I "Live" in BUFFALO !!!

[negativo]

I don't live in Buffalo. I live in South Florida. My kids only know of Buffalo from the all-too-brief summer visits. Same with my wife. In some ways, that makes me sad.

 

Buffalo's tough weather, tough economy and tragic sports history gives us a collective sense of having been to the front lines of life. You don't just live in Buffalo, you serve together in Buffalo. You have each other's back no matter what life throws at you.

 

In Buffalo we go to bars, not clubs. We aren't aristocratic or snobby, and we aren't "foodies". We're down to earth. Tailgating is king because we live a life of it. We're always buying someone a beer or being bought a beer.

 

We may get knocked down, get kicked while we're down, and get spit on after being kicked. But, then we get up, take one last swing just in case we connect, grab a beer or twelve, eat a pizza, or a sub, or wings, or beef on weck, or pirogi, or italian sausage, or Sahlens hot dogs, or all of the above, and keep fighting the good fight of life.

 

That's why unless you've lived Buffalo you can't possibly understand what Buffalo is all about. We commiserate about our lot in life, but defend that lot to the death. My kids won't know that world, but, hopefully I bring enough of Buffalo with me to ensure they grow up to become real, authentic, genuinely nice people who stand up for what they believe in.

 

I don't want to move back, but I do miss it and try to spread the Buffalo influence wherever I may roam.

[TSOL]

 

You know, I was wondering when people said they missed the food what they meant. There is nothing special about the pizza in Buffalo. You can get good pizza anywhere anymore. You can get good wings almost anywhere now as well. Granted there are more places to get good wings in Buffalo than most places though.

 

I can see missing the Bills and Sabres games, and the people, and even the weather for some who moved south. But good god not food.

 

I guess youre right, they do have Papa Johns, Pizza Huts, and Little Ceasars everywhere now...

 

[Chef Jim]

I've lived in CA for 31 years and since making a career change 13 years ago I've been able to visit more. I come back every winter and most every summer. Summers? Fantastic. Winters? Sorry, they will keep me from ever moving back.

[Mark80]

I moved away for 15 years if you include college. I just moved about a bit over a year ago. It was the best decision I have ever made. Go Bills.

 

You know, I was wondering when people said they missed the food what they meant. There is nothing special about the pizza in Buffalo. You can get good pizza anywhere anymore. You can get good wings almost anywhere now as well. Granted there are more places to get good wings in Buffalo than most places though.

 

I can see missing the Bills and Sabres games, and the people, and even the weather for some who moved south. But good god not food.

 

This is blatantly false. I lived in 5 different cities and I eat a lot of pizza. When your best option for pizza is Papa Johns then you have a pizza problem in that town. The only places that can claim to have comparable pizza quality are Chicago and NYC. While a lot of places will have one or two places that may be good, to have a whole City have good pizza is a unique thing. And the wings, give me a break man, a lot of places put breading on them as a rule...BREADING!!!!

Edited September 13, 2014 by Mark80

[ExiledInIllinois]

I guess youre right, they do have Papa Johns, Pizza Huts, and Little Ceasars everywhere now...

 

True... Put here, there is a Mom & Pop pizza joint on every corner... Just like BFLO. NOW, the prices are different... You will spend double here. The only thing that aggrevates me here is they cut the round pizza pie into little squares, not the the traditional pie slices.

 

So many better wing places in BFLO... But for national chain, BW3 isn't that bad... Certain ones do the wings just as good, like the one I will go to just across the border in Indiana.

 

BFLO pizza is doughy... Here near Chicago it is cracker/thin crust or deep-dish or stuffed. IMO, they charge way too much for it here and I like the doughy over a higher priced pie.

Edited September 13, 2014 by ExiledInIllinois

[The Dean]

You know, I was wondering when people said they missed the food what they meant. There is nothing special about the pizza in Buffalo. You can get good pizza anywhere anymore. You can get good wings almost anywhere now as well. Granted there are more places to get good wings in Buffalo than most places though.

