Tinypliny's Journal
My Podcast Link
08/18/2007 07:44 #40606
Reaching for the elusive...Category: the odes
08/12/2007 20:15 #40501
Betty'sCategory: eating out
Let me just say, I LOVED this little breakfast place. It was perfect, from start to finish. The endless cups of coffee were heart-warming and the waiters and waitresses at this place were cheerful, generous and went out of their way to make us feel totally happy!
I got the tofu-potato-caramelized onion hash with bean-chili and cornbread. It was gorgeous to look at and absolutely delicious. It may not have been a standard breakfast but was surprisingly very light and also satisfying at the same time. The cornbread had green peppers and spices in it!! It was delightful!
My friend got the 3 egg omlette with caramelized onions, feta, spinach and potatoes. I tasted some of it and even though I am not a big fan of the eggy smell, the omlette did seem tasty.
My cup of coffee was refilled nearly 4 times and they kept asking me if I was sure I didn't want one more cup!
The whole place looks cheerful because of the bright bold colours. The people working in the place make it even better with their happy chatter and personal attention to the customers. The prices are just right - not too cheap and not overpriced. You could get a good breakfast and coffee for about $10 (without tip)
Maybe this place shot up my expectations early in the day and Trattoria Aroma couldn't live up to it? I can't say.
I would HIGHLY recommend this place for a very happy and well-put-together tasty breakfast. :)
I got the tofu-potato-caramelized onion hash with bean-chili and cornbread. It was gorgeous to look at and absolutely delicious. It may not have been a standard breakfast but was surprisingly very light and also satisfying at the same time. The cornbread had green peppers and spices in it!! It was delightful!
My friend got the 3 egg omlette with caramelized onions, feta, spinach and potatoes. I tasted some of it and even though I am not a big fan of the eggy smell, the omlette did seem tasty.
My cup of coffee was refilled nearly 4 times and they kept asking me if I was sure I didn't want one more cup!
The whole place looks cheerful because of the bright bold colours. The people working in the place make it even better with their happy chatter and personal attention to the customers. The prices are just right - not too cheap and not overpriced. You could get a good breakfast and coffee for about $10 (without tip)
Maybe this place shot up my expectations early in the day and Trattoria Aroma couldn't live up to it? I can't say.
I would HIGHLY recommend this place for a very happy and well-put-together tasty breakfast. :)
zobar - 08/13/07 12:47
Betty's Sunday brunch is freakin' awesome.
There are no Ben & Jerry's in the Buffalo area, except for one in the Niagara Falls outlet mall and at some Thruway rest stops. It was explained to me once that there's a guy who has some sort of exclusive deal with B&J's for this area, but he eventually decided that it was too much work to maintain his own shops. It's a bummer, too, because there used to be one relatively close to my house.
[Although now benjerry.com says there's franchise opportunities in Buffalo ...]
- Z
Betty's Sunday brunch is freakin' awesome.
There are no Ben & Jerry's in the Buffalo area, except for one in the Niagara Falls outlet mall and at some Thruway rest stops. It was explained to me once that there's a guy who has some sort of exclusive deal with B&J's for this area, but he eventually decided that it was too much work to maintain his own shops. It's a bummer, too, because there used to be one relatively close to my house.
[Although now benjerry.com says there's franchise opportunities in Buffalo ...]
- Z
hodown - 08/13/07 12:20
I love this place too. (e:terry) & (e:paul) took me there and I instantly feel in love. Great food at reasonable prices. Also if you order a bottle of champagne they give you this huge pitcher of OJ for mimosas at no extra charge- an unheard of deal in NYC..
I love this place too. (e:terry) & (e:paul) took me there and I instantly feel in love. Great food at reasonable prices. Also if you order a bottle of champagne they give you this huge pitcher of OJ for mimosas at no extra charge- an unheard of deal in NYC..
leetee - 08/13/07 11:45
So glad you had a good experience there! I'm happy to know that myself and (e:Uncutsaniflush) are the only 2 people i know that were treated poorly there.
Food sounds yummy -- no matter what (e:Jason) says about tofu. Poor downtrodden curd...
So glad you had a good experience there! I'm happy to know that myself and (e:Uncutsaniflush) are the only 2 people i know that were treated poorly there.
Food sounds yummy -- no matter what (e:Jason) says about tofu. Poor downtrodden curd...
jason - 08/13/07 11:11
Tofu for breakfast? Is that lawful!!!
Tofu for breakfast? Is that lawful!!!
ladycroft - 08/13/07 08:24
YUM!
YUM!
tinypliny - 08/13/07 02:05
LOL and I haven't posted about the Niagara air show yet and the food stalls there yet!!
LOL and I haven't posted about the Niagara air show yet and the food stalls there yet!!
libertad - 08/12/07 23:27
your a busy little bee.
your a busy little bee.
