[OT] Official Bar & Restaraunt Endorsement Thread

[Eleven]

I know it's all frozen food, but Pano's filet mignon... mmmmm

 

Ok, tell that new boyfriend of yours to give me a call for recommendations. Clearly, something is very wrong here.

[spndnchz]

Ok, tell that new boyfriend of yours to give me a call for recommendations. Clearly, something is very wrong here.

 

Hey, City Grill is still on the list. That must make u happy? lol

[Braedon]

Tempo is terrific. I haven't eaten at Fiamma (I've had drinks there, but that's it), but I have heard good things. Nektar--good call; as long as it's not filled with idiots, the food and atmosphere are great. I've never been to Friar's, but one of my best friends swears by it. I'll have to get out there with her one night.

 

Taste of Thai is very good. There's a joint on NF Boulevard that I like a little better. I could find it, but I can't name it.

 

Jasmine or Saigon Bangkok maybe?

 

Friar's is a jewel. Tucked away near the Buff/Cheek border, it's got such a great ambiance. Definitely known for their steaks, it's what I get every time. If you like caesar salad they have one of those that comes out like a head of romaine.

 

What ever happened to Shepherds Restaurant on Transit? I thought they were just remodeling but it totally disappeared. Used to love that place.

 

I'm gonna weigh in on a few:

 

Buffalo-area wings: Duff's. Anchor Bar has been a swing-and-a-miss every time I've been there.

 

WNY Pizza - jumps around a lot. As a Northtowns guy I like Pizza Junction and Franco's in North Tonawanda. Always liked Jaco's in the Falls (now on the Island?) and since we lived pretty much next door to them for a couple years I also love Galasi's food, especially their pizza and Buffalo-tossed chicken fingers.

 

Speaking of the island, I love John's Pizza & Subs. In the Falls I like David's Steal Hoagy.

 

In Rochester I like Pontillo's - every time the missus goes to see the M-I-L I make sure she brings some back. I think it is the same location that Taro said is hit-or-miss - on Rt 31 in Perinton - but we've never had any bad food from there.

 

Here in the Parma area good pizza and wings are hard to find, so for wings we end up at Buffalo Wild Wings (side note: went to that new BWW in Niagara Falls, next to the outlet mall on Sunday night. Disappointing. Service was awfully slow on a quiet night in the restaurant and the prices were high.) We usually order pizza from a little place called Fratello's.

 

Another Cleveland-area favorite: Winking Lizard bar/tavern. Good food (really good burgers) great beer selection, lots of TVs.

 

Mighty Taco, of course.

 

Wolf, two of the greatest restaurants in the Clev area you have to try if you haven't already:

 

1) Sullivan's Irish Pub on Madison in Lakewood. Absolutely killer boxtys.

 

2) Bruno's Ristorante on W41st. It's in the ghetto but we have never found better Italian. Blasphemy being from Buffalo, I know.

[Eleven]

Hey, City Grill is still on the list. That must make u happy? lol

 

All right, that's better.

 

Jasmine or Saigon Bangkok maybe?

 

Friar's is a jewel. Tucked away near the Buff/Cheek border, it's got such a great ambiance. Definitely known for their steaks, it's what I get every time. If you like caesar salad they have one of those that comes out like a head of romaine.

 

What ever happened to Shepherds Restaurant on Transit? I thought they were just remodeling but it totally disappeared. Used to love that place.

 

 

 

Wolf, two of the greatest restaurants in the Clev area you have to try if you haven't already:

 

1) Sullivan's Irish Pub on Madison in Lakewood. Absolutely killer boxtys.

 

2) Bruno's Ristorante on W41st. It's in the ghetto but we have never found better Italian. Blasphemy being from Buffalo, I know.

 

One of my last memories of my grandmother involves me taking her out to dinner there. It'll always be special even if the food wasn't. (It wasn't.)

