BuffaloBill Posted June 23, 2009 Posted June 23, 2009 personally I think Beaver Island State Park on Grand Island is far superior to Delaware Park, but obviously Delaware Park is closer... Are you out of your mind? I know .. to each their own.
SageAgainstTheMachine Posted June 23, 2009 Posted June 23, 2009 Not to make this into a food war, but is anyone else with me in not liking Bocci pizza? I think it's the only pizza in Buffalo that I don't like. Of course everyone can recommend the "best" pizza, wings, etc...but I really think Buffalo has so much more to offer pizza-wise than Bocci's. And speaking of wings, I'll throw my personal favorite out there: Gabriel's Gate down on Allen St. I'm not sure what else there is to recommend that is kid-friendly. Maybe Darien Lake if your daughter gets bored with the art, architecture, etc. Unfortunately the area down by the marina looks like a hell-hole right now due to the destruction of The Aud, hopefully that image won't be your wife and daughter's lasting impression. While you're up at the Falls, maybe you could visit the wax museums. I haven't done that in forever, so I don't remember if it's kid-friendly or not. Have a great trip! I agree, Bocci's is not good. Not god-awful, but not good either. If you order a regular cheese pizza from Bocci's, it's fine. But once you delve into other toppings, the pizza becomes an unwieldy Frankenstein monster. I remember we ordered a Cheese Steak Pizza from Bocci's and you could barely see the cheese through the onions. Disgusting. To me, it doesn't get any better than Picasso's. I would literally kill a man to get the recipe to their sauce. Only problem is their wings blow. No meat on them bones.
Tcali Posted June 23, 2009 Posted June 23, 2009 I try to stay on the American side as the Clifton Hill tack n brac tends to take away my money faster than the casino. NFNY recently built this monsterously out of place "Snow Park" on Second street downtown. I haven't been there but have seen it. It's got this gigantic slide that looks completely out of place in an urban setting, kids might like it. Across the street the Howard Johnson's runs helicopter rides, then there's always the usual Maid, Cave of the Winds. I like to hike the gorge trail and it's fun and safe for kids..as long as they don't venture too close to the edge. Also Lewiston is very pleasant and you might be able to catch a free show at the Art Park if you come on a Tuesday. I like the area further up north by Old Fort Niagara. You can sit on the shores of the Lake and see actually see Toronto. On the way back stop by the Ontario House in Youngstown. Across Elmwood from the Knox is a new art museum that has been very well recieved, The Burchfield Penny. My daughter liked it. If you walk by Elmwood from there stop by Cecellias patio by Breckenridge and have some of Steve's little neck clams, lobster daintys or oysters and wash it down with a Harp. Grew up with Bocce on Bailey and worked there while attending school up the street. Still tastes the same as ever...which could be both good and bad depending on your view. I like Weichecs in Kaisertown for wings...both Buffalo style and breaded. Parkside Candies still is on Main and Winspear. The new Erie Canal site is pretty nice but not exactly overwhelming, but as everyone here will tell you "it's a start". Guess they're trying to get people down there so they're holding a bunch of concerts down there during August and September. Don't forget Allentown and the Broadway Market...or Fantasy Island. weichecs wings are ridiculously good....but thats a ways to go into a mediocre neighborhood for tourists
San Jose Bills Fan Posted June 23, 2009 Posted June 23, 2009 "In the move back to Bflo" thread I mentioned my love for the WNY countryside. I don't know how much time or compunction you have to take fairly long car rides in the country (especially after having traveled to Bflo in the first place) but if you care to, here are some suggestions. Ironically (because it's Buffalo) there's a very nice beach in the town of Evans which was given back to the county some years ago, Bennett Beach. It is fairly undeveloped with a few facilities but it's never overcrowded, has a nice surrounding area, and has excellent sand and water quality. There are excellent beaches in Canada too but I'll get to that later: http://www.erie.gov/parks/bennett.asp If boating is your thing, there's a million charter services for sailing and fishing. With the right equipment fishing for steelhead, coho and chinook salmon, brown and lake trout are virtually year round not to mention walleye and bass. Lake Erie holds both warm and cold water species. Hiking or even driving through Zoar Valley is wonderful any time of year: http://www.zoarvalley.org/home.html There's an outfit in Gowanda which runs whitewater rafting tours through the valley: http://www.zoarvalleyrafting.com/index.php3 One place that's really cool is the B&B Buffalo Ranch. Amazingly they seem not to have a website. But it's the largest Buffalo (Bison) ranch east of the Mississippi. It's in Cattaragus County on a beautiful hillside overlooking a valley. They sell the meat there and also there's a little gift shop. But the view is what you come for. The herd is pretty huge: http://www.ibegin.com/directory/us/new-yor...