[JCr] said:
[6/05] said: "Recently, I dined at Siena and have mixed
feelings about my experience. I
thought that the atmosphere in the restaurant was great, and the menu
prices are very fair. I was seated with a party of six, and the service
was excellent; we never had to wait more than a minute for a refill of
wine or what have you. On to the important part, the food; the menu
consists mainly of pasta and pizza, and I was in the mood for neither.
This didn't leave me with many options, and I decided to go with one of
the specials; it was pork tenderloin in a curry-coconut sauce topped
with a sort of salsa. The tenderloin alone was not of great quality, and
the sauce tasted like a watered down piña colada, it was sub-par, to say
the least. My girlfriend ordered the one pasta dish on the menu that I was
going back and forth on between that and the tenderloin entree. This was
tagliatelle with grilled shrimp, tomato, banana peppers, fennel, and
calamata olives; all right, now I get to see if I made the right decision
on my entree or not. Well I don't know what to say; both dishes seemed
extremely bland and missing that one special ingredient. I will return
to Siena again and sample one of their gourmet, brick-oven pizzas.
P.S.: I
was recently in Cleveland and dined at a great steakhouse; if anyone
finds themselves there, go to the Hyde Park Restaurant in the warehouse
district and order the 12-14 oz. bone-in filet—you won't be
disappointed."
Bill said:
[10/02]
[MER] and I came here with
some friends for a light supper of pizza; I had a great salad and an
interesting ultra-thin-crust pizza—quite enjoyable.
[5/00]
I returned twice recently. The first time, I was
very disappointed; every single item on the menu seemed to have
some ingredient that either I hate (e.g., fennel or gorgonzola) or can't
eat. But the second time, I had a quite delicious meal: an
arugula/radicchio/endive salad followed by a wild-mushroom cannoli in a
goat-cheese cream sauce. The cannoli were more like crepes than pasta,
and were excellent. A double scoop of chocolate and cinnamon gelati
completed a very nice meal.
[MRT, 4/05] said: "My husband and I enjoyed an excellent meal at
Siena last Sunday night. When
you first sit down, good bread and two dips are brought to you. We tried
to
not fill up on the bread and dips, delicious as everything was. I began
with a baby greens salad with corn. It was perfectly dressed, and very
tasty. My husband began with crab cakes. He approved of the small size
of
the crab cakes, and really enjoyed the dipping sauce. We each ordered
from
their special. It was filet mignon with truffle butter. We were given
steak
knives, but they were not needed. The meat was perfectly cooked. The
vegetables on the side of the meat can be improved. Raw chopped red
pepper,
two thin slices of grilled zucchini, and two small pieces of roast
potatoes. Desserts were not exceptional. I ordered a crème brulé. It was
good, nothing more. My husband ordered a snickerdoodle pie. He also
said
it was good, nothing more.
Still, Siena service is exceptional. They must not have a pastry chef,
and
we do wish they could improve their side vegetables.
It is one of my favorite restaurants in town."
[KB, 9/02] said: "We picked Siena's to try last Friday
because the weather was beautiful
and we wanted to dine outside one last time before summer ended.
Hearing that Siena had a patio, we went. The patio was filled up
when we
got there, so we sat inside. The atmosphere is not bad—warm
colors,
relaxed feel. The food was a different story. Our meal started
with
lackluster bread accompanied by dipping oil. To the eye, there were
lots
of herbs in the oil; however, when you ate it, there was only the
olive
oil taste. For the entreé, I ordered a special—turkey rolled
around
sage compound butter, with a sage sauce. Very disappointing—while
the
turkey was moist, it had no flavor at all, and there was no sauce to
speak of, either. Another special, wild boar chops, were ordered and
were
served startlingly rare. They had good flavor, but we were a little
nervous to eat them quite so rare. The third member in our party
ordered halibut, which he raved about. Very delicate flavor and
cooked
perfectly. One out of 3 meals: not the best ratio. I don't think I
would go back."
[TM, 3/01] said: "On Thursday evening,
my wife and I decided to head out to dinner. We
picked Siena on Main St. in Snyder. Since they do not accept
reservations, we chose to have an early dinner in hopes that we might
avoid waiting. We arrived at about 6:15 PM;
the dining room still had some open tables, and the bar was just
starting to fill in.
So far, so good. We were seated immediately and ordered a glass of
Merlot for me and a Pinot Grigio for my wife. Our waitress recited the
specials, which included some appetizers and several entrees. Siena is
known for their thin, wood-hearth-baked pizzas and their Osso Bucco.
My wife likes to order two appetizers instead of an entrée for dinner.
I often gravitate to their pasta selections, but wanted to try something
different. She ordered
a Caesar salad and a seared ahi tuna appetizer. I ordered a pork chop
special
upon the strong recommendation of our waitress, and a hearts of palm
salad. Our bread basket had three types of bread—a dense Italian bread,
an olive bread, and a flat bread encrusted with sesame seeds. The
breads were presented with a fresh tomato spread; this is a departure
from the seasoned olive oil I have enjoyed here in the past. The
tomatoes were refreshing, not to mention healthy.
By the time our salads arrived (a few minutes), the dining room and the
bar had
filled up. (Are we in Buffalo on a Thurs. night? No; I guess it's Snyder.)
The salads are generous portions of really fresh greens, and the
dressings are
exceptional. My hearts of palm was presented over crisp romaine laced
with a tomato basil vinaigrette dressing. The salad was full of sliced
imported ripe olives,
sopresat, and sliced yellow tomatoes: colorful and delicous.
My wife's Caesar was piled high and topped with toast triangles
instead of the croutons so often seen. The flavor combination of my
salad was great—the dressing was subtle yet piquant, and all the
ingredients were of top quality. When my entr´e arrived, it was
presented on a charger that was very hot.
I must not have heard the waitress mention that the dish was smoked pork
chops—so often smoked meats are too strong or artificial, and I tend
to avoid them. The chops were 4 oz. each, boneless, lightly breaded, napped
with a smoked tomato coulis, and accompanied by risotto, and fresh green
beans and matchstick julienne carrots.
My first bite of the chops made me a believer. The flavor was marvelous,
and the pork was very moist and cooked perfectly in the wood-hearth oven
that Siena uses for their signature thin pizza crusts. I would have
been satisfied with one of these pork chops, but I couldn't resist
finishing both. The risotto was creamy and well
seasoned, and the vegetables crisp and colorful. My wife's appetizer
portion of seared ahi tuna looked beautiful (I'm not a fish person),
and there was no sign of a
fishy odor or ammonia. She said it was very fresh and tasty, and it was
presented with fresh watercress.
We topped our dinner off with a cappucino and split an order of
Tiramisu.
This is a restaurant that could make it in any major marketplace in the
country.
The atmosphere, the food, the service are exceptional. It is not stuffy,
either.
There were some single diners, a young mother with two children
(perhaps 5 or 6 years old), and a diverse mix of ages of patrons. The
decor is slick, but not flashy.
The paper overlays on the tables signal a more casual attitude about the
place.
I like the idea that no matter what your appetite, you can find multiple
choices,
whether a light meal or a multi-course dinner. This restaurant works,
and I guess that is why so many people are willing to wait to enjoy
something quite special."
Signature Cafe.
The Silo.
Simme's Martini Bar & Restaurant.
[m]
Sinatra's Trilogy Restaurant and Lounge.
[3/10] Listed as one of 41
"Restaurants We Love" by
Buffalo Spree magazine.
[4/07]
Listed as one of Buffalo's
"27 Best Restaurants"
by
Buffalo Spree
magazine.
[4/05]
Given 4 (out of 4) stars by Janice Okun,
Buffalo News
restaurant reviewer.
[Editor's Note: As long-time readers know, I lightly edit reviews for
spelling, grammar, style, etc. As recent readers know, I have been away
quite a bit this summer and am frantically trying to catch up, so
reviews that are too hard to edit and contain character codes that
don't work in HTML will remain unedited.]
[PBr, 8/11] says: "Review Neutral: I dinned with three others at
Sinatra’s on a Wednesday night with reservations for 5:30, aside
from our party only an elderly couple made up the dining area. Upon
entering the restaurant, I couldn’t help noticing a rather musty
smell, something you’d expect from a basement. I put that smell
aside as this restaurant isn’t known for its looks rather its
cuisine. Sinatra’s menu is made up of your standard
Italian-American dishes, but with one exception being the price. The
prices here are quite inflated. My appetizer was a special, basically
claims casino with a hint of lobster meat final price $22. For my
entrée, I opted for Ravioli (cheese) and Meatballs. The dish was
tasteful although nothing to brag home about and the portion was
generous, but again the price, at $17 it was a little high. I finished
my meal with a tiramisu priced at $6.50. The portion was generous, but I
felt the coffee flavor was too subtle. As our dinning came to an end the
restaurant was filled so reservations are a must after 6pm. The service
was great and the dress code is business casual with a tilt toward
formal. Everyone who I dined with agreed the food was good, but with a
bill total coming out to $220 it’s not worth it. You are better
off going to the Mulberry for this style of Italian."
[WHN] says:
[8/06] "My wife and I, along with ten other family
members and friends,
attended a dinner party for my brother-in-law's birthday Saturday
night, 8/12. Sinatra's is one of his favorite restaurants. My wife
and I had been there twice before, once by ourselves and once with my
sister- and brother-in-law. One of the hosts, our nephew, ordered
appetizers for the table—antipasto platters, artichokes
"Francaise", and roasted peppers stuffed with asiago cheese and, I
think, prosciutto or pancetta. The antipasto was the usual mix of
meats, cheeses, olives, roasted peppers, tomatoes, etc., but the
cheesy fried artichokes and cheese-filled peppers were delicious.
Main courses include soup, salad, and a side of pasta, risotto, or
potatoes, and a vegetable. The tortellini soup was good, and the
house salad of assorted lettuces, tomatoes, cucumbers, etc., with
Italian dressing and crumbled Gorgonzola was very good. As a main
course, I chose Veal Milanese with risotto parmesan. My wife had Veal
Marsala, which had lots of sliced mushrooms in the Marsala sauce,
with a side of pasta. Our veal dishes were both excellent. (The
waitress never asked anyone what they wanted as a side dish, but I
had noticed the choices and asked for risotto. Everyone else got
pasta. My wife said she would have preferred risotto, but didn't
realize that was an option.) Our son ordered lasagna, one of the
daily specials, which he said was the best he had ever had. It had
layers of sliced meat balls and mushrooms, along with ricotta. Among
the other entrees ordered were pork brasciole, veal and chicken
parmesan, and a not-at-all-Italian broiled filet mignon. The
brasciole and the chicken parmesan were reported to be excellent. (I
had had veal parmesan at a previous meal here and thought it was
nothing special, about the same as every other Italian restaurant's.)
Everyone seemed to enjoy their meals. Most entrees are in the $25—$30
range. The portions are very large, so a lot of food was left over and
taken home. Our other host, my niece, asked me to pick the wines. The
wine list, especially the Italian wines, is excellent, and moderately
priced. For the white, I chose 2004 Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio
from Alto Adige; for the red, 2001 Beni di Batasiolo Barolo. At $32
and $50 respectively, both were only about $10 above retail, far
below the double or triple mark-ups of most restaurants. For dessert,
there was ice cream cake for the birthday celebration. After all the
other food, a small slice was more than enough, but one person also
ordered cassata cake, which she said was excellent. Overall, the
food was excellent and the service good—the waitress could have
used more help serving twelve people simultaneously—but probably
not worthy of the 4-star rating that Janice Okun gave it, considering
that
Rue Franklin,
Hutch's,
and
San Marco
also received 4 stars. On
the Bill-Rapaport 3-star scale, I would give it 2 stars."
[MRT, 6/05] said: "We enjoyed dinner at Sinatra's Saturday, July
25. When you first sit down,
they bring you good tasting bread and caponatina. We tried not to fill
up
on the bread. Our appetizers were the best part (4 star) of the meal. I
ordered a salad of tomatoes, mozzarella, cucumbers, and lamb tenderloin.
The salad was creative and delicious. Our friend ordered sweet peppers
capicola and asiago, and my husband ordered shrimp and lobster. Our
entrees were more pedestrian. Lasagna, ravioli and meatballs, and I
ordered
veal marsala. Our entrees were good, but the veal was just as I would
prepare it. It was nothing special. I did order tiramisu for dessert with
espresso. The tiramisu was delicious. With a $50 bottle of Chianti, our
final bill was $170. I would give the restaurant 3 stars, and do not
understand the rationale that Janice Oken used to give them 4 stars."
[PT, 12/09] said: "Sinatra's has always been one of our favorite
southern Italian restaurants. We dined there on Saturday night
[12/12/09] and had
an excellent meal. My husband started with Caesar salad, while I had a
house salad of mixed greens with crumbled Gorgonzola. Both were very
good. For main courses, my husband had Osso Bucco with risotto, while I
had eggplant parmesan, with a side of pasta. Again, both were delicious.
As ‘red sauce’ restaurants go, it's quite expensive, but the food,
atmosphere—with Frank Sinatra singing in the background—and
exceptional service make it worth the price occasionally."
[PMcL, 6/08] said: "Yesterday, we had a most wonderful experience.
We visited Sinatra's for the
first time. From the greeting at the door to the good-bye at the end, it
was
most attentive. The food is without question worth a 4-star
accreditation.
I highly recommend this restaurant."
[DwH, 3/07] said: "Travelling to Buffalo almost weekly since
February and
wanted to pass along some impressions:
Took my South-Jersey-Italian-to-the-roots colleague here for the bracciole. It more than
passed—although he could not quite bring himself to
utter the words that no Italian son can ever say aloud—"It's as good as/better than my mom's". Reduced him
to muttering, however. Bartenders are classic
old-school barmen who make you feel right at home."
[ATh, 4/02] said:
"You should try Sinatra's....It is expensive, but everything about it is fantastic. The
bread
is great. The salad is crisp. The house dressing is great. The meal
itself
is phenomenal. Unlike other places I have been to that could be
considered
expensive, you get ample portions, and the taste will leave you
forgetting
about the price."
Sinbad Market.
Skaros Family Restaurant.
[5/11]
Given 4 (out of 4) pennies by Anne Neville,
Buffalo News
"Cheap Eats"
restaurant reviewer.
Smokey Bones Barbeque and Grill.