[CallawaySabres]

Hutch's - petite fillet-mignon with brandy cream sauce

ET&S - taco supreme (turkey sub not nearly as good as it was back in the day)

Bar Bill - best wings within 30 minutes of Buffalo in my opinion

Pizza - Mr Pizza

[nbash]

Buffalo favorites forever:

 

Casa Di Pizza -- screw Duffs and Anchor bar

 

Mothers -- great food, great crowd

 

And of course, the late, great Billy Ogdens

[Bmwolf21]

Wolf, two of the greatest restaurants in the Clev area you have to try if you haven't already:

 

1) Sullivan's Irish Pub on Madison in Lakewood. Absolutely killer boxtys.

 

2) Bruno's Ristorante on W41st. It's in the ghetto but we have never found better Italian. Blasphemy being from Buffalo, I know.

Thanks for the recommendations. I usually don't get into Lakewood or Downtown - we've still never gotten in to eat at Melt, which I suspect will happen once the Independence location opens up - but I'll have to add those to the list.

[Doohicksie]

If you ever find yourself in Fort Worth, pining for Buffalo foods, check out Buffalo Bros. by TCU. Sahlen's hot dogs, authentic wings, loganberry ON TAP, beef on weck, and an awesome fried baloney sandwich.

[TheChimp]

And for those that want real Mexican and don't want to drive to Perinton, I'm a huge supporter of a little hole in the wall place on E. Henrietta road called El Dorado. Give it a try and tell Nelson the waiter that "Botas" told you about it.

There was this place, way back in '96 when I last lived in B-Lo, across the street from the Zoo, best Mexican I ever ate in Buffalo. They deep fried their flour tortillas, only place I ever had that and it was goooood.

 

And Nino's in West Seneca (Union Road??) had the best pizza. Little pools of grease in every little pepperoni slice. OMFG.

[korab rules]

Nobody backed up your Elmo's choice. Back when I was local to Buffalo I had two places for wings. Elmo's and Brennan's Bowery Bar. IMO they both had the best wings in the 'burbs. Having moved out of the county 10 years ago I can't speak to their greatness anymore but they used to be my fav's.

 

You Rochester guys..... ever make it out to The Stoneyard in Brockport? We don't get into Brockport often but when we do we make time for a meal there. Fantastic Cubano sammiches. And great beers on tap too.

 

And if any of you ever get into Batavia, Sunny's on the back side of the Genesee Country Mall has the absolute best clam chowder I've ever had. The rest of the menu is good if unspectacular but that chowder is killer.

 

And the best reuben I've ever had was headed out towards Korab Rules country at the Village Tavern in Hammondsport, NY at the bottom of Keuka Lake.

 

Everything at the VT is pretty good - I presume you enjoyed their beer selection?

 

Newest place on the Hammondsport square is Champaigne BBQ (they spelled it wrong, not me). Pretty decent Q at very reasonable prices. Their beer selection leaves a lot to be desired, though.

 

And a Big HELL YEAH to Bar Bill's wings. MMMMMmmmmmm.

[SDS]

The fact that every person in this thread is theoretically still alive is nothing short of a miracle... Eat a vegetable or two for heaven's sake!

 

I've lost 14 lbs and I hope to lose another 8 lbs to get to my high school graduation weight.

 

Garbage plates... uhg.

[buffalohsix]

Can't miss the waffle fries at ETS

 

but for dining, Merge on Delaware

[korab rules]

Too many posts to multi quote.

 

Too young to have experienced much fine dining when I left Buffalo, but a big thumbs up for the Friar's Table - was oustanding when I was there last, which is now close to 15 years. Used to be able to get a seriously large hunk of meat there.

 

Someone mentioned the Polish Villa somewhere - is that place still around? Only in Buffalo could that place survive. The Poles aren't exactly known for their fine cuisine.

 

It astounds me that Buffalo doesn't have a consensus, to die for, steak house. Its not that hard. Buy great cuts of aged meat, gently season it, sear it over seriously high heat, throw it on a plate with butter and get it to the table before it gets cold.

 

I have heard mixed reviews on EB green's. Whats the new steakhouse by the Galleria - anyone been there? Any good?

 

If it's pizza you want, try Pasquale's in East Aurora with extra sauce. Hand made dough made on site, hand stretched. Their own proprietary blend of spices in their home made sauce. Too bad the wings are only OK. Good thing is it's only two blocks from Bar Bill!!!

