My Food Journey in Buffalo : Pano's on Elmwood

Pano's is a Greek restaurant operating for more than 30 years in Buffalo. Overall, the food was not bad, the service was adequate. Me and @M had a nice place to sit outside. It was a sunny, breezy day; we enjoyed our early dinner with a nice street view of Elmwood :)

• [food] The food was not bad, but not so special either. I ordered Chicken Salonika Pasta - Greek seasoned chicken, roasted red peppers, tomatoes, artichokes, spinach, goat cheese and feta with penne pasta. The dinner was served with Greek Salad.
• [service, scene] The whole place was quite crowded; the service was fast, despite the crowd.
• [price] Moderately priced restaurant; pasta + salad + cola ~ 20 dollars.
  
• [food rating] Pasta & Salad (3 1/2 stars)

My Food Journey in Buffalo : Mother's

Walk into Mother's, experience the relaxing ambiance and enjoy an easy romantic dinner food on a candle-lit table with soft jazz music!




Overall, the food was decent and the presentation was really nice. However, I think they are imcomparable with those from Hutch's, San Marco and LeftBank

• [food] I started with roasted onion and gorgonzola soup; followed by pan seared yellow fin tuna topped with lime butter and melon, cucumber relish over coconut rice and baby bok choy, and finally I had a chocolate cappuccino mousse layer cake. The soup was a bit watery, for my taste. I love the seared tuna, however I felt the coconut rice and the diced melon did not fit together. Finally, the cake - a dessert to die for!!! It was very moist and scrumptious :)
• [service, scene] I really liked the ambiance - warm and relaxing; nice decor and very friendly staffs. I was very impressed with the handwritten food menu - see the above pic :) Note: This place got a little noisy after nine, as more people gathered in the bar area.
• [price] I paid ~34 dollars (ok, I know the fresh tuna is expensive, but the food is still pricey!)
  
• [food rating] Soup (2 stars) ; Seared Tuna (3 stars) ; Dessert (4 1/2 stars)

My Food Journey in Buffalo : Left Bank

Two words that best describe LeftBank is 'delicious and happening' !! It's a weekday at 7pm and the place is crowded with customers in different age groups enjoying their meals and drinks. I guess I was lucky - the waitress helped me finding a seat at the bar. Note : Don't forget to make reservation as this restaurant operates on a reservations-only basis!

• [food] My bar dining includes (a) Panko breaded chicken cutlets topped w/arugula, avocado, cucumber and tomato salad w/miso vinaigrette and gorgonzola cheese - The rice was flavorful - I think it was cooked in chicken broth! Overall, it was a tasty and filling meal ^O^ (b) (Dessert) Hawaiian citrus cake - d i s a s t e r!.....The cake was heavily covered with icing and the pineapple slices were not fresh at all...
• [service, scene] Truly an American bistro; decorated with lights and nice art on the wall ... The restaurant is super loud - not a good choice for a romantic dinner!
  
• [price] Pricey!! Dinner + Dessert + Soda ~ 30 dollars
  
• [food rating] Panko Chicken (4 stars); Dessert (1 1/2 stars)

My Food Journey in Buffalo : Anchor Bar

One of the fun things to do in Buffalo is to try the chicken wings. Today, I went Anchor Bar (Main Street) which is known as the birthplace of chicken wing, invented by Frank and Theresa Belissimo in 1964.

• [food] The chicken wings come in different level of spiciness - mild, medium, hot , spicy bbq or suicidal. They were served with celery and bleu cheese. I ordered the 'hot' wings - they were less oily, crispy on the outside, sour and tangy! The celery sticks were less fresh and less crunchy; further, the bleu cheese was too salty, in my opinion.
  
• [service, scene] This original home of buffalo wings is certianly one of the popular tourist spots in Buffalo - The interior decor includes various license plates from travellers from different states and of course the portaits of local and non-local celebrities. The food menu looks like printed newspapers - very different, economic, and unique! There is a bunch of motorcyles on display - very cool ^O^
  
• [price] The price is slightly expensive than Duffs - 10 chicken wings cost 11 dollars.
  
• [food rating] Chicken wings (3 stars)
  

AnchorBar vs DUFFS - favorite place for wings??!! my vote goes to Duffs. They serve chicken wings with fresh celery and baby carrots, the bleu cheese flavor is just perfect!

