San Marco has no bar which may have contributed to a somewhat reserved conversation at the beginning of the night (especially compared to Mangia) but things loosened up quickly with conversations about the food, woodland animals and Tiger Woods. speaking of professional athletes, we were joined at an adjacent table by jochen hecht of the buffalo sabres and his german-model girlfriend. not sure what he ordered, but if you are what you eat, he must have had cream puffs. zing!
anyway, wow! the food was fantastic. almost every dish was passed around and I believe everyone sampled or had the opportunity to sample almost every different dish ordered. I started with the caprese, roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts, olives and mozzarella. it's a staple and I have no complaints except that I could have ordered the other appetizers which were absolutely terrific. dave ordered their penne all'arribiata as an appetizer. perfectly cooked penne in a spicy sausage red sauce which was absolutely delicious. another ordered their gnocchi del barone which was just incredible. are you guys getting the idea with these superlatives? both were so tasty I regretted not ordering them myself.
upon dave's suggestion, I ordered ratatori all'luchiana which they kindly prepared for me as it was not on the menu but apparently had been in the past. as with the gnocchi, the luchiana was very rich - ratatori pasta in a pink cream sauce with tender chicken and sun dried tomatoes. I'm running out of highly positive adjectives here but tremendous sums it up. I also really enjoyed their ravioli all'aragosta - lobster filled ravioli in a pink cream sauce. their sea bass didn't stand out but I don't prefer to order fish filets. their saltimbocca alla romana (veal scaloppini with prosciutto) was good.
if there is one knock on San Marco it would only be that I wasn't enamored by their desserts. if I'm having an italian dinner, I want tiramisu as my dessert and either a cannoli or cassata cake as an alternative (or homemade italian cookies). not wanting dessert is difficult to accomplish with the sweet tooth that I have but in fairness, it may have been because the filling richness of the entrees and appetizers.
I just can't say enough about the food at San Marco so I am giving it the highest grade of A+. I would strongly recommend San Marco if you are looking for a top notch italian meal in the area.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Mangia
for those unaware, 'mangia' means swedish massage parlor in Yiddish. kidding. just seeing if you're paying attention.
the first course of the night was hilarity (even for the waitress). dave sanchez took one for the team and joined us despite feeling a bit under the weather. however his illness quickly vanished at the dinner table as the conversation became unabashedly playful.
the table ordered stuffed peppers (better than average), their eggplant neapolitan (awesome - it had a balsamic glaze) and a cheese-stuffed cannelloni maybe? (good). no one seemed to be that interested in the eggplant or maybe I just hoarded it so no one else could get a bite of it but either way, if you like breaded eggplant and mozzarella that has certain type of glaze that I love - I would highly recommend it.
the smaller table allowed for a greater sampling of each other's plates. I ordered the veal francaise. I'm not a big veal guy and last night's entrée didn't do anything to make me one. breaded veal over fettuccini alfredo, that's it. I tried the veal saltimbocca which was better than my dish but still average. I also sampled the chicken florentine (mistakenly chicken as veal was ordered) which was only average at best. I had another pasta dish that I have little recollection about and finally come to their seafood and sea bass fra diavlo special. the fra diavlo was their best dish - although I thought sea bass seemed a bit odd for spicy marinara it worked well although I thought it could have been served with more sauce.
the table ended the night with their crème brule and tiramisu. both desserts were excellent but small portioned. the tiramisu was loaded with liquor which might explain why most of the table was hammered by the time we got to the bar or maybe it was the six (6) bottles of wine the table quaffed down. you heard me right, six. for five people (read two). and one guy was feeling ill.
for those who attended, please feel free to contribute your perspective on the blog: http://wnydining.blogspot.com/
i'm throwing out a B- for Mangia (maybe it should be lower except for the fact the Yankees are world champions and the absolute blast of an evening)
the first course of the night was hilarity (even for the waitress). dave sanchez took one for the team and joined us despite feeling a bit under the weather. however his illness quickly vanished at the dinner table as the conversation became unabashedly playful.
the table ordered stuffed peppers (better than average), their eggplant neapolitan (awesome - it had a balsamic glaze) and a cheese-stuffed cannelloni maybe? (good). no one seemed to be that interested in the eggplant or maybe I just hoarded it so no one else could get a bite of it but either way, if you like breaded eggplant and mozzarella that has certain type of glaze that I love - I would highly recommend it.
