Favorite Meals of 2019
For seven years, we have an annual tradition of asking some of our friends to reminisce about their favorite meals of the last year. Even though this website has gone mostly quiet over the last two years, this year is no different. We keep our request to our friends open ended, they can write as much or as little as they'd like. The meal can be from a restaurant (local or otherwise), something home cooked or anything in between.
As always, we tried to reach out to some new faces to keep things interesting. Please enjoy and we hope everyone had a great year of eating.
Brian Marek (Co-Host of What The Hops Podcast): When looking back at the best meals or bites to eat in a year, I usually tend to tie them into an event or feeling that helps elevate them into one of the best moments of that particular year. While I do like to be adventurous on what I indulge in, I’m generally not the type of guy that is always searching for that underground dinner club that only serves exotic ingredients that aren’t known until a ninja finishes his journey with them (if this does exist in Buffalo though, hook a brother up with an invite). As a music junkie and craft beer “expert” most of my meals are found on limited brewery menus, out of trucks or in the bright light of my refrigerator in the wee hours of the morning.
That doesn’t mean I haven’t had my fare share of quality eats this past year. I could easily write “Steak Sandwich from the Pink” and be done and have many agree but the fun is in the discovery (plus, the bologna sandwich at the Pink is extremely underrated and deserves more praise). While searching, my mind goes to the random slice of NYC pizza, yes, NYC pizza is really fucking good and it’s okay to enjoy what both sides of the state offer. Maybe it was the pierogi sampler from Jaju Pierogi while at Extreme Beer Fest in Boston that put 85% of pierogi seen in WNY to shame? Could it be the Scotch Egg at Colter Bay or **insert sausage choice here** from Ballyhoo after a show at Iron Works? All fond memories of the food and the events that led to it. None of them are tops this year though.
The best thing I ate just happened to be one lucky night in May when the late-night menu hit at Toutant. When you’re staring at that late night menu and imagining those hush puppies sitting in front of you and notice the sandwich is the smoked Texas beef brisket covered in BBQ and topped with provolone and onion rings (pictured above), you go for the option of adding that house made bologna and get ready for a good time. The sandwich without the bologna is fine on its own but the two meats together is like the 1:00 minute mark of Kenny Loggins “This Is It” with Michael McDonald easing you in to Loggins punching you in the face with the chorus. Don’t let the onion rings fool you as a topping though. Those bad boys bring it all together on a bun that can hardly contain everything going on. Now, 26-year-old Brian would’ve polished that sandwich off in 10 minutes tops. 36-year-old Brian was thinking about the heartburn he’d likely get if he did that and finished half and took the other half for lunch the next day which turned out to be the correct decision. Reheating in the oven in pieces and reassembling with a side of Barrel & Brine Horseradish Dills gives you that Whitney Houston feeling all over again. Lesson here, don’t sleep on Toutant’s late-night menu.
Bobby Finan (Operating Partner of Tommyrotter Distillery): I’m a firm believer that meals that really stand out have a lot to do with your mind set going in. Of course the boxes on quality and ambiance need to be checked, but if a dining experience hits you a certain way when you really need it, it can really stand apart from others than might have been just as good. That said, while I had a ton of awesome dishes in Buffalo, NYC and Boston in 2019, my best meal of the year was found in Galway, Ireland at Anair(pictured top).
I had been working a ton on Tommyrotter and Whiskey Riot and told my fiancé that I didn’t have any time to plan our trip to Ireland…if she planned it, I would be on the plane and learn about it then. I had just stayed up for roughly 48 hours executing the March 2019 Whiskey Riot event. After breaking down the set up and cleaning up, I snagged a 1 AM Lloyddinner, packed my bag and slept a couple hours before driving to Toronto for our flight. We arrived in Ireland, rented a car and I promptly blew out a tire learning to drive on the opposite side of the road. I’m sure there was some sleeping in there, but I was too delirious then to remember now an accurate sequence of things. What I do remember clearly was walking around Galway upon arrival at sunset and loving the old stone city, the storming ocean crashing against the break walls and being led to a surprise dinner.