My Food Journey in Buffalo : Original Pancake House

Did you know that 'Mardi Gras' is also known as Pancake Day in United States? Traditionally, it is the one day of the year (before Ash Wednesday and the start of Lent) when almost everyone eats pancakes.

• [food] This afternoon, I went to the Original Pancake House at Niagara Falls Boulevard. I ordered a small plate of chocolate chips pancake and a small glass of fresh squeezed orange juice. The pancake was tender and fluffy. I was not dissapointed but not so excited at the same time - There were too many chocolate chips and it was not really a unique dish..The fresh orange juice was good!
  
• [service, scene] The service was ok - not so fast. The restaurant is nicely decorated (with wall decor, crystal chandeliers, ceramics, etc.), clean and equipped. I like the booth seating..very American :)
• [price] The pancake was nice, but a little bit expensive for what you get. Pancake + Juice ~ 8 dollars!
• [food rating] Pancake (3 stars)

My Food Journey in Buffalo : Romeo and Juliet's Cafe

Romeo and Juliet's Cafe is a great place to hang out. You can order a variety of italian food at the restaurant or grab a homemade Italian dessert at the bakery. The bakery offers different kinds of torte, pastarelle and gelato & sorbet.

• [food] I had a DEK Oven Style Pizza called 'Pizza Alle Verdure' - a delicious botttom-toasted pizza topped with great selections of vegetables , mozzarella and romano. The crust is not soggy, is crunchy on the outside and delicate on the inside! My dessert was a peanut butter torte. The cake was good, but too rich for my taste. After all, I am not a big fan of peanut butter...
• [service, scene] The waitress was amiable - described the menu items well, very helpful! This place has ambiance of romance and friendliness - the decor includes black and white photographs, faux grape vines, wooden furniture, etc.
  
• [price] A big sized of pizza + dessert + tea : 18 dollars ++ A reasonale price!
  
• [food rating] Pizza (4 stars) ; Dessert (2 1/2 stars)

My Food Journey in Buffalo : San Marco

Heute ist mein bester Tag! I had a fine dining experience at San Marco italian restaurant. The food and the service were 2P (Phenominal and Perfecto)!!!!!

• [food] I started with an appetizer - 'Ravioli All'Aragosta' - raviloli filled with lobster and nettles, served with baby prawns - luv it luv it ^O^ Then, I had 'Linguine Allo Scoglio'- linguine in a white wine lemon sauce with grilled shrimp, scallops, squid and mussels - yummy! Everything was excellent, however, in my opinion the finest cappuccino is only available in Italy...
• [service, scene] excellent atmosphere and exemplary service :) Nice decor inside the restaurant - Italian pottery, wine rack, paintings, etc.
• [price] food & drink ~ 43 dollars. If I could afford to go here more often, I would!
  
• [food rating] Ravioli All'Aragosta (5 stars!) ; Pasta (4 1/2 stars)

My Food Journey in Buffalo : Saigon Bangkok

Saigon Bangkok is known as the best Thai restaurant in Buffalo. This medium sized restaurant serves Thai as well as Vietnamese cuisine. The dish was prepared well, however, based on my previous experiences with Thai food, I won't regard them as 'VERY UNUSUAL and EXCEPTIONAL'!! Overall, it was a good find, but not a triumph tho...

• [food] For appetizer, I ordered the Satay Chicken served with peanut dipping sauce. The chicken was tender, but with a bit of blackness on the fringes - I was not so excited with the appetizer because it had some burn flavor! Further, peanut sauce was not as good as the one from Jasmine Thai! My main course was the Tamarind Tilapia - fish fillets in sweet and sour tamarind sauce with shredded ginger, onions, pineapple chunks, etc. The fillets were crispy and very tasty.
• [service] The service was not so fast, the waitress was helpful!
  
• [price] The restaurant serves a large portion sizes for a reasonable price. Appetizer + Main Course + Pop ~ USD25!
• [scene/decor] The decor is average, the restaurant is very clean. I love the Buddha portrait on the wall ;)
  
• [food rating] appetizer (2 1/2 stars) ; main course (4 stars)