-buffalo-ranch/ One offbeat place to visit is Lily Dale, NY. The attraction at Lily Dale is it's the center for the religion of spiritualism in the world. Spiritualists believe among other things, that we can contact the dead and see the future. During the summers there are tons of "mediums" there who will basically tell your fortune. It's an enclave of victorian cottages nestled on the shores of Cassadaga Lake. There's even swans in the lake so your wife might like this visit: http://www.lilydaleassembly.com/ If you're going to Canada anyways (Niagara on the Lake) you should definitely go to Niagara Falls, Canada. There will be plenty of things to impress/entertain the wife and kid. While you're in that region you could drop in on a couple of wineries for the wife if she likes wine tasting, some of the wineries have very good restaurants also: http://culturalniagara.com/southernontariowines.html Marineland is a popular attraction for kids, they have killer whale, dolphin, and seal shows, a game farm/petting zoo, etc: http://www.marinelandcanada.com/attractions/friendshipcove/ There's also a million other things to do up there as well as seeing the actual falls which are beautiful, particularly on the Canadian side. http://www.niagarafallstourism.com/thingstodo.html I would recommend also not going back thru Niagara Falls, NY unfortunately unless you immediately head east after the Rainbow Bridge and head towards the villages of Youngstown, Wilson, and Olcott. I consider Niagara County to be quite lovely in the summer time. It's very agricultural and has a quintessential New York rural feel. The villages I mentioned are all along the shoreline and have nice places to eat and drink outside mixed with other opportunities such as wineries, antiques, boat charters, etc. Every weekend during the summer some community is having a festival of some sort. Expect to see lots of classic/antique car shows and antique markets, classic America: http://www.wilsonnewyork.com/calendar/nc05252009.htm Getting back to Canada (and beaches), there are some awesome beaches in Fort Erie. Natural sand and warm, clear water: Long, Pleasant, Crescent, Windmill are the quieter beaches. Bay Beach/Crystal Beach and Sherkston Beach are more crowded if you like people watching. These latter three have lots of food and camping opportunities. If you want to go to the beach as a midsummer ritual, there's tons of places to go. Well, that's just scratching the surface. Hope it helps. Can't wait to be back in Bflo for my fantasy football draft in September.
grammer_police Posted June 23, 2009 Posted June 23, 2009 I agree, Bocci's is not good. Not god-awful, but not good either. If you order a regular cheese pizza from Bocci's, it's fine. But once you delve into other toppings, the pizza becomes an unwieldy Frankenstein monster. I remember we ordered a Cheese Steak Pizza from Bocci's and you could barely see the cheese through the onions. Disgusting. To me, it doesn't get any better than Picasso's. I would literally kill a man to get the recipe to their sauce. Only problem is their wings blow. No meat on them bones. Which bocce's do you go to? The one next to North high SUCKS! But the one on transit road is the real authentic bocce's. If you get their wings and ask for extra crispy and hot you'll be in heaven. Even better than duffs or anchor bar. Look at some of these pictures and if you're not salivating, then you're not a real Buffalo man: http://boccespizza.com/slideShow.html
quikchomp Posted June 23, 2009 Posted June 23, 2009 I will def admit the pizza looks better in those pics than what I've had before.
JoeFerguson Posted June 23, 2009 Posted June 23, 2009 I agree, Bocci's is not good. Not god-awful, but not good either. If you order a regular cheese pizza from Bocci's, it's fine. But once you delve into other toppings, the pizza becomes an unwieldy Frankenstein monster. I remember we ordered a Cheese Steak Pizza from Bocci's and you could barely see the cheese through the onions. Disgusting. To me, it doesn't get any better than Picasso's. I would literally kill a man to get the recipe to their sauce. Only problem is their wings blow. No meat on them bones. Picasso's over Bocce's? Seriously?