08/12/2007 19:56 #40500
Trattoria AromaCategory: eating out
I went to Trattoria Aroma with my friend yesterday and we ordered some fancy-named pizzas. Mine was a white one with olives, spinach, onions and cheese and her's was the one with cherry tomatoes, onions, mushrooms and cheese. Unfortunately, I can't seem to remember what they were called on the menu.
Overall, it was okay, but I think I am not super overjoyed with this place. I would still recommend Panaro's over any pizza place I have ever been to. Some points which turned me off were:
- Our waitress had this godawful snobby expression on her face - as if it was an arduous chore for her to deal with us. She practically grimaced when I asked her to replace the meat on the pizza with mushrooms. I could have easily attributed this to tiredness or having generally a bad day if it were not painfully obvious that she was bending over backwards accomodating orders and grinning ear to ear at the customers who were at the next two tables.
-My pizza had so many olives on it, I couldn't taste anything else anymore. It was thin crust and all, but it was not balanced at all.
- The place (inside) has flies! We were constantly swatting away the flies, it was most annoying.
- The restroom had 2 stalls, one of them had no toilet paper and the other didn't lock at all.
I think the place has an upscale feel about it, but I don't think that justifies anyone making customers feel out of place - especially when you are not really making any huge demands or complaining about anything! I particularly resent waitresses who are ultra snobby and condescending.
Prices of pizzas range from $12 and upwards. The pizza sizes are generous and you should think twice before ordering two.
I know people have had good experiences at this place, but unfortunately I cannot recommend it. :(
Overall, it was okay, but I think I am not super overjoyed with this place. I would still recommend Panaro's over any pizza place I have ever been to. Some points which turned me off were:
- Our waitress had this godawful snobby expression on her face - as if it was an arduous chore for her to deal with us. She practically grimaced when I asked her to replace the meat on the pizza with mushrooms. I could have easily attributed this to tiredness or having generally a bad day if it were not painfully obvious that she was bending over backwards accomodating orders and grinning ear to ear at the customers who were at the next two tables.
-My pizza had so many olives on it, I couldn't taste anything else anymore. It was thin crust and all, but it was not balanced at all.
- The place (inside) has flies! We were constantly swatting away the flies, it was most annoying.
- The restroom had 2 stalls, one of them had no toilet paper and the other didn't lock at all.
I think the place has an upscale feel about it, but I don't think that justifies anyone making customers feel out of place - especially when you are not really making any huge demands or complaining about anything! I particularly resent waitresses who are ultra snobby and condescending.
Prices of pizzas range from $12 and upwards. The pizza sizes are generous and you should think twice before ordering two.
I know people have had good experiences at this place, but unfortunately I cannot recommend it. :(
jenks - 08/13/07 09:51
Hmm. I still love that place.
But yeah, I forgot to say- stay simple with the pizzas. I had one with like 6 toppings, and though it was tasty, it was almost 'too much'- the margherita (mozz/tomato/basil) or quattro formaggi (four cheese) are the best.
Hmm. I still love that place.
But yeah, I forgot to say- stay simple with the pizzas. I had one with like 6 toppings, and though it was tasty, it was almost 'too much'- the margherita (mozz/tomato/basil) or quattro formaggi (four cheese) are the best.
08/12/2007 18:13 #40498
Buffalo Grocery Review: Phuthai GroceryCategory: grocery
365 Connecticut Street, Buffalo, NY.
I checked out this grocery store on Tuesday evening as I was craving for some good stir fry sauce. The store is located at the north-east corner of the intersection between Normal Ave and Connecticut Street. I thought it might be a Thai store but it turned out to be a Vietnamese store. The word "Phuthai" is apparently Vietnamese for either "money" or the "state of being rich" - certainly something to do with money, wealth or prosperity or maybe just "rich people". I had trouble deciding which one of the three very animated women in the store, I should go with. As you can see, I am such an impartial (or impaired, depending on your viewpoint) person. :)
(I love the birds-eye view! Thanks Paul!)
Fresh produce at Phuthai consisted of 3 different types of mangoes, lemon grass, basil, about 5 different types of south-east-asian greens, tomatoes, green marrow veggie, okra (Chinese and Indian), green mini-aubergines, snow peas, ginger, chillies and some more stuff which was packed away in frost covered plastic bags in the refrigerated display. Their "fresh-veggie" day is Thursday. They apparently love keeping the customers guessing so there were no price tags on any of the produce. I wanted to believe that everything was free but alas, I was billed for the produce I bought. The good news is things are fairly inexpensive.
The store had a bigger section of south-east-asian sodas/drinks than any store I have seen in downtown Buffalo, so far. (e:metalpeter), take note :)
Phuthai also had seafood and meats, but having subsisted on organisms without any kind of nervous system for the entire span of my life, the finer culinary aspects of seafood and meats elude me. The store had many canned beans and chinese/vietnamese foods, gift and kitchen knick-knacks and about 50 different varieties of rice/tapioca/egg/pasta noodles.