We entered Anair and it was an immediate reprieve from the crazy schedule and travel. The service was incredible and the chef/owner came out to greet us in his intimately sized restaurant and cooking school. A wine list full of varietals that are very difficult to find in the U.S. set the tone of the new experience. We did the chef’s tasting menu and felt very far away from the concerns and rush of life back at home. The note of escapism certainly put this meal over the edge into “best meal” status.
Note: The one big thumbs down that we still laugh about was the Chef sitting down at our table reading us a poem that he wrote that was inspired by his bread as he served us their house bread. I know poetry is a popular creative medium in Ireland, and I’m sure it was a nice poem, and maybe I’m just too American for it, but it was just too close… “That was great. Thank you for that.”
Harry Zemsky (Restaurateur - Hydraulic Hearth, Angelica Tea Room)
There’s nothing better than good seafood from a good seafood town! I was in Belize over Thanksgiving, and the food scene on Ambergis Caye was incredible. Lots of great tacos, conch fritters, coconut cream mint mojitos (coming this summer to HH), and world-class seafood. My favorite restaurant was called Elvi’s, favorite single item was the whole fried fresh catch snapper from a place called El Fogon. Unbelizable!! (Previous Favorite Meals: 2018)
Ryan Nagelhout (Co-host of The Roosecast & The Sports Recorders, Writer at Uproxx): 2019 truly has felt like the longest year on record, which is to say I have had a hard time keeping track of what exactly has happened this year or any other one since approximately the fall of 2016. Things happen, time continues inexorably, and sometimes I eat dinner.
That said, this exercise got me to look back on what actually did happened in 2019 and it mostly struck me that I covered the NBA in four different venues in a calendar year. I’m truly lucky to get to do this in any capacity at all, but one thing about sports writing is that it makes me exceptionally hungry. This is regardless of whatever I’ve had to eat that day, or how full I felt walking into a venue. After it’s all over, I’m starving.
That means late night eating and almost none of it is healthy, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be delicious. Two instances that come to mind are covering a meaningless Knicks game at MSG in the spring and grabbing slices from NY Pizza Suprema, minutes before they closed. I ate them on the steps of the post office that now serves as the slightly less shitty part of Penn Station, alone, extremely happy because my story was done and I was eating excellent New York pizza.
The feeling of being full, and that I’ve done a good job with the task at hand, is one of the best things about what I do and a rare moment of joy amid [waves hands wildly at everything else].
The next time I felt it was months later, across the East River in Brooklyn after a Nets preseason game in October. The NBA was in the middle of an international incident with China, Kyrie Irving delivered a thoughtful monologue about it all and very quickly I realized I now had two stories to write and it was going to be a very long night. An hour later I walked into Artichoke Pizza, ordered two slices of hilariously large pizza (one artichoke, one classic pepperoni) and a Sixpoint beer for $15. Later, I went to Threes Brewery to get cans to go and took a train back to the Upper East Side, extremely full, to keep working.
I’ve had much better food with significantly better company in 2019, but there’s something special about a great solo meal after covering a game. Especially when the work night is far from over.
Nate Geary (Radio Host at WGR 550): It’s pretty difficult for me to summarize a full years-worth of eating and come out with ONE of my favorite meals. I likely don’t get out to eat as much as Buffalo Eats, but I’ve certainly made the rounds this year trying a number of new joints around WNY.
For my favorite meal of 2019 however, I’ve decided to “stay home” and choose a meal that’s become a staple in my house. If you know me, you know that I’m carnivorous: if I had the choice, I’d have a side of beef with my chicken. But because my girlfriend is the cook (and a damn good one at that) so I’ve been forced to diversify my pallet and welcome a number of veggies I’d likely never try or know how to cook otherwise.
For my favorite meal of 2019, I’m going with a couscous and chicken sausage-stuffed acorn squash. If you’re like me, you’ve probably been eating acorn squash the same way your entire life – baked with loads of butter and brown sugar. Although there’s absolutely NOTHING wrong with that, this recipe has changed the way I look at acorn squash.
