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Where the asphalt meets the condiments
Nancy J. Parisi
Western New Yorkers embrace the warmer months and accompanying outdoor activities with gusto. Nothing says summer more than a burger or charbroiled hotdog served in a plastic mesh basket on a sticky table with a warm breeze and the whirring of cars and mosquitoes in the air. Here are a few plein-air favorites of the region:
Taffy’s
3261 Orchard Park Rd.
Orchard Park
675-0264
TAFFY’S, LOCATED AT THE SOMETIMES-TREACHEROUS INTERSECTION OF ORCHARD PARK ROAD, SOUTHWESTERN BOULEVARD, AND LAKE AVENUE KNOWN AS FIVE CORNERS, IS ABSOLUTELY LEGENDARY in the Southtowns for red hots and milkshakes. Locally owned by the Toufic family (sounds sort of like “Taffy’s,” get it?) and limited to one location, this small joint has been open seasonally for sixty-two years: there’s a vintage photograph hanging amid various memorabilia showing Taffy’s back when Five Corners was a juncture of several dusty country roads. From mid-March until mid-November they’re open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
As I visit, one regular, “Pops” (born Mike Pikula; the nickname comes from a longtime Taffy’s employee), holds his usual spot at the interior counter and watches the line grow longer and longer. “I’ve been a customer here since 1957,” he says proudly, going on to describe the vicinity back when the area was “nothing but woods,” with a now-defunct amusement park and airport both nearby. His favorite menu item, he reports, is the clam roll sub; the key ingredient may also be ordered as a finger food.
General manager Piper Ware, who’s been mixing milkshakes and working the counters for twenty-two years, backs up Pops’s words. Above us the menu lists 112 milkshake flavors: the basics plus some tropically themed surprises such as “Island Breeze” and “Typhoon Twist.” All are made with hand-scooped ice cream and set under individual mixers. Malteds are also an option.
There is a parking lot behind Taffy’s accessible from both Orchard Park Road and Southwestern (Tops, SteinMart, and Lowe’s are all nearby commercial landmarks); alongside the lot and continuing around to the building’s façade is a colorful network of covered swinging tables. In case of rain, there are twelve more small tables inside, and take-out is always a possibility.
Fries at Taffy’s are hand-cut daily and come straight, curly, or made from sweet potatoes. One unusual menu item is Taffy’s potato spuds, made with baby potatoes that have been boiled, not fried, and accompanied by a variety of dipping sauces. Taffy’s dogs are Sahlen’s, and the secret sauce Ware mixes for them is a nicely chunky sweet-sour blend—don’t even think of asking for the recipe. As is hotdog stand tradition, vegetarians have scant choices, but veggie burgers are available.
Of special note is “An Ode to Condiments,” written by “Kevin” (a nom de chien, according to Ware) and reprinted on the back of the menu. These twenty-two lines of rhyming couplets not only discuss the traditional generic companions for dogs and burgers, but specifically highlight Taffy’s finer points: “Pickles are a favorite, of every girl and boy / Ours, they are imported, they come from Illinois” and “Taffy’s sauce, my favorite, it’s tangy and it’s hot / Add it to a footlong dog, it really hits the spot.” Who can argue with poetry?
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Anderson’s
(Seven area locations, but the oldest surviving one remains the best)
2235 Sheridan Dr.
Kenmore
875-5952
www.andersonscustard.com
ANDERSON’S IS AS MUCH A STAPLE OF SUMMER IN WNY AS GORGEOUS LAKESIDE SUNSETS. The local chain’s origins are outlined on the back of every takeout bag, but in a nutshell (or rather, a paper sack), Carl and Greta Anderson first entered the business in 1946 with a now-defunct drive-in on Kenmore Avenue. The location at 2235 Sheridan Drive is officially their second, but remains the best by far with original signage (circa 1952) and vintage vibe intact. With interior and lot-top seating, Anderson’s accommodates hotdog and burger aficionados year-round; with additional locations in Williamsville, Buffalo, Cheektowaga, Amherst, Lancaster, and Lockport, their roadside dining reach is far-flung … and dependably tasty.
There is no rest for these grillers and scoopers: Sunday through Thursday they’re open from 11 a.m. until 9:30 p.m., and on Friday and Saturday they’re open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Some seek out Anderson’s for their famed frozen custard, and some for the grilled sandwiches, including (of course) a perfect dog and Black Angus burger. The roast beef here is superb, and available in a number of styles—original, Carl’s Choice, beef and cheddar, and BBQ—along with multiple kinds of bun. Chicken (sandwiches, or tenders) and fish (sandwiches, or seasonal fish fry) make appearances on the menu, as do Anderson’s fancier “World Bistro” sandwiches and various salads, soups, and baked potatoes.
Anderson’s extra-grill/custard offerings include: SPoT coffee with a limited offering of coffee-based concoctions; five flavors of healthful, yogurt-based fruit smoothies; and two types of chili. Custard cravers will find a special calendar online with three-day runs for each spotlighted flavor. The website also provides nutritional information for most menu items. Surprisingly, a beef on weck (with a Kaiser roll replacing the traditional salted kummelweck) is a mere 346 calories—equal to a Smoothie)—with roughly half of those calories coming from the bread.
At the time of my fact-finding visit to the Sheridan location, I found Nicole Skaros-Marcello and her two young sons, seasoned regulars both. Asked to name their favorite menu items, the boys answered without hesitation: “Roast beef!” “French fries!” Their mother praised the kid-friendliness of the venue, its indestructible seating, and the manageable finger foods. Parent or not, what roadside eater doesn’t favor those conditions?
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Summer Delight
337 Gorham Rd.
Ridgeway, Ontario
905-894-3745
SUMMER DELIGHT LIVES UP TO ITS NAME: WHAT COULD BE MORE SUMMERY, OR MORE DELIGHTFUL, THAN BURGERS, DOGS, AND ICE CREAM (THE ROADSIDE TRIUMVIRATE)? American diner classics and a smattering of Greek stand-bys are also featured. The restaurant, nestled into the Gorham Road commercial strip approximately two miles from Crystal Beach, is especially convenient for border-crossers heading toward the Lake Erie shore.
Summer Delight is modest, diminutive, and has been around for decades. You can dine in or grab takeout seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesdays are “Seniors Day”—just be aware that the ten-percent-off special is for senior citizens, not those in their final year of high school.
This being Canada, sweet purple Loganberry (familiar to everyone who screamed their lungs out at Crystal Beach Amusement Park), pea meal bacon, and poutine are served. Poutine, in case you haven’t sampled this French-Canadian gustatory treat, is a divine assemblage of French fries, cheese curds, and gravy—ultra-authentic Canadian roadside fare.
Summer Delight takes poetic license with their burger menu, and features a bacon version, as well as a pizza burger with tomato sauce and provolone. Hot dogs are footlongs here—half or whole—and there’s a generous heap of sauerkraut on the kraut dog. The usual egg, toast, and potato combinations are served for breakfast. The overhead television provides a constant flow of news, but the beach is calling.