And the main thing that I was scouting the store for -> Stirfry sauce, was available in about 10 different varieties, but a majority of them had chicken broth as their component. They had half gallon bottles of pad-thai sauce which looked like it might have been delicious, but I was not prepared to get half a gallon of sauce I hadn't even tried before. The non-veggie ingredient in this sauce was oyster sauce (which I usually don't mind, but I didn't feel like taking that huge bottle home)
I did spend some time looking at the ingredients of all the stir-fry sauces and I think the stir-fry industry is as enamoured with high fructose corn syrup as the rest of the food industry. I have no idea what the huge attraction for this component is. Is it like an elixir of taste or something?? I see it in *everything* sweet. I know the corn industry has an evil coercing influence, but ugh, this is blind submission.
The whole high-fructose corn syrup obsession and the half-gallon sauce bottles spurred me into making my own stir-fry sauce (with a little help from the extensive perusal of ingredients on various stir-fry bottles over the past two years)
My recipe for (non-fructose corn syrup) stir-fry sauce was:
1. Water
2. Fresh Lemon Grass
3. Soy Sauce
4. Garlic
5. Ginger
6. Cilantro powder
7. Tamarind concentrate
8. Red hot chillie powder
9. Salt
Cut up fresh lemon grass into small pieces and drop into water, bring to a boil, add tamarind concentrate, ginger (Small pieces), cilantro powder, red chillie powder, salt, dry toasted garlic and soy sauce and turn off the stove. Let it sit for 15 minutes. Voila! You have a non-high-fructose-corn-syrup-home-made absolutely DELICIOUS stir fry sauce. I made a stir-fry veggie mix and rice on Tuesday with this stir-fry sauce and I think I can safely say that I won't be buying any more store-made stir-fry sauces ever again!
I checked out this grocery store on Tuesday evening as I was craving for some good stir fry sauce. The store is located at the north-east corner of the intersection between Normal Ave and Connecticut Street. I thought it might be a Thai store but it turned out to be a Vietnamese store. The word "Phuthai" is apparently Vietnamese for either "money" or the "state of being rich" - certainly something to do with money, wealth or prosperity or maybe just "rich people". I had trouble deciding which one of the three very animated women in the store, I should go with. As you can see, I am such an impartial (or impaired, depending on your viewpoint) person. :)
(I love the birds-eye view! Thanks Paul!)
Fresh produce at Phuthai consisted of 3 different types of mangoes, lemon grass, basil, about 5 different types of south-east-asian greens, tomatoes, green marrow veggie, okra (Chinese and Indian), green mini-aubergines, snow peas, ginger, chillies and some more stuff which was packed away in frost covered plastic bags in the refrigerated display. Their "fresh-veggie" day is Thursday. They apparently love keeping the customers guessing so there were no price tags on any of the produce. I wanted to believe that everything was free but alas, I was billed for the produce I bought. The good news is things are fairly inexpensive.
The store had a bigger section of south-east-asian sodas/drinks than any store I have seen in downtown Buffalo, so far. (e:metalpeter), take note :)
Phuthai also had seafood and meats, but having subsisted on organisms without any kind of nervous system for the entire span of my life, the finer culinary aspects of seafood and meats elude me. The store had many canned beans and chinese/vietnamese foods, gift and kitchen knick-knacks and about 50 different varieties of rice/tapioca/egg/pasta noodles.
And the main thing that I was scouting the store for -> Stirfry sauce, was available in about 10 different varieties, but a majority of them had chicken broth as their component. They had half gallon bottles of pad-thai sauce which looked like it might have been delicious, but I was not prepared to get half a gallon of sauce I hadn't even tried before. The non-veggie ingredient in this sauce was oyster sauce (which I usually don't mind, but I didn't feel like taking that huge bottle home)
I did spend some time looking at the ingredients of all the stir-fry sauces and I think the stir-fry industry is as enamoured with high fructose corn syrup as the rest of the food industry. I have no idea what the huge attraction for this component is. Is it like an elixir of taste or something?? I see it in *everything* sweet. I know the corn industry has an evil coercing influence, but ugh, this is blind submission.
The whole high-fructose corn syrup obsession and the half-gallon sauce bottles spurred me into making my own stir-fry sauce (with a little help from the extensive perusal of ingredients on various stir-fry bottles over the past two years)
My recipe for (non-fructose corn syrup) stir-fry sauce was:
1. Water
2. Fresh Lemon Grass
3. Soy Sauce
4. Garlic
5. Ginger
6. Cilantro powder
7. Tamarind concentrate
8. Red hot chillie powder
9. Salt
Cut up fresh lemon grass into small pieces and drop into water, bring to a boil, add tamarind concentrate, ginger (Small pieces), cilantro powder, red chillie powder, salt, dry toasted garlic and soy sauce and turn off the stove. Let it sit for 15 minutes. Voila! You have a non-high-fructose-corn-syrup-home-made absolutely DELICIOUS stir fry sauce. I made a stir-fry veggie mix and rice on Tuesday with this stir-fry sauce and I think I can safely say that I won't be buying any more store-made stir-fry sauces ever again!
tinypliny - 08/13/07 02:01
Sesame oil?? What a great suggestion!! I never thought of that. Thank you!!!!