[ABi, 10/06] says of the Maple Rd. location: "Smokey Bones is barbeque Epcot-style:
you get a plastic environment that's a
rough approximation of the original, but no one will ever mistake that
chintzy pagoda for one you'd find in rural Japan. There are lots
of fake-looking
logs, deliberately ragged-looking brick walls, and a huge picture of a
mountain sky that must be at least 2,000 miles away; the last was a generic,
motivational-poster-type shot that wasn't exactly effective at putting my mind in
a faraway place. Not helping us look past the plastic environs was our
initial encounter with the hostess: We told her our name and party size, and she
just sort of wandered off, leaving us sitting there before an actual helpful
employee asked if we'd like to leave our name and party size. Wait, we
already gave that to...where'd she go? If the phantom hostess is reading this,
don't worry, we eventually got a table in spite of you and your apparent
utter disdain for customers, so thanks for nothing. Our waiter was an
improvement in terms of basic courtesy, although he also disappeared for long
stretches. Maybe he joined a search party to find our missing hostess. He
also didn't offer us the all-you-can-eat ribs special that was advertised in a circular
that made its way to our home's mailbox; it wasn't on the menu, either,
which meant we awkwardly had to explain the promotion to him and then ask if it
was still available. Not wanting to limit myself to ribs, I got a platter,
which included half a rack of them plus a choice of two other meats. I went
with brisket and pork, and both were fair. Each was meaty and fairly rich
in
flavor, but both were too tough: They needed, say, about another two hours
in
a barely hot grill to be finished. The St. Louis-style ribs were better, because
they were not only individually ample but also more tender than the boneless
grub. If there was any complaint, it's that the dry rub was too dry: The
peppery spice was a tad overwhelming. If it were a martini, it could have used
another part of vermouth. I sampled a companion's baby back ribs,
which were
the best thing I had, because the tangy sweet sauce was the best flavor balance
Smokey Bones was able to muster. Oddly, the receptacle provided for bone
disposal was a small paper bag, the sort that holds junior's grade
school lunch.
Don't they have any big bowls? If they work for chicken wing bones, they
should work for ribs. Smokey Bones was a middling approximation of barbeque,
but the authentic-as-Vegas decor, decent-but-not-super food, and thoroughly
spotty service won't entice me to consider returning, especially when compared
to a genuinely fine rib place like
Kentucky Greg's.
Smokey Bones is to
Kentucky Greg's as
Godfather III
is to
Godfather II."
[BL, 2/06] says: "Agree with first review. A chain with adequate
food and pleasant interior
including large stone fireplaces and rustic mountain feel. Food not
quite up
there with local favorites
Kentucky Greg's Hickory Pit
or
BW's BBQ.
Sides like the cole slaw and beans are good, but French
fries
need improvement. Spouse liked the dry rub on the St. Louis ribs, but we
both
thought the ribs could be more moist. Maybe the baby back ribs are
better. A
little bit expensive, especially for any extras like soup or a salad.
Good service,
and the management comes to talk with you and ask opinions. Part of the
Red Lobster/Olive Garden
Group."
[JS.C, 11/05] says: "Not bad for a chain BBQ joint. Definitely a
sports-bar
atmosphere. Great place to spend Sunday watching the game, as they have
a
bunch of TVs playing and the appetizers are in good portions. 1 star."
Snooty Fox Lounge.
—WARNING: WEBSITE PLAYS LOUD MUSIC!
Soho Burger Bar.
Solé.
—WARNING: WEBSITE PLAYS A LOUD VIDEO!
[7/11] "I had dinner at Sole last week [week of
6/27/11–7/6/11], and it was
incredible. I had never been to the Williamsville location, but I know
they tweaked the menu a bit. Juniper was a beautiful space, but Sole has
done a lovely job of making it over. I got the chile rellenos, and they
were incredibly delicious. They had a perfect, thin, crispy, breaded crust,
as opposed to the more common, puffy, greasy batter, and were stuffed with
crisp, cooked vegetables, queso fresca, and black beans. The ‘creamy
polenta’ the chile were served upon was smooth and tasty, and the
sauce surrounding it was so good that I cleaned the plate. As a vegetarian,
I often feel like I haven't gotten my money's worth, but I was very
impressed and would definitely go back. The meat entrees can be a bit
pricey (about $25), but the small plates are under $15, and there are
reasonably priced appetizers, too. Tuesdays are Taco Tuesday, which
means there is a special taco of the day not normally seen on the menu.
A friend of mine raves about their Margarita Monday—a pitcher for
$30.
The only negative thing I have to say is that the water glasses are very
small—like juice glasses. They are small in general but you'd think a
place serving potentially spicy food would have normal-sized water
glasses. The dessert menu looked interesting, but the best-sounding
thing had just run out, and there were no prices listed."
[TNe, 6/11] said: "Very disappointing. Visited Sole on the
Saturday over the Memorial Day weekend. The restaurant was not busy, but
service was non-existent. We were seated upstairs with one other table.
I visited with friends, and we had heard so many great things about the
restaurant that we wanted to try it. We were quite disappointed. We waited a
long time to be greeted; then our soft-drink orders were taken, and we
waited along time for those; then our food order was taken, and we
waited. We ordered the table-side guacamole. It eventually was prepared
at our table by a very unenthusiastic young boy with braces. He did not
speak to us or ask us if we wanted any heat in the guacamole, and he left
out the cilantro—which was sitting right out with the ingredients, so it
was very bland. He dropped the bowl and hurried off. No one ever came
to the table to ask how the guacamole was, or we would have told them.
The dishes—fish tacos, a Tierra y Mar salad, chicken enchilada, and
quesadillas—were all run of the mill—nothing extraordinary. Everything
was quite dry, and the salad had no creamy avocado dressing. When my
friend asked the waitress for the dressing, she said, ‘That happens all
the time—they never seem to dress the salads.’ She brought out a tiny
container—not enough to dress the salad properly.
What surprised me most was the complete neglect of the female server and
the fact that we had to ask for absolutely everything by flagging her
down or going to get her. We had to ask for soda refills (very small
glasses), lemon wedges, hot sauce, salad dressing. It became a chore to
even get settled to eat. There was absolutely no checking back with the
table. I realize they probably make their own hot sauces, but they were
brought to us (after asking) in the most miniscule little containers.
You figure in a Mexican restaurant they would have larger containers
available on the tables at all times for diners to use at will. No such
luck.
It was an exhausting chore to eat here, and we probably spent almost 2 hours at what was going to be a quick and delicious lunch. We attributed
the abysmal experience to just opening and working out the kinks. We
will give it one more try before writing it off. However, since we had a
similar experience to the previous review, I'm hoping they read this and
pull it together. Tremendous disappointment. We might go back at
dinner—maybe they take that more seriously. Lunch seemed like an
afterthought."
[JoMu, 5/11] said: "We went to Sole this past Tuesday night (May
24, 2011). We had called and asked how busy they were, and we were told
we could have a table in about 10 minutes. We walked down to the
restaurant (we live right around the corner) and entered, expecting a
pleasant experience.
We said that we had called and were told we could get a table pretty
soon. The hostess(?) said we hadn't spoken with her—then asked the
bartender if she had spoken with us—well, no one would admit to
telling us we could get a table in 10 minutes.
There were no tables in the front or upstairs dining rooms, so we were
offered a table in a dark alcove under the stairs in the bar room.
We were seated at a dirty table—it had been cleared, but not wiped—and had not been set. We waited and waited. After about 10 minutes, the
hostess dropped a list of drink specials on our table. We waited some
more, hoping to at least be asked if we wanted something from the bar.
A few minutes later, the busboy asked us if we would like water.
The lady at the next table was looking a bit annoyed—we asked her if
the service was slow—and she said, ‘yes, very slow’—she had been there
two and a half hours, and now was waiting quite a while for her check.
No waitperson came to our table the entire time we were there.
We finally got up and left.
I am writing this more out of disappointment than anger. We had had
such high hopes for this restaurant and location, especially after the
debacle of Juniper.
All I can say is that there is a very young, inexperienced staff that is
going to hurt the reputation and success of this restaurant.
We will try it again and hope for a better experience. And Maura, if
you're reading this, we certainly expected a much better experience than
we had."
Reviews of its former location in Williamsville:
[1/07] "Solé is a fairly new restaurant run by the
owners
of
Le Metro.
It's in the location most recently
occupied by Vue and, before that, by ZuZon. I
would describe the menu as Latin American/Caribbean-Spanish. On our first visit, last
night (1/6/07), a basket of taco chips with two
kinds of salsa (mild and milder) and guacamole
was served after we were seated, but the menu is
much more than Mexican, with a long list of
tapas, including such items as a Serrano ham,
Chorizo and cheese plate, house-made lobster
sausage, chicken quesadillas, etc. Prices for the
tapas range from about $6-$10. The wine list
consists exclusively of wines from Chile and
Argentina. Not a single California wine on the
menu, which was fine. No Spanish wines either,
which was a bit disappointing. We chose a
Chilean Chardonnay and an Argentine Malbec. The
wines by the glass are in the $5-$6 range, with
most of the bottles in the $20-$30 range. We
shared two tapas among our party: crab and
roasted corn cakes with tomatillo salsa; and
fried calamari with three sauces—tomatillo
salsa; tartar sauce; and a sweet, fruity sauce.
Both dishes were excellent. I also had a spicy
red pepper and shrimp soup that was delicious,
just enough spiciness and very flavorful. For the
main course, I chose a "Churrasco-style" hanger
steak with a creamy sauce. It was tender and
very flavorful. The steak was served with
twice-baked, stuffed, baby red potatoes and
assorted roasted vegetables. My wife had pork
carnitas, with rice, onions, and peppers. This was
served with flour tortillas for wrapping, fajita
style. She thought the pork was overly salty, but
not so salty that it ruined the flavor. Other
menu choices include a variety of seafood and
chicken dishes. There is also a long list of
nightly specials, both tapas and entrees. Main
courses are in the $18-$24 range. The service
was efficient and friendly. Around 8 pm, a jazz
band started playing in the bar area. Our only
minor complaint is that the wines are served in
trendy, stemless glasses. We prefer the
traditional stemware. I would give it two stars.
We will definitely return to try some of their
other menu items."
[BK, 12/09] said: "On 12/13/09, a friend and I dined at Sole
restaurant in Williamsville. We arrived slightly before our 6 P.M.
reservation and were promptly seated by the hostess in a corner booth.
Similar to the experience of [PT, 5/09], the booth we were seated at was
directly adjacent to the only other occupied table in the dining room. I,
too, found this practice annoying, as the majority of the tables in the
restaurant remained vacant for the duration of our visit. To start, we
ordered a glass of wine and the cheese croquettes. The croquettes were
made with gouda and manchego cheeses and accompanied by piquillo aioli.
We both found the appetizer to be well prepared and extremely flavorful.
For an entrée, I opted for the Chicken Buenos Aires, which consisted of
chicken cutlets, ham, and pasta mixed in a sherry cream sauce. The
entrée was well presented and tasted quite good. My friend opted
for the Ancho Chile Adobo pork chop, which he found mediocre at best.
Although he enjoyed the accompanying maple walnut potatoes and roasted
Brussels sprouts, the two pork chops were incredibly tough and
flavorless. We did not stay for dessert, as we had previously planned to
visit
Butterwood,
down the street. The total bill, including
two glasses of wine, appetizer, and two entrées, came to $75. Aside from
the seating arrangement and the one entrée, we had a pleasant
dining experience at Sole. However, nothing about the meal was
exceptional, so I likely will not return anytime in the near future."
[GOw, 6/09] said: "We enjoyed a beautiful, early evening on the
patio at Solé. We were in
no rush and ordered the Margarita Classic with Sauza Tequila, Triple
Sec,
lime juice, and sour mix. First impressions were that it was somewhat
dinky for a drink that cost $7.50, but it sure packed a wallop. While
bigger may be better, it was fine. We shared the tableside guacamole;
very good. My only comment is that I prefer my food quite a bit spicier
than Jan. The gentleman that prepared the dish said he would get me a
side of hot sauce, but that never appeared. The guacamole may have been
a bit heavy on the onion, but was very fresh and tasty. Aside from the
lapse on the hot sauce, our service was very good. I ordered the
Tres
Empanadas: 1. lobster, black bean, goat cheese, grilled mango salsa.
2. smoked chicken, cheddar cheese, roasted poblano
& corn, pico de gallo. 3. braised beef, caramelized onions,
Gorgonzola, salsa verde; very good. This was comparable to a dish
ordered at the godawful
Havana House,
only with flavor. Jan ordered a
very nice salad—Tierra y Mar—described as
spiced grilled petit filet and
shrimp, crispy onion, black beans, roasted corn, roasted
tomato, Gorgonzola, and creamy avocado dressing; excellent, just needed a
bit more dressing, which was brought promptly. This was plenty of food
for both of us. This was our second visit, and both have been positive."
We have some interesting contrasting reviews of Solé this month;
read [LMi]'s first, then [JCr]'s, then [PT]'s, which is the order I
received them :-)
[JCr, 5/09] said: "I have had many great dining experiences at
Solé, most recently about a month ago. On this visit, we had a party of
about 8, we were seated promptly, and gave our drink orders. To start,
we decided to order a bunch of appetizers to all share, the Ahi Tuna
Ceviche and tableside-prepared guacamole were really fantastic. For
entrees, my wife ordered the Lobster Tacos, which she really liked, and I
had a special, which was a Porterhouse steak with a side of Poblano and
Lobster mac 'n' cheese. The steak was of good quality and prepared
correctly, and the mac 'n' cheese was rich, creamy, had large lobster
chunks, and was fantastic. Service throughout the meal was good, and
everything was certainly reasonably priced. I will certainly return
again. On a side note, pertaining to the reviewer [LMi] below, like 95% of the
restaurants reviewed on this site, this is a upscale, sit-down
restaurant, so a 1½–2-hour meal is the case more often than not.
Also, if you're going to review a restaurant, please review the food as
well. Aside from the mention of the crab cakes being ‘scorched’, there
was no mention of whether they were good or not, or what the rest of your
party had, and if they did or did not enjoy their meal. Scorched to you
may be a nice golden crust to me. With that being said, I am in no way
affiliated with this restaurant, or any of the other dozens I have
reviewed on this website, or any restaurant anywhere, and would suggest
Solé to most people."
[LMi, 5/09] said: "I ate at Solé on Wednesday evening with 2
friends.
I have never been so disappointed.