 

I can see missing the Bills and Sabres games, and the people, and even the weather for some who moved south. But good god not food.

 

I'll pile on here, too. You can get Buffalo wings most anywhere. You can get edible wings most anywhere. Many places have flavorful wings---some even interesting. And the longer you are away from Buffalo, the easier it is to get seduced into thinking the wings you are eating are authentic---until you go back to Buffalo. Then you realize you have been eating imitation Buffalo wings all along. We have some places that have good wings. Best in the area. In truth, wings that are close to genuine. But in Buffalo these same places wouldn't be--well, a place where you would order wings. So you can make them at home and get them right, but for a single guy, that's a big mess for a few wings.

 

Beef on Weck is another thing that places just don't get right. There is a guy from Grand Island who has a beer bar in downtown St Augustine. On Sundays he serves beef on weck. I was VERY excited. This sandwich was so bad, he should have his WNY birth certificate burned. An embarrassment to the beef-on-weck. HORRIBLE!!!! Wrong beef, bad weck roll, dry, cold---absolutely nothing good about it. This was 4-5 years ago, and I'm still pissed off about it. I had a similar experience at a restaurant in Orlando. Except in this case, the beef was OK as was the roll. But they didn't dip the beef in any au jus, or gravy...or anything, So it was cold beef on a dry roll. I tried to send a bit of advice to the kitchen via the server, but she really didn't give a damn.

 

One of the few places I have had a decent beef on weck (not counting homemade of course) was at a Bills bar in St Pete. Buffalo City Grill (I think). Great place to watch a game and eat beef on weck--- but the wings were just OK. Also there is a new restaurant in World Golf Village that has (or had) beef on weck on the menu but I haven't had the nerve to try it yet. Maybe next week.

 

Pizza is a tough call. First of all, being from Niagara Falls, I never thought that highly of Buffalo pizza. But clearly is is better than the local pizza in most of the country,. (BTW if you can eat the national chain stuff, and refer to it as "pizza", you have no place in this discussion.) But like craft beer, REAL pizza seems to be available in more and more of the country. Thin crust, coal or wood burning brick oven places are springing up all over the country. Some are better than others, of course. I will try any local place, no matter how dingy it looks, before I get Dominoes/Pizza Hut/Pappa Johns/etc. I've had decent pizza in the oddest places---but you have to eat a lot of bad pies to find a good one. One thing I'll give Buffalo is the stuff is consistent.

 

Another thing about WNY food is, you can eat whenever you want. Hungry at 2 am? No problem. Driving in the middle of the afternoon and craving a slice? No problem. Boston, San Francisco, LA---they have great restaurants. But try eating late at night (if you aren't near a Chinese restaurant.) Try walking down a street KNOWING there will be a place for some quick hand food (slice, taco, etc) that will be good. Good freaking luck. Only NYC delivers quick, quality (and relatively inexpensive) eats better than Buffalo.

Edited September 13, 2014 by The Dean

[ExiledInIllinois]

"This sandwich was so bad, he should have his WNY birth certificate burned. An embarrassment to the beef-on-weck. HORRIBLE!!!! Wrong beef, bad weck roll, dry, cold---absolutely nothing good about it. This was 4-5 years ago, and I'm still pissed off about it. "

 

 

LoL... Too funny Dean!

 

 

I am not sure Chicago area shouldn't be up there too... Lots of gyros places around and after work tonight I will probably hit the Maxwell Street sausage stand on the way home after midnight... And that's out in the suburbs...

Edited September 13, 2014 by ExiledInIllinois

[The Dean]

"This sandwich was so bad, he should have his WNY birth certificate burned. An embarrassment to the beef-on-weck. HORRIBLE!!!! Wrong beef, bad weck roll, dry, cold---absolutely nothing good about it. This was 4-5 years ago, and I'm still pissed off about it. "

 

 

LoL... Too funny Dean!