And triple yikes about the MSG. The mere thought is chilling because I believe I remember seeing that huge box/tin of msg at a chinese store earlier this year and wondering why anyone would want to buy it... Things are starting to make sense.
Sesame oil?? What a great suggestion!! I never thought of that. Thank you!!!!
And triple yikes about the MSG. The mere thought is chilling because I believe I remember seeing that huge box/tin of msg at a chinese store earlier this year and wondering why anyone would want to buy it... Things are starting to make sense.
mimi - 08/12/07 22:54
Good for you! I grew up on Chinese cooking in Taiwan and later NYC, and the only sauce you need to buy for stir-fry is soy sauce. Then the rest, as you aptly demonstrated, is a matter of seasoning to taste. Personally, I HAVE to add sesame oil, just a little goes a long way. I will try out your ingredients - thanks for sharing!
Ever try "5 spice" powder? That's yummy and should be in Tops or Wegmans.
You think HFCS is bad - MSG was a really popular seasoning in everyday homecooking in Taiwan when I lived there. My grandmother bought it in the same size container as we buy salt. In Mandarin, it's called "wei-jin, which means "flavor essence" - yeah.
Good for you! I grew up on Chinese cooking in Taiwan and later NYC, and the only sauce you need to buy for stir-fry is soy sauce. Then the rest, as you aptly demonstrated, is a matter of seasoning to taste. Personally, I HAVE to add sesame oil, just a little goes a long way. I will try out your ingredients - thanks for sharing!
Ever try "5 spice" powder? That's yummy and should be in Tops or Wegmans.
You think HFCS is bad - MSG was a really popular seasoning in everyday homecooking in Taiwan when I lived there. My grandmother bought it in the same size container as we buy salt. In Mandarin, it's called "wei-jin, which means "flavor essence" - yeah.
jbeatty - 08/12/07 18:57
I blame it on the farm bill. It seems to be a popular scapegoat these days.
I blame it on the farm bill. It seems to be a popular scapegoat these days.
08/09/2007 20:29 #40461
Best Pizza and Best Breakfast in BuffaloCategory: eating out
My friend is coming to visit. I have been singing praises of Panaro's pizzas, but in a moment of gloom and chill a minute ago, I realized that it vanishes off the face of Delaware at 3:00 PM sharp on Fridays, somewhat like a a misty David Blaine trick.
I offered to cook, but unfortunately she is a carb+cheese fan and I don't use much of either plus I can't bake. I am not very sure how that huge black hole (oven, for the uninitiated) works. I intend to learn but I don't think I can master the art of making a pizza and dealing with an unknown branch of cooking with precise measures, in less than half a day.
So, (I cry with desperation) help!! Where do you think we should go for an:
1. *Awesome* and satisfying breakfast (So she just melts with pleasure and envies that I am in Buffalo and she is 70 odd miles away. She doesn't need to know that I monotonously drink a carrots-orange juice-banana smoothie for a 1 minute breakfast everyday. It's all about showing off possibilities in Buffalo.)
In response to (e:Drew) 's recent post about breakfast places, (e:peeps) suggested:
-- Towne
-- Amy's
-- Lake Effect
-- Pano's
What are people's real experiences with these places? Are these the absolute best? Can you recall a morning that you went to some breakfast place in Buffalo and your whole 24 hours was perfect because of it? If you were given one day to live, what place in Buffalo would you head for breakfast?
2. Best and absolutely *orgasmic* Pizza (so she feels that moving to Buffalo is the best thing you could do, even if just for the pizza alone)
I know there are tons of "best pizza" votes for Buffalo around the web and in the print media, but opinions and quality changes everyday.
So, which one pizza place in Buffalo would you go to today, if you were looking to escape this world and enter an alternative world of extreme pleasure for the few minutes that you are eating the pizza? Which pizza place would you bet your whole bank balance and your house (or a year apartment rent and your rice cooker) on and feel confident that you would win your competition's house and rent-money (and rice cooker)?
Honest opinions please?? :)
Cheers!
PS: Oh, and as I was searching around and getting hopelessly confused and increasingly undecided, I came across this super extensive list of restaurant reviews in Buffalo from a bloke called Bill Rapaport from the computer science dept. at UB:
PPS: I have been digging up some older posts from (e:strip) and found some more recommendations. Do the authors still stand by these recommendations or have they changed?
