Bill Rapaport's Buffalo Restaurant Guide

Alphabetical Listing of Restaurants: V

Valley Inn
Vargas
Varysburg Hotel
Vasilis Family Restaurant
Verbena
The View Restaurant
Viking Lobster Co.
Village Casino
Village Inn (Childs, NY)
Village Inn (Grand Island, NY)
Village Pub
Vince's Village Grille
Vineland Estates Restaurant
Vino Primo
Vino's Italian Restaurant
Vizzi's

Key:

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

(For more info on locations, see Geography)

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

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Valley Inn Barbecue Restaurant and Catering. —WARNING: WEBSITE PLAYS LOUD MUSIC!
10651 Main Street, Clarence.
759-6232.

[Editor's note: The following review is published as received, unedited.] [JoSt, 10/09] says: "Although I'd gotten take-out recently before their dine-inn facilities and food quality are somewhat lacking. Very accommodating with using coupons that had previously expired but dispute a helpful hostess—it couldn't overcome the misgivings. My 8 yr son said after asking him about the restaurant and used terms of ‘dingy’ to describe. Ribs I ordered we cold! I turned them over and they still had coagulated grease on them—I sent back promptly. I not sure I understand how or why they served them that way—overall they were average tasting when sent back. I knew this was not the first time as a previous take-out order was similarly cooked. The front bar area is depressing to say the least and not a very cozy atmosphere in general."

[RWe, 2/09] said: "I was recently looking for a good place to watch a Sabres game, and a good friend highly recommended the Valley Inn BBQ restaurant. I had never been there before, so I decided to make the drive to Clarence and am really glad I did. The game was on a 50-inch plasma in the bar area with a perfect view from every seat at the bar. I ordered 2 pints of Blue Light, one for my girlfriend and one for myself, and the bartender only charged me $3.50. Thinking it was a mistake, I pointed this out to him, and he informed me that drafts, well, and call drinks are always 2 for 1!! We asked for menus, and, when the waitress brought them over, she said that during every Sabres game all appetizers and sandwiches are half price!! This night was just getting better and better. We decided to start with chicken wings and an order of bbq pulled-pork potato skins. The wings were cooked perfectly: nice and crispy. The stuffed skins were amazing!! I liked the pulled pork so much that I ordered a sandwich and my girl ordered a beef on weck. I was expecting the sandwiches to be skimpy because they were half price, but I was pleasantly surprised. The pulled-pork sandwich was huge and delicious, and the fries were hand cut and amazing. The beef on my girl's sandwich was nice and tender and cooked to perfection, not dried out and chewy. The service was excellent, and everyone in the place was having a great time. I was shocked when I read some of the reviews on here. We had an amazing time, and our bill for all the food and three beers each was under 30 bucks!! This is definitely where we're going to watch games from now on."

[DDA, 2/09] said: "I recently went to the Valley Inn BBQ restaurant and had a wonderful meal with my friend, sister, and 2 children. My sister and I had there fish fry which to be honest might be one of the best in buffalo espically for the price $7.99. One of my children had the pulled pork platter which he loved and there was even enough to bringh home to my husband who also said it was outstanding. My other child had chicken fingers which were a large portion for the kids size and the price and she also loved the bbq sauce they came with for dipping. My sister and myself split a dessert which was homemade pecan pie which was also very very good. I read some of the other reviews and I was shocked. The service was great too, the host which I believe was the owner (being that it was a friday evening) made us feel very welcomed and even had candy for my kids on the way out and the waiter was excellent, very nice, and to be honest very easy on the eyes. I would recommend any family to go there and give them a try. After reading some of the reviews its quiet shocking it was quiet busy and everyone seemed to be enjoying there food and the atmosphere. 2 thumbs up." [Editor's note: I usually lightly edit the reviews for spelling, grammar, etc. This one exceeded my expectations, however :-)]

[CoCo, 1/09] said: "I have been to many of the "authentic" BBQ restaurants in the Greater Buffalo area, as well as a few down south, so my taste buds are fairly well calibrated to what makes for good BBQ. I also own a smoker myself and have made BBQ at home that rivals commercially prepared meats. Upon entry into the Valley Inn, I immediately got the impression that I was taking my family to a dive bar rather than a quality food-service establishment. No problem, though. I can accept that, so long as the food lives up to the News food critic's high praise. My next observation as to what was to come was the lack of other patrons at what I would consider to be nearly prime dining time. After being promptly seated, I picked up the fork to get my napkin, and the fork was stuck to the napkin! Upon further inspection, I discovered a significant amount of old food on the back of the fork. Gross! OK, now to the food. I ordered the rack ribs and pulled pork combo. What was set in front of me was appalling. Let's start with the ribs: Clearly, these were reheated on a grill and then doused in thick, sweet sauce prior to service. Upon cutting my first portion, it became immediately evident to me that these ribs were not slow-smoked. Granted, they were tender and meaty, but there was absolutely no trace of them being cooked with smoke. No pink ring, no smoky flavor, nothing. Just a roasted pork flavor masked by a bottled BBQ sauce. No thank you. Anyone can make ribs like those. Don't try to sell yourself as serving "Slow Smoked BBQ Ribs", if they're not. Next, and by far the biggest disappointment on the plate, was the pulled pork. It resembled something akin to slop. It was a mass of stringy pork swimming in a watery substance that I have to assume was sauce. I feared tasting it but did anyway. I nearly spit it out. It again had no slow-smoked flavor, which indicates that it was simply slow roasted in an oven (again, anyone can do this!). Any "flavor" that it had (and it wasn't much) was of sour meat. Yes, it had a "this has been sitting around too long" taste to it. Most notable was the appearance: watery slop. What were they thinking??? OK, maybe the sides would somehow redeem the lackluster quality of the main attractions. Wrong. I chose the coleslaw and their Baked Southern White Bean Casserole. The coleslaw was simply very coarsely sliced cabbage and a little carrot tossed in what tasted like mayo for dressing. And even the dressing was so light that it was barely noticeable. Yuck. The beans were OK. That's it. Sweet with a quite watery sauce, but at least the bacon in it was smoked! Finally, the cornbread that accompanied the plate was moist, but it tasted like it had absorbed every other flavor in the kitchen. It was gross. Needless to say that after 3 ribs, 2 forkfuls of pulled pork, 2 bites of coleslaw, a nibble of cornbread, and a few bites of beans, I pushed the plate away. And no, I didn't ask for a box to take the rest home! This was not only the worst BBQ meal I have ever had, but it was by far the worst meal I have ever had in a restaurant! Ms. Okun from the Buffalo News needs to revisit this place again, and they need to: (a) stop using her review in their advertising and (b) learn how to make real BBQ or stop trying to market their inferior offerings as BBQ."