We arrived at 7:30; at 9:30, we were finally able to leave. The service
was horrible; the food merely adequate; and the price, well with all
things considered, it
was outrageous.
The waitress neglected to tell us that they were down waitstaff and one
in the kitchen; instead, she preferred to stay as far away from us as
possible, pretending she did not
notice our annoyance. Had she been up front, she might have fared much
better.
I ordered a crab-cake appetizer as a dinner; she brought it out 15
minutes early; I sent it back. She was well aware that it was my
dinner. I was very clear. When those same
crab cakes came back 15 minutes later, they were scorched.
We did complain to the hostess twice!
In the end, she gave us a card for a free guacamole on our next visit.
I asked her point blank if she really believed there would be a next
visit.
To add insult to injury, when we got home, we discovered the card for
the free guacamole was expired.
I will never eat there again and would not recommend it to anyone."
[
Online reservations
used to be
available via
OpenTable.com,
but they are currently [3/11] listed as "offline".
Same owner as
Bijou Grille.
Bill says:
[6/10] MER, my 14-year-old son, and I stopped here for a late dinner
after he won a French-language award at school. Consequently, we
decided to avoid the "pre-fixe" [sic] menu on principle. I began with a
mesclun, carrot, and tomato house salad "with our house balsamic vinaigrette", according to
the menu, so I was a bit taken aback when the waitress asked if I'd like
bleu-cheese dressing
with it. I decided to stay with the balsamic,
which was fine. For main course, I had a lobster and wild mushroom
risotto ("aborio rice, shellfish stock, wild mushrooms, with lobster,
finished with cream and white truffle oil"). There were only two small
pieces of lobster, but the dish, overall, was exquisite. My son had a
Caesar salad, which he liked, and MER had an Italian sausage soup in
vegetable broth (the soup of the day), which she thought was very good.
For their main courses, both ordered filet mignon, which were also very
good, but not as good as at
La Scala; the steaks were
accompanied by excellent fried potatoes, and carrots. Accompanying the
meal were an olive tapenade (delicious) and a slightly oversweet bread
(which did not really go well with the tapenade).
The service was a bit erratic; we had to ask several times before
getting water or a side of ice for MER's wine.
And the men's room left something to be desired in the way of cleanliness;
it seemed as if it were a leftover from when this space belonged to
an Irish pub.
[5/05] & [11/04]
Returned for a business lunch and
a Sonoma-catered
wedding.
Both times, the food and
service were impeccable!
[8/04]
[MER] and I ate here, with a large party.
There were 11 of us, we decided to eat here at the last minute on a
Friday evening, and several of our party had just finished a
construction job and were not exactly dressed in their finest; we also
had three young children with us. We called for a reservation and were
told there would be no problem. When we arrived, they seated us in a
private room, and we had an immensely pleasant evening, with attentive
service. The kids had a children's menu to choose from ($5), with the
usual kid's-menu items; burgers, however, were not one of them. The
adult menu, however, had a $16 Kobe-beef burger on it, which one of the
kids ordered; she got a kid-sized portion, and we were only charged
half-price (without asking—we expected, and had been willing, to pay
full price for the sake of peace and quiet). There was also a menu of
daily specials, though I ordered bouillabaisse from the main menu. It
was delicious (not exactly a classic bouillabaisse, but close enough).
I also had a tomato-and-mozzarella salad: red and yellow tomatoes,
mozzarella, and pesto: good, but not the best I've had (I prefer basil
leaves to pesto). Copious amounts of good bread were made available,
along with an absolutely delicious herbed dipping oil. [MER] had the
grilled chicken breast in Tuscan spices, and loved it. We'll definitely
be back.
[GOw] said:
[11/08] "On Saturday, Jan and I, along with another
couple, took in a late matinee at the Transit Regal and decided afterward to get a bite. We discussed where to
go, and it boiled to either
La Scala
or
Sonoma Grille.
We opted for Sonoma and
glad we did. We called to ask if they could accommodate us in 10 minutes or so,
and they said come on over. We arrived at approximately 6:30, and we were seated
immediately. The place is sharp. We sat in the front, by picture windows that
look out on Main Street. The place was pretty busy. The noise level was up
there, but not unbearable. Actually, I think the 4 of us added to the din. It was
fun eating with another couple. We chose to forego wine/alcohol and still had a
good time. Dinners come with a soup or salad along with vegetable and a starch.
The prices are reasonable. Our server, Katie, was energetic, knowledgeable, and
none of
us had any trouble hearing her. She brought us some bread, which was
just fine.
The butter was squeezed out from a pastry bag in the corner of the
bread basket. We noticed other tables had a cone-shaped tortilla shell in a funky
holder.
We asked what it was, and Katie said it was what they used to serve bread
in, but
they must have run out of them. They must have come up with more, since
subsequent tables did get them. I guess they take a large tortilla and bake it
in this
shape and use it as a bread basket. Our salads were fine. I believe
we had the house dressing, which is a balsamic vinaigrette. Tim did have the soup,
which was a tomato Gorgonzola. Very rich and creamy. Jan ordered the Grilled
Boneless
Atlantic Salmon on Cedar. Delicious. It is described on the menu as
cedar-infused, grilled, boneless salmon with premium lump crab meat and asparagus
spears, finished with hollandaise and served on a cedar plank. This was a
winner. The cedar makes the bottom of the salmon crispy. We all
wondered what happens to the
cedar planks. The accompanying mashed potatoes were fine. Our
friends Tim and Cheryl also enjoyed their meals, with only slight reservations. Cheryl
ate light and had a pizza called the San Gimignano. This is described as fresh
basil pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, smoked Gouda cheese, grilled asparagus, and
prosciuto and chopped tomato. Substitutions were easily made, as Cheryl subbed in
artichoke
hearts for the prosciuto. She thought the Gouda tasted great. She
could not finish this dinner-plate-sized pizza. Tim had the Chicken Pot Pie, which
is described as tender cuts of white meat with truffle oil and vegetables in a
flaky pastry crust. This is not Banquet, Swanson, or a Marie Callender-type pot
pie. It
was sizeable, and the flaky pastry looked delicious. Tim's only negative
comment
other than it was incredibly hot was that it was a little thin. He ran
out of
pastry to sop up the innards. I ordered the Diver Scallops and Risotto
lightly
seasoned with crushed poppy seed, sesame seed, and ginger and served with
mushroom risotto. Tasty. I learned something new; Diver Scallops are farmed
by divers, rather than the more commercialized way of dredging the ocean floor
with some
sort of scallop-gathering machinery. This is supposed to lessen the
chance of them getting the gritty sand, which is the bane of scallop lovers. It
worked; no
grit. I think there were 5 scallops and a mound of risotto. The
risotto was mushroom flavored; no actual mushrooms in sight. Unlike Tim's pot pie,
this was just on the warm side of hot. Not quite close enough to cool to send
back, but almost. It was good, not memorable, and I was still hungry.
Thankfully, Jan shared her salmon. We finished the night with coffee: exceptionally
good coffee. Nice place, moderate prices, good food. We will be back."
[BJC, 4/09] said: "Positive review: My girlfriend and I recently went out to
dinner at the Sonoma Grill. The atmosphere is very nice and cozy. The
service was excellent, as the waitress was attentive all night. We opted
to get the prix fixe menu for $24.95. It includes a drink from the bar
(nice touch), then a starter salad or soup. We both got the salad. It was
not that impressive; reminded me of a salad they mass distribute at
banquets. Next we had about 5 options of entrees to choose from. I
selected the salmon stuffed with crab meat cooked on a cedar plank and
covered with asparagus and hollandaise sauce. It was delicious, although the portion was a little smaller than I would have liked. The
salmon was moist and went great with the hollandaise sauce. My
girlfriend had the petite filet with charred shrimp. She also enjoyed
them very much. I tried a piece of hers, and the meat was tender and much
more of a portion than I would have expected. Next with the deal came
dessert. I went with the mud pie, which consisted of a coffee-flavored
pie on top of an Oreo crust. It was great, and accompanied by whipped cream
and strawberries. We both enjoyed our experience very much. We will
definitely return."
[GIP, 6/07] said: "Just got back from dinner with wife and
teenage daughter at the Sonoma Grill. Easy to drive to, just off I-290, good parking. On a nice summer evening,
most outside tables had groups smoking and tapping cigarette ash on the walkway.
We were
shown to an inside table—loud neighbors, but seemed OK on the whole.
The appetizer arrived along with the main course—I had given up on it!
I had veal, wife had swordfish, and daughter had ravioli. Ravioli was OK, but
the others
plain bad. Everything, including the starter soups, tasted of
overcooked tomato
sauce. Reminded me strongly of cheap spaghetti meatball joints. The
waitstaff
were polite, but in a great hurry to clear dishes. We had to repeatedly
deny their requests to clear the plates. The beer on tap was good, but that was
the only
good thing I can recall.
I left feeling we were not welcome to linger over our dinner. Poor food
and value; will avoid going here."
[J&NS, 6/06] said: "We read the reviews on your website (as we
usually do) before we go out to
dine at a restaurant we haven't been to. So when we decided on going
to
the Sonoma, we didn't know what to expect. What we found was a place
more
like the two-star review that Bill Rapaport had given it and not the
lukewarm ones from others. We started out hitting a speed bump: We
ordered the spinach-artichoke dip Positano for an appetizer; Jason, our
waiter, came back and apologized that it wasn't available. We ordered
the
Mulligan's French onion soup and were not disappointed. It was excellent,
especially with the bread that was presented with it.
Nancy's main entree was the chicken breast marinated with fresh
herbs.
Once she had seen that it was served with roasted eggplant and calamari
sauce, it got her vote. It was such a large portion that she had to take
some
home. She enjoyed it but wished that there had been more eggplant in it.
I ordered the swordfish Oscar, which was one of the day's specials. It
was excellent. It consisted of garlic mashed potatoes with the
swordfish
on top of it, followed by a portion of crabmeat. I would definitely get
this
again.
We followed our meal with orders of creme brulee. It was perfect.
Every dish we ordered, from the appetizer to the dessert, was as eye
appealing
as it was tasteful. We are definitely coming back. The food and service
were excellent."
[WHN, 12/05] said: "Four of us went here on a Saturday night. We
were seated at a table
near a window overlooking a former loading dock and the Lord
Amherst's rear parking lot. After having a glass of wine, I ordered a
veal chop with Port wine sauce. My wife ordered seafood marinara over
pasta. Our friend ordered a steak; his wife also ordered the
seafood marinara. When dinner arrived, my veal chop had no sauce, and
my wife's dinner had very little seafood over the pasta. (Her
friend's was fine, as was the steak.) When the waiter asked how
everything was, I complained that my veal chop had no sauce, and my
wife complained about the lack of seafood. The waiter took my dish
and returned in a few minutes with a watery, tasteless "sauce" over
my veal. When the manager came over later to ask how everything was,
I said the so-called Port wine sauce had no flavor of any kind,
certainly not Port wine. My wife again complained about the lack of
seafood, but by then we had nearly finished our meals. The manager
said he would deduct the price of both entrees and offered free
dessert, as well. But, as a friend says: "Sometimes free is too much".
This ranks as one of the worst meals I've ever had in a supposedly
first-class restaurant. To top off the evening, when we paid the
bill, we requested that it be split equally between our two credit
cards. When the waiter returned, the entire bill—about $125 even
with two free entrees and desserts—was on my card, and half on the
other gentleman's card. I complained that I had been charged the
entire amount instead of half, and the waiter responded: "That's just
how we do it". I refused to sign and asked for an adjusted charge
slip, which he provided. However, when my credit card statement
arrived, it was for the entire amount, plus about a 20% gratuity.
Since I had the signed copy, I disputed the charge and was given a
50% credit by American Express. Based on other positive reviews here
and by Janice Okun, I had suggested to my wife that Sonoma might have
had an off night, and that we should give them another try, but the
credit card incident sealed the matter. We will never return."
[AB, 4/05] said: "My boyfriend and I dined here last weekend, and
it was an absolutely wonderful experience. The restaurant is extremely
pretty on the inside—really cool, funky lights and extremely charming and elegant décor that is not too
fancy, but still feels like something special. The bread is thick and warm
and delicious, and is served with olive oil and fresh herbs for dipping. I had to
force myself to stop eating it and save room for my food! I had a delicious
house salad, which came with artichokes (a nice touch). The specials looked
wonderful, but
we ordered off the regular menu. My boyfriend ordered hot banana
peppers, which were spicy and served with a delicious, gooey cheese filling. Our
entrees were even more wonderful. I had San Francisco Bay Stew, a twist on a
traditional bouillabaisse that I enjoyed even more than regular bouillabaisse, as it
had a delicious light, spiced tomato flavor and was light and delicious. The
seafood in it (especially the lobster) was perfectly cooked. My boyfriend got a marvelous, perfectly-cooked seared piece
of Ahi
Tuna. But thank goodness we left room for dessert. We tried the Mud Pie
on the
menu, which was a light coffee ice cream on a thick Oreo crust with
whipped cream and hot chocolate. But the special dessert was the best—a chocolate
chip cookie shaped like a tart, with peanut butter mousse inside, topped with
chocolate sauce and chocolate whipped cream. The service was a bit slow, but it
was a busy Saturday night, but our waitress was attentive and friendly. The
whole meal
was absolutely delicious and worth the wait. There is also a very nice
wine list—highly recommended; we'll absolutely go back."
Sophia's Restaurant.
[1/11]
Given 3½ (out of 4) pennies by Anne Neville,
Buffalo News
"Cheap Eats"
restaurant reviewer.
Appeared on
Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.
Sophie's Pita & Grill.
[CSS, 8/11] says: "Excellent falafel, grape leaves, hummus, &
tabouli salad. Veggies on the Greek salad were abundant and extremely
fresh. Located near the
Outlet Mall.
Closed Sundays."
[a]
Sorrentino's Spaghetti House.
[JSG, 12/05] said: "A group of us went to dinner here on a Friday
night in December. The place was very busy, and the take-out business was booming. We chose to eat in; big
mistake.
The waitress took 20 minutes to take our order, 10 more minutes to
bring us drinks, another 20 minutes to bring us salads, and 30 more minutes to bring
out dinner. Dinner didn't come until we spoke to the manager. Rather than
apologizing to us, our waitress came over and very rudely informed us that she was
busy working in the back and had "done this a long time and knew how to waitress",
going on to blame her manager and criticize the entire establishment. Three of
five plates
came to us cold. The sauce was good, but not good enough to tolerate
the service. This place was the first time where I did not leave any tip at all.