 

 

I am not sure Chicago area shouldn't be up there too... Lots of gyros places around and after work tonight I will probably hit the Maxwell Street sausage stand on the way home after midnight... And that's out in the suburbs...

 

I haven't spent enough time in Chi-town to judge. Makes sense, though. Milwaukee was decent from what I remember, but I wasn't there long enough and out late enough to judge.

[ExiledInIllinois]

I haven't spent enough time in Chi-town to judge. Makes sense, though. Milwaukee was decent from what I remember, but I wasn't there long enough and out late enough to judge.

 

Yeah... Weekends the joints will stay open longer. Just asked a guy @ work and he said... Also more towards the North, like around Depaul a few places he goes to. Also, 24 hour breakfast places...

 

Crap... Now you have me craving a gryos or a Maxwell Polish! Speaking of Maxwell Polish... My father had one a few years back... His advice? "It would be so much better with Weber's mustard!" LoL... I am thinking about slipping the guys behind the stand a few jars and saying: "Try this!" I know it would be a hit!

Edited September 13, 2014 by ExiledInIllinois

[Augie]

 

 

I'll pile on here, too. You can get Buffalo wings most anywhere. You can get edible wings most anywhere. Many places have flavorful wings---some even interesting. And the longer you are away from Buffalo, the easier it is to get seduced into thinking the wings you are eating are authentic---until you go back to Buffalo. Then you realize you have been eating imitation Buffalo wings all along. We have some places that have good wings. Best in the area. In truth, wings that are close to genuine. But in Buffalo these same places wouldn't be--well, a place where you would order wings. So you can make them at home and get them right, but for a single guy, that's a big mess for a few wings.

 

Beef on Weck is another thing that places just don't get right. There is a guy from Grand Island who has a beer bar in downtown St Augustine. On Sundays he serves beef on weck. I was VERY excited. This sandwich was so bad, he should have his WNY birth certificate burned. An embarrassment to the beef-on-weck. HORRIBLE!!!! Wrong beef, bad weck roll, dry, cold---absolutely nothing good about it. This was 4-5 years ago, and I'm still pissed off about it. I had a similar experience at a restaurant in Orlando. Except in this case, the beef was OK as was the roll. But they didn't dip the beef in any au jus, or gravy...or anything, So it was cold beef on a dry roll. I tried to send a bit of advice to the kitchen via the server, but she really didn't give a damn.

 

One of the few places I have had a decent beef on weck (not counting homemade of course) was at a Bills bar in St Pete. Buffalo City Grill (I think). Great place to watch a game and eat beef on weck--- but the wings were just OK. Also there is a new restaurant in World Golf Village that has (or had) beef on weck on the menu but I haven't had the nerve to try it yet. Maybe next week.

 

Pizza is a tough call. First of all, being from Niagara Falls, I never thought that highly of Buffalo pizza. But clearly is is better than the local pizza in most of the country,. (BTW if you can eat the national chain stuff, and refer to it as "pizza", you have no place in this discussion.) But like craft beer, REAL pizza seems to be available in more and more of the country. Thin crust, coal or wood burning brick oven places are springing up all over the country. Some are better than others, of course. I will try any local place, no matter how dingy it looks, before I get Dominoes/Pizza Hut/Pappa Johns/etc. I've had decent pizza in the oddest places---but you have to eat a lot of bad pies to find a good one. One thing I'll give Buffalo is the stuff is consistent.

 

Another thing about WNY food is, you can eat whenever you want. Hungry at 2 am? No problem. Driving in the middle of the afternoon and craving a slice? No problem. Boston, San Francisco, LA---they have great restaurants. But try eating late at night (if you aren't near a Chinese restaurant.) Try walking down a street KNOWING there will be a place for some quick hand food (slice, taco, etc) that will be good. Good freaking luck. Only NYC delivers quick, quality (and relatively inexpensive) eats better than Buffalo.