the smaller table allowed for a greater sampling of each other's plates. I ordered the veal francaise. I'm not a big veal guy and last night's entrée didn't do anything to make me one. breaded veal over fettuccini alfredo, that's it. I tried the veal saltimbocca which was better than my dish but still average. I also sampled the chicken florentine (mistakenly chicken as veal was ordered) which was only average at best. I had another pasta dish that I have little recollection about and finally come to their seafood and sea bass fra diavlo special. the fra diavlo was their best dish - although I thought sea bass seemed a bit odd for spicy marinara it worked well although I thought it could have been served with more sauce.
the table ended the night with their crème brule and tiramisu. both desserts were excellent but small portioned. the tiramisu was loaded with liquor which might explain why most of the table was hammered by the time we got to the bar or maybe it was the six (6) bottles of wine the table quaffed down. you heard me right, six. for five people (read two). and one guy was feeling ill.
for those who attended, please feel free to contribute your perspective on the blog: http://wnydining.blogspot.com/
i'm throwing out a B- for Mangia (maybe it should be lower except for the fact the Yankees are world champions and the absolute blast of an evening)
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Black & Blue
there was a big turnout as twelve (five rookies) came to dinner in Williamsville at Black & Blue last night. good friends, decent food and a Yankees victory = an awesome evening! in contrast to Tabree, B&B is large, open and modern. unfortunately, the dining area was loud and we were seated so it was impossible for one end of our table to interact with the other. despite this, i think everyone enjoyed the company of the group.
i started with two appetizers: oysters and their kobe meatballs. there's not much to say about oysters - you either like them or you don't and I happen to like them - with lemon, tobasco and cocktail sauce. the kobe meatballs reminded me of swedish meatballs as they had a type of stroganoff gravy covering them. I happen to enjoy swedish meetballs so they get the thumbs up. i also sampled some scallops with a balsamic drizzle (yum), pineapple and sausage (interesting) and some potatoes with balsamic drizzle (yum). I like balsamic so much I may start putting a drizzle on my cereal.
for the entrée I ordered the ny strip with only their rub for flavor. it was good but I can't say that it stood out in any way except that I ordered it medium (I'm usually a medium rare guy) and still found it to be rare. I had an orzo mac and cheese side which was good. I always find that I am compelled to order mac and cheese when I see it on a menu but am always disappointed with it (I guess I need it to be kraft out of the box).
I tried a bunch of different foods and can't recall anything extraodinatry although I did enjoy their filet with a red wine demi glaze. for those who attended, please feel free to contribute your perspective on the blog: http://wnydining.blogspot.com/
i'm throwing out a B+ for Black & Blue despite it being very "Williamsville-y".
i started with two appetizers: oysters and their kobe meatballs. there's not much to say about oysters - you either like them or you don't and I happen to like them - with lemon, tobasco and cocktail sauce. the kobe meatballs reminded me of swedish meatballs as they had a type of stroganoff gravy covering them. I happen to enjoy swedish meetballs so they get the thumbs up. i also sampled some scallops with a balsamic drizzle (yum), pineapple and sausage (interesting) and some potatoes with balsamic drizzle (yum). I like balsamic so much I may start putting a drizzle on my cereal.
for the entrée I ordered the ny strip with only their rub for flavor. it was good but I can't say that it stood out in any way except that I ordered it medium (I'm usually a medium rare guy) and still found it to be rare. I had an orzo mac and cheese side which was good. I always find that I am compelled to order mac and cheese when I see it on a menu but am always disappointed with it (I guess I need it to be kraft out of the box).
I tried a bunch of different foods and can't recall anything extraodinatry although I did enjoy their filet with a red wine demi glaze. for those who attended, please feel free to contribute your perspective on the blog: http://wnydining.blogspot.com/
i'm throwing out a B+ for Black & Blue despite it being very "Williamsville-y".
