COVER STORY
The best deals at the Taste of Buffalo
Published: July 10, 2009, 12:30 am
Story tools:
More Photos
Share this story:
At 50 cents per food ticket, 60 restaurants and hundreds of edibles, the Taste of Buffalo can get out of control fast. Especially for your bank account. As more and more restaurants join the Taste—this year, a record number are vying for your cash and your tastebuds— it is getting increasingly difficult to puzzle through where to begin, and when to stop.
Should you stuff yourself with as many two-and three-ticket offerings as possible? Or should you splurge on just a few of the elite eight-ticket dishes?
Luckily, you don’t have to make that impossible choice. This year, we let you in on a few of the Taste’s best-kept secrets: delectable choices that give you the biggest bang for your buck, all while satisfying your craving for top-notch, varied tastes.
Just Pizza: Bruschetta Pizza, 3 tickets
Already famous for its three-cheese steak pizza, it looks like Just Pizza might have another hit on its hands. The restaurant’s bruschetta pizza, a combination of two favorites of any food fan, features extra virgin olive oil, ripe vine tomatoes, basil and a blend of light mozzarella and Romano cheese on white dough. Not only is it inexpensive, it’s also their healthy pick, so you can try it guilt-free on two levels.
Carmine’s Restaurant: Cajun Crab Swordfish, 8 tickets
Eight tickets may be the highest price available, but in this case, you get more than what you pay for: a luxurious, delicious entree nearly half the size of the much-more-expensive version served in the restaurant. For a quarter of the restaurant price, you still get blackened swordfish served with crab stuffing on top and seasoned with a little lemon. Just close your eyes and think of elegant seaside restaurants.
Bavarian Nut Company: Buffalo Hot Nuts, 3 tickets
Exotic food originating in faraway lands is all well and good, but there’s nothing like the taste of home. And 10 years ago, when the Bavarian Nut Co. decided to start flavoring 3-ounce cones of roasted peanuts with cayenne, garlic and Cajun spices especially for the Taste of Buffalo, that’s what they were catering to: the desire for the taste of, well, Buffalo. There’s no place like home.
Fiamma Steak: Frutti di Mare, 3 tickets
It doesn’t matter if you’ve been planning that trip to the beach for days, weeks or months. Fiamma is about to teach you that you only need a buck fifty to enjoy your own little slice of beach right downtown. Made with shrimp, scallops, calamari and lump crab, all served with a lemon vinaigrette, this salad is way more than just a delicious Taste of Buffalo healthy option—it’s also an escape. Sunscreen not included.
Anderson’s Custard: Raspberry Espresso Explosion, 8 tickets
If your sweet tooth has been bugging you all day, a trip to Anderson’s, which is trying out a couple of brand new, larger-than-life items this year, is required. Shell out 8 tickets and a rich concoction of homemade coffee ice cream covered in chocolate fudge, raspberry sauce, chocolate-covered coffee beans and espresso flakes awaits you. Forget tasting—according to Anderson’s, this dish is so big it’s meant for sharing (though that doesn’t mean you have to).
Mobay’s Restaurant: Jamaican Sweet Potato Pudding, 1 ticket
Never had traditional Jamaican sweet potato pudding? At only one ticket—the only one-ticket item on the entire Taste of Buffalo menu, in fact—you can’t afford not to taste the pudding at Mobay’s. A far cry from the Jell-O brand, out-of-a-box pudding you’re used to, this delicacy is made with Jamaican sweet potatoes, coconut juice, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg. Good thing it’s so cheap, because you’ll be coming back for more.
Torches Restaurant: Cubano Smoked Pork, 8 tickets
Sometimes you just want to forget the lighter options and go for the meatiest dish you can find. Indulge in Torches’ heftiest meal, Cuban smoked pork cooked in a whole grain mustard and pickle marinade and topped with cilantro sauce, over a bed of rice and black beans. With nearly 4 ounces of pork over who-knows-how-much rice, you really can’t go wrong—chow down alone if you have time to digest for a few minutes, and share with a friend if you just want to savor the flavor.
Merchant Street Smokehouse: Pulled Pork Nachos, 5 tickets
Hungry for more than just a taste of your favorite restaurant’s food? Stop by the Merchant Street Smokehouse, where they take your hunger seriously. Ask for the nachos, and you’ll receive a generous portion of nacho chips and pulled pork covered in melted cheese, only slightly smaller than the dish served at the Smokehouse itself. If you want an extra kick, make sure to ask for jalapenos, which are optional for the gastronomically timid among us.
Avanti Italian Grill: Berry Salad, 3 tickets
If you’re looking for a light dish that’s going to satisfy but still leave room—and plenty of cash—for more, look no further than Avanti’s berry salad. The restaurant’s healthy option, the salad is perfect for a summer day: Fresh strawberries and blueberries are served over a bed of mesclun greens, a homemade raspberry vinaigrette is drizzled over the salad, and spicy walnuts top it off. This unique combination of flavors is worth way more than its going price.
Zebb’s Deluxe Grill & Bar: 1/3 pounds Cheeseburger, 8 tickets
No, you’re not seeing things— Zebb’s really is featuring a whole third of a pound of fresh-ground beef with American cheese on a home-baked roll at the Taste— and the restaurant promises that you can taste the difference. The only downside of this burger is that you should probably resist the very real temptation of going back for seconds. Nobody’s stomach should have that much ground beef in it at one time.
Culinary Stage Culinary Theatre: Free
Unlike most aspects of the Taste of Buffalo, you can’t actually eat the Culinary Theatre. But don’t look so disappointed: Casual and hardcore foodies alike will be able to appreciate this year’s consistently pro lineup of cooking performances from prestigious local chefs. This is all thanks to a new partnership with the Niagara Food Festival, which has provided its Mobile Culinary Theatre, enabling performances that Thomas Muscarella, the chairman of this year’s Taste of Buffalo, enthusiastically compares to the Food Network. Don’t worry if the demonstrations get your mouth watering as you learn how to make everything from vegan food to filet mignon. You’re at the Taste of Buffalo, remember? Go eat something!
esimins@buffnews.com
Reader comments
Log into MyBuffalo to post a comment
MyBuffalo is the new social network from Buffalo.com. Your MyBuffalo account lets you comment on and rate stories at buffalonews.com. You can also head over to mybuffalo.com to share your blog posts, stories, photos, and videos with the community. Join now or learn more.
Comments have been disabled.
Due to a high volume of submissions that violate The News’ guidelines, commenting is no longer available on this story. If you’d like to share your thoughts on this story, click here to get information on contributing to The News’ opinion pages.