 

You brought a tear to my eye.... My trips back are 90% about the Bills and the food. The Bills last a few hours, the food lasts a few days... And that's not enough!

 

Having said that, Buffalo is a great place most of the year. People in the south love places in the mountains of NC or north GA. That would be great, but Buffalo is an awesome place!

 

And beef on weck should not be so hard! Plenty try, but most fail.

 

Sarasota FL has some very good Buffalo food. Thank you to all the former Buffalonians who provided that. I miss it. Congrats on escaping winter. Hope you make it back often.

[The Dean]

You brought a tear to my eye.... My trips back are 90% about the Bills and the food. The Bills last a few hours, the food lasts a few days... And that's not enough!

 

Having said that, Buffalo is a great place most of the year. People in the south love places in the mountains of NC or north GA. That would be great, but Buffalo is an awesome place!

 

And beef on weck should not be so hard! Plenty try, but most fail.

 

Sarasota FL has some very good Buffalo food. Thank you to all the former Buffalonians who provided that. I miss it. Congrats on escaping winter. Hope you make it back often.

 

Unfortunately I typically only make it back one a year. Every summer I to go to a cottage in Canada with a bunch of friends (40+ years at the same place).

 

But I really like the winter. I LOVE blizzards. I like cleaning the snow off my car in the morning (OK, I prefer the afternoon to tell the truth). I'd snow blow the entire block.

Edited September 13, 2014 by The Dean

[Augie]

 

 

Unfortunately I typically only make it back one a year. Every summer I to go to a cottage in Canada with a bunch of friends (40+ years at the same place).

 

But I really like the winter. I LOVE blizzards. I like cleaning the snow off my car in the morning (OK, I prefer the afternoon to tell the truth). I'd snow blow the entire block.

Funny, as a kid I slept on a screened porch in Crystal Beach every summer. I was an adult before I realized it was because there was no room inside! It was a huge treat to me. I actually want to build a sleeping porch at my current house. I LOVE winter, but on a limited basis. I prefer to have a return flight home and to refer to "winter" as a "ski trip". And I barely even enjoy skiing.

[ExiledInIllinois]

But I really like the winter. I LOVE blizzards. I like cleaning the snow off my car in the morning (OK, I prefer the afternoon to tell the truth). I'd snow blow the entire block.

 

I do too... But as I get older...

 

Oh boy... Now you did it! I said that to my brother (who lives in WNY) a few years back. His reply?

 

"Every F***ing other day you clean off/shovel 6 inches of snow... You'd get sick of it too."

 

Ooops... I must of touched a nerve. I do see his point. We average only about 30 inches a year here. Last year @ almost 80, it was starting to get to be a problem... I feel their pain in the 100+ inche range...

Edited September 13, 2014 by ExiledInIllinois

[Augie]

 

 

I do too... But as I get older...

 

Oh boy... Now you did it! I said that to my brother (who lives in WNY) a few years back. His reply?

 

"Every F***ing you clean off/shovel 6 inches of snow... You'd get sick of it too."

 

Ooops... I must of touched a nerve. I do see his point. We average only about 30 inches a year here. Last year @ almost 80, it was starting to get to be a problem... I feel their pain in the 100+ inche range...

 

I'm in Atlanta. Last winter we had two "storms" that may have totaled 5-6". It was crippling, and I loved it! Then it was 42 degrees and raining for five months, and the fun was gone.

[Tampa Bob]

I moved out of buffalo and I miss family, friends and pizza. I can't say I miss anything else about buffalo.

 

I can still watch all my bills games on tv. Going to the stadium used to be fun when I was an immature, college drunk. When I became an adult, the scene at the stadium turned pathetic with a bunch of drunken idiots irritating everyone who isn't completely wasted.

[The Dean]

I moved out of buffalo and I miss family, friends and pizza. I can't say I miss anything else about buffalo.