There’s definitely a lot to this dish in terms of total ingredients, but the squash it by far the star of the show and has changed how I enjoy acorn squash. In the photo, you’ll see a traditional couscous, but I actually prefer the larger pearled couscous you can find at Wegmans. Please do NOT forget the Wegmans balsamic glaze to top it, it may seem silly, but the dish is entirely incomplete without it.
The best part about this is that you don’t have to be a great cook like my girlfriend to execute this dish properly. In fact, this is the perfect recipe if you guys out there are looking to absolutely blow away your significant other. It’s really that delicious of a dish.
Bon appetite!
Ed Forster (Chef/Partner at Waxlight Bar a Vin): 2019 has been pretty awesome for a multitude of reasons. We bought a house. We got our puppy Ziggy. Oh and that whole Waxlight thing has been... a dream realized. I always struggle to recall favorite meal stuff of the last year. I got to revisit the burger mecca, Kuma's Corner, in Chicago and have my Kaijo with an egg. Had an amazing truffled Martini in The Office, and some remarkable cocktails at the Aviary. But the most remarkable meal I had was in Tulum, Mexico.
My most memorable meals rarely have food etched into my memory, so much as the experience and overall feeling, and this years no different. Tony Rials was living there at the time, and Jess and I made a trip to visit our best bud. The week was made way better because my twin brother Scott, and his buddy Tiny King Diamond, made the trip down. We had tacos on tacos on tacos. The day we got in I think I had ten. We had tostadas that I still wish I would have ordered more to take home. We made random meals at home with local citrus and produce. we had fish tacos with our feet in the sand. It was everything a Buffalonian needed in January. The best taco i had was surprisingly a turkey taco at Taqueria Honorio. Tone zone said this place usually sells out and closes around lunch. The turkey was spiced and colored black and topped with a slice of hard boiled egg. I was astounded how good it was and no one else at the table ordered it. It was remarkable. If you ever find yourself in the amazingly weird, remarkably preserved ruins, cenote having, gorgeous beach area, and slightly douchey club area that is Tulum, go get them tacos. But my favorite experience was a glass of wine. Jess and I went to this astounding tree fort looking, built of wood, on a cliff, bar/ restaurant thing called Azulik. It might be the best glass of wine I've had in my life because I asked Jess to marry me there and she said yes. I cried, she cried, the server brought the wrong wine. I'm pretty sure it was clicquot rose. It was great. It tasted like relief, victory, happiness, and fulfillment with just the right amount of bubbles.
As someone who tries to make memorable and remarkable food everyday, the irony isn't lost on me that it's the experiences that resonate so strongly with me each year. That day was so incredible i'll remember that avocado shirt I was wearing. I'll remember carrying that damn ring around in my pocket for the week, knowing both of our grandmothers heirloom diamonds were made into a custom ring and my $4 backpack was entrusted with keeping it safe. I'll remember the tremble in my voice both in English and Spanish leading up to it. So I'll spoil the surprise now and proclaim my favorite dining experience of 2020 to, in all likelihood, be our wedding day in June. Hope your 2020 is filled with memories etched in your mind as clear as a bob ross painting. Mine sure will be.
Joseph Leta (@BuffaloFoodOtaku and Former Buffalo Eats Blogger): I haven’t done one of these since 2015. At that time, I crafted a theatrical tale of an epic meal at Gin Gin. It had action, adventure, far too many words and shockingly some character development. For 2019, I’m cutting back the theatrics (not the words) in stark contrast to my finest meal of the year, where the Meal was theater itself. Ars Gratia Artis [insert 3 lion roars] or at least as close a meal (a utilitarian act by its very nature) could get thereto.
In September of this year, I had the unique opportunity to attend Albert Adrià Acosta’s Enigma with my girlfriend and fellow Buffalo Food Otaku, Sadako in Barcelona. I’ll skip Adrià’s pedigree for the Lords of Wikipedia hath already spoken.