jax bill backer Posted June 23, 2009 Posted June 23, 2009 BEST PLACES FOR SUCH FOOD Beef on Weck. Charlie the Butcher Fish Fry. Athenas Greek Resturant Wings. This is hard but I have to go with Duffs Pizza. La Nova's Taco's. Mighty Subs.. IDK
San Jose Bills Fan Posted June 23, 2009 Posted June 23, 2009 BEST PLACES FOR SUCH FOOD Beef on Weck. Charlie the Butcher Fish Fry. Athenas Greek Resturant Wings. This is hard but I have to go with Duffs Pizza. La Nova's Taco's. Mighty Subs.. IDK Athena's is a good fish fry but the best fish fry I've had back home is at Casey's on Amherst Street in Black Rock. But like Weichec's for wings, you don't necessarily want to spend lots of time in that neighborhood. Too many other places to see. A great place to visit and I forgot to mention it before is East Aurora. The toy company Fisher Price is there and I believe they have a kid's museum for your six year old. The Roycroft Campus is really cool...it was a religious and philosophical reform movement which expressed their values through arts and crafts including furniture making. The Roycroft Campus is pretty cool. Also, East Aurora has a nice postcard aspect to it, kinda Mayberry-esque. It's pedestrian friendly with lots of shops and stuff. Your wife might enjoy it. And there's lots of good places to eat. The wings at Bar-Bill Tavern in the traffic circle by Seneca Street has excellent wings (traditional, honey-mustard, lemon-pepper, parmesan-garlic, etc) and serve their beer in icy mugs. The place is perfectly suited to a family lunch or dinner.
True Posted June 23, 2009 Posted June 23, 2009 O.o Pizza Junction! I havent had that in 15 years. I'm going to go there the day before the opener. Is it still open in North Tonawanda? I love Teds Dogs, the Chocolate shakes are brilliant, but get the hot sauce to go too. I think its just ketchup, relish and cayenne though. B.
BuffaloWings Posted June 23, 2009 Posted June 23, 2009 It's not Buffalo, but my father used to live in northern Chautauqua county (Forestville) where wineries are all over the place. Most (if not all) will have tours available. Wineries And even though some don't think they have the best wings anymore, go to the Anchor Bar, anyway. It's a tradition for me when I visit.
billsfan_34 Posted June 23, 2009 Posted June 23, 2009 Not to make this into a food war, but is anyone else with me in not liking Bocci pizza? I think it's the only pizza in Buffalo that I don't like. Of course everyone can recommend the "best" pizza, wings, etc...but I really think Buffalo has so much more to offer pizza-wise than Bocci's. And speaking of wings, I'll throw my personal favorite out there: Gabriel's Gate down on Allen St. I'm not sure what else there is to recommend that is kid-friendly. Maybe Darien Lake if your daughter gets bored with the art, architecture, etc. Unfortunately the area down by the marina looks like a hell-hole right now due to the destruction of The Aud, hopefully that image won't be your wife and daughter's lasting impression. While you're up at the Falls, maybe you could visit the wax museums. I haven't done that in forever, so I don't remember if it's kid-friendly or not. Have a great trip! I enjoy Boccis...however IMO Milanos on englewood in tonawanda is the best.
Chandler#81 Posted June 23, 2009 Posted June 23, 2009 "In the move back to Bflo" thread I mentioned my love for the WNY countryside. I don't know how much time or compunction you have to take fairly long car rides in the country (especially after having traveled to Bflo in the first place) but if you care to, here are some suggestions. Ironically (because it's Buffalo) there's a very nice beach in the town of Evans which was given back to the county some years ago, Bennett Beach. It is fairly undeveloped with a few facilities but it's never overcrowded, has a nice surrounding area, and has excellent sand and water quality. There are excellent beaches in Canada too but I'll get to that later: ... Does the Arcade/Attica train trip still exist? Always enjoyed that. I'm coming 'home' this weekend for a family reunion. In 3 days I'll make sure to hit Pizza Junction -yes, it's still there, Swiston' s and Ted's! YUM YUM!
smuvtalker Posted June 23, 2009 Posted June 23, 2009 I think La Nova's is really good...I am really not a big fan of Bocci's either---to me it's just OK wax museums are mostly on the Canadian side, which would mean they need either passports or enhanced driver licenses...however I believe there are a few on the American side... also if you are in Niagara Falls and get hungry, I would recommend the buffet at the Seneca Niagara Casino---an unbelievable amount of food... wholeheartedly agree with you on LaNova's. Haven't found wings better to this day. Every year when I come back to Buffalo to visit, it's the VERY first place I go to! My mom is a religious Anchor Bar fan, but I'll take LaNova's any day....for Pizza too. On a side note, I wouldn't recommend having La Nova's wings Fed Ex'ed to you though. I tried that once, and they tasted NOTHING like the ones in the store.