Any future visits will be to pick up take-out."
[DY, 9/02] said: "In my opinion, reviewer [MEL] is completely
off-base, and is confusing
the sweet-sauced pizzas made by Bocce
Club and several others as
"standard" Buffalo pizza. Those pizzas, as far as I know (and I've
lived
here for all of my 40 years), are the exceptions, not the rule, to
true
"Buffalo-style" pizza.
Sorrentino's is a true Buffalo street-corner pizzeria, with a nice
restaurant included. Their pizza has a wonderful sauce, an
exceptional
amount of cheese, and the pepperoni is crisped just right. They
also
make great spaghetti (complete with homemade pasta), their wings are
plump and meaty, and the Sausage Royale sub is one of our favorites.
Their nightly specials are true bargains."
[MEL, 7/99] said: "In the Sun Belt, where there are few Italians or Greeks to instruct the natives on pizza, there is a certain uniquely
awful
type of pizza: incredibly bland, without the sweet and salty tang that
makes some Buffalo pizzas so exceptional. Unfortunately, Sorrentino's makes Sun
Belt pizza: a pizza that you would like only if you liked the pizza of Fort Smith,
Arkansas."
[a]
[MRT] says:
[5/05] "My husband and I enjoyed dinner at SoupHerb Gourmet last
night. SoupHerb
Gourmet and the
Globe Market
on Elmwood downtown are my two favorite
soup
and sandwich places in town. Last night, I ordered a glass of wine; my
husband ordered beer. I began with a cup of mushroom barley soup. My
husband
began with a bowl of corn and bean soup. Both soups come with a slice of
delicious bread. The mushroom barley soup tasted as good one of my own
making. My husband said his soup tasted spicy and delicious.
We each ordered sandwich #15, which is filet mignon with spinach and
cheese on a baguette. I ordered my steak rare; my husband ordered his
medium
rare, and both steaks were cooked to perfection. The sandwiches are
accompanied by potato chips, a slice of pickle, and a slice of orange.
For
dessert, my husband enjoyed a slice of a very delicious and moist sour
cream-streusel coffee cake that included apple. Our meal cost $40.00."
[2/04] "My San Francisco brother said he wished they a
SoupHerb Gourmet in San Francisco.
At lunch time, the restaurant is packed.
We only visit the restaurant in the evening, when it
is far quieter. We love their soups and
sandwiches, salads, as well as their desserts. A
plus for them is that they also carry wine.
It is a charming little cafe, and we
wish they were also open Saturday and Sunday
nights."
[HPK, 12/03] says: "This is a small, little sit-or-take-out restaurant that specializes in
sandwiches, soups, and salads. If you want a quick, healthy meal that
has a gourmet flavor to it, I would suggest going here. It is a small
space, so eating there can be an issue, but it is also great for take
out. I had a field-greens salad with baked goat cheese and grilled
vegetables on top. Delicious!"
[MLS, 1/98] says: "Has tasty and healthy
sandwiches. A pleasant lunch. Quite informal."
Spicy Thai (St. Catherine's, ON)
Spicy Thai
(Tonawanda).
[KKa, 3/10] said: "I just had a very disappointing first
experience at Spicy Thai. My date and I arrived at 6 P.M.
on a Thursday, and
there was one other table in the restaurant. We sat in the back corner
for some privacy, but, unfortunately, with this seat, we had a view behind
the cash-out counter and some of the kitchen. This area was
trashed—piles of stacked newspapers, empty cartons on the ground, and
overflowing rubbish. The waiter/host had a table for himself in the
restaurant, where he was watching a movie on his laptop without
headphones! The traditional Thai music that was playing was in
competition with the waiter's movie. I felt like I was at a crappy,
Chinese, takeout joint, not a sit-down restaurant with $10 entrees.
The waiter was a bit pushy—we were the only table that needed to order,
and, when we told him we needed more time, he came back at 60-second
intervals. ‘Ready?’ ‘Ready?’ Argh, no!
Anyway, let's focus on the food. Our appetizers came out about 2 minutes
before our entrees—not ideal. We each had a ‘fresh spring roll’ as an
appetizer, which was tasteless, light, and crisp, but the crab rangoon was
thoroughly disappointing. The tiny (and I mean tiny) fried wontons were
greasy, and you couldn't taste the cheese or the crab. They were served
on a bed of iceberg lettuce, which is just sad.
Unfortunately, we were both disappointed by our entrees. I had the Kari
Tofu: fried tofu with yellow curry, coconut milk, potato, and onion. The
‘yellow curry’ was very overpowering and one note—the curry was all you
tasted. There was no potato in my dish. My date had Pad Woon Sen
w/chicken, which was fine albeit not-so-fresh tasting (and practically
devoid of noodles). When we had had enough of our meals, the waiter
suggested we try the homemade ice cream. We both wanted a palette
cleanser—so we had one cinnamon and one coconut ice cream. They were
both good, and the highlight of the meal.
Maybe I'm spoiled. I've spent a month in Thailand, and I've lived in NYC
for several years (and New York has great Thai food)—so perhaps my
expectations are high. Then again, my only expectation from a Thai
restaurant is that the food be tasty and the service polite! And,
unfortunately, tonight it wasn't."
[EMo, 2/10] said: "I just had to share this place, ’cause it is to die for!
A friend and I went there yesterday [2/21/10]. We decided to start with
an
appetizer, and she, being vegetarian, picked the fried eggplant with
dipping
sauce ($5–6). Well, the mound
of them came out very quickly, super airy
& fresh, and was enough to feed 3–4 people! The strips melt in your
mouth.
The Thai iced tea was also full of creamy goodness.
For entrees, I got Pataya Chicken ($12), which incudes a huge amount of
tender, white cuts of chicken, a bed of steamed broccoli, and a perfect
tower of jasmine rice. This has the best sauce: peanut/chili
sauce…mmm! It was so good, I got an extra order of this entree to take home for today, even though I only made it 1/2-way thru my entree!
haha.
My friend tried the Vegetable Pad Thai, which was another never-ending
plate: You could just tell how fresh & crunchy all the veggies &
sprouts were!
We somehow managed to make room for dessert, and got the homemade,
coconut ice cream with a 1/2 order of fried banana coins ($5). The ice
cream is perfect, with little bits of coconut throughout, and the banana coins
are wrapped neatly in thin, wonton-like wrappings & fried with a caramel
sauce drizzled on top…mmm.
All in all, perfect!! Fast & friendly service; the whole bill was about
$50; and, like I said, that is 3 entrees, an appetizer, dessert, & drinks!
They also have an all-you-can-eat, lunch buffet, which is $7!!! And that
is every day from 11 or 12–3pm. The food in that lineup changes each day.
And they offer cooking classes!
You gotta try this place! It was well worth the 25-minute drive for me :)"
[RA, 1/08] said: "A friend told me about a Thai restaurant in the
area that I didn't know
existed—most likely because there was no review on this website. (I
like
the fact that you can search by cuisine; very handy.) The restaurant is
called Spicy Thai. My friend had been there for the lunch buffet and
said
it was very good. I recently decided to try the place out and get
take-out
for dinner. I ordered the food at the restaurant from their take-out
menu,
which is complete with descriptions of most dishes. There is a limited
menu
on their website without descriptions. I ordered the Tom Yom Shrimp
soup (hot) and the Green Curry Shrimp (hot) for my wife. She said both
were
good and was happy that the curry was spicier than any other she's had
in
WNY. For myself, I chose the Pataya Chicken and the Pad Crazy Noodles (hot).
Besides the chicken, the Pataya consisted of fresh broccoli and a mild
spicy
peanut sauce—simple, but very good. The Pad Crazy Noodles were wide, thin,
rice noodles with chicken and shrimp (I opted to leave the shrimp out),
and
Thai basil, which gave it a wonderful, light licorice flavor—again, very
good. The entrée sizes were a bit smaller than other Thai restaurants
in
the area. Overall, I was very impressed with the food at Spicy Thai, and
I
am looking forward to trying other items from their menu."
[
Bill says:
[5/08] Well, we've been back a few times; service depends on the server,
but lately it's been good, and the food remains good.
[8/07] We've been back twice this summer. Both times, the food
was good, but the service has been terrible! The first time, not only
was the service slow, but the waitress completely forgot one of our
orders. More recently, the service was so slow that we waited nearly an
hour for our food and then, when it came, we found that our
two French onion soups, which
is what we especially had come to eat, had been not merely
forgotten, but the waitress had never even written them down! The
other soups (we had ordered a total of 5 soups for 6 adults) came one at
a time. We were also told that they were out of pita. A Greek
restaurant out of pita? What kind of planning is that? Couldn't somone
have driven across the street to Wegman's to buy some? (And to make
matters worse, or at least puzzling, the waitress told us that because
they were out of pita, no wraps were available. Since when are pita
sandwiches considered wraps? Wraps should be tortilla sandwiches, no?)
We may continue to come here for takeout, but I doubt we'll be back for
table service anytime soon.
[6/06]
We returned, and had a great meal. [MER] had
what she considered the best French onion soup around, even better than her
previous favorite at
Friday's. I had a delicious Kritikos Florentine
pasta dish: sauteed tomatoes, spinach, mushrooms, and olives in a red-wine
marinara sauce with linguini and feta—a huge portion that I continued to
savor for lunch the next day. They still have the best avgolemono soup in town.
We finished with a nicely warm strawberry shortcake, a nicely warm baklava with
whipped cream, and an apple pie with whipped cream.
[11/03]
Their avgolemeno soup and bifteckia are superb, and they
have a new set of specials that are quite good.
I downgraded Spilios from 1
to 0 stars a while ago, but have now returned its star
to them. The general quality of the food that had been
declining over the years has revived; I strongly suspect that a new
chef has been hired! My 8-year-old son had always been faithful
to them because of his love of their avgolemeno (lemon-chicken) soup,
which is really quite good. Lately, he and I have been eating here
when I take him out without [MER], who had refused to return after
our previous bad experiences. I've tried some of their new specials
(lamb shank with tomatoes and carrots, served with mashed potatoes and
gravy, and tasty baby carrots; "Greek Combo" of beef and chicken
souvlaki served over rice pilaf) and liked them. They also have, from
time to time, rack of baby lamb chops, stuffed baked fish, baked half
chicken, steak caesar salad, salmon caesar salad, makaronada (= beef
tenderloin chunks in red sauce over noodles), etc. And they have a
couple of new "European gourmet" desserts that are not too bad (though
they taste as if they had been frozen and thawed out): Chocolatina (a
white cake surrounded by chocolate icing, topped with whipped cream and
a strawberry) and Greek White Pastry (similar to the Chocolatina, only
covered with almonds). The service has been excellent (another
improvement).
(But see more recent reviews!)
Spot Coffee.
Star of India.
Given 3½ (out of 4) stars by Janice Okun,
Buffalo News
restaurant reviewer.
[GSc, 11/08] says: "My husband and I have been eating at the Star
of India for over two years now.
Every time we eat there, we have an excellent meal!
On our most recent trip, I ordered the Chicken Malai, which is my
personal favorite. The chicken is cooked in a creamy coconut
sauce, which sounded strange to me the first time I saw it, but tastes
amazing.
My husband enjoyed the Tandoor dinner, which is
served on a sizzling plate and includes Chicken Tikka, Tandoor chicken
(both with sauteed peppers and onions), as well as a choice
of chicken or beef curry (he chose the beef) and naan bread. We love
that the entrees are served family style, so we can share
whatever we order, and that there is always the choice of ordering your
meal mild or medium (and sometimes the medium is
spicy!!!). The best part of this restaraunt is that they also do take-out! Whe
n we don't know what to have for dinner, we can
order, and our food is ready in 15 minutes! I would recommend this
place to anyone; even a picky eater could find something to
like here!"
[SmC, 9/07] said: "Negative: I went there for buffet. It was
limited selection and not much of taste
to the food there. The tandoori did not have enough flavor; rice does
not
have enough herb. There's only about 3 kinds of curries, and these
dishes have the lack of curry spices."
[AG, 11/06] said: "Excellent lunch buffet for the area—a
chicken dish
plus tandoori chicken, a beef dish, a paneer (cheese)
dish, several vegetable offerings, plus the usual
rice, pickles, soup, etc. Fresh naan after you fill
your plate from the buffet. Milky, gently spiced sweet
chai is a nice touch."
[EC, 11/04] said: "At the encouragement of two Indian friends, I
tried out the Star today.
I was totally blwon away by the quality, and I kicked myself for not
going there sooner. The location is not terribly convenient to the UB
North Campus, but it's well worth the road trip. Everything was
excellent. There was nothing that was simply hit-or-miss. It was
consistent. The service was very prompt & courteous, there was a huge
selection at the lunch buffet, and prices are very fair. Many of the
Indian students on campus are now going there. I was impressed to see
papadam & gulab jamun on the lunch buffet. Everything is excellent. I
stopped there to get dinner to go the day after my first visit. It's
that good! If you like Indian food, and you're sick of the needlessly
gouged prices at other such restaurants, give this place a try!"
[CAS, 8/04] said: "I am sending in a review of one of our
favorite restaurants in the Buffalo
area. My family and I have been going to Star of India on a regular basis
for the past year and a half. It is easily our favorite "local" in
the
Buffalo area. In addition to superbly flavored, traditional Indian
cuisine,
the welcome is warm and unfailingly gracious. While the daily buffet
(except
Monday) is always a delightful bargain at $6.49, the dinner menu is
extensive and spiced to suit the individual tastes of the patron. The
chai
is the finest I have tasted in the Buffalo area and created from
scratch (no
mixes), featuring a glorious hint of fennel as a subtle note. As a
final
treat, try Kor's homemade hot sauce with its distinct taste of fresh
ginger!"
[a+]
Starbucks Coffee.
Steelhead Irish Pub.
[KTe, 11/08] says: "We patronize this Irish pub quite regularly
both for the food and
atmosphere. They have an unusual sandwich menu, and all the sandwiches we
have tried are of a high quality and substantial size. Known for their
Reubens, regular and baked open-style; both very good. Can get a little
loud
by the bar. They have a large and quite good fish fry using panko
breading,
hand-cut french fries, and good coleslaw. Steamers are served in a
wonderful
wine broth (get extra bread). They usually have 3 or 4 specials that we
enjoy. Fresh fish specials are very nice. Mid-range pricing for food and
a
large beer selection (Belgians, Craft beers, etc.). Staff is friendly, most
customers seem to know each other, and we have made friends at the bar.