[JBo, 2/07] said: "I ate here the other day with my family and cannot believe the reviews on your site. I had the fish fry (beer battered); it was cooked perfectly, came with slaw, mac salad, and choice of potato. My husband had ribs; he said they fell off the bone and were delicious, and he enjoyed his garlic mashed potatoes. My children both had the pulled pork platters (the house favorite) and ate everything. We shared an apple cobbler and peanut butter pie for dessert; great finish to our meal. The server, a young man, was excellent and very attentive. Sorry to hear you had such bad experiences, but I feel you should try them again. We had a wonderful time and will be sure to return."

[NS, 11/06] said: "This was the worst lunch I've ever had. I went with a business college, only to find us both returning our BBQ chicken sandwiches. The chicken was hard rubber, and we couldn't even bite into our sandwiches—with some sort of freezer-type burn. After returning the chicken sandwiches, we were then both served the second set of poor lunches. My roast beef sandwhich was green throughout—I pointed this out to the waiter, who was embarrassed, but yet admitted that he, too, saw all green/aquamarine coloring. My colleague sent back the pulled pork—describing it as a "peculiar" taste of either freezer burn—or who knows what. What a waste of time. How can this operate as a restaurant? Not the cleanest of places. Hey, if you want to have a bar and only a bar, then don't bother serving food that nobody seems to care what they throw on the customer's table."

[RMcD, 2/06] said: "After driving past the Valley Inn many times and noting the 3 1/2 stars given to the restaurant by Janice Okun [Editor [Bill]'s comment: Ah, but you should have first checked the earlier reviews in my restaurant guide :-)], my companion and I decided to give it a try. We were sent to a corner booth, and our waitress responded quickly to our arrival. After perusing the wine list, we both decided on a glass of Pinot Noir, and placed our orders when she returned with our drinks. My companion chose the ribs and chicken combo that the Valley Inn is purported to be so famous for, and I selected the New York strip steak with bleu cheese. Both of us ordered garlic mashed potatoes and salad. My companion ordered the lobster bisque, which the waitress forgot to serve. Then the "fun" began. I am not claiming to be a wine connoisseur; however, I am familiar enough with wine to know Pinot Noir when I taste it, and what we were served was not a Pinot. In fact, if I were to venture a guess, I would say it was probably the Lambrusco, which sold for a dollar a glass less. I questioned our waitress, and she assured me that it was indeed the Pinot. I think not. The waitress brought our dinners in what seemed to be record time after we finished our salads (they were mediocre). My steak and the bleu cheese melted over it was blah—I am being kind—and half of my potatoes were cold. In addition, we both agreed that they had no particular flavor, certainly not garlic. At this point, I thought that perhaps I had simply chosen the wrong item; after all, they are noted for their ribs, so I questioned my companion about her dinner. Her reply—the meat was dry, flavorless, and the sauce was poured over the meat and obviously not cooked along with the meat as it should be, and, as I said, her potatoes were unimpressive also. The waitress was prompt in asking if we wanted dessert and bringing our check. We declined!!! Our recommendation—keep driving."

[CF, 6/05] said: "Rating: Negative. It's been about a year and a half since the Valley Inn was reviewed here, and, despite their claims of three stars from Janice Okun and being voted the #1 BBQ restaurant in WNY, I found the two previous reviews to be right on the mark. We received an advertisement from the Valley Inn offering a 2nd dinner free with the purchase of one meal, and when we saw that "Kids Eat FREE ALL DAY, Every Day!" (with adult meal) we thought "why not try it? If it's not that great, at least it won't cost us too much!" We couldn't have been more disappointed. I had the pulled pork, and my wife had the BBQ ribs. Based on how quickly the platters came out of the kitchen, there's no way they were fresh. The pulled pork was soggy, and both dinners were lacking in flavor. The garlic mashed potatoes were similarly poor. The waitress forgot to serve our salads, indicative of the generally poor service. Even with the free meal coupon (and the non-free kid's meal), the bill was $25--that's with no drinks, appetizers, or desserts, and before tip. If you're looking for BBQ (and can't make it to Georgia), there's no reason to head for Clarence, and if you live in Clarence, I'd make a trip downtown to Fat Bob's".

[EW, 1/04] said: "I ate at this junk food dive last week. A friend told me that she had been there and really enjoyed their pork. I could not disagree more. I totally agree with the previous review in stating that McDonald's would be better. At least at McDonald's prices you know what to expect! This place was terrible from the moment I walked in and heard one of the younger staff members yelling at a customer. I guess I should have left then, but instead I ordered a BBQ sandwich. It was greasy, soggy, and, worst of all, it left an aftertaste that could kill you in and of itself. I found the service to be terrible as well...I waited over 15 minutes for a refill of soda. It was not exceptionally busy, either. I guess most others have figured out that this place should not be patronized. Don't waste your time, energy, or money!"

