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PrintRESTAURANTS WE LOVE—We have a winner!
A Spree contest and sneak preview
Congratulations to beannie54, whose description of eating desserts at Romeo and Juliet's while waiting for take-out made sense to us!
Prepare to get hungry in March, as Buffalo Spree highlights the restaurants we love! You’ll find high-and-low-end favorites, legendary picks, and all manner of morsels.
And as a special sneak preview, here’s a tasty contest. In 100 words or less, tell us about a restaurant YOU love, and why. Is it the food? The ambiance? The staff? The memories? Or all of the above? You never know—it might be a restaurant WE love, too.
One winner will receive a $50 gift certificate for a great Buffalo restaurant—just in time for Valentine’s Day—so get eatin’, and get writin’. (In the comments space below.)
And to tip you in the right direction, here’s one example from the March issue, by Spree food writer Kevin Purdy:
WNY’s VIP of BBQ
Kentucky Greg’s
2186 George Urban Blvd., Depew
685-6599
2911 Southwestern Blvd., Orchard Park
677-2225
www.kentuckygregs.com
Some barbeque gurus treat their prep work, smoking, and recipes as a sacred, secret ritual. Greg Engelhardt, the Texas-born, Kentucky-raised proprietor of the astutely named Kentucky Greg’s, wants to show and tell you all about his food. Pulled pork, beef, ribs, chicken, and Polish sausage all get a go through Greg’s smoker, and the sides are almost uniformly delicious. Both the Depew and Orchard Park locations aim to mimic the feel of the South’s bona fide ’cue joints—not with crazy amounts of warehouse-order wall fixtures, but by fostering a communal, y’all-eat-up-now vibe. The place has food cred, getting mentions in online reviews alongside such near-Biblical eateries as Arthur Bryant’s in Kansas City. Of course, you can argue about the techniques—Carolina mopping against Texas dry-rub, tomato versus vinegar sauces, dry versus dressed pork—until you’re good and tired. At that point, head to Greg’s, grab a seat and a beer, and learn how to relax.
Reader Comments:
Desiderio's on Broadway-great food, comfortable atmosphere, and friendly staff. Delicious, home-made Italian dishes. Love the stuffed peppers and the pasta sauce!
The Left Bank’s warm interior is only outshined by the gracious staff and beautifully delectable food. I wish I could say that I have enjoyed everything from appetizers to entrees to desserts on their menu, but I haven’t been able to sample everything just yet! That said, the Ahi tuna "tartare" is a surefire pleaser. The offerings from their “specials” menu are consistently winners; meals are always prepared as requested; and their wine recommendations are spot on, too. On my third date with my boyfriend last year, I realized that I was hooked on the man AND the restaurant!
Linguini's - Lancaster, food is of excellent quality, ample portions, staff friendly, love it - love it!
Taste of Thai
1460 Hertel Avenue
Buffalo, NY 14216
716.833.8423
I’ve eaten Thai food in California, Vermont, Florida and even Montreal but Taste of Thai on Hertel Avenue has the most authentic Thai of them all. Every ingredient tastes like it was just cut in the kitchen, from the tomatoes to the ginger. I can never seem to get enough of the place, whether it’s dining in or ordering out. Plus, it’s affordable so I can indulge regularly. If I could only eat at one restaurant for the rest of my life, I’d choose Taste of Thai.
My Tomato Pie is by far my favorite restaurant. With reasonably priced menu items and tons to choose from you can't go wrong with the Italian cuisine. Don't be put off by its plaza location, the atmosphere inside is exceptionally inviting. The service is impeccable with no qualms about making everything just how you like it. They have special dishes and sides for kids as well as several wines and beers to choose from for the adult diner. My Tomato pie is a great place for a family dinner, dinner with friends or dinner with the girls. My absolute menu favorites, though hard to choose, are the tomato basil soup to start then Pasta Maria or Felice pizza for an entree! By the by, they also have an excellently priced banquet service with a big screen tv! Enjoy and "Mangia bene, vivi felice"
Vino's on Elmwood Avenue is a wonderful choice. The atmosphere is warm and comfortable and always busy. Italian food is delicious and if you go be sure and have a meatball even if it doesn't come with your meal. Best I and my husband have tasted. If you crave dessert one glance at the fabulous cakes displayed and you will be hooked, all made on the premises. Our favorite restaurant to take city and suburban friends and they have enjoyed the experience as much as we have.
Danny's South - Orchard Park, Quality food and choices, Value for your dining out dollar, and very quaint comfortable atmosphere! Our favorite place!
Gramma Moras!! I love the cheese enchilladas there so much and of course the margheritas. I love that I can bring my family there, have great food in a comfortable place that is homemade. I recommend it to friends all of the time. Its also just a great place for a low key date night. Just love it!
Mother's, hands down.
My husband chose Mother's for our first date in 1995. It soon became our regular haunt. Amy and Mark kept the bubbly flowing at our engagement celebration in 1997 and we ended up closing the place, with friends and parents in tow. Ouch. I think we even "danced" on the bar, if fuzzy memory serves me right. Fast-forward through 12 more years, countless tasty dinners (both personal and professional), and perhaps a few too many (?) happy hours and with Bob, Gabe & Sam. The menu is so appealing, the service is warm, and the wine list is solid! Just gotta love it. Thanks for everything, Mom!
Oliver’s consistent quality and depth of creativity is evidenced by the fact that it is a long-time training ground for many of Buffalo’s best chefs. Unaware of their brief closure for renovations in early January, we were pleasantly surprised on our most recent visit to see the new carpet, window treatments, upholstery, and granite bar top that have refreshed one of Buffalo’s finest and most welcoming restaurants. For despite its reputation of high-end dining, it is always comfortable, never intimidating. From the owners through every level and aspect of the staff, the emphasis is on making everyone feel special and at-home. We’ve been regulars at Oliver’s for over twenty years and we have always left there satisfied; they’ve never let us down.