(e:leetee) 's post last year on Pizzas :
PPPS: I think I am going to be updating this post with everyone's choices. Please chip in!! Show some Buffalo Pizza and Breakfast love!
(e:jenks) : Best Pizza (Unusual): Trattoria Aroma, Bryant and Ashland
(e:mrdeadlier) : Best Pizza: Bella Roma in Kenmore
Best Breakfast: Apple Dumpling Diner in Kenmore
(e:mrmike): Best Pizza (Unusual): Trattoria Aroma, Bryant and Ashland
Best Pizza: (Traditional): Leonardi's Grover Cleveland Hwy, Amherst)
Best Breakfast: Betty's, Virginia St, Buffalo
(e:chico) : Best Pizza: New York Pizza on Allen Street
Best Breakfast (i): Betty's, Virginia St, Buffalo
Best Breakfast (ii): Empire Grill, Hertel Avenue, Buffalo
(e:mimi) : Best Breakfast: Solid Grounds, Elmwood & Bryant (But isn't this shutting down??)
Pretty Decent Pizza: Just Pizza, Mr. Pizza
(e:leetee) : Best Pizza: La Nova (NY Style), West Ferry & Grant
(e:joshua) : Close and Decent Pizza: Just Pizza
Quite Good Pizza: Romeo and Juliet's on Hertel Ave
Best Breakfast: Pano's
(e:metalpeter) : Best Pizza: Just Pizza
Cheese and Pep Best Pizza: Mr. Pizza
Pizza with wings: LaNova & Casa Di Pizza
(e:tinypliny) : Best Pizza: Panaro's, Delaware and Allen
I offered to cook, but unfortunately she is a carb+cheese fan and I don't use much of either plus I can't bake. I am not very sure how that huge black hole (oven, for the uninitiated) works. I intend to learn but I don't think I can master the art of making a pizza and dealing with an unknown branch of cooking with precise measures, in less than half a day.
So, (I cry with desperation) help!! Where do you think we should go for an:
1. *Awesome* and satisfying breakfast (So she just melts with pleasure and envies that I am in Buffalo and she is 70 odd miles away. She doesn't need to know that I monotonously drink a carrots-orange juice-banana smoothie for a 1 minute breakfast everyday. It's all about showing off possibilities in Buffalo.)
In response to (e:Drew) 's recent post about breakfast places, (e:peeps) suggested:
-- Towne
-- Amy's
-- Lake Effect
-- Pano's
What are people's real experiences with these places? Are these the absolute best? Can you recall a morning that you went to some breakfast place in Buffalo and your whole 24 hours was perfect because of it? If you were given one day to live, what place in Buffalo would you head for breakfast?
2. Best and absolutely *orgasmic* Pizza (so she feels that moving to Buffalo is the best thing you could do, even if just for the pizza alone)
I know there are tons of "best pizza" votes for Buffalo around the web and in the print media, but opinions and quality changes everyday.
So, which one pizza place in Buffalo would you go to today, if you were looking to escape this world and enter an alternative world of extreme pleasure for the few minutes that you are eating the pizza? Which pizza place would you bet your whole bank balance and your house (or a year apartment rent and your rice cooker) on and feel confident that you would win your competition's house and rent-money (and rice cooker)?
Honest opinions please?? :)
Cheers!
PS: Oh, and as I was searching around and getting hopelessly confused and increasingly undecided, I came across this super extensive list of restaurant reviews in Buffalo from a bloke called Bill Rapaport from the computer science dept. at UB:
PPS: I have been digging up some older posts from (e:strip) and found some more recommendations. Do the authors still stand by these recommendations or have they changed?
(e:leetee) 's post last year on Pizzas :
PPPS: I think I am going to be updating this post with everyone's choices. Please chip in!! Show some Buffalo Pizza and Breakfast love!
(e:jenks) : Best Pizza (Unusual): Trattoria Aroma, Bryant and Ashland
(e:mrdeadlier) : Best Pizza: Bella Roma in Kenmore
Best Breakfast: Apple Dumpling Diner in Kenmore
(e:mrmike): Best Pizza (Unusual): Trattoria Aroma, Bryant and Ashland
Best Pizza: (Traditional): Leonardi's Grover Cleveland Hwy, Amherst)
Best Breakfast: Betty's, Virginia St, Buffalo
(e:chico) : Best Pizza: New York Pizza on Allen Street
Best Breakfast (i): Betty's, Virginia St, Buffalo
Best Breakfast (ii): Empire Grill, Hertel Avenue, Buffalo
(e:mimi) : Best Breakfast: Solid Grounds, Elmwood & Bryant (But isn't this shutting down??)