[AG, 5/03] said: "Stopped for dinner here because of the sign bragging about being voted No. 1 barbecue, and discovered the most wretched barbecue-type food offering I have ever encountered. The McRib at McDonalds puts this stuff to shame. I've eaten at One Eyed Jack's in Lockport, Kentucky Greg's Hickory Pit, Fat Bob's, and the Dinosaur in Rochester and Syracuse, not to mention numerous places in Texas, Georgia, and elsewhere. I know barbecue. This was barbecue malpractice. I paid $15 for two sandwiches to go: sliced barbecued beef and pulled pork. Here's what I got: plain sliced beef that had apparently simmered in water for some time, making it even less flavorful than standard roast beef, no smoke taste whatever, and doused with sticky barbecue sauce that had more sugar and molasses in it than usual. The pulled pork had been smoked, but was also soggy, apparently after soaking in water or other bland liquid, and it exuded so much liquid it soaked through the white bun and made a pool in the bottom of the to-go container. The meat also had soggy "skin" and strings of fat in it. The potato chips were crushed, or from the bottom of the bag; they were stale. The pickle spears were okay."

Vargas
272 Hudson St. (West Side), Buffalo.
881-6296.

[AG, 11/06] says: "The venerable Vargas has relocated from his former Connecticut Street storefront to a place lower on the West Side. The reason to go here is still the pernil roast pork sandwiches, plus various fried Puerto Rican snack offerings. The pernil sandwich ($5), anointed with mojo from one of the motley collection of bottles on this storefront's tables, is a beautiful thing. Not the greatest neighborhood; don't go after dark if corner boys make you nervous. Tables but no table service. Bring cash."

[MEL, 5/99] said of its former location on Connecticut St.: "A simple Puerto Rican storefront sandwich shop that happens to be very good. Known for its pork sandwiches, though it also has octopus and chicken and beef."

Varysburg Hotel.
2486 Route 20a (about 1/2-way between East Aurora and Warsaw, south of Attica), Varysburg.
585-535-7692.

[DwH, 2/07] says: "Travelling to Buffalo almost weekly since February and wanted to pass along some impressions: Best fish fry on the planet. The go-withs are so-so, but the fish is magnificent: perfect and perfectly browned crust, tender, moist, flaky fish. Totally brilliant and the folks are great."

Vasilis Family Restaurant.
299 Kenmore Ave., Kenmore.
838-4440.

[MZ, 9/08] says: "This is the neighborhood restaurant. Tried it for b'fast, lunch, and dinner before a review. Terrific on all occasions. It's small, and I don't want you there because I love it. Gyros: good; had them two ways: one in salad, one in sandwich (rich, moist, fried pita). Supper: amazing. Spanikopita, pastitsio: better than Chgo Greektown. B'fast: terrific, exuberant, excessive. Everything fresh and moist, unlike some other Greek joints. Fish fries? Forget about it. Senior size at under eight bucks are normal-sized; basic is twice the size. Essentially, everything is oversized but, oh, so fresh. Great, fresh coffee and no license, but who cares."

[JKl, 6/08] said: "We know one of the servers at this newly-opened restaurant, and she urged us to come in and enjoy the authentic Greek food. There are a ton of places in Buffalo that serve Greek, and we used to frequent Olympic (in Tonawanda), but it had become overpriced and undependable at best. Let me tell you, I will not go back to the Olympic after this!!! I ordered the open chicken souvlaki salad (around $7.50), and my husband ordered the chicken souvlaki platter (around $10.50). The food was delicious and had large portions. The chicken was perfectly cooked, with a delicious marinade. My salad had a large bed of mixed greens (a nice change from the standard "blah" iceberg) with the standard Greek salad vegetables. It was topped with 4 large chicken strips, grilled to perfection, and served with toasted pita bread (4 triangles). My husband got his platter with French fries, but the Greek potatoes I saw other people eating looked delicious as well. The French fries were nice and crispy, and were a very large portion. He received 6 strips of chicken. If I went back, I would get the salad for $7.50 and just order a side of fries (the waitress said they were like $1.75 or so). My salad was very filling and so delicious! Vasilis's homemade Greek dressing is wonderful as well. The décor was very nice—it's a small place with a good amount of tables, but we didn't feel crowded. You could tell the other diners were enjoying their meals as well, and two tables next to us commented to us on how much they loved their food and how glad they were that this restaurant opened in their neighborhood. The service was great as well, very attentive (but I'm biased—I know her). They had a sign on the wall that welcomed patrons to bring their own wine, as well. I hope this place stays open for quite some time, as it's my new place to visit when I'm craving some Greek souvlaki!"

Verbena.
930 Maple Rd., Williamsville.
580-3125.

[5/09] Given 3½ (out of 4) stars by Janice Okun, Buffalo News restaurant reviewer.

[WHN] says:

[5/09] "We had not been to Verbena in about six months, but saw recently in Gusto that they now have a $35, 3-course dinner on weekdays, so we decided to try it again, which we did on Thursday, April 30th. There were only three tables occupied in the dining room, plus a few people near the bar, in what's now called the Grille Room. After ten or so minutes, our server came over and asked what we would like. She said she was the only one working and apologized for the delay. We ordered our drinks and perused the menu. When she returned with our wine and cocktails, I asked about their weekday, fixed-price menu. She said she didn't think they were offering it any more but that she would check with the chef. (The article was in Gusto just two weeks ago.) In a few minutes, she returned and reported that the fixed-price menu was available and included a choice of mixed green or Caesar salad, a main course of chicken, pork tenderloin, or salmon, with creme brulee for dessert. We decided we didn't want any of those entrees, which are the cheapest things on the menu, and concluded that the fixed-price special really amounts to free dessert. One of our friends asked if the scallops were fresh, to which the server replied: "They're really delicious. You get four scallops. But everything comes in frozen." I would think a first-class restaurant could get fresh seafood from one of the local fishmongers, like Hayes or Schneider's, but what do I know. (I do know that I can buy fresh, never frozen, dry (that is, without solution added) scallops at Wegmans anytime.) The new menu isn't very interesting or extensive, with a couple of steaks, lamb chops, three or four seafood items, including the aforementioned farm-raised salmon, frozen scallops, and a shrimp-over-pasta nightly special, which I assume also involves frozen shrimp, since "everything" comes in frozen. In the end, he opted for a filet, as did his wife. My wife ordered a lobster tail over risotto. I ordered a rib steak. But first, three of us had mixed green salads with chevre, while the other diner had Verbena's version of Caesar salad, with fried anchovies and crouton crumbs. The menu also claims that it includes Parmesan, but I couldn't detect any the last time I had it. Our friend said he thought it had a little cheese, and he did like his salad. The rest of us enjoyed our mixed green salads. The bread was doughy, and had probably not been baked long enough. Our friends said their filets were excellent. My rib steak with gorgonzola was nicely cooked, but could have used some kind of sauce, fewer French fries, and a couple of asparagus spears, which came with the other beef entrees. My wife's lobster dish was delicious, she said, but the portion was extremely small for $38. Must have been a small lobster. Overall, I would rate the food good to very good, but the service as just fair. Our friends rated it 8 out of 10. I would give it a 6. My wife said she would probably not go back, because of the skimpy amount of lobster in her entree. The price is high—with 2 glasses of wine and a cocktail, a $37 bottle of wine with dinner, four salads at $7 or $8, and four entrees in the $35–$38 range, coffee, but no dessert, dinner with tax and gratuity was nearly $160 per couple."