As a
previous review said, the Guinness is really served properly, and the
barmaid
forms the traditional shamrock in the foam. Nice touch! We recommend
this
place to all."
[TN&VN, 3/06] said: "My wife and I are from St. Catharines and
make the short jaunt to this
clean and well managed Irish-oriented restaurant. In the two years we've
been going, never have we been disappointed with our meal. Having owned
a "UK-Style" restaurant myself, I know good fish & chips, and, I'm
privileged to say, the fish and chips at Steelhead are the best we've
ever tasted. As a secondary dish and something simple, I would recommend
the grilled Reuben any day.
Belly up to the bar afterward and enjoy a coffee and a "free pour"
Drambuie...once again, very good value. I've tasted Guinness in many
restaurants, but few pour it as well and at the right temperature as at
our favourite upper NY State restaurant."
[WHN, 11/05] said: "We had a gift certificate to use, and went here
with another couple
on Thursday night (11/10). The place was quite busy, with a large
crowd at the bar, and many tables occupied. Besides pub-type foods
like bangers and mash, fish and chips, shepherd's pie, and boxty
(meat-stuffed potato pancakes), there are many standard American
items on the menu—steaks, broiled grouper, chicken over pasta, etc.
Plus wings, burgers, and sandwiches. Several evening specials were
written on a blackboard, which sounded good. One of them was blackened
sesame seasoned ahi tuna. I had blackened tuna at Paul Prudhomme's
K-Paul's Louisiana Kitchen in New Orleans years ago, and it was so
delicious that I decided to try it at The Steelhead. I should have
known better. I ordered it rare—K-Paul's will not serve it any
other way. When it arrived, it was well done, and the only thing
blackened about it were the sesame seeds. I should have asked what
they meant by blackened, but assumed it was the tuna and not the
sesame seeds. My wife ordered another evening special, haddock
stuffed with crabmeat. She said it was overcooked and dried out, too.
I guess we should have stayed with some of the more basic menu choices."
The Steer Restaurant & Saloon.
[MFr, 6/11] says: "I dined this afternoon at The Steer and had a
lovely lunch. I do not know why there are not more people at this
restaurant. It was a nice day, and the doors were open, and the breeze
was delightful.
I had the chicken-salad sandwich on a Luigi's roll, and it had grapes and
celery in it, and it was seasoned just right. I also had a side of
perfectly cooked, French fries that were crispy and had been hand cut and
had the skin on them, and they were also seasoned just right. My friend
started with a cup of the soup of the day, which was tortilla chicken
cheese soup which she devoured and said it was delicious and a bit
spicy. My friend had Sicilian chicken wings from Wendell farms and
declared them delicious also. All of their food is organic and made in
house. I will be back again."
[JGr, 6/10] said: "I ate at The Steer last week with some
friends. Most in our group
were dubious; we thought of The Steer as a place the frat guys from UB
hung out and not a place you'd go for great food.
But one friend
assured us that the food was good, and it was indeed. They're
undergoing renovation inside, but they have a large outdoor patio that
we sat on. The beer selection was impressive. There were four in our
group, and we decided to order several things and share them all. We
started with an order of calamari and sweet potato fries. Both were
lightly fried to perfection and served with their own dipping sauce.
I'm not usually a fan of sweet potato fries, but these were
not mushy
or overly sweet like I've had at other places. We then split
a po-boy
flatbread with shrimp, and a fig, onion, and prosciutto flatbread.
Both of them were phenomenal, too; the toppings were very fresh and of
good quality. We also split the lamb burger, and a Caribbean chicken
sandwich with banana peppers, both also fantastic. You can tell that
the flavors have been chosen with care to complement each other—this
isn't just fried pub grub! Nothing we ordered was over $10,
and most
were closer to $5. You should know that the burgers don't
come with
sides, though; you need to order them separate. There were also some
appealing entrée specials offered, though we didn't
order any. We
went on a Tuesday night, so it wasn't crowded, and the service
was
quick and friendly. It surprised most of us how satisfying the meal
was, and we'll be back for sure!"
A venerable Buffalo institution. I [Bill] ate here once or twice back in the
1980s when I first joined UB and when this was one of the better
restaurants near campus to take visitors (believe it or not). At that
time, it only served American cuisine, but, judging from JGr's review
above, this has changed (apparently for the better).
Sterling Place Tavern.
[3/10] Listed as one of 41
"Restaurants We Love" by
Buffalo Spree magazine.
[JCr] says:
[1/10] "I was hesitant to write this review, partly
because I didn't want to let the secret out, but Sterling Place is at
the top of its class in terms of pub food. This is a small husband-and-wife-run establishment: She works the bar and dining room; he works the
kitchen. They have one of the best draft- and bottled-beer selections in
the area, hands down, but let's get to the food. Nothing there is ever
frozen: the beef for the burgers, the chicken for the wings, or the fish
for the fish fries. Because of this, they sometimes run out of
items, but, also because of this, everything is delicious. The chicken
wings are nice and crispy, and, if you order them hot, they are actually
hot. The burgers, best in Buffalo, are thick and juicy; you can
have anything you want on them, and they will cook them to your desired
doneness. The Yumbo is also a great item; it's a ham and cheese on a
Kaiser roll, piled real high with Boar's Head ham and layers of
cheese in between. Huge homemade pierogi, sausage plate, and the strip-steak sandwich are a few of the other items I love to enjoy. They get
busy sometimes, and it's hard to rush perfection, so occasionally there
is a decent wait. Bring cash, because they only take cash."
[MS, 2/08] said: "Thanks for your great website—I have been using it frequently for the past four years, and really
appreciate the effort you have put into it. The Sterling Place Tavern is a
neighborhood bar on the Hertel Avenue strip that
has truly exceptional food. I have been eating here once a week for the
past year with a colleague and my wife, and we have thoroughly enjoyed the
great food and beer. The burgers are unbelievably delicious—thick, juicy, and
always perfectly cooked. John, the very friendly co-owner and cook, does not shy
away from
cooking a truly medium rare burger (he would serve it rare if you
asked), and he gets it right every time. The steaks are also delicious and perfectly
cooked
(we tried it rare one night, and it was blissful). I have also had the
fish fry, the pierogies, the sausage plate, and the fried bologna sandwich, and
have never been disappointed. Judy (the bartender and co-owner) and John are
very friendly and are passionate about the quality of the food they serve. Highly
recommended."
[DwH, 3/07] said: "Travelling to Buffalo almost weekly since
February and
wanted to pass along some impressions:
OK, now I feel like a total
insider, because most folks I meet in Buffalo (from
Buffalo) have never been or never heard of it. The
beers are a great and throughtful selection, and the
bartender really knows his brews—a beer sommelier.
The burgers: transcendent—I have never had a better
burger, anywhere, ever. Get it unadorned, for it is
the essence of burger, a nearly Zen-like experience.
Beer and burger—nothing else matters."
[The management of La Scala replied as follows, again unedited:]
"I was brought abreast on the incident at our restaurant. I
just wanted to let you know that we work very hard to
maintain our high quality of standards and our reputation.
We pride ourselves in the staff that we have hired and the
food that leaves our kitchen. Mistakes do happen, they
happen even when we are preparing our own meals. We were
very saddened to read the unfair review,we felt we did
everything we could to make your evening enjoyable.
Apparently that did not happen for you and for this we
apologize. We would like to take this oppurtunity to wish
you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year."
[9/09] "We returned to La Scala for dinner with friends last
night, Thursday, 9/3. Three of us had Caesar salads to start, while my
wife had a house salad. All the salads were good, but the crouton, which
was a single slice of well-toasted bread, was very hard. There were a
number of evening specials, which our server ran through so quickly that
we missed the details or couldn't understand what he said. When he
returned to ask if we had any questions, we had a lot of them about the
verbal menu, since there was no printed version. It should be easy
enough for a restaurant to print their nightly specials menu, but there
was no printout. Our friends ordered Chateaubriand for two, my wife
ordered one of the evening specials—lobster ravioli—and I ordered a
NY strip steak. There were two steak toppings on the menu, Oscar and
Venetian. I assume Oscar is crab, asparagus, and Hollandaise sauce, but
asked what Venetian was. Our server said it was a Portobello mushroom
cap filled with Gorgonzola. I ordered that, but the steak arrived with
some broiled, melted Gorgonzola on top and no mushroom. The steak was
perfectly cooked, tender, and flavorful, but $6 extra for a tablespoon
or two of Gorgonzola seems a bit much. My wife liked her lobster
ravioli, but said she likes
San Marco's
which is her benchmark, better.
The two have different sauces and fillings, so it comes down to a
matter of personal preference. Our friends enjoyed their Chateaubriand.
Except for the ravioli, all entrees came with pureed potatoes, snap pea
pods, and asparagus. However, my wife asked if she could have a side
order of the snap peas, and was accommodated (at no charge). Overall, a
very good meal and good service."
[6/09] "My wife and I have been here twice to sit and eat, and
both times found it thoroughly enjoyable. This is why it saddened me
that, when we opted to order a pizza for take-out, the experience
was so disappointing. The Juliana pizza was strangely cut: not the
perfect slices we had in house but an odd collection of different-sized
pieces at odd angles. The two fattoush salads we ordered were sparse and
missing their toasted pitas. Both of us agreed we won't be ordering out
from there again."
3155 Fluvanna Avenue Ext. (Rt. 430), Fluvanna.
664-7534.
Italian.
]
Scallion Bistro.
60 Chautauqua Ave., Lakewood.
763-0051.
[7/10] We returned for dinner with out-of-town guests, on a Friday
evening. We all began with the caprese salad: 3 slices of red
tomatoes, 1 of yellow, 3 slices of mozzarella, 2 small basil leaves, in
a balsamic vinaigrette; I enjoyed mine, but others thought it was too
cold. We all agreed that it had a very slight fennel-like flavor, which I, at
least, thought odd (and disagreeable). For the main course, two of us
had a seafood special: spinach-artichoke-langostino-stuffed sole with
saffron sauce, served over julienned peas and artichokes; it was
heavenly. I normally don't like stuffed fish, because the stuffing
usually overpowers the fish, but not in this case; it was a perfect
match. MER had the filet mignon, cooked perfectly to order, and as good
as always. Our other guest had the 711 Penn: veal "Sauted [sic] w/ jumbo shrimp,
artichoke hearts, sherry and tomato concasse", which he enjoyed.
Between courses, a pistachio gelato palate cleanser was served.
MER and I shared an excellent, homemade, carrot cake for dessert.
Service was generally good, but our server constantly forgot to bring
MER a side of ice for her wine.
26 Virginia Pl. (in Allentown), Buffalo.
884-2630.
[WHN, 7/11] says: "On Friday, 7/15/11, I went to dinner at Scarlet,
for my first time, with four friends. I looked at their menu online and
pre-decided on shrimp and grits. We sat in their enclosed courtyard on a
beautiful summer evening. I asked our server if she would recommend the
shrimp and grits, and if they were fried, which, after having them at
Black and Blue,
I determined I don't like. She said they weren't fried and
that a previous customer, from the South, said they were among the best
she ever had. Based on that, three of us ordered the shrimp and grits.
They were excellent, with just the right balance between the andouille
sausage and the shrimp, and just the right amount of heat from
moderately hot peppers in the mixture. The cheese sauce was also very
flavorful. The grits themselves were a bit ‘lumpy’ in places, but
overall it was an excellent dish. The fourth member of our party had
scallops (I'm not sure how they were prepared), and the fifth had a
pizza. Several of us also had salads to start, served with hot rolls
with three flavored butters. We passed on dessert. We learned from our
server that this restaurant is owned by the same people as
Dock at the Bay.
Everyone enjoyed their meals. There were no leftovers, except for a
few slices of pizza that one diner took home. I hope to return soon."
34 S. Crossman (in East Buffalo, off Genesee St., between Pine Ridge
and Bailey, near the Cheektowaga town line), Buffalo.
895-7249.
[BMcWS] says:
[1/12] "We returned here for a holiday get-together with some
family between Christmas and New Year's. Others had the same
idea, because the place was full. Sauerbraten, Wiener schnitzel, fried
chicken, fish fry, sweet-and-sour cabbage, spaetzle, potato pancakes, and
dumplings all got high marks. My only criticism was that everything I
personally had in my dinner had the same taste-profile (sour): salad
with house dressing, sweet-and-sour cabbage, and sauerbraten all came
together, and it was just too much sour in one place. Service was a tad
slow, but we enjoyed our visit."
2943 Upper Mountain Rd., Sanborn.
731-4111.
[12/09] "My wife's sister and her husband invited us to dinner at
Schimschack's on Saturday, 12/19. To start, my in-laws shared an order
of clams casino. One of the items on the appetizer menu was a platter
for two with garlic shrimp, stuffed mushrooms, and baby back ribs. I
asked our server if we could just have the garlic shrimp, and she said
that could be done. The shrimp dish, in a creamy garlic sauce, was
superb. After we ate the shrimp, my wife dipped her bread in the
remaining garlic sauce, because it was so delicious. Tossed green salads
(or soup) are included with dinner. The others had the house specialty
dressing: hot, sweet-and-sour bacon, topped with cheddar cheese, while I
had balsamic vinaigrette with crumbled bleu cheese. The salads were very
good. For main courses, three of us had prime rib, available in 8-oz.,
12-oz., or 1-lb. sizes. The prime rib dinners were done as requested—perfectly medium rare for my wife and me, and medium for my
brother-in-law. My sister-in-law had baked sea scallops au gratin, which
she said were excellent, as well. For dessert, my wife had pecan pie, my
brother-in-law had apple pie with a brandy sauce, and my-sister-in-law
and I had hot butter-pecan sundaes. The desserts were all very good.
Overall, a very good meal, with excellent service."
[2/05] "I'd like to respond to the latest review of
Schimshacks by [LG&ST].
If they had been
patronizing this restaurant for years with fond memories, why do they
let
one evening stop them from coming back?
As I read the review, it appeared that the restaurant tried to make
amends
with a gift certificate and a round of drinks.
The main problem to their evening was an inexperienced waiter that had
missed an order and forgot to credit the table with a round of drinks.
I
have been to this restaurant a number of times and have always enjoyed
the
evening with my wife.