Enigma is a concept restaurant. In this case a meal spanning 6 rooms, full of mystery, giving the impression of dining in a cloudy labyrinth. Even finding your way to and from the bathroom was difficult, with curving iridescent walls and puffy ceiling perfectly in sync with the Patron Saint of Catalonian art, Gaudi.
The meal was technical perfection, almost shocking in the amount of work each dish entailed, where the tedious task of deboning an anchovy or peeling a shrimp with brain matter intact seemed natural and expected in such an environment.
Each plating was beautiful and unique, manipulating ingredients so they were either unrecognizable, or recognizable as something other than what they actually were. The armada of servers attending us were instructed to give no details of each course, as we were quizzed after the first few bites. It forced us to rely on our palates which ranged from surprisingly accurate to dead wrong.
I’ve often heard Buffalo Chefs complain that the WNY palate does not appreciate strong traditional flavors so they are forced to dumb down plates to keep the doors open. Enigma took an opposite approach. Flavors were strong, fishy, funky and powerful, frequently featuring organs and brains. The diner was assumed to be a black belt eater, and if they weren’t, it was their chance to arise to the occasion. Perhaps, that’s the benefit of having the name Adrià, and a giant budget.
The dishes honored Catalonia, featuring local ingredients and technique. I even finally ate percebes (gooseneck barnacles) which were absolutely glorious, gnarly bits of sea essence.
Without giving too much of the enigma away, Enigma was a life changing meal that had me reassessing the very nature of a meal as a meal. It was so uplifting to witness a staff absolutely adore their career, knowing they are cementing their place in the History of Culinaria. While Señor Adrià was no where to be found, the enthusiastic, passionate staff made you forget it was even his place to begin with.
To have an experience like that with a woman you love, and who appreciates all the subtlety and detail better than ever could...that was priceless, clearly making this my best meal of 2019.
Seamus Gallivan (Co-Founder of Slow Roll Buffalo, Co-Founder of Food Truck Tuesday): My favorite meal of the year is an easy call thanks to quality, company, and occasion - Modern Love in Omaha, which lived up to its slogan of "swanky vegan comfort food."
My niece recently moved there for her first step into adulthood, so it was a once-in-a-lifetime treat to visit and treat her to dinner. To omnivores like me who might consider "vegan comfort" to be oxymoronic, their roasted red pepper cashew cheese in the "Mac & Shews" is a revelation, made more memorable by roasted cauliflower, garlicky kale and pecans. Other standouts were nachos led by walnut chorizo and cashew cheddar, and Brussels sprouts chana masala.
Fun food fact about Omaha - it's the alleged birthplace of the Reuben sandwich, so I felt obligated to have one there and was thrilled to find Barchen Beer Garden's German take with muenster instead of Swiss.
Thinking locally for a favorite meal of the year, I keep going back to Toutant - talk about comfort food. Every time I go, everything I eat, I keep saying out loud, "This is perfect." Such a uniquely brilliant and converging commitment to Louisiana roots and New York farms. I think I've written this before for this assignment - being quarter-Southern with a grandma who knew how to make real-deal Southern comfort food, I have a high bar for stuff like fried chicken and collards; Toutant wins on authenticity, attention to detail, and ultimate comfort.
Dan Hagen (Bar Manager and Owner of Billy Club): Well, I had to report back to the maestro to make sure I didn't miss a detail. Chef Joe Fenush has always stuck out as a master of making vegetable dishes that are so so cool since I met him in 2015 opening Toutant.
This summer he had a dish of local beets roasted in Chilmole (pictured above), served as a chilled salad with jalapeño, sesame oil and pickled lettuces with golden, white and chioggia beets on top. Alongside was a grilled celery juice crepe filled with an onion and fennel jam. It was cold, warm, spicy, savory, and acidic with so much texture. So many elements in dish as "simple" as a beet salad.