[10/08] "Forewarned by the reviews below [Editor's note: I.e., the reviews by [KBP] and [GSi].] (and by the fact that Verbena's website is down), four of us went there for dinner on Saturday night. The menu has completely changed and now offers a more standard menu of steaks, chops, and seafood, with a pasta of the day and a risotto of the day. The soup of the moment is now called soup du jour, and the Saturday night rack of lamb is gone from the menu. Also, the amuse bouche is no longer provided, and the bread is basic Italian bread with plain olive oil and/or plain butter and flavored butter. For the latter, no description was given, although it seemed to be mostly flavored with cracked peppercorns. To start, one of us had a mixed-greens salad with chevre, and three of us had Caesar salads. The mixed-greens salad—no longer presented in a cucumber "bowl"—was said to be way too vinegary. The Caesars were two hearts of romaine, with fried anchovies and crouton crumbs, with a dribble of dressing. They could have used more dressing, and solid croutons instead of just crumbs. The fried anchovies were an interesting twist on the standard Caesar salad. For the main course, I had steak frites—an excellent prime strip steak, perfectly cooked to medium rare, topped with herb butter and parmesan shoestring fries. Two asparagus spears were on the side. Both wives had filet mignon, with a ragout of mushrooms on top of a portion of garlic mashed potatoes. The filets and the mushroom sauce were reported to be basically flavorless, and required lots of salt and pepper to bring out the flavor of the beef. Our other friend ordered short ribs, no longer served on the bone, and no longer cooked Provençal-style. This was also served on top of mashed potatoes and was also reported to be bland and flavorless. He added a lot of salt and pepper, too. We skipped dessert, none of which sounded especially appealing. The service was really slow—the two-course dinner took over 3 hours. I have to say that Verbena was much busier than on our previous visits. I would say they had a full house from what I could see, and the bar area was very crowded when we left around 10:30, so some people must really like it. I would like to see a more diverse menu, but we agreed we would give it another try."

[7/08] "Last night, Sat. 7/27, was our second dining experience at Verbena, along with the same couple who went with us in May. To begin, we were served a complimentary "amuse bouche" described as a miniature Caesar salad with cocktail sauce. It was quite good. The bread was much improved over our first meal: warm olive bread and garlic bread with tomato butter, plain butter, and olive oil. Our wives ordered the same Verbena salads they had had previously. My friend and I both had lobster bisque—the soup of the day (called "Soup of the Moment" on the menu). The salad was described by the other woman as not as good as the first time. The lobster bisque was excellent. For main courses, our wives reprised their previous choices: a half rack of lamb and filet mignon. My wife was really disappointed in her rack of lamb, describing the small portion size as "ridiculous": less lamb than on one average size lamb chop, with a tablespoon of garlic smashed potatoes and two asparagus spears. The other woman said her filet was better than the last time. Our friend had pancetta-wrapped pork "mignon", which he felt was too dry: overcooked. My Provençal-style "long bone beef short ribs" were fall-off-the-bone, melt-in-the-mouth tender and just delicious. Our server, Dave, was excellent, but one of the helpers tried to take away some of our dinner plates before we had finished: a bit overzealous. She also asked my wife if she wanted her lamb bones packaged to take home. Overall, the satisfaction ratio was about 50%, based on two very good meals and two poor-to-mediocre meals."

[5/08] "Verbena recently opened in the old Daffodil's location, run by their former chef, who most recently was at The Stillwater, downtown. We had our daughter's wedding reception at Daffodil's, and had many fine meals there over the years, so we have good memories of the place and were anxious to try its replacement. In December, Buffalo Business First reported that Verbena would be opening later that month or in January, but it didn't open until May. When we saw that it was open, I made a reservation for dinner with another couple for Saturday, May 17th. But, on Saturday, May 10th, they called to confirm our "Mother's Day reservation". I told them we didn't have one and corrected the date and time. The woman said she was glad she called to confirm, and I said "So am I", hoping they got it right. Hmmm...was this a portent of bad things to come? No! As it turned out, both the food and service were excellent throughout the evening. Verbena calls its cuisine "modern Mediterranean", with Spanish, French, and Italian overtones. The multi-grain bread presented after we sat down was OK, but nothing out of the ordinary, although black peppercorn butter added a different flavor. As an appetizer, I had an evening special of asparagus wrapped in prosciutto, with a creamy Roquefort dressing. I thought it would be chilled, but it was hot. Nevertheless, it was very tasty. My wife and our friends had house salads of mixed greens, tomatoes, olives, and Roquefort cheese with a truffle and lemon vinaigrette dressing, wrapped in a cucumber "bowl". They all said the salads were very good. Both our friends and we used to love Daffodil's rack of lamb, which Verbena now offers only as a Saturday-night special. My wife and one of our friends ordered the half rack of lamb. They said it was very good, cooked medium rare as ordered, but was different than they remember the rack of lamb at Daffodil's. Verbena's version was accompanied by a Dijon mustard sauce, with mashed potatoes and vegetables (a stalk of asparagus and a carrot). Our friend's wife ordered filet mignon with an oxtail-sherry demi-glaze, mushrooms, and Cabrales (a Spanish cheese) mashed potatoes. A homemade potato chip and the asparagus-carrot combo were added accompaniments. She said her filet was excellent, cooked as ordered, and very tender. For my main course, I had lamb striploin, with a caramelized walnut-pomegranate sauce, accompanied by bleu cheese blue potato salad, and the carrot-asparagus combo. I didn't know what the bleu cheese potato salad would be like, but it was very, very good, with the texture and consistency of German potato salad but the flavor of bleu cheese. Overall, my meal was also excellent. The only snafu of the night was that they were out of our first red wine choice. We skipped dessert, but the selection sounded very good—all made in-house. Verbena has two sections—the Grill Room, which serves burgers, sandwiches, and "tapas", and the Dining Room—actually several dining rooms, which serves full meals, where we dined. Appetizer prices range from $6 to $15; while prices for main courses are mostly from the mid-$20s to low-$30s, sandwiches and the like in the Grill Room are priced at $10 or less. The Grill Room has bar-type tables and chairs that look too high to be comfortable for very long. For those familiar with Daffodil's, the decor has changed some. The largest dining room, which used to have the look of a library, now has pale green painted walls. The nude paintings are gone and have not been replaced. The room could use something to dress up the bare walls. The smaller dining room is basically unchanged, with its wood panelling intact. The Grill Room still has the glass windows with etched daffodils. Overall, I would give Verbena a tentative 3-star rating. As one of our servers told us, they are in a "soft opening" stage, bringing in customers from the immediate area, by word-of-mouth, and by special invitation (the chef came from the kitchen to talk to two tables with guests that he apparently knew, but ignored the other tables). If they can continue with the same level of quality and service once they get busier, it will be a great place to dine."

