Billistic Posted July 10, 2009 Author Posted July 10, 2009 What was the name of the downtown pool hall up above the boxing gym? I think it was Garron's, or something like that. Also, there was a bar somewhere right around the old Offerman Stadium that had some great music, like Bo Diddly. Many the Friday night I was the only white boy in the place, but always had a blast. Anybody help me out with the name?
ricojes Posted July 10, 2009 Posted July 10, 2009 What was the name of the downtown pool hall up above the boxing gym? I think it was Garron's, or something like that. Also, there was a bar somewhere right around the old Offerman Stadium that had some great music, like Bo Diddly. Many the Friday night I was the only white boy in the place, but always had a blast. Anybody help me out with the name? You thinking of the Hippodrome on Main St? I used to play pool there all the time years and years ago, I think it's still open.
plenzmd1 Posted July 10, 2009 Posted July 10, 2009 It was home - hard to reproduce that feeling anywhere else. Buffalo has the best junk food of anyplace I've ever been. I don't miss the self-hating attitude so many Buffalonians have and I don't miss cold Spring seasons. See, I agree that Buffalo has great junk food...which i love..but not so great on some finer restaurants. I know Tcali said the restaurants in WNY can compare to Napa, SF..but IMHO the area just does not compare to those areas, or DC or NY etc. I disagree a bit on hard to produce the feeling of being at home elsewhere. I really feel like I have two homes now, and love both of them equally. As an aside, I have always felt bad for the folks on here who hate where they live and long to move back to Buffalo...man I don't know if any job is worth being miserable in this short life of ours. So, on to things I miss No Traffic!!!!!!!! Short waits for everything..repair guys, restaurant lines etc Neighborhood taverns with cheap beer No need for central air 180 days a year..maybe only for two months or so. Nice snow Great freshwater fishing good and plentiful cheap breakfast joints hot dog stands street hockey What I do not miss The gray skies that seem to be prevelenat everytime i visit(not the cold, just the overcast) That cold biting wind as mentioned, the woe is me attitude displayed by so many people seeing main street in the Falls taxes thru the roof
Billistic Posted July 10, 2009 Author Posted July 10, 2009 You thinking of the Hippodrome on Main St? I used to play pool there all the time years and years ago, I think it's still open. I don't think so. This place was somewhere tucked in around Main and maybe Seneca, deep in the old downtown. It was upstairs over an old time boxing training facility. The name was Garron's or Garrund's. Used to be full of gangsters playing cards. Great place to grow up.
KollegeStudnet Posted July 10, 2009 Posted July 10, 2009 That's a good story. Really shows you how much people love the food that is available in WNY and the lengths they will go to in order to get their hands on some if they move out of town. However, for $100, I would've made you go to a couple of other spots too and get a real variety from back home. Something like: - A couple Super Mighties. - Large cheese, pepporoni, and mushroom pizza from La Nova. - Chicken finger sub from Pizza Junction. - 20 Hot Wings from Duffs. - 12 pack of Blue. Then try to consume as much as possible in one sitting. After all, you gotta use those 12 cold ones to wash something down. I miss Pizza Junction *is going to be there at 12pm when I get off the plane*
Coach55 Posted July 10, 2009 Posted July 10, 2009 Oh wait...15. The world's largest Disco.... 16. Bucket of OV Splits (Do they still make these?) 17. Genny Cream Ale
mrags Posted July 10, 2009 Posted July 10, 2009 That's a good story. Really shows you how much people love the food that is available in WNY and the lengths they will go to in order to get their hands on some if they move out of town. However, for $100, I would've made you go to a couple of other spots too and get a real variety from back home. Something like: - A couple Super Mighties. - Large cheese, pepporoni, and mushroom pizza from La Nova. - Chicken finger sub from Pizza Junction. - 20 Hot Wings from Duffs. - 12 pack of Blue. Then try to consume as much as possible in one sitting. After all, you gotta use those 12 cold ones to wash something down. FYI you can buy La Nova, Bocce, and Pizza Junction online and have it shipped overnight half cooked. All you have to do is pop it in the oven for like 15 mins and your good to go. Not quite the same, but better than your going to get anywhwere else. I used to live out of town and my roomate did the La Nova thing a few times. That reminds me, for anyone that lives in Vegas, you can get La Nova wings at the Metro pizza place in Ellis Island Casino. Its just off Flamingo behind the strip. Just head down from the strip past Ballys and its 2 or so streets down on the right. (cant remember the street, possibly Jones).