Mike Dimmer (Chef/Owner of Marble + Rye, Co-owner of Flint): My best meals this year have been with my wife. We moved to North Buffalo this past year and have been visiting Jays Artisan Pizza, The Plaka and Berthas for our Sunday morning breakfast, and Franco’s pizza (in our back yard) regularly. Those are my beat meals, and moments, this past year. That being said, I’ve also had the time to experience Waxlight with my restaurant staff, which was incredible. My favorite restaurant of the year, hands down, has to be Taqueria Ranchos La Delicias. I’ve made my way through 1/4 of the menu with my kitchen staff at this point in my career,. We’ll tackle it all, someday. It’s incredible, and everyone should check it out.
Corey Griswold (Co-host of The Roosecast & The Sports Recorders): [Enters the house, frazzled and awkwardly carrying large things while also trying to take off coat and shoes]
Hey okay hello listen I’m sorry I’m late you know how things are nowadays.
I didn’t have time to stop to get anything from downtown I got caught late at school so I called the Chinese place by the house and picked this up.
[drops cardboard box from a commercial shipment of green beans on the table filled with Chinese food.]
I’m starving.
[grabs bag of fried wontons immediately and shoves one in face]
[mumbling] What it do, babyyyyyyy [waves arm over head as if twirling a towel]
I know work was hard for you today, I’m sorry. We’re gonna turn it around. Maybe. I think. 2019 is the longest year in history it feels like we’ve been trapped here for ten years. A whole decade in a year.
I saw Colin Kaepernick in the news again a week ago and thought to myself that “hey he must’ve been out of football for like seven years now” and LOL nope we’re just trapped in the worst possible timeline. All of our heroes are dead, enemies in power, things of that nature. No I haven’t looked at the Slack today. I’m assuming someone in government committed crimes. We still locking up little kids in cages in the desert? Things are great. Stonks are up. The Earth is melting and we still don’t think people really deserve health care. We’re all gonna die, get hype.
[mumbles through eating another wonton] Jesus, I needed this.
Consider the wonton. The pierogi. The dumpling. The papusa. All these meat transportation systems developed by everyday folks millenia ago who just needed to get to tomorrow, right? Like some poor woman who is just working hard everyday in ancient China or Mexico or something and is just exhausted from digging an irrigation ditch for the third time because your IDIOT AZTEC HUSBAND CANT LISTEN TO DIRECTIONS WHEN YOU TOLD HIM HE GOT THE ANGLE WRONG AND THE WATER WOULD POOL UP and she comes from generations of people barely surviving only to pass on her world to generations who will barely survive. She just wants to lay down and take five, man. She made like two pounds of these things the day before because she knows what her dumb stupid life is but she loves her idiot husband and her kids who dont know whats coming yet. She made two pounds because one of those pounds was for right then, when she needed it most.
These things [points to wontons] these get you to tomorrow. Salty. Savory. Absolutely terrible for you in large quantities but will absolutely do wonders for your spirit. You will never get closer to solidarity with your ancient human ancestors than when you feel just wasted by circumstances while eating meat wrapped in a starch, brother. There is a reason they are everywhere. It’s because we need them.
[sits in chair at table] Oh my God, just give me three minutes here.
Not even pizza can do this. You can't put pizza in a bag and take it out to the field to do work I don’t care what the dude in the Weird Al “Fat” video put in his pocket. You need something you can cram quick and easy and mostly use your hands to still work. The closest I think we’ve come to this as Americans is chicken nuggets. Maybe. Working class food made go perfected in the bronze age, baby. As capitalism pounds us back to that era at least there will be food to sustain us.
[eats another wonton] I ordered two bags, one’s for you. Cheers.
Tom Burtless (Singer of Humble Braggers, Buffalo Eats Contributor): As if we weren’t excited enough for the opening of Waxlight, they went and planned a late summer farm to table dinner thanks to the gracious Oles family. The combination of delicious food & drinks, sun setting on the long, communal table, & great company made it a night to remember.
Prescott’s Provisions has made me believe that something good can actually come out of Tonawanda. Every plate we tried was top notch and it’s been an instant recommendation for friends visiting from out of town.