 

I can still watch all my bills games on tv. Going to the stadium used to be fun when I was an immature, college drunk. When I became an adult, the scene at the stadium turned pathetic with a bunch of drunken idiots irritating everyone who isn't completely wasted.

 

So now you are just an arrogant and annoying POS? Fair enough.

[Fredo G.]

I'll pile on here, too. You can get Buffalo wings most anywhere. You can get edible wings most anywhere. Many places have flavorful wings---some even interesting. And the longer you are away from Buffalo, the easier it is to get seduced into thinking the wings you are eating are authentic---until you go back to Buffalo. Then you realize you have been eating imitation Buffalo wings all along. We have some places that have good wings. Best in the area. In truth, wings that are close to genuine. But in Buffalo these same places wouldn't be--well, a place where you would order wings. So you can make them at home and get them right, but for a single guy, that's a big mess for a few wings.

 

Beef on Weck is another thing that places just don't get right. There is a guy from Grand Island who has a beer bar in downtown St Augustine. On Sundays he serves beef on weck. I was VERY excited. This sandwich was so bad, he should have his WNY birth certificate burned. An embarrassment to the beef-on-weck. HORRIBLE!!!! Wrong beef, bad weck roll, dry, cold---absolutely nothing good about it. This was 4-5 years ago, and I'm still pissed off about it. I had a similar experience at a restaurant in Orlando. Except in this case, the beef was OK as was the roll. But they didn't dip the beef in any au jus, or gravy...or anything, So it was cold beef on a dry roll. I tried to send a bit of advice to the kitchen via the server, but she really didn't give a damn.

 

One of the few places I have had a decent beef on weck (not counting homemade of course) was at a Bills bar in St Pete. Buffalo City Grill (I think). Great place to watch a game and eat beef on weck--- but the wings were just OK. Also there is a new restaurant in World Golf Village that has (or had) beef on weck on the menu but I haven't had the nerve to try it yet. Maybe next week.

 

Pizza is a tough call. First of all, being from Niagara Falls, I never thought that highly of Buffalo pizza. But clearly is is better than the local pizza in most of the country,. (BTW if you can eat the national chain stuff, and refer to it as "pizza", you have no place in this discussion.) But like craft beer, REAL pizza seems to be available in more and more of the country. Thin crust, coal or wood burning brick oven places are springing up all over the country. Some are better than others, of course. I will try any local place, no matter how dingy it looks, before I get Dominoes/Pizza Hut/Pappa Johns/etc. I've had decent pizza in the oddest places---but you have to eat a lot of bad pies to find a good one. One thing I'll give Buffalo is the stuff is consistent.

 

Another thing about WNY food is, you can eat whenever you want. Hungry at 2 am? No problem. Driving in the middle of the afternoon and craving a slice? No problem. Boston, San Francisco, LA---they have great restaurants. But try eating late at night (if you aren't near a Chinese restaurant.) Try walking down a street KNOWING there will be a place for some quick hand food (slice, taco, etc) that will be good. Good freaking luck. Only NYC delivers quick, quality (and relatively inexpensive) eats better than Buffalo.

nailed Dean WNY food is the best

[thebug]

I'll pile on here, too. You can get Buffalo wings most anywhere. You can get edible wings most anywhere. Many places have flavorful wings---some even interesting. And the longer you are away from Buffalo, the easier it is to get seduced into thinking the wings you are eating are authentic---until you go back to Buffalo. Then you realize you have been eating imitation Buffalo wings all along. We have some places that have good wings. Best in the area. In truth, wings that are close to genuine. But in Buffalo these same places wouldn't be--well, a place where you would order wings. So you can make them at home and get them right, but for a single guy, that's a big mess for a few wings.