Pretty Decent Pizza: Just Pizza, Mr. Pizza
(e:leetee) : Best Pizza: La Nova (NY Style), West Ferry & Grant
(e:joshua) : Close and Decent Pizza: Just Pizza
Quite Good Pizza: Romeo and Juliet's on Hertel Ave
Best Breakfast: Pano's
(e:metalpeter) : Best Pizza: Just Pizza
Cheese and Pep Best Pizza: Mr. Pizza
Pizza with wings: LaNova & Casa Di Pizza
(e:tinypliny) : Best Pizza: Panaro's, Delaware and Allen
tinypliny - 08/12/07 17:53
Nopes, I am not English or from the Oz. :) I am from India.
Nopes, I am not English or from the Oz. :) I am from India.
leetee - 08/10/07 18:55
my memory did not serve me well. virginia and edward, not tracy. oops.
my memory did not serve me well. virginia and edward, not tracy. oops.
leetee - 08/10/07 18:53
Yep, it is unprofessional and why we have never been back. Betty's is popular, so i guess they felt that they didn't need our money.
Yes, (e:Joshua), it is the place on that funny corner -- Virginia and Tracy streets if my memory serves me correctly.
Yep, it is unprofessional and why we have never been back. Betty's is popular, so i guess they felt that they didn't need our money.
Yes, (e:Joshua), it is the place on that funny corner -- Virginia and Tracy streets if my memory serves me correctly.
metalpeter - 08/10/07 18:38
The best place to get Pizza from is Just Pizza (elmwood location) this assumes that you want a mixed variety like say a buffalo chicken or 3 or 4 cheese pizza. One thing I should add is that you can also get different kinds of crusts there. One fact that I should explain to that a "White" and "Silcilin" are not the same pizza often they are confused. The one thing about Just Pizza is they don't only have pizza but they have so many choices sometimes it might be hard to decide what to get. If you are going to get a Cheese and Pep then Mr. Pizza is the best place to go. If you want wings with you pizza then I would suggest either LaNova's or maybe to go eat at Casa Di Pizza on Elmwood. I just wanted to let you know that I will also answer your question about breakfast order a breakfast pizza I don't know who has the best one since I don't like eggs but some places have multiple kinds of those to.
The best place to get Pizza from is Just Pizza (elmwood location) this assumes that you want a mixed variety like say a buffalo chicken or 3 or 4 cheese pizza. One thing I should add is that you can also get different kinds of crusts there. One fact that I should explain to that a "White" and "Silcilin" are not the same pizza often they are confused. The one thing about Just Pizza is they don't only have pizza but they have so many choices sometimes it might be hard to decide what to get. If you are going to get a Cheese and Pep then Mr. Pizza is the best place to go. If you want wings with you pizza then I would suggest either LaNova's or maybe to go eat at Casa Di Pizza on Elmwood. I just wanted to let you know that I will also answer your question about breakfast order a breakfast pizza I don't know who has the best one since I don't like eggs but some places have multiple kinds of those to.
joshua - 08/10/07 09:26
Are you English or from Oz, by chance? The 'bloke' thing made me want to ask.
Interesting and accurate assessment of the state of pizza here (e:chico)... I'd have to agree. I usually order my pizzas from Just Pizza, since its close and decent. I like the 'tweener' style crust, personally. Then again, I like any and all pizzas. If I want flair I'll go to a disco or a magic show =D Hehe. Another option that I've recently tried and thought was quite good was the pizzas and such at Romeo and Juliet's on Hertel Ave.
I'm surprised nobody mentioned anything about California style pizza... although in all honesty I think California has completely bastardized and has made a mockery of pizza. Sorry but tofu, alfalfa sprouts and brie just shouldn't be on a pizza.
Personally, if I had my last ever breakfast in Buffalo lined up, I'd probably go to Pano's. Solid Grounds - so unfortunate! That is/was a popular place but a little small. I've never been but by reputation it is/was very good. Everybody seems to have offered some good suggestions.
I don't think there is any 'ultimate' breakfast or pizza in Buffalo... although this is highly unscientific, by looking at the responses in this journal entry its fairly safe to say that you'll get a different opinion from almost every person you ask. I think the thing to remember is that you'll never go wrong with one of any of a handful of the 'staples' that people have mentioned here.
Is Betty's that place in Allentown on a sort of triangular corner w/outside seating?
Are you English or from Oz, by chance? The 'bloke' thing made me want to ask.
Interesting and accurate assessment of the state of pizza here (e:chico)... I'd have to agree. I usually order my pizzas from Just Pizza, since its close and decent. I like the 'tweener' style crust, personally. Then again, I like any and all pizzas. If I want flair I'll go to a disco or a magic show =D Hehe. Another option that I've recently tried and thought was quite good was the pizzas and such at Romeo and Juliet's on Hertel Ave.
I'm surprised nobody mentioned anything about California style pizza... although in all honesty I think California has completely bastardized and has made a mockery of pizza. Sorry but tofu, alfalfa sprouts and brie just shouldn't be on a pizza.