I think everyone is deserving of a second chance, especially since [LG&ST]
have been going there for years. They shouldn't let one waiter's
forgetfulness and inexperience keep them from coming to a place that
they
have enjoyed for years. That's my take."
4274 Keller Rd., East Eden.
992-4432.
[P&NO, 3/04] say: "I live in Jacksonville, Florida; I used to live
in North Boston. I found a
very good tavern/restaurant in place of an old bar that used to be a
dive.
It is on Keller Road, called
Schunk's West Hill Grill.
My husband and my in-laws enjoyed the Friday night fish fry. The
food
and service were wonderful. The bar has been redone, very clean and
comfortable; they were crowded, but we were seated promptly. The
portions
were generous, and the food was very tasty. We had a bacon-wrapped
shrimp
appetizer, which I highly recommend. My husband and I visited 3 more
times
before returning to Florida; we had the specialty of the house, invented
by
the owner, Daniel Schunk: He calls them Maple Wings; they were the best
wings
I have ever eaten. We also sampled his prime rib sandwich, which was very
large
and delightful. They have a full bar, and they are open for lunch. My
mother in law's golf girlfriends frequent this establishment after their
games. It was a very pleasant dining experience. I look forward to
returning on my next trip up to Buffalo."
789 Center Rd. (on Rt. 16, near Union Rd.), W. Seneca.
674-9821.
German, Hungarian.
3999 Maple Rd. (at Bailey), Amherst.
837-4900.
475 Ellicott St. (downtown), Buffalo.
332-2928.
[1/12] "A group of 6 friends went to Seabar on 12/31/11 for New
Year's Eve dinner. Our reservation was for 8:00, and we arrived around
7:45 to meet at the bar and have a cocktail while we waited for our
table. The table was available as soon as we arrived, but we were
encouraged by the hostess to take our time and relax at the bar. We
were seated at the table a few minutes after 8:00. As appetizers, the
table shared 2 orders of the beef-on-weck rolls, 1 order of the pablano
rolls, and 1 order of the spicy-tuna rolls. Everyone agreed that the
appetizers were excellent. For our entrees, 3 of us ordered the steak
special of the evening; it was a skirt steak served with cheese-filled
wontons. The steak was very tender, had excellent flavor, and was served
medium rare as ordered; all 3 of us were very happy with the selection.
The chef's sashimi tasting was ordered by 2 others; they said
that the
flavor and freshness were excellent, and they were very satisified with
their meals. The 6th person ordered a few different sushi rolls for her
entree and was very happy with everything. For dessert, the table
ordered 2 orders of the banana-Fosters sundae to pass around; it was a
perfect ending for our meal and was very rich and tasty. The service
was very efficient and professional. Overall we had a great
experience."
[5/10] "I recently returned to Sea Bar for another fantastic
meal. This occasion, we had a party of 5 with a 7:30 PM Friday reservation
and were seated promptly upon arrival. Aside from my wife and me, the rest
of the party had never been here before, so we decided to order the
large sashimi and a bunch of different rolls. The sashimi consisted of
the same offering as my earlier review [6/09], but with a few additions, one
being octopus. Our selection of rolls consisted of Beef on Weck, Spyder,
Spicy Tuna, BBQ Salmon, and possibly one other I could not recall. Each
roll was delicious and well received by everyone, the Beef on Weck
and Spider being my usual favorites. In addition to the standard menu
this evening, they also had a generous amount of specials listed as
well. Service was great, and, after tip, our meal was under $200, including
the couple of drinks each person had as well. Overall, another great
experience at one of my favorite restaurants, and the best sushi
restaurant in WNY. FYI, they are expanding into the storefront adjoining
their space, and it appears that this will more than double the current size
of the restaurant and, from the looks of the new space, provide quite an
ambience as well."
3480 Millersport Hwy. (near N. French), Getzville.
636-1709.
[PT, 12/10] says: "I attended a group breakfast at Sean Patrick's
last week [week of 12/6/1/0]. About 40 people were in attendance. It was a buffet with
scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage patties, pancakes, fried potatoes, and
pastries. Juice and coffee or tea were also served. Several years ago, my
husband and I went to a sit-down, cocktail reception and group dinner
here. On both occasions, the food was very good, and the service was
excellent."
[5/09] "On Saturday night, 5/16, we met another couple for dinner
at Sean Patrick's. We've been here a number of times for lunch, but only
once before for dinner—a Friday night fish fry. Two of us had an
evening Prime Rib special. Both wives ordered lobster ravioli from the
regular menu. The included salads with house creamy parmesan dressing
were very good. The prime rib dinners, ordered medium and medium rare
were tender and delicious. My wife thought the lobster ravioli was "OK",
but not great and not at all comparable to that of
San Marco.
She said
she wouldn't order it again. Overall, it's a nice, casual restaurant with
good food at reasonable prices, and good service."
310 Fourth St. (at Rainbow Blvd.), Niagara Falls, NY.
299-1100 or
1-877-8-SENECA (73-6322).
See
La Cascata,
Koi,
Thunder Falls Buffet,
and
The Western Door.
2298 Niagara Falls Blvd., Tonawanda.
692-3888.
[JeL, 10/08] says: "I am rather dull in matters of Korean cuisine
and cannot offer very detailed
information, but found the restaurant too good to pass up the chance of
giving it a positive review. There is a container of hot barley tea;
the
hostess will give you two styrofoam cups of it, and then you help
yourself to
as many refills as you please. I had braised squid, and my wife had
monkfish
tofu soup. Both of them were flavorful and hearty without being cloying
or
heavy, a balance that is not easily achieved. The mandatory appetizers
did
not disappoint either, especially the kimchee and cold tofu."
1504 Hertel Ave. (between Sterling Ave. & Wellington Rd.), Buffalo.
835-3975.
98 West Ave., Lockport.
433-9809.
[KaB, 8/10] says: "We ate dinner at Shamus on 8/13/10. We were
lucky enough to get a table on their patio. The patio is large, with
nice landscaping around the area. You could see the street, but it
wasn't noisy. They have a large menu on Fridays. In
addition to their regular menu, they had a large number of additional
meat and seafood entrees as specials. My husband chose the
baked haddock, which is a regular item on Friday nights, and I chose the
swordfish with tomato risotto. The haddock arrived covered in a crumbly
topping that was not expected and did not add anything to the fish. My
swordfish was cooked to perfection, with a nice moist texture. The
risotto was slightly salty for my taste but overall a very good dish.
We would definitely go again to eat and enjoy the patio. It was a short
walk up to the music at the
Canal series concerts."
[1/10] "We met friends from Lockport for dinner at The Shamus on
Saturday, 1/23. When we arrived, we were promptly seated, and a basket
of fresh, hot rolls was served. The two-page menu is quite extensive,
with one page devoted to regular menu items, and a second page of
specials. There were also several evening specials presented verbally.
We all ordered filets with assorted toppings or sauces: a red wine
mushroom sauce for my wife and me, herb and bleu cheese crusted for one
friend, a large portobello mushroom for his wife. All entrees include
mixed-greens salad, choice of potatoes, and vegetables. We all chose the
maple vinaigrette dressing for our salads. Our server told us most
people add crumbled bleu cheese, which offsets the sweetness of the
maple dressing, so we also did that. The salads were excellent. The
filets were also excellent: very tender beef, cooked nicely, although
one of the steaks ordered medium was more medium rare. It was an
excellent meal at any price, but most entrees, including the filets, are
less than $20, so dinner for two, including beer and wine, tax and
gratuity, but no dessert or coffee, was under $70. A real bargain."
3260 Main St. (near UB South Campus and the Gloria J. Parks Community
Center), Buffalo.
837-2326.
[DJM, 2/12] says: "Mediocre service highlighted by good food.
Showed up without reservations at ~8:00 P.M.
on a Thursday night. Was
informed by Hostess that the wait for a party of two would be 45 minutes. She
wasn't very friendly and also didn't seem very rushed within the
restaurant. Halfway through my response to her—was telling her we would
make our way to the bar and wait for a table to become available—the
phone rang; she answered it, without so much as asking me to wait a
moment, effectively cutting me off mid-sentence. After she got off the
phone, I told her we would be at the bar until a table opened up.
Bartender was friendly and provided good service as we consumed a few
beers from Louisiana-based Abita Brewing Co. We were seated after about
50 minutes; I consider the timing to be making out pretty well on that
front. We were presented a bowl of about 12 olives after being seated.
(Another reviewer wrote carrots and celery were present, but I sure
don't remember seeing them in our bowl.) I know an occasional Italian
restaurant will serve olives with similar items as an antipasto, almost
like a small relish tray. To me, it just seemed a bit odd having a bowl
of olives with nothing else with them while dining in a Cajun/Creole
restaurant. For our meal, I ordered turtle soup with oyster po' boy.
Girlfriend ordered pasta with andouille, shrimp, and crawfish. Another
round of Abita was also ordered. After we ordered, Waitress told us she
would be ‘right back’ with a bowl of bread. Our drinks were promptly
brought by another server. When he came to check on them about 10 minutes later, I inquired into the status of the bread; it was promptly
brought out. Our main food order was brought out by yet another server.
Soup was tasty, but it was pretty sparse on turtle. Po' boy was really
good, but there was a bit too much roll, and it was a bit too dry to have
made a ‘great’ Po' boy. Girlfriend's pasta was simply outstanding. In
all, the food was really good, not great. Shango serves dishes not seen
many other places, and I'd definitely be willing to go back at least
one more time, and hopefully the service will be markedly better."
[4/11] "My wife [AAB] and I loved the atmosphere and decor, and
the service was excellent. Every aspect of the meal was beyond reproach.
We started with soups. My gumbo was fantastic, with a rich, dark roux
and just the right amount of rice. Her smoked shrimp and tomato soup was
also outstanding. We split the crab, artichoke, and jalapeno dip, which
was also very good. The crostini, in particular, were good enough on
their own. She had the blackened-steak po-boy, which she said was
delicious, though a little hard to eat since it was a whole sirloin
instead of slices. The sweet-potato fries it came with were also
excellent, with just the right amount of honey. My boneless, fried chicken
with cheddar and green-onion grits and greens was outstanding. My only
complaint would be that it needed a little more salt, but that was easy
enough to remedy with the flaked, sea salt on the table. We finished off
the meal with their outstanding coffee and southern pecan pie. Overall,
a wonderful experience, and we are anxious to return."
[3/09] "My wife and I went to Shango with two other couples for
their
"local restaurant week"
$20.09 specials Friday night, 3/27. The 3-course
offerings were: starters—chicken and andouille sausage gumbo, a
salad of mixed greens with goat cheese and smoked salmon; or seafood
chowder; main courses—seafood (mussels, scallops, crawfish, shrimp,
and catfish) etouffee; or chicken, crab, shrimp, mussels, and lobster
jambalaya; desserts—miniature bananas Foster (one of their house
specialties) or beignets with coffee ice cream. There were also a
number of red, white, and rose wines available for $20.09 per bottle.
Among the six of us, all the special menu items were tried. Except
for the gumbo and bananas Foster, none of the special items are on
their regular menu, so it differed from their everyday food
offerings. We all agreed the food was excellent. One of our friends
asked the waiter if they had any openings the next night (Saturday),
but he said they were sold out. However, Channel 7 news reported last
night that "Local Restaurant
Week" was such a success that it is being extended until April 1st."
[3/08] "I'm going to keep
this short. I've been to Shango twice recently, once
for Valentines and again this past week. I consider this one of the best
restaurants in Buffalo and have been to almost every one. This past week,
I was lucky enough to get invited to a beer tasting at Shango. I had
some dinner before and was ecstatic to have ordered rack of lamb in a
wonderful Creole mustard sauce. It was cooked perfect med rare and was
from Colorado and maybe the best I've had. I was there with 2 "beer
experts", and we sampled various beers that they had on tap, not to
mention the extensive bottle selections. My two friends had the meatloaf
(with andouille) in it (wonderful) and a steak Po' Boy, which was also
great. We went on to the tasting, which featured 9 different beers from
around the world, which was great. This is to not forget that Shango has
won Wine Spectator's award of excellence (wine being my specialty), and I
can see why. It's obvious that not only does Chef Jim pay attention to
his food but just as much care in selecting wines and beers. It has a
family feel to it, as Chef Jim cooks, dad is around greeting and tending
to things, and his wife is very helpful with wine selection. The wait
staff is very knowledgeable and efficient. I can only say the ambiance
is great, the food is great, the beer and wine selections are superior
to most bars or restaurants, and just all in all Shango does everything
right. I can be critical but have never had a bad meal or experience
there. It should be on everyone's short list and is superior to most of
the "big names" you hear about. It will continue to be one of my
favorites."
[8/06] "Continuing as one of my favorite places
to dine and wine in the city,
Shango also serves some of the best homemade ice cream I've had in a
while. It's a must order."
2250 Niagara Falls Blvd., Tonawanda.
743-9348.
Irish-American.
[MLe, 6/01] said: "We had 10 people in our party; one of the
reasons this place was selected was you can easily get a private room.
I had the seafood gumbo; it was excellent. Very substantial salad.
Everyone in our party
was very satisfied with the food; they serve ample portions. Our
server was cordial. Several in our party eat there often;
definitely worth a try."
3901 Sheridan Dr., Amherst.
839-3011.
Greek.
1207 Hertel Ave., Buffalo.
447-1207.
Iraqi, middle-eastern cuisine.
Shogun Ichi.
7590 Transit Rd., Williamsville.
631-8899.
Japanese teppan bar restaurant.
[11/11] We had dinner here with out-of-town guests. Their menu
has improved a bit, now featuring mahi mahi on the hibachi side of the
menu, and also sushi. Our chef was among the best we've had recently:
a flawless performance, and delicious food.
Placid Harbour Marina, 2 Detroit St., Tonawanda Isle, N. Tonawanda.
693-7971.
Informal American cuisine.
Siena.
4516 Main St., Snyder (Amherst).
839-3108.
Gourmet pizza and pasta.
Outdoor dining in summer.
Informal but upscale.
Same ownership as
Oliver's,
Rocco's Wood Fired Pizza,
and
800 Maple.
[10/05] "I had recently dined at Siena again a month
back and found it to be much
more pleasing. I just love the fresh breads and flat breads they put on
the table, as well as the olive tapanade. I started with their mixed
greens salad with gorgonzola, which was just a good regular salad. For my
entree, I went with the special, which was a Rib eye steak with some sort
of Cabernet reduction, I believe (I don't recall exactly though), along
with smashed potatoes. This was a good entree and much better than my
previous experience there. It is only a matter of time till my next
visit."