[Braedon]

 

I have heard mixed reviews on EB green's. Whats the new steakhouse by the Galleria - anyone been there? Any good?

 

 

 

Hyde Park. It's a chain, about 10 locations. I haven't eaten at the Buffalo location, however I've hit the Westlake Ohio location a few times and it was really good. I get the porterhouse and it's one of a few places that can cook both loins perfectly medium rare. If you like oysters, they are very tasty there. But again, this is based on the Westlake location.

[cdexchange]

Dear god this thread is making me hungry. I'll add a few favorites that haven't been mentioned yet. I gave up greasy fatty food for the most part a few years ago (and have since gone from 305 to 187 lbs :)), so my focus is always finding stuff that is both healthy and delicious. :thumbsup:

 

Mezza on Elmwood - really good Lebanese & Greek food. Their Shish Tawouk chicken is super flavorful and tender. Get the mashawi dinner if you like garlic (their toum is fantastic), or get a couple skewers of chicken over their house fatoush salad...amazing and healthy! Their taboulleh is also very good, by itself or in a wrap.

 

Betty's on Virginia Ave. - a great lunch spot, super fresh ingredients, daily specials, lots of healthy options. Nice outdoor seating. Their Jerk Chicken sandwich is better than any I've had in the Caribbean.

 

Asian - I love Wasabi and Kuni's for sushi, Saigon Bangkok for vietnamese, and Thai House for Thai.

 

Mexican - obviously it's not quite authentic, but I do LOVE me some Chipotle and I'm was very happy to find out yesterday that they are opening one in the BJ's plaza in Blasdell which is very close to my house.

 

Also, like people upthread already mentioned, Left Bank is fantastic and it's our go-to place for special occasions.

 

Alright, back to my turkey sandwich and baked chips now. :(

[Weave]

It astounds me that Buffalo doesn't have a consensus, to die for, steak house. Its not that hard. Buy great cuts of aged meat, gently season it, sear it over seriously high heat, throw it on a plate with butter and get it to the table before it gets cold.

 

 

I would think that the closest thing to a consesnsus on steaks would be The Buffalo Chop House. I've never been personally, but it seems to get universal reviews.

 

Heck, Stamkos seemed to enjoy it, right? :ph34r:

[Ghost of Dwight Drane]

The fact that every person in this thread is theoretically still alive is nothing short of a miracle... Eat a vegetable or two for heaven's sake!

 

I've lost 14 lbs and I hope to lose another 8 lbs to get to my high school graduation weight.

 

Garbage plates... uhg.

 

At least someone here will be healthy enough to dig the government mandated mass graves.

[Weave]

Everything at the VT is pretty good - I presume you enjoyed their beer selection?

 

Newest place on the Hammondsport square is Champaigne BBQ (they spelled it wrong, not me). Pretty decent Q at very reasonable prices. Their beer selection leaves a lot to be desired, though.

 

 

I do appreciate Village Tavern's beer selection but wish they would put more interesting beers on tap. I like the huge bottle selection but my philosophy is, why drink bottles when I am out? Nowadays it is too easy to buy all those interesting beers in bottle and have them at home. Gimme a 16-20oz glass of draft please.

 

I'll have to check out Champaigne BBQ next time I am in town (which may be as soon as tomorrow or Friday depending on how my schedule works out).

[Sterling Archer]

At least someone here will be healthy enough to dig the government mandated mass graves.

 

To bad the standard mass grave can only fit 4 Americans.

[Doohicksie]

Someone mentioned the Polish Villa somewhere - is that place still around? Only in Buffalo could that place survive. The Poles aren't exactly known for their fine cuisine.

 

The one on Harlem Road looked like it was still going when I passed it last summer (early morning bicycle ride).