CarolinaBillsFan Posted July 10, 2009 Posted July 10, 2009 I remember what it felt like when the Sabres were in the playoffs (late 80's) and I walked into a bar on Oliver st when the games was on and I can remember the excitement and commraderie that I felt. It didn't matter if you didn't know anybody there, you were a family, yelling and screaming at the TV, high fives all around, shots being bought when they scored. Man, I truly do miss that atmosphere. The south will never be able to reproduce those feelings!!!! And Pizza Junction on Friday nights!
bobgonzo Posted July 10, 2009 Posted July 10, 2009 My must go to stops when i visit: The Towne Restaurant: Best Gyros hands down (the rest of the restaurants in this country don't have a clue) Sheperds Restaurant : Transit Road, good beef on weck and french onion soup and Sheperd's Louisianna a cajun dish to die for. Boston Hotel : Lobster Dainties A plate full..... Cerro Pizza http://www.onlinebuffalo.com/html/buffalos_pizza.php#c Santora's Pizza for a steak and dandelion sub. Niagara Falls never get tired of seeing it and feeling the mist. Don't miss the weather, never get used to it just tolerate it.
Biloxi Bill Posted July 10, 2009 Posted July 10, 2009 Pizza: Roman Cafe & Pizza Junction Wings: Duff's Beef on Weck: Pick your favorite...I always liked Swiston's in Tonawanda "-----fest" There's a festival for everyone. "The Fair" Tailgating in our home team's parking lot. Mighty Taco...in a league of their own. Mississippi Muds...but only because I used to love hanging out on The River. Gotta love a good hot dog stand. Bison chip dip Friday fish fry Blue OV The Alleghenies ...? I retired from the USAF after 21 years and continue my federal civil service in Biloxi, MS at Keesler AFB. We always bring back plenty of Wardy's for the grill when we visit family in WNY. I agree home is where you lay your head down each night. Even though in my home, on any day a Bills or Sabres game is on, my home may as well be in your favorite Western NY neighborhood. We prepare our own authentic wings, our own weck, pizza, subs, dogs etc. My beer fridge has always got some home brews, even though I have to pay premium for LaBatt's and Molson. No 30 packs down here! A good Marine friend of mine down the street is from Williamsville and worked at the Anchor growing up. Needless to say he took my wings up a notch. Wrapping this up for now, Buffalo in this day and age is a great place to be from. I wish the NY and WNY politics would improve...but I've regressed.
Chalkie Gerzowski Posted July 10, 2009 Posted July 10, 2009 The food, the bars...summers are nice, don't care so much for the winters. Could go for a cheese/pepperoni from either La Nova's, Bocce's or Cappelli's. A beef on weck from Schawbl's would be nice...and 30 wings from Duff's or Riley's tavern just down the street.
chaccof Posted July 10, 2009 Posted July 10, 2009 I left in 1979 after HS so my memory isn't so good. In no particular order: 1. Our Saber's season tickets 2. Going to Bills games 3. Teds Red Hots 4. Anderson's Lemon Ice (my Aunt lived right around for the one near the corner of Sheridan and Brighton - at least I think that's where it was) 5. The Library (which was a bar on the second story of a building near a Mighty Taco but can't remember the street). We were able to sneak in there before we were 18) 6. My cousins in Fredonia and Brocton (rest of the family has moved or passed on) 7. The reasonably cool and sunny summers I do not miss the winters. AFter being down south for the last 19 years I can take the heat, I can't stand the snow. I'm able to get Webber's and Genny Cream Ale here in VA (either through friends who go back to WNY or trips to visit the wife's family in DC. What a neat thread.
stuckincincy Posted July 10, 2009 Posted July 10, 2009 I left in 1979 after HS so my memory isn't so good. In no particular order: 5. The Library (which was a bar on the second story of a building near a Mighty Taco but can't remember the street). We were able to sneak in there before we were 18) er's and Genny Cream Ale here in VA (either through friends who go back to WNY or trips to visit the wife's family in DC. What a neat thread. The Library was on Main Street, south (I think) of the Trico plant and Freddie's Doughnuts. I liked Freddie's peanut sticks - but it was decided that peanut allergies were widespread several years later (which didn't explain why something like 90% of grade school kids were eating PBJs in a sack for lunch at the time. If classmates were going into shock, we all would have known it.) The Library was owned by the Turgeon Brothers - they had several eateries at that time; I recall one they had in North Towanada, by the old locks - the Packet Inn.
jupiterreef Posted July 10, 2009 Posted July 10, 2009 I dated a girl who waitressed at the Anchor Bar, and I got the original process. It's a lot of work and starts the day before. I only go to the trouble once a year at the Super Bowl. I could NOT buy a decent for any $ in Phoenix. I'am 71 years old, and was @ the Anchor Bar the night that CHICKEN WINGS were born. A bunch of guys & myself used to play basketball every wed. night. After our workouts we went AB for beers & somethink to eat. After having a few beers & some eats, the lady that owned the AB, brought us a plate of wings to sample, saying that if liked them she would put that on the meun. WE ate them and asked what the hell we were eating, she said chicken wings. Need les to say they were great. She put that on the menu & as they say the rest history. They were fried in butter, in a big black iron frying pan. A number of are still alive to back this story up. GOD BLESS THERASA P.S. Thats what the woman name was.
