BUFFALO SPREADS ITS WINGS

The second largest city in New York has been home to two U.S. Presidents, Millar Fillmore and

This city of just over 300,000 (with 1,2 million in surrounding suburbs) has maintained its class and dignity, and above all, its friendliness, earning the titles of “The City of Good Neighbors and “The Biggest Small Town in America.” environment.

My visit was designed to enjoy the region’s unique food products, chefs and purveyors. Everything else would be a bonus.

Buffalo and wings go together like Belgium and chocolate, but do you know that wings are just the beginning of Buffalo’s contribution to the culinary world? It’s true that Buffalo chicken wings were actually created here.

However, dining out in Buffalo is more than just chicken wings. In fact, there are more than 1,400 bistros, cafes, pubs and grills in Greater Buffalo area, and that’s not including the annual festivals. That is when thousands come out to taste local specialties such as Beef on Weck - thick juicy slices of roast beef piled six inches high on a salt and caraway Kimmelweck roll. And you can tell a Buffalonian by the amount of horseradish she or he uses, washed down with an ice-cold locally brewed ale.

Visitors to Buffalo don’t have to hang around long to discover the third member of the city’s specialties. - the Friday night Fish Fry. This is the traditional way to bid farewell to another work week with fish in beer batter, fresh-cut fries, lots of that ice-cold locally brewed ale and plenty of friends to share it with.

For a chance to try out all of Buffalo’s culinary delights at one time, you’ve got to attend “A Taste of Buffalo” festival in mid-July. You can sample more than 150 dishes from Western New York’s finest restaurant, all priced less than $3.

Staying at one of the most fashionable establishments in Buffalo, made this trip warm, cozy and delicious. The Mansion On Delaware located at 414 Delaware Avenue was exquisite! Hardly shy on words the establishment’s brochure proclaims, “There are certain places in the world where grandeur takes on a life of its own” revealed by this note left in my room, “The butlers have taken this opportunity to refresh your room and to place a sweet plate besides your bed. A chilled container of bottled water has been placed on your beverage tray at your desk.”

The mansion on Delaware Avenue is a joyous renovation of architect George Allison’s Second Empire Structure. Commissioned as a private residence in the 1860’s, The Mansion became one of the most luxurious hotels in the country during Buffalo’s turn-of-the century heyday encompassing the 1901 Pan-American Exhibition. Throughout the 20th Century, the building was home to many exciting ventures including the Victor Hugo Wine cellar.

Today, with much care exercised in maintaining the architectural integrity and original craftsmanship of George Allison’s design, The Mansion on Delaware Avenue enlightens our new century. It now comes full circle welcoming visitors to a sanctuary of time, luxury and service that blends the building’s old-world elegance with the contemporary style of fashionable interior design and state-of- the-art guest services available in 28 rooms and suites.

The Mansion’s butlers recommended Hutch’s (717-885-0074) for dinner. It is a contemporary city Bistro that offers creative American cuisine. Their specialties are seafood, lamb chops and Angus beef. You can dine inside or during warmer months, on their patio. In their brick-walled barroom, we enjoyed their single malt scotches and single barrel bourbons. I went with the lamb chops and I wasn’t disappointed. The sides of portabella fries and sautéed Swiss chard with tomato topped off the delicious dish.

After a delightful breakfast, we headed out to Di Camillo Bakery in Niagara Falls area (1-800-634-4363.) This bakery was opened in 1920 by the grandparents of the Di Camillo family who arrived from the province of Abruzzi in Italy with the desire to share with their new neighbors the bread and biscotti they had loved and baked in their homeland.

In 1920, with the help of their 11 children, the family opened their first bakery in Niagara Falls, New York .It was from the basement ovens in this store that they began baking and delivering in horse drawn wagons. Today the tradition is continued by the third and fourth generation. Their menu has expanded to include fancy foods and culinary products that have won awards for beauty and content. It can be noted that the favorite Biscotti of James Beard comes from this bakery.

Lunch at Tiddledybinks at The Niagara Club (716-282-4657) found a room decoratively themed with the menu. The first course was vegetable Tien served on Asian decorated platters. Then came succulent tempura salmon, followed by grilled medallions of pork with Szechwan cherry sauce. The dessert was Semifreddo chocolate hearts accompanied by refreshing cups of minted tea. All thanks to the gourmet chef, Norman P. Hart whose talent was very impressive. l

Back in Buffalo, Premier Wine & Spirits (716-873-6688) were worth a visit to check out their exclusive stock.

Cocktails at Saigon Café, a Vietnamese & Thai Cuisine establishment (716-883-1252) is a great beginning for an evening outing in Buffalo, and they even whet our appetites with summer rolls, Vietnamese pancakes, spring rolls and beef satay.

Dinner at Oliver’s (716-877-9662) allowed us to enjoy contemporary American cuisine with excellent USDA Prime beef and seafood, accompanied by one of the most extensive wine offerings available in the city.

The evening wound up at Left Bank for dessert (716-882-3509.) This small American Bistro is tucked away in Buffalo’s west side, popular for homemade items on the menu.

At Buffalo China we toured the factory (716-823-1497.) 100 years of service in 2001. Built on craftsmanship, tradition and pride, the pottery has a rich and fascinating history, and in 2001 they celebrated 100 years of operation. In 1983, Oneida Ltd. purchased Buffalo China. The Oneida brand name and the increased plant capacity quickly opened the door to new markets for Buffalo-made dinnerware. Today, Buffalo China continues to implement new processes and techniques to hold its position as a leader in the dinnerware arena,

No visit to Buffalo is complete without a stop at the Albright-Knox Art gallery (716-882-8700.) The gallery’s collection is among the world’s top international surveys of 20th century painting and sculpture. It is a Greek Revival building housing paintings and sculptures dating from 3000 B.C. to the present. The contemporary collection of American and European art is especially notable and includes works by Willem de Kooning, Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso and Jackson Pollock. If your visit coincides with a lunch time break, try the The Garden Restaurant.

Another cocktail venue is Nectar. (716-881-1829), Buffalo’s sexiest new martini bar and restaurant. Nectar’s wood-fired oven and grill create an authentic Southern Mediterranean fare. Nectar boasts a vast number of specialties martinis, 29 to be exact.

For a bit of NYC in downtown Buffalo I would recommend Calumet Arts Café (716-855-2220.) It’s a sophisticated supper club with great food and jazz. The grilled eggplant was rolled and stuffed with goat cheese, spinach and roasted red peppers served on a bed of plum tomatoes with balsamic vinaigrette.

A night out on the town featured “Fiddler on the Roof” at Shea’s Performing Arts Center with Theodore Bikel in the starring role – a truly delightful performance for all of us.

For late night snack we went to Rue Franklin (716-852-4416) where French cuisine blends with the charming décor of this small, but inviting restaurant.

Finally we enjoyed a cooking class at Butterwood Desserts (716-652-0131) because it was so much. Carolyn and Bill Panzica started the company in the basement of their 200 year old home in 1996.Their desserts are served in over 700 fine restaurants and Carolyn creates incredible wedding and special occasion cakes.

Our farewell lunch was at Schwabl’s Restaurant (716-674-9821), a friendly familiar place for many area residents who enjoy Western New York’s famous Beef on Weck.