[MVW, 2/09] says: "Date of visit: 2/18/09. A new chef was hired at Verbena in December 2008, and the meal I had last night was superb. Anyone who might have had a bad experience here before should give it another try. It's a beautiful restaurant; the service we had was excellent and very attentive. My only comment would be that the portions could have been just a tad bigger for the price you are paying. It's not an inexpensive place to go, but if you are looking for a good overall eating experience, I would highly recommend Verbena. The food was very creative—I couldn't pass up one of the appetizers—shrimp and grits—simply for the idea of putting these 2 food items on the same plate. It was absolutely delicious! The actual menu at the restaurant was different from their on-line menu, so hopefully they will update that soon, as the current menu choices are much better than what you see online."

[CGS, 11/08] said: "Noticing all the hubbub on your site about Verbena, I just wanted to mention to you that a new chef has taken over there as of a week or two ago. He's skilled and should be up to the task of filling the void that has existed there since their previous chef left a few months ago. Expect many of the concerns dated 10/08 to be replaced by better reviews. People's recent comments come from their experiences with the temporary cook who was officially replaced a week or so ago. The new guy (Chef Bruce Wieszala) has big-city street cred and even appeared on Iron Chef America as a sous to a well-known Atlanta chef. I've eaten a few items prepared by him and have been very impressed. He's also really into using local food. If Verbena's management gives him ample latitude with the menu, that place could really sing. Perhaps you publishing my comments might encourage previously disappointed clients to try Verbena again and lend some understanding as to why the place seemed to have taken such a nose dive."

[MaSt, 11/08] said: "My husband, daughter, and I dined 11/22 in The Grill at Verbena's. We had a Restaurant.com certificate, and I checked out the menu online. There was an interesting array of sandwiches and burgers offered, so we decided to try it. When we were given the menus, we were disappointed to see that the menu had changed drastically, and there were many fewer offerings on it. My daughter ordered a chicken panini ($10), which was basically a grilled, half sub-roll. It had provolone and artichoke hearts on it and was served with house-made chips, which tasted good, except they were overly salty. My husband ordered the Cuban Sandwich ($10)—a gain, a half sub-roll with roasted pork, ham, cheese, mustard, and pickle. It was served with chips also. He thought it tasted pretty good. I had the Short Rib sliders ($11)—three teeny-tiny, open-faced "sandwiches" (think three bites each). The meat was barely warm, in what seemed to be a beer-based barbecue sauce. It desperately needed some salt and pepper, which was not on the table. It was served with celery-root slaw and house-made pickles. They were too sweet for my taste, so I left them on the plate. The slaw was OK, but too thick with mayo. On the side, we ordered the house-made potato chips with Maytag bleu cheese ($9). Great concept: razor-thin chips—waaaaayyy too much salt. Our waitress was very attentive—even comped us a beer, because she felt the serving of chips was "skimpy". We waited quite a while for her to collect the money we owed; she apologized and said she was tending to "an unhappy customer". Overall, the ambience is very nice, but the food is overpriced for what you get. Wouldn't return."

[KBP, 10/08] said: "It's amazing how quickly a great restaurant can go down to a poor restaurant when the chef leaves. The other night, my partner and I went to Verbena for dinner. We were both totally disappointed in our entrees. When we asked if the chef that we expected was working that night, we were told that he no longer worked there. I'm referring to Scott Donhauser. We should have suspected something was amiss when we walked into the restaurant. We didn't see a single staff person that we normally saw there. We don't know why he left, but we won't go back again."