BillnutinHouston Posted July 10, 2009 Posted July 10, 2009 I've been gone for about 8 years now and here's my lists What I miss (in this order): 1) The feeling of being "home" 2) Bills season tickets/home games & the Sunday morning drive down Southwestern headed to the stadium 3) Actually caring about the Sabres/ice hockey 4) Fall - the colors and cool crisp air 5) Mighty Taco 6) Decent pizza & wings (Pizza Junction 10 lb. pizzas come to mind) 7) No traffic whatsoever or waiting in lines 8) The first snowfall 9) Weber's mustard available in the store any time you want it 10) The small town feel and "the little us vs. the big them" mentality 11) Labatts What I don't miss: 1) Grey skies almost all the time 2) Potholes 3) Rust on cars 4) Shoveling snow/the cold 5) Small-minded people (union/"the man's out to get me" mentality) 6) Requiring my winter driving skills
jupiterreef Posted July 10, 2009 Posted July 10, 2009 You thinking of the Hippodrome on Main St? I used to play pool there all the time years and years ago, I think it's still open. The pool hall the Hippodrome was on Main St, but is now on Hertle Ave. It's owned by Dick Vallone. The place was below SINGER GYM on Washtoning st. The pool hall's name escapes me. There were a lot of wannabes, but no real gangster.
SuperKillerRobots Posted July 10, 2009 Posted July 10, 2009 Truth (in terms of the USA). Long island has soft shell crab sandwiches (in season), and Cajun country is fantastic, SF and The City have great Chinese including dim sum, but Europe has some mighty stuff. The USA has become all about corporate franchise crap, but Europe still has individually owned and operated, which is what I sense we're saying about Buffalo too. I definitely agree with that. Most places in the US are chains or box stores. In Europe everything is family- or small group- owned. The charm is nice (not always the cleanest places - I had to crap into a hole in the floor, while holding onto what was left of the stall for balance in a certain Amsterdam building). Buffalo is definitely very similar in the sense that there aren't a lot of box stores and chains (though more than in an average European city).
Kiwi Bills fan Posted July 10, 2009 Posted July 10, 2009 I'm originally from Webster NY, which is outside of Rochester. I moved from there in 1990 to do to school in Colorado always thinking I'd be back there someday. Well... after 10 years in Colorado and 5 years in Washington state, I now find myself happily living in New Zealand with my family. We've been here for almost 4 years. After visiting Rochester last October here's what I miss... Actually, I'll start with the things I don't miss. - I don't miss snow for 5 months of the year. Not just the snow, but the gray skies, the shoveling, driving in it, all that. - Rusty cars. - I don't miss the negativity that has crept into that area. Seems to me that people were a lot happier back in the day. - I don't miss the over-consumerism. (Not just Rochester, but in the USA) Same goes for pro-war, Nascar rednecks. - I don't miss the heat and humidity of the height of summer - IROC Z's, and other meathead cars. - Traffic - Crime. (We were shocked to see the nightly news reports while in Rochester.) - I DO miss my friends and family still back there. - I miss the great food from that area. German or Italian deli's, the BEST pizza. New Zealand has yet to impress me. (I miss you Bill Grays!!!!) - Wegmans. The greatest grocery store in the world. - The Adirondacks - Finger Lakes in autumn - Bills/Sabres/Amerks - I really miss the familiarity of the surroundings. (including N. American birds and mammals.) - Christmas during wintertime. (It's still weird having a bar-b-que on the beach to celebrate Christmas) It's actually funny that this thread just started as yesterday was the first day in NZ where I felt a tinge of homesickness. Go Bills!
Billistic Posted July 10, 2009 Author Posted July 10, 2009 I'am 71 years old, and was @ the Anchor Bar the night that CHICKEN WINGS were born. A bunch of guys & myself used to play basketball every wed. night. After our workouts we went AB for beers & somethink to eat. After having a few beers & some eats, the lady that owned the AB, brought us a plate of wings to sample, saying that if liked them she would put that on the meun. WE ate them and asked what the hell we were eating, she said chicken wings. Need les to say theywere great. She put that on the menu & as they say the rest history. They were fried in butter, in a big black iron frying pan. A number of are still alive to back this story up. GOD BLESS THERASA P.S. Thats what the woman name was. Very, very cool!
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