Spotlight: Bewitch Your Taste Buds in Buffalo

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Most Canadians heading to Buffalo have their pre-programmed routes almost set in stone. These can include scoring some deals at the outlet malls, catching a Leafs vs. Sabres game and maybe grabbing some of the city’s famed chicken wings before heading back home. And while those are all fine options, I’m going to let you in on an as-of-yet untapped secret – take a New York minute to discover Buffalo’s culinary bounty. I bet you a beef on weck you’ll be amazed!

First stop, make your way over to Sample Restaurant where Buffalo native and restaurant chef/owner Adam Goetz offers whimsical “tastes” that reflect his NYC training with home-grown authenticity. Located in the city’s historic Allentown district, the former Waldorf Astoria Hotel chef offers diners “a cocktail party at your table” where you get to choose from dozens of two-bite treats. From Goetz’s earthy yet sensual mushroom cappuccino with rosemary foam, to his more playful take on Buffalo staples like a slider-sized version of the “chicken finger sub” complete with blue-cheese dressing, everything you try at Sample is made in-house (including those chicken fingers), using local, seasonal products (Sample is part of WNY’s forward-thinking Field & Fork Network that puts chefs in touch with area food producers). We opted for the Chefs Tasting and for a very reasonable $36 USD got huge bang for our buck with 6 courses of various tastes. Save room for the house-made S’mores, if you can find it!

If you’re in the mood for an intimate, romantic evening replete with roaring fireplace in a refurbished turn of the century mansion, you’ll want the modern Italian offerings of Tempo Restaurant. Executive Chef and managing partner Paul Jenkins’s primi, secondi, mains and dolci are all flavour-forward creations that might evoke a night in Bologna with a classic Bolognese pasta course made with slow cooked beef, pork and pancetta in ragu. Or try a Mediterranean favourite- grilled whole Branzino with steamed broccolini and Yukon gold puree as the contorni. We were there on Halloween eve and as we learned, Buffalonians take any excuse to party seriously. That includes this holiday, where at a table near us, a “prison inmate” and a German frau in a dirndl dined with a witch. That’s Buffalo – fun loving even at the most elegant of restaurants!

We were also introduced to a new friend’s “cookie of the moment,” which has now become my cookie obsession – the raspberry macaroon from Dolci Dessert Bakery and Gelateria. Hugging a corner in Elmwood, one of the city’s most coveted neighbourhoods, Dolci beckons with sky-high mini cakes, made-to-order cannolis with creamy smooth ricotta and your favourite additions (toasted almond slivers, chocolate, candied fruit…) and of course, those moist, rich macaroons that happily don’t flirt with any cloying varieties. It’s the perfect way to spend a Saturday afternoon after nibbling on edible gems at the nearby Bidwell Farmer’s Market.

*This Eater’s Tip – make sure you try White Cow Dairy’s Crème Bulgare (found at the Bidwell Farmer’s Market and the Lexington Cooperative Market in Elmwood)- it’s like crème fraiche seduced a crème brulée and added a generous dose of vanilla to keep it happy. Be sure to make a pit-stop to the Albright Knox Museum- a must-see for contemporary art fans. I’ve just chipped an ice cube off of the culinary iceberg that Buffalo’s quickly becoming and I can’t wait to take a bigger bite!

SAMPLE Restaurant
242 Allen Street
Buffalo, NY

TEMPO Restaurant
581 Delaware Ave
Buffalo, NY
(716) 885-1594

DOLCI Bakery
732 Elmwood Ave
Buffalo, NY
716-882-5956