Dining
Risa’s Restaurant: New York-style deli is the real deal
It’s the real thing. Risa Paonessa has New York-style deli in her blood, after all. Her father was the renowned Stumpy who operated a legendary deli by that name on Hertel Avenue for years. (Updated: 03/19/10 9:09 AM )
OUT TO EAT
A Fabulous Feast (Updated: 03/19/10 6:57 AM )
Cheap Eats: With Wegmans $6 meal, veggie sides are the star
Supermarkets have been inching into the "eat-in" restaurant business for a while now, adding dining areas where people can sit down with their store-bought meals. (Updated: 03/18/10 3:22 PM )
Rose Garden: Tasty breakfasts, classic comfort food on Wehrle
The Rose Garden has been on Wehrle Drive approximately forever — as a bar packed with ECC students, then as a German restaurant, and now a family eatery. The door opens into the bar, which was dim and deserted, but turn left and you'll be in the cozy dining room full of booths and tables. (Updated: 03/11/10 2:59 PM )
Left Bank: Flavor to savor
We had planned to eat at the Left Bank bar when we visited on a stormy Monday evening — but one step in the door and we quickly knew that was impossible. The separate barroom in this neatly restored historic building may be comfortable and cozy, but it was also wall-to-wall people and happy noise. (Updated: 03/12/10 3:26 PM )
La Costa Verde: Red sauce is the star at ‘Green Coast’
There has to be a reason why they named this place "The Green Coast," but if it were up to me, I'd change the name to something red in honor of the perfectly balanced, deliciously spiced red sauce that this kitchen simmers up. (Updated: 03/04/10 2:44 PM )
Eckl’s: Beef up, or pick the pike
Nostalgia on a plate — that’s Eckl’s. There’s real history here. This comforting down-home building itself is almost 200 years old and is mostly of solid plank construction. It operated as a tavern since 1934 at least. But it was moved when South Buffalo Road was widened. The busy bar and two dining rooms with their lively holiday decorations have been open in this location since 1964. (Updated: 03/05/10 8:26 AM )
SHORT ORDERS
Worldy wines (Updated: 02/26/10 6:55 AM )
Bobby McGee’s: Stick to basics, enjoy the tunes
Newly moved from University Plaza, Bobby McGee’s is larger than it used to be and puts more emphasis on music. There’s a program scheduled just about every night at this new place in the Maple Ridge Plaza (check the Web site for more details). (Updated: 02/26/10 2:40 PM )
Swannie House: Back to basics in feeding arena crowds
You go to Swannie House to eat and drink, of course. But you also go for the experience. This atmospheric old-time tavern/restaurant at one time functioned as a rooming house for Lake Erie sailors. (Captains, it is said, slept on the second floor, which is reached by what may well be the steepest staircase in Western New York; the crew was confined to the third.) (Updated: 02/19/10 9:10 AM )
50s Diner: Adorable place, tasty food
I knew only two things about the 50s Diner. The first was that the oblong, original stainless-steel diner, with accents of aqua and white, is adorable. In front, the sign features vintage drawings of food. The signs on the side say “CHICKEN -STEAK” in block letters. (Updated: 02/19/10 9:10 AM )
SHORT ORDERS
Chef cook-off (Updated: 02/12/10 6:52 AM )
Shango Bistro & Wine Bar: Cuisine comes with a touch of Big Easy flavor
It’s a good time for the Big Easy. What with the Super Bowl victory and Mardi Gras coming up on Tuesday, I kept having Cajun/Creole cuisine longings . . . and there was only a slight problem with that. Not so long ago at the peak of the Blackened Redfish craze, there would have been many Western New York restaurants only too happy to oblige, but time moves quickly in the culinary world and there aren’t all that many now. (Updated: 02/15/10 11:51 AM )
SHORT ORDERS
No guarantees (Updated: 02/05/10 1:59 PM )
Europa Bistro: Little place offers large variety of Mid-European dishes
They seat maybe 30 people at the tables and maybe another 15 at the bar, so the Europa Bistro kept turning away customers one wintry Friday evening. And it’s not hard to see why. (Updated: 02/05/10 8:21 AM )