[9/05] Returned with [MER], [SLD], and my 9-year-old son;
I was expecting the worst: a menu full of items containing ingredients I
didn't like, but, much to my pleasant surprise, they had a new menu with
several tempting items. On the table were two different kinds of
breads, along with thin pizza crackers, all accompanied by a tasty olive
tapenade and a white bean tapenade.
[MER] and I both began with an arugula salad
with corn, tomatoes, roasted red peppers, and pecans, in a poached
garlic dressing that was delicious without being overpowering. I had an
excellent whole-wheat spaghetti with steamed mussels in a porcini
mushroom broth; messy to eat, but good. However, [MER]'s chicken
marsala was tough; not even the sharp steak knife made it easy to cut.
On the other hand, [SLD]'s filet of sirloin with roast leek was tender.
My son, whose tastes are rather finicky, opted for the Margherita pizza:
cheese and very spicy rectangular pepperoni; he requested that the
mushrooms be omitted. He pronounced it better than
Pizza Pizza, which
is high praise, indeed.
Dessert for me was a "magic cube": A cube of chocolate shell covering a
chocolate mousse and a vanilla mousse, covered in raspberry sauce and
accompanied by strawberries: exquisite. My son had a lemon sorbet
served in a frozen and hollowed-out lemon, and [MER] had a cheesecake
with raspberry sauce. All in all, a pleasant dinner.
1595 Elmwood Ave. (near Amherst St., north of Delaware Park), Buffalo.
875-3500.
[RMi, 7/06] says: "This is my regular spot for lunch, and I take
for granted some of its unique
features. The Signature Café is a gourmet sandwich and pizza cafe with
prices that are cheaper than a run-of-the-mill pizza or sub shop. They
have
a wide selection of coffees and teas. They are also open for
breakfast and Friday nights for a fish fry, but I have only gone there
for
lunch.
I was hooked by the great tasting food that is prepared with healthy
ingredients. They have homemade soup along with sandwich specials. I
often
get the half a turkey and roasted red pepper Napoli (which looks like a
whole sandwich) and either soup or a mixed green salad for $5.95. My
favorite special is the apple walnut salad with raspberry vinaigrette
dressing (I get it with grilled chicken).
It's in the same building that Karen's restaurant was on Elmwood at
Amherst,
just down from the art gallery. The Café has been reconfigured and
remodeled to have a more comfortable layout and now has full table
service
along with takeout and catering. It can get a little busy at lunchtime,
so I
get there a little before noon or after one to avoid the rush."
115 North Water St., Lewiston.
754-9680.
[WHN, 5/07] says: "Your basic hot-dog-and-hamburger-stand but,
perched above the town's
waterfront park and boat dock; offers a great view of the Niagara
River."
99 Aurora St., Lancaster.
683-1740.
[GOw, 3/09] says: "Simme's is a tavern/restaurant in Lancaster.
It had closed a while
back; it is my understanding that it is now owned and operated by the
folks who own
Kennedy's Cove
in Clarence.
We had eaten at Simme's 4-5 times in the past and always enjoyed the
food and atmosphere. In the past, they seemingly wanted to be a fine-dining restaurant and serve fancy martinis. The crowd never seemed to
fit what they were trying to accomplish, which may have led to its
demise.
We went last night (Friday) for the first time since the new owners
took over. We arrived about 6:30 pm and were able to snag a table right
away. We sat upstairs and were waited on by an energetic and willing-to-please server. Jan had a Beefeater martini, and, since I was on call, I
stuck with a glass of beer. Decent selection of draft beer available,
and the martini was good.
There were a few specials and a basic, limited menu. I think there
were 2 pages. We didn't plan on going out for a fish fry, but that is
exactly what we ordered. In fact, we ordered exactly the same food. We
did find the "extra" charges for things confusing and annoying. A fish
fry is $13.99. Perhaps a bit high, but it does include soup or salad, and
a choice of potato.
We enjoyed an interesting New England clam chowder ($1 extra???). The
soup did a number of things well. First, it was hot; I find many
restaurants have trouble serving piping-hot soup. The soup had plenty
of clams and was thick without being pasty. The unusual part was the
sweetness. We asked the server, and she told us that the chef adds
sweetened condensed milk. I liked it; Jan was not as enthused, but not
put off either.
Our fish fries were very good. I believe it was haddock—big, crispy
and hot. No complaints at all. Baked potato was huge and not steamed
in foil, truly baked. Big cup of butter and sour cream—no way we
would use all of it. Garlic bread was also served using a bias-cut
piece of a Costanzo's sub roll. This was excellent. Tartar sauce, cole
slaw, and a nice piece of lemon were all fresh and good.
The owner came by and greeted us. He took an interest in how we liked
the service and food. We really hope they can be successful. Our total
bill for 3 drinks and 2 fish fries was $53.00 including tax and tip.
Maybe a little higher than what is the norm, but the food and service
were very good. We will try the place with the kids and check out
whether it compares with our favorite family eating place—Grover's
in E. Amherst."
938 Kenmore Ave. (across from St. Joseph's High School), Buffalo.
877-9419.
Italian.
[8/11] "I, along with other family members and friends, attended
a dinner party for my brother-in-law's birthday on Sunday night, 8/14/11.
Sinatra's is his favorite restaurant. I have not been there since his
last ‘milestone’ birthday celebration five years ago. After being
seated, we were served complimentary caponata, along with fresh Italian
bread, both with sesame seeds and plain. My nephew ordered a variety of
appetizers to share: cheese-filled hot peppers, sauteed calamari in a
spicy tomato sauce, and ‘antipasto misto’ of assorted cold cuts,
cheeses, olives, and roasted peppers. All the appetizers were delicious.
Entrees include a choice of soup or house salad. Most people chose the
salad of mixed greens, tomato wedges, olives, garbanzos, and celery,
tossed with house-made Italian dressing and topped by crumbled
gorgonzola; the salads were very good. For the main course, I had veal
francaise and a side of pasta with marinara sauce; it was excellent. My
sister-in-law, who was seated next to me, had osso bucco with risotto.
She offered me some of her veal, which was fall-off-the-bone tender and
very flavorful; another excellent entree. (She also offered me the
marrow from the bone—which she won't eat—for which Sinatra's
provides tiny spoons to retrieve the ‘delicacy’. I declined the offer. I
tried it once, and it was too gelatinous for my taste.) My son, seated
on my other side, had pork brasciole, which he said was excellent. My
niece, seated across from me, had chicken Fra Diavolo with a spicy
marinara sauce, which she said was excellent as well. That's the limit
of what I can remember people having, but there were very few leftovers,
so everything must have been very good. For dessert, my niece brought a
layer cake with fruit (bananas, pineapple, sweet cherries) in the
frosting layers. Biscotti from
Romeo and Juliet's
were included with the
coffee. It was an excellent meal, with excellent service provided by
Nickie (sp?) and her assistants. I would now agree with the very high
ratings of Ms. Okun and Buffalo Spree—for southern Italian food, it's
certainly one of the best in the area."
2896 Delaware Ave., Kenmore.
877-5630.
[DaB, 7/08] says: "This middle eastern market and lunch stand in
downtown Kenmore has quite a variety of freshly prepared, tasty foods for incredibly cheap
prices! In addition to selling a wide variety of fresh produce, various
syrups and spices, and other groceries of various sorts, Sinbad Market
sports
a large lunch counter run by kind and helpful staff who quickly serve up
a
number of favorites, including: falafel sandwiches with a variety of
optional toppings, freshly made hummus, various crispy sambosa (only $1 each,
and
they're large!), tabouleh salad, shawarma, and several meat entrees
with rice. Being vegan, I always opt for my usual, which is two flaky
vegetable sambosa with hummus and a delicious middle-eastern fruit
drink from the large cooler. Service is always fast and friendly, and
this
is a great place to stop if you want to try something a little bit
different on your lunch break. The manager is named Mr. Asaleh."
3003 Walden Ave., Depew.
683-9465.
Greek.
2007 Walden Ave. (between Union Rd. and the I-90), Cheektowaga. 683-0724.
Part of the chain.
445 Delaware Ave. (between Edward and Virginia, downtown), Buffalo.
846-3699.
[BA, 6/07] says: "My friend and I went to this new lounge last
Thursday, June 14th, the
night after their soft opening. A very nice spot, geared towards
socializing, with some fine wines and excellent food. The two of us
tried
six of their wines by the glass (3 white, 3 red). We had a question
about
one served to us: It was immediately replaced with a glass from a bottle
opened as we watched. That bottle matched the quality of the other five
we tried. All fine and good value. We had two of their dishes. The
first was a tuna sashimi. The fish was pristine, with an arugala salad,
capers, and lime. Might have benefitted from a touch of truffle oil and
fresh-ground pepper but was delicious regardless (who can resist
customizing to their own taste?). Our second dish was grilled scallops
in
a saffron cream sauce, with very tender asparagus. In one word,
excellent—perfectly cooked all around. The two bartenders (Heidi and Randy) did
well by us—very pleasant, professional, friendly. The setting is
classic—wood, glass, stone—and they have a small party room. Had a
chance to meet and speak with the owners when we explored their back
room,
and wished them great success."
64 W. Chippewa St. (downtown), Buffalo.
856-7646.
[BMcWS, 11/11] says: "We headed down to Soho Burger Bar on a
Saturday night, with a craving for burgers and fries. We made a
reservation but would not have needed one, since only a few tables were
occupied. The restaurant was so dark that we had to use our cell phones to be
able to read the menu (which arrives on a clipboard—cute)! The
menu is packed with lots of interesting burgers. I made my own with
toppings of my choice. The burger was quite thick (which throws off the
cheese-to-meat ratio, in my opinion) and moist and tasty. It needed more
seasoning, however. A little salt and pepper would have helped (I added
my own at the table, but it just tastes better when it is cooked already
seasoned). The buns are a nice, soft, brioche-style we enjoyed. I ordered
sweet-potato fries, but there was some confusion, since I didn't
want the chili honey sauce and wanted plain honey. The server told me
they didn't have honey, so I asked for regular fries instead. My
meal then came with the sweet-potato fries and honey, so apparently they
found some. Fries arrive in a cute, little, fryer basket (cute!), but the
sweet-potato fries were disappointingly mushy, not crisp. They had a
nice flavor, however. There was also a lot of confusion when ordering
about the fries. The server tried to explain that the burger comes with
chips, but you can get fries instead, but it won't be a full
order of fries. Or you can get the chips and get a full order of fries,
but pay extra. Then she said you can't get the shoestring fries
in place of the chips, even though shoestring and thick fries are the
same price on the menu. None of that made much sense. I just wanted the
sweet-potato fries, no chips, and the amount that came was certainly
plenty. I also had a chocolate shake (huge), which was very good but was
weirdly sort of warm in temperature somehow.
The husband had a bison burger, served like a beef on weck, which he
liked a lot. He got salt-and-vinegar chips, which were mushy, not crisp.
The daughter got the ahi tuna burger. That came with chips, and she
ordered onion rings (not realizing she was getting chips, too—gain, this was not clear at all). Her chips were tasty and crisp (we
surmise because there was no vinegar applied), and the onion rings were
excellent. She also enjoyed a chocolate shake. The son got a make-your-own burger with mushrooms, which made it very, very drippy. He got
shoestring fries in place of chips (we aren't clear how we were
billed for this, if they could not be substituted for chips). The fries
were good. A few were not crisp, but overall they were good. He enjoyed
his vanilla shake.
Soho has their hamburger made to order at a local butcher, and the rolls
are also locally made to order—applause for that. The fries,
chips, and rings were clearly hand cut, which we appreciated very much.
This is a fun place, if you're in the mood for good burgers and
fries. The music is loud, but the chairs were comfortable. It looks like
there's lots of space around the bar area (no tables down
there), leading us to believe a big bar scene happens a bit later, which
would make it all just louder. They also had a patio they enclosed with
plastic and were running a space heater in, if you want to sit someplace
a bit different. There's an upstairs open-air patio in the
summer, which would be fun."
810 Elmwood Ave. (between Allentown & Buff State; former site of
May Jen (Buffalo), Tru-Teas, and Juniper), Buffalo.
362-0356.
Review of its new location in Buffalo:
[RHo] says:
[12/11] "Last Thursday, I went to Sole for lunch with two coworkers. I
have been a few times, but never for lunch. I was very excited that they have
a vegan item on the menu, which meant I would not have to order ‘this’ hold ‘that.’
Our server was great and said split checks would be no problem. We all
ordered burritos: two Green Goodness Burritos and one steak. The burritos
came out, and they were beautiful. The burritos had been grilled and were nice
and golden in between the dark grill marks, and they were served cut in half,
artfully arranged, with a mixed-green side salad and some flavored sour cream
(which I didn't try). The salad was a little sweet and perfectly
dressed, just the slightest coating on each green. The GGB was mostly
coconut rice with about 20 black beans in the entire burrito. There was also
one row of thin strips of fried avocado and some small pieces of summer squash
throughout. I didn't notice the ‘fire roasted tomatoes’ from the description,
and I could not get over how much of the burrito was just rice. I would have
loved to see some more beans in it. It was a good deal with my $10-off dining
card, but, at $12, I wouldn't order it again without a coupon; it's just too
much to pay for rice. In any case, it was delicious, and the two of us who had
them cleaned our plate. I gave my sour cream away to a lunchmate, who said it
was great. The one who ordered the steak burrito couldn't finish it and took
home 1/3. I will definitely go back."
