Mythos: Classy and cheap
I have a confession to make: The decor at Mythos frightened me a little. I am used to Greek restaurants where the decor is an old photo of the Parthenon. In Mythos, the art is large, historic-looking sketches accenting the dark wood. It has been my experience that more upscale decor can hike the price of a meal a buck or two for each plate, but in Mythos, my fears were unfounded. The portions were large, the prices were good, and everything was delicious. (Updated: 11/20/09 9:00 AM )
Luigi’s: Tasty soups, salads and dinners
Luigi’s is known for its pizza and wings, but it is also doing some pretty amazing things with dinners, soups, salads and other choices. Many dinners are a few bucks beyond cheap eats prices, but John, Pat, John and I found plentiful pickings within our budget. We got an excellent meal with exceptional ingredients at a reasonable price. (Updated: 11/13/09 5:05 PM )
Ashker's Juice Bar and Cafe: Good service, quality food
It was one of those lovely fall days that begs for a leisurely ride along foliage-covered roads. My friend, Faith, and I heeded this autumnal call and set off for Lewiston, planning to spend a few hours walking the village’s charming Center Street. Our growling stomachs made a food stop our first priority. We passed on some Lewiston mainstays for a lighter meal in Ashker’s Juice Bar and Cafe (there is another family-run location in Youngstown). What Ashker’s lacks in space and menu offerings, it more than makes up for in service and food quality. The small shop has a zen-like atmosphere with sage green walls and dark wooden booths and tables. There’s not a lot of room, but a party of six comfortably fit in the booths; there’s also a front patio. (Updated: 11/06/09 8:51 AM )
Peter K’s: Stuffed potato pancakes to die for
Peter K’s is an old-fashioned bar with an airy, bright dining room that has made its reputation on one simple but wonderful dish, the stuffed potato pancake. A plain potato pancake, with crispy edges and a warm, soft interior, is simply wonderful. The stuffed versions served at Peter K’s are sublime. Of course, there are other selections on the menu, including a Polish Reuben, with Polish sausage instead of corned beef, for $5.50, and a Polish platter of Polish sausage, two cheese pierogi, golumbki and kraut for $9.95. (Updated: 10/31/09 11:27 AM )
The Palette Cafe: A piece of heaven
The next time you’re shopping in the revitalized downtown area of North Tonawanda, stop in for lunch at the Palette Cafe, where chef Collette Book dazzles diners with sandwiches, salads and pastries, all made on the premises, and all at great prices. (Updated: 10/23/09 9:42 AM )
Mitchell’s Tavern: Good spot for comfort food
Mitchell’s Tavern is right next to the Sheridan Park Fire Company, and the tavern’s Web site (www.mitchellstavern.com) mentions that during World War II the business was loaned to the fire department, which operated it “to make ends meet.” Maybe it’s some lingering gratitude that led the Sheridan Park guys to recommend Mitchell’s when I asked a while ago. (Updated: 10/16/09 8:37 AM )
Aunt Millie’s Kitchen: Mile-High Meatloaf and other tasty tall orders
On a Saturday afternoon visit to Aunt Millie’s Kitchen, John, Pat, John and I waited at the door a few minutes to be seated. That was prime viewing area for the pastry counter, where we saw mutant creampuffs the size of softballs and a staggering chocolate layer cake topped with cherries that was easily a foot tall. Then we noticed that most of the people who were leaving were toting dinner-sized foam containers of food. (Updated: 10/09/09 9:36 AM )
Luzvina’s Family Restaurant: Rellenos de Papa that are to die for
Rellenos de Papa, where have you been all my life? Until the recent Saturday when John, Julie and I stopped into Luzvina’s, I had never even heard of Rellenos de Papa. My loss! Now I’m hooked. (Updated: 10/02/09 8:11 AM )
Kabab & Curry: Tasty meals on the go at outpost in University Heights
Since discovering Kabab & Curry, the Pakistani-Indian restaurant on Transit Road in Amherst, I’ve made the pilgrimage at least a half-dozen times. Driving that far for lunch is daunting, though, so I was thrilled to see the Kabab & Curry logo on a University Heights storefront, near Englewood Avenue. (Updated: 09/25/09 10:12 AM )
J.P. Fitzgerald’s: Large tavern with a huge menu
J. P. Fitzgerald’s is a large tavern with a menu to match and a lot of local history, with an Irish flavor, in the decor. On a Saturday evening, John, Pat, John II and I were shown to a booth right next to a table that held an extended family of possibly 100. Well, not really. Maybe two dozen. But between the booster seats and the high chairs, I was worried that the parents would leave without one of their kids, or pick up an extra one on their hurricane-like swirl out the door after they finished. But as far as I know, all went well – certainly the food was well-received at that table. (Updated: 09/18/09 9:30 AM )
Louie’s: Greek sauce is truly special
Hot dog places that don’t charcoal-grill their dogs have to offer something else to get the people in the door. And at Louie’s, it’s the Texas-style sauce, called, on this menu, “Louie’s Special Greek Sauce.” (Updated: 09/11/09 8:51 AM )
Cowlesville’s Pine Lounge: Excellent food led by fantastic fish fry
A guy called up and recommended we try the Pine Lounge in Cowlesville. “It’s 15 minutes from Transit and Clinton,” he said, although Cowlesville sounds much farther away. “And it has the best fish fry around.” (Updated: 09/15/09 12:36 PM )
Santino’s Pizza Shack: A good spot almost any time of the year
Santino’s Pizza Shack is a good spot almost any time of the year, with a dark, cool dining room right off the old-fashioned bar and a menu that includes pizza ($5.50 for a 10-inch cheese up to $23 for an 18-inch sheet), subs, chicken (wings, battered pieces, fingers and nuggets), seafood, salads and tacos. There are also dinners, including ribs and steak dinners that range from $13.25 to $16.95, but with several selections under $10, too. (Updated: 09/03/09 2:28 PM )
The Waterline: Cool spot in the corner of an office building
The Waterline is a breakfast and lunch place that has opened inside the anonymous-looking office building officially known as Waterfront Village Center. It hunkers behind the parking lot at Erie Street and Lakefront Boulevard. The restaurant places a folding sign on that corner, which is where you’ll need to turn to get into the parking lot. (Updated: 08/21/09 8:48 AM )
L.T.'s Old Tyme Pizzeria: Hidden gem inside grocery story
We find our cheap eats in a lot of different places —from taverns and lunch counters to pizzerias and family restaurants. Now we have to add a new listing: grocery stores. (Updated: 08/14/09 9:05 AM )