SouthernMan Posted June 23, 2009 Posted June 23, 2009 Surprised nobody has yet suggested checking out a Bisons baseball game. If they're in town when you visit and the weather's good, this would be a good family-friendly evening activity after all your day tripping, and it won't break the bank. Here's a link to Bison's schedule: http://buffalo.bisons.milb.com/schedule/index.jsp?sid=t422 Another destination not yet mentioned was the Buffalo Science Museum off of Humboldt Pkwy, in Buffalo. It doesn't have the prestige of the Albright Knox art gallery, but would probably be more appealing to the 6-year-old. All my years living in and visiting Buffalo, I've never done the Niagara Falls Cave of the Winds or Maid of the Mist tourist attractions, but by all accounts, they're well worth it. Again, both are relatively inexpensive and both very family friendly. Top the day off with with dinner on the Canadian side (in one of the observation towers!) and stay 'til dark for the illuminated falls and fireworks (see photo link below). Did this last year - great fireworks display! The falls is a must. Plan a whole day there if your schedule allows time for it. The evening fireworks experience is the cherry on top of the sundae. The Skylon and Panasonic towers can be a little pricey, but, after seeing the falls from the Maid of the Mist, you get to see 'em from the other angle up high. At night, the Clifton Hill Canadian side is packed. If you don' mind crowds and want that Mardi-Gras, festival atmosphere, go for it. There's plenty of things that would interest the 6-year-old. Tower links: http://www.infoniagara.com/attractions/minolta/ http://www.cliftonhill.com/niagara_falls_a...s/skylon_tower/ http://z.about.com/d/gocanada/1/0/t/2/-/-/...bassySuites.jpg My perfect agenda for the family would include a tour of The Ralph (more for you than the others), Buffalo Zoo, Bisons, Niagara Falls attractions (also including Marineland). Depending on how much time you have, maybe even consider Darien Lake (Six Flags) if it's not too our of the way. Though if Buffalo and the Falls is the main goal, and you already have amusement parks back home, skip it. If you're doing Canada and want to do the beach thing, you might want ot head up to Sherkston Beach and/or the quarry for beach and swimming. If your kid is as simple-minded as I was at that age, make sure to go by Delaware Park and see the replica of the Statue of David. He's naked and you can see his wiener.
Bishop Hedd Posted June 23, 2009 Posted June 23, 2009 Picasso's over Bocce's? Seriously?I never hear any mention of "Picasso's" when it comes to Buffalo's best Pizza. Isn't that a chain? I live within walking distance of three pizza places Mr. Pizza, La Nova, and Just Pizza and I'll usually go for La Nova cuz their service is halfway decent but their wings are hit and miss. Mr. Pizza has the best pizza and solid wings but 75% of the time they'll forget they ever took your order. Just Pizza should be avoided at all costs.
BLZFAN4LIFE Posted June 23, 2009 Posted June 23, 2009 PIZZA JUNCTION ANYONE Two thumbs up. The best pizza, wings, fingers, and subs!
Bishop Hedd Posted June 23, 2009 Posted June 23, 2009 Athena's is a good fish fry but the best fish fry I've had back home is at Casey's on Amherst Street in Black Rock. But like Weichec's for wings, you don't necessarily want to spend lots of time in that neighborhood. Too many other places to see. A great place to visit and I forgot to mention it before is East Aurora. The toy company Fisher Price is there and I believe they have a kid's museum for your six year old. The Roycroft Campus is really cool...it was a religious and philosophical reform movement which expressed their values through arts and crafts including furniture making. The Roycroft Campus is pretty cool. Also, East Aurora has a nice postcard aspect to it, kinda Mayberry-esque. It's pedestrian friendly with lots of shops and stuff. Your wife might enjoy it. And there's lots of good places to eat. The wings at Bar-Bill Tavern in the traffic circle by Seneca Street has excellent wings (traditional, honey-mustard, lemon-pepper, parmesan-garlic, etc) and serve their beer in icy mugs. The place is perfectly suited to a family lunch or dinner. Casey's is good but hasn't anyone here ever heard of McPartlans in Williamsville, or is it Cheektowaga?, for a fish fry?
Bishop Hedd Posted June 23, 2009 Posted June 23, 2009 It's not Buffalo, but my father used to live in northern Chautauqua county (Forestville) where wineries are all over the place. Most (if not all) will have tours available. Wineries And even though some don't think they have the best wings anymore, go to the Anchor Bar, anyway. It's a tradition for me when I visit. The Anchor Bar's wings now verge on inedible. How anyone can still mention them as having good wings escapes me, though I did have some at their new location at the Buffalo airport and they were quite good. If you're going to eat wings in the city go to Weichecs. It's a post Ralph stop for me after the game, and sometimes during the game when I leave the stadium early. An amazing assortment of characters hang out on football Sunday including one gentleman Bills fan who insults the team so vulgarly that I had to break down and laugh out loud. Nobody there blinked an eye at his comments.
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