Every time I get a burger at Billy Club it’s somehow better than the last one I had. Their food program has continued to step up its game throughout 2019 and I can’t wait to see what’s to come in 2020. Also shout out to the pork belly taco, Alex will die if it’s ever taken off the menu.
Donny Kutzbach (Co-owner of Town Ballroom): For my best of 2019, I keep coming back to being close to home. Like really close to home. I’m not thinking about meals had at far-flung destinations on trips. I’m not even going more than a couple miles from my house. And I don’t actually live downtown. I don’t even technically live in the city of Buffalo. It says something about the ongoing renaissance in food in WNY.
A month and a half ago on the opening night of Waxlight Bar a Vin, myself, my wife’s and two of our best friends showed up and we ordered the entire menu. The whole thing. It wasn’t the intention but once we sat down, we looked at each other and sort of said, “Let’s have it all!” plus desserts, a couple bottles of wine and cocktails. It turned out to be the right move. Every bite from every plate was fantastic.
The seeming simplicity of the dishes were belied by the grace and thoughtfulness of preparation along with superb ingredients. Why is a basic French omelette so perfect? I don’t know it, but it is. I thought the same about the potato purée which couldn’t just be called “mashed potatoes” even though most menus would do so. I’d be lying if I didn’t say I’m intrigued by the whole concept of the democratized owner/operated five-headed beast behind Waxlight: Ed Forster and Joe Fenush in the kitchen, Tony Rials behind the bar (I’ve really missed Tony having his own curated cocktail menu the last few years), Jess Railey running the front of house and the wine program and Jeff Yannuzzi doing a little bit of everything always with his great smile.
The space is beautiful and I think it’s really cool that they decided to be one of the pioneers over with what’s happening on Chandler Street. I really love what they are doing and I am excited to see it continue to grow and make this new model work.
The other meal that is my absolute best this yea is a weekly meal... sometimes multiple times a week. A lot of people do “pizza night” but I get to walk to the end of my block and get Jay’s Artisan Pizza. It’s really more of an obsession. When I’m not eating it, I think about it a lot.
Jay’s wood-fired pies are a delight. They are pretty close to perfect. It’s thin and everything you’d want in a Neapolitan style. It’s ready in about seven minutes and you just want to slice it right up and devour it. Just thinking about the n’djua or the quattro formagi right now makes me lose it. Yet, there is something else at Jay’s that might be my favorite thing to eat in the world and that’s the “Detroit style” square pizza.
Made in an oven (not the wood fire) and in a pan, it is the finest version of the thick, chewy-cornered cheese before the sauce pizza that I’ve ever had. Jay’s is always rolling out new square riffs, too. They’ve had “The Mack” (Mc Donald’s Big Mac) and “The Animal” (homage to In-N-Out burger) as well as a killer pimento cheese and pepper square. They are always trying something out, even versions of NYC thin and a Buffalo-pizzeria style have come from their simple, workhorse pizzaiolo kitchen. (Check out @thepizzalaboratory on Instagram to see what they are working on)
The funny thing is I often do take out at Jay’s, walks the block home, set pizzas on the counter and enjoy for the rest of the night. The one constant is I always show up, order the pizzas along with a glass of wine or a beer and sit and talk to Jay Langfelder and his dutiful crew. We talk about football, travel, music, what’s going on in Buffalo but most of all: pizza! Their passion and willingness to share everything about the how and why of what they put into crafting their pizzas is special. I love to just pop in and hang out. Of course, I never leave without a pizza or three!
Brad Rowell (Chef/Owner of The Grange Community Kitchen and West Rose): First off I’d like to thank Buffalo Eats for including me in this yearly round up for the 5th year in a row! (Donnie Edit: it's been seven Brad) Even while running The Grange and opening West Rose I was able to find time for some excellent food in 2019.
I had a fantastic trip to Austin this year. My brothers and my dad were the second people in line at 6am for Franklin BBQ. It was 30 degrees which rattled people waiting in line from Central Texas but we are used to tailgating in much colder for much longer. The BBQ was worth the wait and among the best any of us had ever had. The staff was incredibly friendly and organized and we even had a private tour of the smokers after lunch.