[GSi, 10/08] said: "I visited Verbena with my husband on Saturday night (10/4/08) for the second time since it opened in May. We had been meaning to go back sooner, but, unfortunately for us, we didn't get the chance until this past weekend. I say "unfortunately" for many reasons, but the most disappointing reason was that we discovered that the chef, Scott Donhauser, was no longer there. My husband and I have been fans of his for some time, going back to the (good) days of Daffodil's. When we heard he was the chef at The Stillwater downtown, we made sure we got there as often as possible. We had also attended several wine dinners at the Buffalo Launch Club while he was the chef there, and our expectations were always surpassed. When we found out that Donhauser was opening Verbena, we couldn't wait to check it out. Our first visit was exactly what we had anticipated: creative food and beautiful presentations. Attention to detail was not only present in the food but by the serving staff as well. There was even a complimentary "appetizer" of sorts called an amuse bouche. We had never experienced anything like this in a restaurant in this area. Our dinners, the free-form lasagna and the lamb strip loin, were both outstanding. We had a much different experience this time. His absence was obvious to us on this visit. My husband ordered the "Surf and Turf" salad, which had beef tenderloin and grilled lobster. The beef was overcooked, and the plate looked like it had been thrown together. For entrees, we ordered the veal tenderloin and the free-form lasagna, because I enjoyed it so much the first time. My husband's first choice was the lamb, but we were told that they were "out". It seems odd to me that a restaurant like this would be out of anything on a busy Saturday night. Both entrees came to the table cold. The server was more than happy to accommodate us, but we could tell she was embarrassed and very apologetic. When we asked about the chef, she told us that he had left, and was hesitant to go into detail when we asked where he had gone. To say we were disappointed is an understatement. There is definietly a void at this restaurant, and I think there will be many others who agree with me. We saw a decline in not only the food but the service at The Stillwater after Chef Donhauser left. It appears as though the same thing is happening at Verbena. I would not recommend this place."

[PT, 8/08] said: "My husband and I went to Verbena last weekend. Since it was our first visit, we asked our server what she would recommend. She said the long-bone beef short ribs and the free-form seafood lasagna are their most popular entrees, and cast iron scallops the favorite appetizer. To start, I had a Verbena salad, and my husband had the French onion soup, served in an onion. Both were very good. For entrees, we ordered two of the dishes that our server recommended, which also received positive reviews on your website—the short ribs and the lasagna. My husband said his beef short ribs were excellent—extremely tender and deliciously seasoned. He liked the accompanying mashed potatoes, too. My lasagna tasted delicious, but the portions of shrimp and scallops were skimpy—more like an appetizer size than a main course. My entree was a big (or maybe I should say small) disappointment, but at least one of us went home happy—and full."

[GOw, 8/08] said: "We had a nice relaxing enjoyable time at Verbena this past Saturday night. The place was busy. We called for reservations, and we were able to reserve a table for 7:30 pm. I do not recall ever eating at this restaurant (formerly Daffodil's). It is definitely upscale, with an older crowd. I'd guess 50s and up dominated the place. The bar-and-grill room looked to be a bit younger crowd, but not much. Upon entering, we found the hostess area to be a bit peculiar. This is a rather large restaurant and no real area to check in with the hostess. It just seemed a bit disorganized, but I will attribute this to how busy they were. We were, in fact, seated immediately. The service was professional and leisurely. We were in no rush. We started off with Beefeater martinis. Perfect. We were brought a nice on-the-house bruschetta. This was a classy touch, and appreciated. Our server was attentive and professional. She asked us if we were interested in wine; I said we would stick with hard liquor, and she laughed. That set the tone, and we had a good time. I decided to try the French onion soup baked in an onion. It had smoked provolone and Gruyere cheese. This was good. Neat idea with it served in the Vidalia onion. The server brought a steak knife, in case I wanted to eat the "bowl". I did eat a portion of it. Jan asked for an appetizer-sized portion of an entree. This was provided for without any trouble: Macaroni and cheese made with chorizo and garlic sausage, sweet peas, Manchego cheese, crab lump meat, and truffle oil. Devastatingly deadly. We were probably safe, since there were probably a number of cardiologists in house. For entrees, Jan chose the Long Bone Beef Short Ribs described as Quatre Epice dusted, Sauce Provençal, and pistou-whipped potatoes. She really liked this fork-tender dish. We do not know what pistou is, but it was good. [Editor's note: Pistou is a French version of pesto.] I opted for the Free Form Lasagna made with shrimp, scallops, lobster bisque, creamed spinach, and tomato. Another winner. We could not say "no" to dessert. Jan had the pineapple crisp with cocoanut ice cream. I liked this more than Jan. [Editor's note: As long as I'm editorializing, I really can't resist observing that if you liked the dessert more than you liked Jan, you may be in trouble :-)] [To which [GOw] clarifies: "The dessert really was very good...Jan, however, is exquisite." :-)] She thought the crisp part should be crispy. I liked the tartness of the pineapple in contrast to the sweetness of the ice cream. We also had a rum-laced, lady-finger tiramisu, which was enjoyed equally until gone. The coffee was good. The GM stopped by and chatted with us for a bit. I had noticed that, on the menu, the soup of the day was printed as soup of the "moment". This was identical to how it was written on the menu at The Stillwater. Sure enough, same owner. If you have a special night to share or truly enjoy fine dining, you can't go wrong here. Keep in mind, you will pay. Our bill? $157 (with tip)."

Victoria Park Restaurant.
Niagara Parkway (opposite the American and Canadian Horseshoe Falls), Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada.
877-642-7275 (toll free), 905-371-0254

[8/00] [MER], our son, and I ate here and were very pleasantly surprised. I had always thought that this was merely a tourist trap provided by the Canadian government. Well, maybe, but our meal was wonderful, and the setting (overlooking the Falls, at sunset) was superb. We were there when they had numerous specials with peaches, since they were in season, but the regular menu looked great, too. We began with a nice salad with peaches and a tomato vinaigrette. I had a seafood-stuffed trout in a Riesling-and-peach-scented cream sauce, accompanied by string beans, cauliflower, and roasted potatoes. [MER] had a chicken supreme with cranberry-rice stuffing. We will definitely go back.

The View Restaurant.
4041 Locust Lane (at Eastdell Estates winery), Beamsville, ON, CANADA.
905-563-9463.

[WHN, 8/06] says: "Returning from Toronto, we had lunch at what used to be the Bench Bistro, but is now called The View. We had been there two or three years ago, before the name change. The restaurant overlooks their vineyards, with Lake Ontario in the distance. At lunchtime, the menu consists mostly of sandwiches, with a few entrees like steak, pasta, and a fish of the day. I had a sandwich of beef tenderloin tips on sourdough bread, with caramelized onions, roasted red peppers, and a creamy sauce. My wife had curried chicken with spinach, tomatoes, and fresh mozzarella in a pita, with mango chutney on the side. Both were delicious. It's relatively inexpensive compared to other winery restaurants in the Niagara region. With two glasses of wine and coffee, the total including tax and gratuity was just under C$60, including tax and tip."