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Tabree
we had nine (six noobs) join for dinner on Elmwood in Buffalo at Tabree last night in a venue slightly smaller than Mattingly's walk-in bedroom closet. fortunately, we were comfortably seated on the patio in the back which was a bit larger.
i had a sampling of appetizers including: cod cakes over spinach (very good), seared scallops with a balsamic drizzle and crabmeat mousse (excellent) and some sort of wild mushroom pastry (very good).
i am not a choosy eater so usually if i find a side that strikes my fancy (balsamic is always a lure) i'll order the entrée whether it be beef, fish or fowl even though i prefer chicken. Tabree's menu is diverse and the dishes have eclectic sides which made it difficult for me to opt on an entrée. i ordered their filet mignon over maytag blue cheese, asparagus risotto topped with whole garlic cloves - it was the garlic cloves that caught my eye.
unfortunately, i probably spoiled the chef's intent by eating the 4-5 garlic cloves before even tasting the rest of the meal (they were delicious). the filet itself was good but the risotto was truly fantastic. also fantastic was their ravioli special. i had a taste of some halibut which was good as well.
the food itself was solid but it was somewhat difficult to hear the conversation on the far side of the table as the patio was packed. also, there were quite a few mosquitoes flitting about which was a minor annoyance. regardless, everyone seemed to enjoy the pleasant weather, the company and the food so i'm throwing out a B+ for Tabree and would recommend it for a try to anyone.
i had a sampling of appetizers including: cod cakes over spinach (very good), seared scallops with a balsamic drizzle and crabmeat mousse (excellent) and some sort of wild mushroom pastry (very good).
i am not a choosy eater so usually if i find a side that strikes my fancy (balsamic is always a lure) i'll order the entrée whether it be beef, fish or fowl even though i prefer chicken. Tabree's menu is diverse and the dishes have eclectic sides which made it difficult for me to opt on an entrée. i ordered their filet mignon over maytag blue cheese, asparagus risotto topped with whole garlic cloves - it was the garlic cloves that caught my eye.
unfortunately, i probably spoiled the chef's intent by eating the 4-5 garlic cloves before even tasting the rest of the meal (they were delicious). the filet itself was good but the risotto was truly fantastic. also fantastic was their ravioli special. i had a taste of some halibut which was good as well.
the food itself was solid but it was somewhat difficult to hear the conversation on the far side of the table as the patio was packed. also, there were quite a few mosquitoes flitting about which was a minor annoyance. regardless, everyone seemed to enjoy the pleasant weather, the company and the food so i'm throwing out a B+ for Tabree and would recommend it for a try to anyone.
carmelo's
hello all,
last night seven of us (three newbies) visited lewiston, ny and sampled the fare at Carmelo's. the gang started out with two of the appetizer specials - two meatballs and s swiss chard pancake. both were excellent.
no one ordered the same entrée and the dishes varied from pasta to seafood, chicken to beef. I ordered their bucatini all' amatriciana. this is the first dish that I tried that I enjoyed more than someone else's and it was fantastic - perfectly cooked bucatini in a spicy red sauce with salty ham (Guanciale) and red chiles. I also sampled their pappardelle with chopped veal which was also great (well cooked and tasty). I also had a taste of some white fish from one of their nightly specials but it didn't stand out like the pastas. I suppose everyone must have liked their meals as well since I didn't have a taste of any other dish.
based on what I did have, the thoroughly enjoyable conversations with friends, the pleasant surroundings and awesome drive down the escarpment (my favorite vista in western ny) I'm giving Carmelo's my highest grade yet.
last night seven of us (three newbies) visited lewiston, ny and sampled the fare at Carmelo's. the gang started out with two of the appetizer specials - two meatballs and s swiss chard pancake. both were excellent.
no one ordered the same entrée and the dishes varied from pasta to seafood, chicken to beef. I ordered their bucatini all' amatriciana. this is the first dish that I tried that I enjoyed more than someone else's and it was fantastic - perfectly cooked bucatini in a spicy red sauce with salty ham (Guanciale) and red chiles. I also sampled their pappardelle with chopped veal which was also great (well cooked and tasty). I also had a taste of some white fish from one of their nightly specials but it didn't stand out like the pastas. I suppose everyone must have liked their meals as well since I didn't have a taste of any other dish.
based on what I did have, the thoroughly enjoyable conversations with friends, the pleasant surroundings and awesome drive down the escarpment (my favorite vista in western ny) I'm giving Carmelo's my highest grade yet.