 

Beef on Weck is another thing that places just don't get right. There is a guy from Grand Island who has a beer bar in downtown St Augustine. On Sundays he serves beef on weck. I was VERY excited. This sandwich was so bad, he should have his WNY birth certificate burned. An embarrassment to the beef-on-weck. HORRIBLE!!!! Wrong beef, bad weck roll, dry, cold---absolutely nothing good about it. This was 4-5 years ago, and I'm still pissed off about it. I had a similar experience at a restaurant in Orlando. Except in this case, the beef was OK as was the roll. But they didn't dip the beef in any au jus, or gravy...or anything, So it was cold beef on a dry roll. I tried to send a bit of advice to the kitchen via the server, but she really didn't give a damn.

 

One of the few places I have had a decent beef on weck (not counting homemade of course) was at a Bills bar in St Pete. Buffalo City Grill (I think). Great place to watch a game and eat beef on weck--- but the wings were just OK. Also there is a new restaurant in World Golf Village that has (or had) beef on weck on the menu but I haven't had the nerve to try it yet. Maybe next week.

 

Pizza is a tough call. First of all, being from Niagara Falls, I never thought that highly of Buffalo pizza. But clearly is is better than the local pizza in most of the country,. (BTW if you can eat the national chain stuff, and refer to it as "pizza", you have no place in this discussion.) But like craft beer, REAL pizza seems to be available in more and more of the country. Thin crust, coal or wood burning brick oven places are springing up all over the country. Some are better than others, of course. I will try any local place, no matter how dingy it looks, before I get Dominoes/Pizza Hut/Pappa Johns/etc. I've had decent pizza in the oddest places---but you have to eat a lot of bad pies to find a good one. One thing I'll give Buffalo is the stuff is consistent.

 

Another thing about WNY food is, you can eat whenever you want. Hungry at 2 am? No problem. Driving in the middle of the afternoon and craving a slice? No problem. Boston, San Francisco, LA---they have great restaurants. But try eating late at night (if you aren't near a Chinese restaurant.) Try walking down a street KNOWING there will be a place for some quick hand food (slice, taco, etc) that will be good. Good freaking luck. Only NYC delivers quick, quality (and relatively inexpensive) eats better than Buffalo.

 

You are serious about your food! Great post!

 

Unfortunately I typically only make it back one a year. Every summer I to go to a cottage in Canada with a bunch of friends (40+ years at the same place).

 

But I really like the winter. I LOVE blizzards. I like cleaning the snow off my car in the morning (OK, I prefer the afternoon to tell the truth). I'd snow blow the entire block.

 

You come up to Canada....you must know Steve?

[billsfan714]

You know, I was wondering when people said they missed the food what they meant. There is nothing special about the pizza in Buffalo. You can get good pizza anywhere anymore. You can get good wings almost anywhere now as well. Granted there are more places to get good wings in Buffalo than most places though.

 

I can see missing the Bills and Sabres games, and the people, and even the weather for some who moved south. But good god not food.

 

Im going to have to disagree with this too. I live in central Pennsylvania, also known as Pennsyltucky or the Alabama betwen Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. There is Wegmans in State College(home of Penn State), anyways when they make a Buffalo style pizza they label it as *spicy cup pepperoni pizza* and next to it will have what they think is a pizza with this razor thin pepperoni that is just terrible coupled with a bland sauce. Buffalo pepperoni is pretty unique.

 

Sub rolls down here are often just slabs of dough they proof a little, then throw in the oven, that are 6 inches wide it the middle, overloaded with lettuce. I think I miss a good heated sub more than anything.

 

People actually think a ten pack of oscar meyer or whatever are actual hotdogs...ever eat one of these off a grill?...no self respecting Buffalonian would consider it, you will miss a Ted's and Sahlens. Pickles AND relish on the same hotdog....unheard of.

 

I had tried to introduce people to Beef on Weck and they do get it.....but getting Weck rolls is neary impossible unless I make a trip back to Buffalo. And I dont cook a roast like Shwabels(sp?).

[Jim in Anchorage]

Only food I really miss from Buffalo is Seneca Texas red hots. But I think they are gone.