Viking Lobster Co..
366 Tonawanda St. (in the Black Rock area, on the West Side, near Austin St.), Buffalo.
873-1079.

In response to [MZ]'s review below, the owner informs me by email that "our web site is inaccurate [sic!] as to all the items indicated and the prices but is being corrected. The items missing are fresh shell fish which recently due to harvesting conditions we didn't feel comfortable offering. As to pricing the site didn't reflect adjustments due to fuel surcharges or the inflated prices which are now being passed on to us from the producers." And he suggests visiting the following websites for further information: Buffalo Rising and Buffalo Bar Fly. My [Bill's] only question is this: If the website is inaccurate, why not shut it down until an accurate one can be posted?

[MZ, 5/06] says: "The Viking restaurant has nothing to do with its website. It serves basically nothing: the day I was there, a fish fry, which, however, was better than most, but I came there wanting the plethora of choices on their lying website menu. The place doesn't have a liquor license and isn't worth dragging yourself to a neighborhood (Black Rock) that died 75 years ago. I come to Buffalo maybe 4 times a year to take my mother out to a good meal. Thanks a lot for nothing. (the only saving grace for her was that she grew up in this neighborhood, so she loved seeing her past, driving her around.) The review you have for this dump needs to be deleted. It's an out and out lie."

[CJ, 1/06] says: "The food was unbelievable!!!! I had the steak, and my friend had lobster. Wow!!!!! It was out of this world. The owner, Jeff, was great. In fact, after talking with him, he took us back to see the holding tanks. It looked like 4 swimming pools! I will definitely be back to see him again!!! Great job, Jeff!!!!!!!!!"

Village Casino.
1 Lakeside Dr., Bemus Point.
386-2333.

[8/09] After our unfortunate experience at the Italian Fisherman, our party of 7 (4 adults, a 15-year-old, a 13-year-old, and a 10-year-old) walked down the street to this other restaurant on Chautauqua Lake. This one is much more informal, friendly, and considerably less uptight than the other. The food is not quite as good, but it has its moments, and we had a very enjoyable time. I had the grilled citrus salmon with basil pesto and honey, accompanied by salt potatoes and a side salad with balsamic vinaigrette. This is probably the most ‘haute cuisine’ item on the menu. It was quite good, though the salad (served as an appetizer) came with a plastic fork and no knife; regular metal cutlery accompanied the main course, however. One of our guests began with the Wing Sampler Platter: 15 wings with a choice of up to 3 sauces. He opted for Cajun and regular medium wings, which we all shared; they were excellent. (The owners also run the Wing City Grille in Fredonia, which my stepson tells me has fantastic wings.) My 13-year-old son had the Buffalo Wing Wrap: ‘a soft tortilla stuffed with breaded chicken, tossed in medium wing sauce, with cheddar cheese, sweet onions, mixed greens and ranch dressing’; he liked it. Another guest had the tilapia stuffed with shrimp, scallops, and crab, with a lemon beurre blanc sauce and wild rice; it came a bit overcooked (‘burnt’ around the edges might be a less polite way to put it), but he enjoyed it. Others at our table had the fish fry and liked it. My son ordered an ice-cream cone for dessert: a standard cone, but with about 3 or 4 scoops of ice cream. We stayed long after our meal was over to enjoy the karaoke.

Village Inn.
Ridge Road (Rt. 104, at the junction with Rt. 98), Childs.
589-9151.

[7/01] [MER] and I [Bill] stopped here for lunch on our way back from the wonderful Ridge Road Station toy/train/Christmas store in Holley. We were pleasantly surprised. The food is plain American (seafood, steaks, chicken, lamb, etc.), but the menu is quite large. I had sole almondine, which was surprisingly good, accompanied by rice pilaf; [MER] had veal parmesan, which she thought was as good as that at Carmine's. For dessert, I had a blueberry pie. (They also feature "Eli's Kosher[!] Cheese Cake", imported from Chicago.)

Village Inn.
1488 Ferry Rd., Grand Island.
773-5030.

[SAS, 10/08] says: "Positive: This has been a favorite spot for islanders for over the past 20 years. The Village Inn is best known for its daily selection of homemade soups, entree specials, and desserts. We visited there last Saturday for a quick lunch. My wife had a panini special with a cup of roasted tomato-and-red-pepper soup; mine was a 1/2-pound burger with the seafood bisque. Everything was delicious, though I thought that the bisque was not quite up to their usual high standards; it was very tasty, but a bit more watery than usual, though it was chock full of seafood. My wife thought I was being too picky, however, after she tried it. Full bar service; closed on Sundays."

Village Pub.
3974 Main St. (Rt. 78), Strykersville.
1-585-457-7045.

[BL, 11/09] says: "Strykersville is a comfortable, small town in Wyoming County, east of Erie County, 15 minutes from East Aurora or 20 minutes from Alden. The Village Pub has been around for years and is good for casual dining including lunch or dinner. We are not sure if they do breakfast or brunch on Sundays. It has always been noted for a generous, delicious salad bar and a varied menu. We discovered that new owners had recently come on board. The salad bar remains similar, with minor changes. There is always a soup, tonight being a very good New England clam chowder. They used to have two soups, so customers not into seafood chowders could enjoy a soup, a good idea to continue. The new additions besides regular breads included pumpkin and banana breads, comfort food for November. They were great. The menu is still varied, and we think offers good eating. My spouse particularly enjoyed the Fettuccine Alfredo with chicken for $14.95 and thought it was one of the best he had ever had. Both the pasta and the tender chicken were flavorful. I liked my fish, choosing the panko-crusted selection ($10.95). My baked potato needed to be more that hot, steamy kind, where butter melts into it; it arrived more room temperature but was quickly reheated. After all these years, one of the two dining rooms, where we sat, is chilly during the cold months, A space heater is now being used. That is good. Keep using it. Overall, both meals were great, portions were generous, and the service very good. If I heard this correctly, the chef is recently from Montreal. It could be an interesting time for food in Strykersville. Pricewise, expect this to be more a $32 meal, including tax, instead of a $25 night out. However, considering the prices were always a tad higher at this establishment and entrees still include the quality salad bar, it will be worth a return visit."