[WHN] said:
[3/11] "Last night, Friday, 3/25, I had dinner at Solé with a
group of 10 people. To begin, several large bowls of crisp, unsalted
taco chips and salsa were presented. The chips were very good, but the
only salsa provided was a bit too mild for my taste. For appetizers,
several people shared large bowls of guacamole, prepared tableside,
which was said to be outstanding. The server placed the guacamole bowl
at the wrong end of the table, and the people at that end thought it was
complimentary, and started eating it. (As I remember, on my only
previous visit, we were served a small bowl of guacamole along with the
chips and salsa.) When the couple at our end of the table realized they
hadn't gotten their guac order, and the others realized it was not free,
it was simply passed down. No one made a big deal of it or even told
anyone, but it was a dumb mistake on the server's part. I'm sure they
could have gotten a free bowl if they had complained. For my appetizer,
I had a grilled romaine salad—two romaine hearts with Calabres bleu
cheese, cherry tomatoes, red onion, and what was described as crispy
chorizo, with a tomato-herb vinaigrette. I had forgotten about the
‘crispy’ chorizo and at first thought the sausage pieces were soggy
croutons. While not at all crispy, the chorizo did add a nice, mildly
spicy flavor to the salad. However, there was just not enough salad
dressing, which was merely drizzled across the top romaine heart and
along the sides of the plate. Another diner had pumpkin soup, which she
said was excellent. I'm not sure what everyone orderedm, but, for the main
course, I had zarzuela, a Catalan seafood stew, similar to a Provençl;§al
bouillabaisse, with mussels, shrimp, and scallops (but no fish!) in a
thick, spicy tomato broth. The menu said the broth was flavored with
almonds, which are traditionally added to the fish stew, but I couldn't
detect any almond flavor, which was overwhelmed by the tomatoes and
spices. Three slices of grilled bread with a hint of cheese, probably
montego, accompanied the zarzuela. Overall, the dish was excellent. Two
people had chicken enchiladas, topped by Spanish rice and molé. One
person said it was the sweetest molé he had ever tasted, and didn't
like it. The other person didn't comment, but ate most of it. One
person had paella, which he declared to be excellent—one of the best
he had ever had. Another diner had chiles rellenos encrusted in blue
corn meal and stuffed with rice and cheese. The dish looked very dry,
with no sauce whatsoever. The menu said it came with a creamy polenta
and some sort of sauce, but neither were apparent. Although the diner
said they were very spicy, she said the dish was good. Two people
ordered bread pudding for dessert, which they shared with others. I
didn't have any, but it appeared to have chocolate sauce on top, and was
reportedly merely OK. The service was very good. Their wine list still
has no Spanish wines, just a few from Argentina and Chile—mostly
California wines. Overall, a very good meal. (There was a rumor
circulating at the bar that Solé will be moving to Elmwood Avenue
soon.)"
[PT, 5/09] said: "Seeing the review by [LMi, 5/09] reminded me
of our experience at Solé several months ago. We went for an
early dinner, around 5:30. There was no one else in the place, but they
put us at a tiny table for two, with a partition on one side and another
table a few inches away on the other. Not that we're claustrophobic, but
my husband asked if we could be moved to a roomier table in the more
open area of the dining room, where we could have some privacy if
someone was seated at the adjacent table. We were told "No, we are
booked solid", even though the restaurant was empty, and we would
probably be done before, if ever, it got crowded. So we left and went
to
Siena,
further down Main, where we had an excellent meal at an
un-cramped table. We have not been back to Solé and never will
return. Hard to believe that an experienced restaurateur would hire
staff that ignores their customers' preferences."
am] Sonoma Grille.
5010 Main St. (in the
Lord Amherst Hotel),
Snyder (Amherst).
204-0251.
[3/11] [MER], our 15-year-old son, and I decided to have an early
dinner here more or less on the
spur of the moment, 3/30/11, forgetting that it was Restaurant Week.
They were crowded but were able to seat us fairly quickly, though the
hostess seemed about to have a nervous breakdown from the crowds,
especially since they had run out of menus. We were offered a table in
the grill room (more accurately, the bar room) so that we could be
seated right away. That was fine with us, though we had reason later to
rue that decision, not only because of the noise. But more on that
in a moment. We were offered 3 menus (they finally found
them :-)—the regular menu (or perhaps a Xeroxed copy of it),
the bar menu (burgers, pizzas, wings, etc.), and the Restaurant Week
menu (very fancy). I chose from the latter, [MER] and our son from the
regular menu. For $20.11, I was entitled to the soup du jour (a chicken
fajita soup) or a Caesar salad with a roasted tomato, an avocado, and a
parmesan "crisp"; I chose the salad, which I liked. My son also chose
the salad, but he didn't like his—too cheesy—but the salads
were almost identical, so I think it was just a matter of taste. Why
"almost" identical? Well, when the salads came out, mine was on a small
plate, my son's on a large plate, and the waiter specifically said that
mine was from the Restaurant Week menu, so my first impression was that they
were skimping on the Restaurant Week portion, but we decided that it was
an optical illusion: The salads themselves were the same size. While
wating for the entrees, we noticed that there
was no bread, so we asked our waiter; he seemed surprised that there was
no bread (but there were no obvious busboys, either, so it seems to me
that it was the waiter who was supposed to be bringing the bread). [MER]
and our son both had filet mignon; our son liked his, but [MER] thought
hers wasn't hot enough. The filets were accompanied by what seemed to
be thinly sliced potatoes au gratin and string beans. I ordered the
pan-roasted halibut with white bean and crab ragout in thyme
hollandaise. It was good, but not wonderful. The halibut was
excellent, but I would describe the ragout as white beans and green
peas in a cream sauce. I didn't see or taste any crab or thyme;
maybe it was very subtle. In any case, the sauce was nothing special;
rather boring, in fact. For dessert, we were offered carrot cake, chocolate cake,
something else that I don't remember, and apple streusel crepes (no
dessert menu; our waiter recited our options). I thought the crepes
would be nice. But after taking our order, the
waiter later returned: no more crepes. (When I told this story to friends,
their immediate response was, "But crepes only need flour, eggs, and
water! Were these frozen crepes that they ran out of?") Before I finish talking about dessert,
let me give you the rest of story about
the grill room: We were seated one table away from what looked to me
like an emergency exit; it had a glass window and a typewritten sign
Scotch-taped to it. A couple walked up to it, beers in hand, read the
sign, and turned around. We thought they were trying to leave (with
drinks?) and that
the sign might have said that this was not an exit. But then I saw them
smoking and drinking their beers
outside that door—they must have gone around, and it must be some
kind of patio. Other smokers joined them. So did even more—except
that
several of them ignored the sign, opened the door, and walked out. They
couldn't get back in (it was a fire door), but the folks at the table
next to it were "kind" enough to open it for them. What did the sign
say? "Please do not use this door." (!) In and out, in and
out, all during dinner. And what did they let in while they were going
in and out? Cigarette and cigar smoke (and cold air). I haven't
smelled that in a restaurant in many years (the smoke, not the cold
air). It was so bad that we
passed on dessert. We also complained to the waiter, who basically
shrugged his shoulders and indicated that there wasn't much that could
be done about it. Well, that's not true: They could have put a table
or something
in front of the door to at least make it difficult to use. They could
have put up a bigger sign. They could even have put an alarm on the
door! So I wound up paying the full $20.11 for only 2/3 of the
Restaurant Week meal. It seems to me that they could have offered us a
token discount for the absence of dessert and the presence of smoke, but
oh well; we just won't return. Too bad, because this used to be a good
restaurant. I'm dropping one star from their ranking.
(I also note that the
Restaurant Week menu continues to describe the offerings as
"pre-fixe"—just to be absolutely clear, it should be "prix fixe"
(pronounced "pree feex", and meaning "fixed price")—but it now adds
insult to injury by saying "Bon appetite" at the bottom of the menu (it
should be "bon appetit").
[6/09] "Stopped by on a sunny weeknight. We sat on the front
patio; pretty nice. I was pleasantly surprised when we were told we
could use our coupon with the prix fixe menu; this was a very good
value: The deal is $25 per person, which includes a drink (house liquor),
soup or salad, entree, and a dessert. The entrees are limited, of course,
but we had no trouble choosing. We enjoyed a substantial
gin & tonic—OK, two—while we enjoyed watching and listening to
rush-hour
traffic. Salads are fine with a house balsamic vinaigrette. Jan was
pleased with her choice of the Mixed Grill, which was a Petit Filet
Mignon and marinated skewered jumbo shrimp char grilled; nicely done.
The steak was a bit past medium, but tender. I went with the Pork
Tenderloin Medallions Niagara, which are described as pork tenderloin
seasoned with rosemary and lemon thyme, accented
with a Niagara Peninsula ice-wine reduction over potato pancakes;
tasty, but I thought the potato pancakes could have been crispier. The
meal was really good so far, but the dessert really was the
highlight—well, for me anyway. Jan had the creme brulee, which was fine. I had the
chocolate peanut-butter cheesecake; it was really good. It is not
made in house and the waitress offered to find out the exact make, but I
said not to bother; the last thing I need is more of this stuff. I'm
not sure why liked it so, but, dang, this was really a good cheesecake.
Very good experience. Two visits, two positive experiences. Call for
the specifics on the prix fixe; it may be $29 and is probably only
available on weeknights."
749 Military Rd., Buffalo.
447-9661.
7560 Niagara Falls Blvd. (near
Fashion Outlets of Niagara Falls), Niagara Falls, NY.
283-1527.
Mediterranean & Greek.
5640 Main St. (at Mill), Williamsville.
633-2150.
[AFZ, 7/10] says: "After what I experienced tonight, I had to
submit a review. First, my family and I have been going here for years.
Locals have been coming here for years because of the food. The food is
very delicious and consistent every time. It's a simple Italian menu
with pasta and pizza specialties of quality. Second, the dinner salads
and soups are something to note about in terms of size. You may pay a
little more for the bigger portion, but you're getting a very adequate,
filling amount.
Finally, the place is a logistical nightmare!!! I've had poor service
the last few times I've been there. And you know what? It's not who the
waitstaff is; it's how they function. All the waitresses are very
friendly and helpful, given their circumstances. Clearly, the manager is
not training them well or keeping an orderly system in the front of the
house. In fact, I always see him standing at the bar with the regulars.
My message to him is, ‘On a busy Friday night, I'd be more worried about
the 95% of your night's income that comes from the large families in the
dining room and not the old guys at the bar.’ Every single girl there
was doing every single job. There was simply no order. My waitress was
very friendly and nice, but provided very slow service due to the fact
that she was assigned tables at opposite ends of the restaurant! She's
trying to make an honest tip while the manager scratches his gut and
watches ESPN (like I saw him do tonight). You need to have the bartender
maintain the bar. You need to have 1 person cashing out customers and
filling dining-room drink orders. You need to have a hostess seating
people and possibly bussing tables. And you need to have a busser.
Again, great food, nice waitresses, affordable prices, but sluggish
management, translating into sloppy logistics."
SoupHerb Gourmet.
5403 Sheridan Dr. (in Williamsville Place Plaza), Williamsville.
631-4822.
Gourmet soups, sandwiches, salads, light meals. Mostly lunches, but
some early dinners.
[5/07] "Drive to the next mall just east of Georgetown Plaza.
There you will find Williamsville Place Plaza and SoupHerb Gourmet in
the
far right corner.
SoupHerb Gourmet offers superb soups, salads, bread, and desserts for less
money than
the Soup Nazi.
SoupHerb Gourmet is one of our favorite
restaurants."
See Chon Buri's Spicy Thai.
2865 Sheridan Dr., Tonawanda.
831-3921.
[CSS, 10/10] says: "Negative. Used to love Spicy Thai, because it
was cheap, no frills, and good quality. It was my standby after
Jasmine Thai
let me down one too many times. I returned on a Sunday afternoon
(10/24/10) for a late lunch. At the outset, the place was absolutely
filthy: Walls were spattered with dirt and sauce; the floor had visible
food remnants all over; silverware and flatware were dirty; the
tablecloths were actually soiled beneath the glass top. We were the only
people there, and yet, for some reason, multiple tables were not bussed
from the previous meal. I won't even discuss the ladies' room, because
I'm sure the readers know where I'm going with that one. Service was
fine: friendly as usual. But we should have left after observing the
deplorable condition of this place. One diner had Pad Crazy Tofu, a
noodle dish. It smelled like raw eggs but was otherwise edible. No
vegetables other than a few strands of bok choy. The tofu was fine. I
had the Paradise Tofu with broccoli in a sweet chili sauce. The entire
dish tasted old and was lukewarm. The tofu came as odd, gummy, little
cubes that tasted like they were previously frozen and flashed in the
wok for a few seconds. I ate the broccoli out of it and left the rest.
It seems like the proprietors/management just gave up: really too bad.
From now on, will stick with
Mii
in the Falls or
Saigon Bangkok."
]
Spilios Family Restaurant.
5175 Transit Rd., Clarence.
633-2040.
Greek. A Towne-like, informal restaurant.
[7/09] My 13-year-old son and I had dinner here before going to a movie.
We began with the avgolemeno soup, which was delicious as ever and full
of rice, but now
it's only served in a very large bowl—there's no option for just a
cup. I had the Mediterranean chicken (souvlaki-style chicken with
spinach, feta, and tomato), which I expected to be a dinner,
but turned out to be a sandwich, served on a hamburger bun; it was good,
but not great (and way too messy to eat as a sandwich). My son had the
open chicken souvlaki, as he always does; it was as good as usual. Service
was good, though a bit slow (there only seemed to be 2 waiters).
227 Delaware Ave. (at Chippewa, downtown), Buffalo.
854-7768.
[MEL, 7/98] says: "One of the few places to get a late
dinner downtown (by which I mean south of Allentown) and therefore a
blessing no matter how the food is. As it happens, the food is erratic:
sandwiches are premade and microwaved if they have been out too
long, adversely affecting their taste (though they look like they are
good
when fresh). But I have no complaints with their pasta dishes. They
also have free milk if you know where to look for it!"
3167 Delaware Ave. (south of Sheridan Dr.), Kenmore.
447-4388.
Indian.
UB Commons.
636-3607.
Also other locations.
Part of the chain of coffee houses.
453 Center St., Lewiston.
754-8181.
3151 Main St., Buffalo.
838-0478.
Same management as
Lake Effect Diner
and
Dug's Dive.
1487 Hertel Ave., Buffalo.
838-2448.
[11/10] "Since my last review, which was published 1/10, but
which was written a year prior,
nothing has changed. Sterling still has one of
the best selections of beer in the city, some of the best pub fare in
the city, and the wait for the pub fare is still as long, if not longer.
This evening, my wife and I arrived to a usually busy Friday evening, had
a drink, and placed our order at the bar to go. To our great
disappointment, 1.5 hours later our food had still not arrived: a steak
sub (rare) and 3 pierogis, which is about 10 minutes worth of
cook time from start to table. We canceled our order this evening after
90 minutes of no food and spent our money someplace else. There is no
excuse for this; if you are too busy, which you know you will be, hire
more help. I love this place, but if you're listening, John and Judy, you
need to get extra help on the busy nights, because you're losing customers
like myself and the people sitting next to us this eve."