[SDS]

Dear god this thread is making me hungry. I'll add a few favorites that haven't been mentioned yet. I gave up greasy fatty food for the most part a few years ago (and have since gone from 305 to 187 lbs :)), so my focus is always finding stuff that is both healthy and delicious. :thumbsup:

 

Mezza on Elmwood - really good Lebanese & Greek food. Their Shish Tawouk chicken is super flavorful and tender. Get the mashawi dinner if you like garlic (their toum is fantastic), or get a couple skewers of chicken over their house fatoush salad...amazing and healthy! Their taboulleh is also very good, by itself or in a wrap.

 

Betty's on Virginia Ave. - a great lunch spot, super fresh ingredients, daily specials, lots of healthy options. Nice outdoor seating. Their Jerk Chicken sandwich is better than any I've had in the Caribbean.

 

Asian - I love Wasabi and Kuni's for sushi, Saigon Bangkok for vietnamese, and Thai House for Thai.

 

Mexican - obviously it's not quite authentic, but I do LOVE me some Chipotle and I'm was very happy to find out yesterday that they are opening one in the BJ's plaza in Blasdell which is very close to my house.

 

Also, like people upthread already mentioned, Left Bank is fantastic and it's our go-to place for special occasions.

 

Alright, back to my turkey sandwich and baked chips now. :(

 

Congrats on your weight loss! That's awesome.

 

You might want to look up the caloric content in Chipotle. It is astronomical...

 

Most of my meals consist of steel-cut oats, berries/pineapple, and garden salads with chicken.

[Weave]

Most of my meals consist of steel-cut oats, berries/pineapple, and garden salads with chicken.

 

That ain't living man, that's surviving. :ph34r:

 

 

Actually, my workday meal selection isn't too far off from that. Breakfast is 1/2 cup of oatmeal with a handful of dried fruit, 1 Tbls brown sugar, and a heavy sprinkle of cinnamon. Lunch is a small sandwich, cup of yogurt, and a piece of fruit, with a 0 cal flavored water. And dinner doesn't have any starches to speak of, usually meat, green salad, and a veggie.

 

I eat whatever my tastebuds tell me to eat on the weekends though. And I just came back from New Orleans. There is no such thing as dieting on a trip to the Big Easy. I'm off of work this week as well so I have really fallen off the wagon badly. My body won;t be used to eatinghealthy come Monday.

[frissonic]

Dear god this thread is making me hungry. I'll add a few favorites that haven't been mentioned yet. I gave up greasy fatty food for the most part a few years ago (and have since gone from 305 to 187 lbs :)), so my focus is always finding stuff that is both healthy and delicious. :thumbsup:

 

(snippy snippy)

i need your secret. i've tried it all: exercise, cutting portions, kicking soda to the curb, pounding 64 oz of water a day ... nothing. what's your trick?

 

edit: ohhhh ... there's the kicker--healthy AND delicious. doesn't that narrow the menu to like 5 things? ;)

[Sterling Archer]

i need your secret. i've tried it all: exercise, cutting portions, kicking soda to the curb, pounding 64 oz of water a day ... nothing. what's your trick?

 

edit: ohhhh ... there's the kicker--healthy AND delicious. doesn't that narrow the menu to like 5 things? ;)

 

Don't live in Buffalo. I went from 250 my junior year of HS (about 7 years ago) to 172 (about 18 months ago) to 210 (now). I should have never moved to Buffalo. Blowing out my knee hasn't helped either.

[Sabre Dance]

Hyde Park. It's a chain, about 10 locations. I haven't eaten at the Buffalo location, however I've hit the Westlake Ohio location a few times and it was really good. I get the porterhouse and it's one of a few places that can cook both loins perfectly medium rare. If you like oysters, they are very tasty there. But again, this is based on the Westlake location.

 

We ate at the Buffalo Hyde Park shortly after it opened - worst steak ever! Service was lousy, food was tepid (despite us sitting right next to the kitchen). It may have been a fluke, as I hear other locations are really good...

 

As for other places in WNY - Curly's in Lackawanna, (Caribbean influenced), Eckl's in Orchard Park for beef on weck (better than Schwabl's IMHO) and 31 Club downtown or Rick's on Main in East Aurora for fancy meals. Root Five in Hamburg/LakeShore for some good food and drinks on a lakeside patio (great place to watch a sunset).