Vince's Village Grille.
3189 Delaware Ave. (at E. Girard, across from Paddock Chevrolet), Kenmore.
876-4687.

[ABi, 5/06] says: "Texas hots are like operas: You already know whether or not you like them, and the quality of the offering won't change that. So, my review of the Village Grille is necessarily aimed not at those too dainty and/or sophisticated for them but rather only at aficionados of the food that competes with kummelweck sandwiches and the charred version of hot dogs for our second-most famous contribution to the culinary universe. Vince and his workers do a splendid job of cooking dogs sans charcoal, and the hearty souls who enjoy this type of cuisine, the ones with stomachs the dimensions and strength of footballs and battleship steel, respectively, will enjoy their Texas hots. The sauce is rich, thick, and beefy, with hot dogs that are just tender enough laid in soft, chewy rolls. The only way they could be improved would be if they were a tad spicier, as I find myself salting them more than I typically would, but it's a relatively small quibble that doesn't keep me from eating these in quantity. The Grille also features a decent-sized, diner-type menu including sandwiches, wings, Greek-style offerings, and the like, and the neon sign in the window advertises "breakfast anytime", which means you can have the most important meal of the day all day. The Village Grille is a fine choice not only for those in the Ken-Ton area who have been jonesing for Texas hots ever since Louie's headed south to North Buffalo but also for anyone craving a dose of delicious sloppiness in a bun."

Vineland Estates Restaurant.
3620 Moyer Rd. (off exit 57 on the QEW), Vineland, ON, CANADA.
1-888-846-3526.

[WHN] says:
[6/08] "We haven't been to Vineland in several years, but returned for lunch on Monday, 6/23. We chose their three-course, fixed-price lunch, now priced at C$39. The starter was fiddleheads and greens over a soft goat cheese that was somewhat like Buffalo Mozzarella. The main course was duck breast with red roasted potatoes, asparagus, yellow peppers, and orange wedges. Dessert was an assortment of chocolate and raspberry petit fours. Since it was a beautiful summer day, we ate on the patio, looking out toward Lake Ontario and Toronto, but it was a cloudy, hazy day, so you couldn't see much beyond the lake. It started to rain, and the staff quickly moved everyone to inside tables. It's expensive, but offers excellent food and service."

[11/05] "In our opinion, this is one of the best restaurants on the Niagara Peninsula. We've eaten lunch here at least once a year for several years, usually on the deck in summer, when the view of the vineyards and Lake Ontario is wonderful, but the food is just as good in fall and winter, the view is the same from the now-enclosed deck, albeit not as colorful, and the crowds are smaller. In addition to their à la carte menu, there's a three-course fixed price lunch for C$35, which, on our visit, included pumpkin bisque to start, a main course choice of mushroom fettuccine or venison, and apple strudel for dessert. My wife ordered the fettuccine, and I had the venison, and we shared some of each. Everything is made with seasonal Niagara Region and Canadian produce, meats, seafood, with wines from their own vineyard and other local ones. All the food was excellent, as was the service. (Except for the waiter "pushing" a C$70 bottle of Vineland Reserve Chardonnay.) For dinner, which we have not yet tried, they offer a C$70 five-course dinner (C$100 with wine pairings), as well as many à la carte choices."

Vino Primo.
67 St. Paul St., St. Catharine's, ON, CANADA.
905-688-4479.

[2/06] Given 3½ (out of 4) stars by Janice Okun, Buffalo News restaurant reviewer.

Vino's Italian Restaurant.
1652 Elmwood Ave. (between Amherst St. & Great Arrow Ave.), Buffalo.
332-2166.

[LFo, 4/08] says: "I've wanted to go to Vino's for a while and finally got to go there with three other people last weekend. It's a small restaurant with white tablecloths, although you can dress casual. Reservations are recommended, but we got there right when they opened at 5:00 and had no problem getting a table. Everything on their menu is reasonably priced, and everbody liked their meal. I had ziti with their homemade red sauce, and two of the other people I was with had their homemade ravioli. The fourth person had their special—a filet mignon and a pasta salad that he really enjoyed. He also got a side of spaghetti. The lady behind the bar was one of the owners, and her husband is the chef. She was very friendly and answered a few questions that we had. She made us feel like we were at home. She makes the desserts herself, so of course we had to try a couple of her cakes, which were sitting right on the bar. We tried the rum cake and a banana walnut cake. Both were delicious, and you could tell they were homemade. All four of us would go back there again. It is a welcoming, clean atmosphere, and the owners make you feel as if you are part of their family. The food was fresh and homemade, and the service was perfect. I highly recommend this place to anyone."

Vizzi's.
967 Kenmore Ave., Kenmore.
871-1965.

[CLHe, 9/09] says: "Four of us visited Vizzi's on 9/23/2009, and all ordered burgers. They were incredible!! I don't know what seasoning they put on them, but it really added a lot. We all ordered them medium, and it was great to be able to have a burger nice and pink on the inside. Very flavorful. The hand-cut fries are wonderful. The portions are so large that it is tough to decide whether to eat all the fries while they are still hot, or dig in to the burger. I opted for the fries first! This place serves great burgers and fries at an amazing price. Will definitely be returning."

[BaS, 7/09] said: "Advertises ‘the monster burger’ out front. My husband stopped there recently with a friend and loved the burger. We went to Vizzi's 7/2/09 around 5:00 pm. The restaurant has a lively bar; the eating area is in view. I had no choice but to get the Monster Burger; my husband got the fish fry. And the burger was huge! Very juicy, grilled to medium as ordered. It came with very large plate of fresh cut fries. My husband started with Chicken Wing Soup, which had a nice tang to it. The fish was breaded, a large piece, and came with those hand-cut fries. Our waitress was the owner's wife, and it turned out she went to high school with my husband. Of course; it's Buffalo. You always run into someone you know. The food was good; we will go back."