kuni's
greetings,
our group had the pleasure of eating at Kuni's this past wednesday. if you haven't heard of this western new york sushi staple you must not like japanese cuisine.
maybe it was just me, but the conversation seemed to take precedence over the food tasting (which may simply be explained by my love and familiarity with kuni's).
anyway, the group had a good time and thoroughly enjoyed both the food and company. i was not adventurous with my selections, choosing only the KFC (kuni's fried chicken) as a dish i have not tried previously. we started with one of my favorites, the wasabi shumai - pork dumplings wrapped in a wasabi wonton. excellent (except i only had one). i also ordered the hot, hot, hot fish salad. various pieces of seafood over shredded lettuce with a smattering of a hot chili sauce. very good. the KFC was good as well, breaded tender chicken nuggets served with soy sauce. i finished out the night with a lone eel and avocado roll. yum. the rest of the group was light on the appetizers as two ordered the rather filling sashimi combo.
looking back, i probably should have abandoned my kuni's staples and tried all new dishes. as far as i'm concerned, kuni's is the best sushi - rolls, pieces and miscellany in the area.
our group had the pleasure of eating at Kuni's this past wednesday. if you haven't heard of this western new york sushi staple you must not like japanese cuisine.
maybe it was just me, but the conversation seemed to take precedence over the food tasting (which may simply be explained by my love and familiarity with kuni's).
anyway, the group had a good time and thoroughly enjoyed both the food and company. i was not adventurous with my selections, choosing only the KFC (kuni's fried chicken) as a dish i have not tried previously. we started with one of my favorites, the wasabi shumai - pork dumplings wrapped in a wasabi wonton. excellent (except i only had one). i also ordered the hot, hot, hot fish salad. various pieces of seafood over shredded lettuce with a smattering of a hot chili sauce. very good. the KFC was good as well, breaded tender chicken nuggets served with soy sauce. i finished out the night with a lone eel and avocado roll. yum. the rest of the group was light on the appetizers as two ordered the rather filling sashimi combo.
looking back, i probably should have abandoned my kuni's staples and tried all new dishes. as far as i'm concerned, kuni's is the best sushi - rolls, pieces and miscellany in the area.
Route 5
summer must be around the corner because only four were free to dine out at Route 5 in Hamburg last night. fantastic view, a fantastic dessert, pedestrian food - the best part of the evening was the sun setting over lake erie and their bananas foster ice cream cake.
we started with their stuffed peppers and mozzarella salad. the peppers were alright and the mozzarella salad was interesting: sun-dried peppers wrapped in mozzarella cheese spirals with balsamic vinaigrette drizzled on top served over greens - sounds much better than it tasted.
for entrees, we ordered the goat pizza: goat cheese, sun dried cherries drizzled with balsamic (the balsamic was the lure but it was only faintly present in taste), panko crusted chicken cutlets with roasted red pepper sauce (interesting but a little too bland), their trout entrée (probably the best dish we ordered but still average) and penne pasta in a balsamic cream sauce (again the balsamic but missing in the taste). overall, very average. except for the bananas foster ice cream cake - ice cream cake with bananas in it with a chocolate and caramel sauce. awesome.
we have a lot of restaurants to choose from but I am very interested in choosing ones that people have enjoyed and those that have not been tried but have been recommended so please make suggestions of restaurants to try.
we started with their stuffed peppers and mozzarella salad. the peppers were alright and the mozzarella salad was interesting: sun-dried peppers wrapped in mozzarella cheese spirals with balsamic vinaigrette drizzled on top served over greens - sounds much better than it tasted.
for entrees, we ordered the goat pizza: goat cheese, sun dried cherries drizzled with balsamic (the balsamic was the lure but it was only faintly present in taste), panko crusted chicken cutlets with roasted red pepper sauce (interesting but a little too bland), their trout entrée (probably the best dish we ordered but still average) and penne pasta in a balsamic cream sauce (again the balsamic but missing in the taste). overall, very average. except for the bananas foster ice cream cake - ice cream cake with bananas in it with a chocolate and caramel sauce. awesome.