Personally, if I had my last ever breakfast in Buffalo lined up, I'd probably go to Pano's. Solid Grounds - so unfortunate! That is/was a popular place but a little small. I've never been but by reputation it is/was very good. Everybody seems to have offered some good suggestions.
I don't think there is any 'ultimate' breakfast or pizza in Buffalo... although this is highly unscientific, by looking at the responses in this journal entry its fairly safe to say that you'll get a different opinion from almost every person you ask. I think the thing to remember is that you'll never go wrong with one of any of a handful of the 'staples' that people have mentioned here.
Is Betty's that place in Allentown on a sort of triangular corner w/outside seating?
tinypliny - 08/10/07 00:33
The staff at Betty's told you to go away??! Somehow that sounds so unprofessional! Didn't they have any place at all? Weird...
The staff at Betty's told you to go away??! Somehow that sounds so unprofessional! Didn't they have any place at all? Weird...
leetee - 08/10/07 00:09
bill rapaport's site is a great resource. i recently posted about a review i wrote -- (e:LeeTee,40326) for Fables, the cafe in the downtown library branch (fyi, the review is up now, which is kinda cool).
my fav pizza is the ny style from la nova. we used to go to ny pizza on allen, but when we moved to the shitty side of town, we started going to la nova and i think it's better. it's big, has a nice cheese blend, a good sauce and a thin crust.
as for the places you have listed for breakfast -- not sure any of them would blow someone away.
towne, the service there bites and the food is average.
pano's we only went to once and i refuse to go back because the food and service were horrific.
amy's is ok, but so many locals told me it was to die for, so i think my expectations were way up there.
and i have never been to lake effect.
i hear the food at betty's is good, and it's a nice walk from where you live. we tried to go once but the staff told us to go away, they were too busy. and then we moved and haven't been since.
bill rapaport's site is a great resource. i recently posted about a review i wrote -- (e:LeeTee,40326) for Fables, the cafe in the downtown library branch (fyi, the review is up now, which is kinda cool).
my fav pizza is the ny style from la nova. we used to go to ny pizza on allen, but when we moved to the shitty side of town, we started going to la nova and i think it's better. it's big, has a nice cheese blend, a good sauce and a thin crust.
as for the places you have listed for breakfast -- not sure any of them would blow someone away.
towne, the service there bites and the food is average.
pano's we only went to once and i refuse to go back because the food and service were horrific.
amy's is ok, but so many locals told me it was to die for, so i think my expectations were way up there.
and i have never been to lake effect.
i hear the food at betty's is good, and it's a nice walk from where you live. we tried to go once but the staff told us to go away, they were too busy. and then we moved and haven't been since.
mimi - 08/09/07 23:58
Oh hey - didn't know that about Solid Grounds :( It's my favorite place to meet friends for brunch and especially taking my out-of-town friends.
Pizza - I'm a snob, what can I say? I have low expectations for pizza and Chinese restaurants outside of NYC (bagels, too, until Wegmans and Bagel Jays filled the void). We order pizza from what's closest and pretty decent - Just Pizza, and the place on Elmwood and Bird (Mr. Pizza?) near Pano's. I used to make husband drive to Allen St. NY Pizza, but it's not there anymore, is it?
This is a fun survey! Nice job, (e:tinypliny)!
Oh hey - didn't know that about Solid Grounds :( It's my favorite place to meet friends for brunch and especially taking my out-of-town friends.
Pizza - I'm a snob, what can I say? I have low expectations for pizza and Chinese restaurants outside of NYC (bagels, too, until Wegmans and Bagel Jays filled the void). We order pizza from what's closest and pretty decent - Just Pizza, and the place on Elmwood and Bird (Mr. Pizza?) near Pano's. I used to make husband drive to Allen St. NY Pizza, but it's not there anymore, is it?
This is a fun survey! Nice job, (e:tinypliny)!
tinypliny - 08/09/07 23:33
(e:mimi), how about your best pizza choice? And I could be wrong, but isn't Solid Grounds shutting down? I saw the "Business for sale" sign on their window and I think they are also selling all their furniture and everything else.
(e:mimi), how about your best pizza choice? And I could be wrong, but isn't Solid Grounds shutting down? I saw the "Business for sale" sign on their window and I think they are also selling all their furniture and everything else.
mimi - 08/09/07 23:08
NY pizza is thin, thin, not too much cheese, slightly crunchy crust. Understated, take-me-for-granted-I'm-just-pizza pizza.
Best breakfast place in Bflo - Solid Grounds, Elmwood/Bryant.
NY pizza is thin, thin, not too much cheese, slightly crunchy crust. Understated, take-me-for-granted-I'm-just-pizza pizza.
Best breakfast place in Bflo - Solid Grounds, Elmwood/Bryant.
tinypliny - 08/09/07 22:49
Here's a question on Pizza intricacies, what exactly is a NYC pizza? I gather its thin crust, but I heard from many people (in California!) that its also charred a bit. Now, were they just kidding me to justify their poor pizza-baking skills or were they right?
When I had pizza at a place in Brooklyn, called Grimaldi's, it was thin, but I don't remember it being charred. But it was a while ago, and maybe I forgot? I am not sure...
Here's a question on Pizza intricacies, what exactly is a NYC pizza? I gather its thin crust, but I heard from many people (in California!) that its also charred a bit. Now, were they just kidding me to justify their poor pizza-baking skills or were they right?
When I had pizza at a place in Brooklyn, called Grimaldi's, it was thin, but I don't remember it being charred. But it was a while ago, and maybe I forgot? I am not sure...
chico - 08/09/07 22:36
(e:mrmike) is right about Betty's. Cute place, go for brunch and mimosas, yum. Also, if you're in the mood to hike all the way uptown, Empire Grill on Hertel Avenue has an out-of-this-world breakfast burrito. But it's a hassle to get to with no car; the gritty-but-artful Amy's Place is a better bet, since it's only a few blocks north(ish) of the LaSalle station on the Metro train line.
For pizza (take out only), New York Pizza on Allen Street is very good, it comes as close as anything else I've had in town to (however improbably) New York-style pizza. Ami doesn't really like pizza but used to make her roommate drive down from North Buffalo to Allen and Park just to get that pizza.
The point about the pizza is this: depends what you want. For brick oven style, sounds like you and (e:jenks) and (e:mrmike) know what you're doing. But most of Buffalo has a weird take on pizza, sort of a cross between NY style and Chicago style. Thick and chewy and a little greasy without the flair of either original. Blah. Stick with the thin-crust stuff (imho).
(e:mrmike) is right about Betty's. Cute place, go for brunch and mimosas, yum. Also, if you're in the mood to hike all the way uptown, Empire Grill on Hertel Avenue has an out-of-this-world breakfast burrito. But it's a hassle to get to with no car; the gritty-but-artful Amy's Place is a better bet, since it's only a few blocks north(ish) of the LaSalle station on the Metro train line.
For pizza (take out only), New York Pizza on Allen Street is very good, it comes as close as anything else I've had in town to (however improbably) New York-style pizza. Ami doesn't really like pizza but used to make her roommate drive down from North Buffalo to Allen and Park just to get that pizza.
The point about the pizza is this: depends what you want. For brick oven style, sounds like you and (e:jenks) and (e:mrmike) know what you're doing. But most of Buffalo has a weird take on pizza, sort of a cross between NY style and Chicago style. Thick and chewy and a little greasy without the flair of either original. Blah. Stick with the thin-crust stuff (imho).
mrmike - 08/09/07 21:31
I concur with Jenks when it comes to unusual pizza. For the traditional flair, Leonardi's is awesome. For breakfast, don't forget about Betty's. They make a rockin omelet
I concur with Jenks when it comes to unusual pizza. For the traditional flair, Leonardi's is awesome. For breakfast, don't forget about Betty's. They make a rockin omelet
mrdeadlier - 08/09/07 21:15
if you're not too proud to come slumming in the burbs, bella roma in kenmore has the best pizza i've ever had.
also, for best breakfast the apple dumpling diner (again in kenmore, sorry) has some of the best giambotta you'll ever put in your face. i don't think it's even on the menu though -- you have to ask for it.
if you're not too proud to come slumming in the burbs, bella roma in kenmore has the best pizza i've ever had.
also, for best breakfast the apple dumpling diner (again in kenmore, sorry) has some of the best giambotta you'll ever put in your face. i don't think it's even on the menu though -- you have to ask for it.
tinypliny - 08/09/07 20:50
Thanks (e:Jenks), unusual and out of the world unorthodox pizzas are wonderful! :) Any more votes for this place? ( I personally prefer the thin crust too. I am in love with Panaros because of their pizzas - they are thin crust, crispy and heavenly.)
Thanks (e:Jenks), unusual and out of the world unorthodox pizzas are wonderful! :) Any more votes for this place? ( I personally prefer the thin crust too. I am in love with Panaros because of their pizzas - they are thin crust, crispy and heavenly.)
jenks - 08/09/07 20:35
ok, this may be a little unorthodox, but my fave pizza these days is from Trattoria Aroma, on bryant and ashland. It's not your typical heavy cheesy greasy pizza- it's brick over and super thin crust... man just talking about it makes me want some.
ok, this may be a little unorthodox, but my fave pizza these days is from Trattoria Aroma, on bryant and ashland. It's not your typical heavy cheesy greasy pizza- it's brick over and super thin crust... man just talking about it makes me want some.
This was a long long time back(June) in Vysehrad cemetary, Prague. Your purple beanstalks wound together with this spirit and danced around in my sleep yesterday. It was ethereal. With your (and Jim's) photos and my weird dreams, I really don't need a vacation. I am a fascinating strange land everyday!
where is this? were you on vacation or something?