we have a lot of restaurants to choose from but I am very interested in choosing ones that people have enjoyed and those that have not been tried but have been recommended so please make suggestions of restaurants to try.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Kennedy's Cove
I visited the Cove on both Wednesday and Thursday, having the blackened 8 oz. filet the first evening and the blackened 16 oz. strip steak the next. filet is not my first choice in steak cuts but it was truly fantastic which i cannot say was true for the strip. the filet was easily the best i've ever had - butter and blackened spice drenched tenderness that melted in my mouth.
each group enjoyed the Cove's fried olive with asiago cheese appetizer. very tasty. the wednesday night crew also enjoyed the clams casino which were also excellent.
each entree was served with salad or soup, a choice of potato (everyone ordered either the twice-baked or twice-baked sweet potato) and a slice of heavily buttered bread.
i was full by the time i got to my potato sides, but from what i was able to stuff into my belly, the regular and sweet twice-baked were pretty good. the sweet potato could have almost been mistaken for cake it was so sweet (which suits me fine).
i would strongly recommend everyone to go and try the filet and judge for yourself.
each group enjoyed the Cove's fried olive with asiago cheese appetizer. very tasty. the wednesday night crew also enjoyed the clams casino which were also excellent.
each entree was served with salad or soup, a choice of potato (everyone ordered either the twice-baked or twice-baked sweet potato) and a slice of heavily buttered bread.
i was full by the time i got to my potato sides, but from what i was able to stuff into my belly, the regular and sweet twice-baked were pretty good. the sweet potato could have almost been mistaken for cake it was so sweet (which suits me fine).
i would strongly recommend everyone to go and try the filet and judge for yourself.
Friday, March 6, 2009
Shango
the group had an opportunity to visit Shango last night. some of us enjoyed a few beverages from the bar before sitting down. note: they only serve beer and wine (and ryan's soda).
the restaurant crowd was loud which was bolstered by live music; a pianist who started his set with 'the girl from ipanema' (it got better from there though with some diversity: some jazz, some beatles and stones etc.)
the group started with sweet potato and parmesean fries - both were excellent. i also tried the goat cheese salad which was excellent as well.
i started with the gumbo which was awesome and ordered the creole meatloaf as my entree which i enjoyed but sdisappointed as i really liked the buttermilk fried chicken entree that i tasted - tender and well-spiced. i also sampled the ahi tuna (good), mac & cheese (good), penne (excellent) and i think the grouper (good).
i didn't hear any complaints except that the tuna steak should have been ordered rare.
all meals were reasonably priced.
i would definitely give Shango the thumbs up and would like to visit there again.
the restaurant crowd was loud which was bolstered by live music; a pianist who started his set with 'the girl from ipanema' (it got better from there though with some diversity: some jazz, some beatles and stones etc.)
the group started with sweet potato and parmesean fries - both were excellent. i also tried the goat cheese salad which was excellent as well.
i started with the gumbo which was awesome and ordered the creole meatloaf as my entree which i enjoyed but sdisappointed as i really liked the buttermilk fried chicken entree that i tasted - tender and well-spiced. i also sampled the ahi tuna (good), mac & cheese (good), penne (excellent) and i think the grouper (good).
i didn't hear any complaints except that the tuna steak should have been ordered rare.
all meals were reasonably priced.
i would definitely give Shango the thumbs up and would like to visit there again.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Curly's
i ordered the fish brettone, curly's fresh fish entree sauteed with mushrooms, capers and a white wine and butter sauce. it was very rich and, unfortunately, after having some of the ricotta or goat cheese-stuffed pablano hot pepper and the recommended black bean soup (both excellent) i was in no position to make much of a dent in my entree. but what i did have and what i shared was enjoyed by everyone. i also enjoyed a sample of the chicken ochee entree. i would recommend both.
curly's has a caribbean slant to it and considers itself to be fine dining which is supported by the the price of the meal.
i was not too fond of the dining room music (from the get-go which started with a jimmy buffett ditty) but the companionship and conversation minimized it.
i would definitely like to go back and try some of the other entrees.
curly's has a caribbean slant to it and considers itself to be fine dining which is supported by the the price of the meal.
i was not too fond of the dining room music (from the get-go which started with a jimmy buffett ditty) but the companionship and conversation minimized it.
i would definitely like to go back and try some of the other entrees.
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