This year I also traveled to Sayulita in Mexico where Al Pastor was served on every block. I had an amazing experience at Giulietta and Le Swan in Toronto and some excellent roasted duck at Great New York Noodle Town in NYC.
Locally I had some delicious bites from the all-star team at Waxlight, Excellent pasta at Inizio, and fried chicken and oysters at the legendary Toutant. My staples are Peking Quick One, Home Taste, and Bar Bill. I also have a weekly date with my daughter at Five Points and Remedy House. It’s a great time to eat in Western New York
Go Bills.
David Valetin (Owner of Bare Bones BBQ): My most memorable meal this year was my first bbq popup as Bare Bones Barbecue (pictured above). I was excited to finally bring my food to the public. As the sun went down the night before I loaded my smoker with briskets and pork shoulders. When the sun came back up I was charring corn & poblanos. That afternoon was a rare sunny Saturday in Buffalo made even more perfect by the courtyard at Barrel and Brine. Everyone knows the best meals are enjoyed with your favorite people. I was surrounded by family and my closest friends doing what I love. Hard to top that.
Most of my meals are home cooked and start with a visit to Moriarty Meats. They help bridge the gap from local farms to the home cook. Having access to cuts of meat from local farms has definitely inspired my creativity. I’m a sucker for sandwiches so the smoked picanha beef on weck was a favorite. A close second is my pastrami beef rib with a duck egg on a buttermilk biscuit. Shoutout to Standfast Beef, Chestnut Hill Farm and Always Something Farms.
The most memorable meal I had dining out would be my last visit to Prescott’s Provisions. My wife and I ordered small plates and cocktails. Every dish was executed perfectly from the burrata to the crispy artichokes and of course the popovers. (I think about the country pork pate with a soft egg when I’m having trouble sleeping at night.) It’s a great looking restaurant with excellent service. Can’t wait to go back.
"Shy Guy" Shawn Vanpatten (Radio DJ at Kiss 98.5):
CHICKEN YAKITORI from 546 YAKITORI: I visited Japan this summer and fell in love with the place. I had Yakitori there which I wasn’t too familiar with beforehand and I loved it. Problem is…when you go to some of these places in the world that are known for specific food items. It’s hard to find a good replicate of that back home. This place however has Yakitori that almost JUST like the kind I had in Tokyo. Their best ones are their Chicken Yakitori Skewers and their Lamb Skewers. I also tried a Bacon Asparagus Skewer which I enjoyed very much. You can tell the moment you walk in the door how authentic their food is here and it’s exactly what I wanted.
JUMBAYALA from SZND: I really dig this place. Most of the food I’ve tried here so far has been spot on. My favorite dish was their Jumbalaya. I’m a big fan of any kind of New Orleans cuisine but only if they do it right. This place did. Not only was the portion size very generous. The flavors and spices were exactly how I wanted it to be. I’m told they change their menu up from time to time so I don’t know if this is something permanently on the menu or not.
PINSA CAPRICCIOSA from DANIELA: Loved this little place on the West Side and ordered this little number which is kind of like a Flatbread with Ham and cheeses and my favorite vegetable (Artichoke) among many other things that I enjoyed. I want to go back and try some of their other Pinsa creations they have there as well.
CHICKEN GIOCATTOLO from ITALIAN VILLAGE RESTAURANT I eat at Italian Village all the time. It’s probably in my top three for best Italian restaurants in WNY. However, I usually stick with the basic stuff there I like. I’m a big red sauce fan so I go with stuff that usually has that. This day I was feeling a little adventurous and decided to try something completely different than what I’m used to. Best way to describe this dish is to think of a chicken cutlet on top of angel hair spaghetti in like a cream sauce and drizzled with Balsamic Vinaigrette (the best part). I will definitely order this again even though it’s not something on the menu I would normally go for.
IRISH BENEDICT from 773 NORTH Checked out this cute little place tucked away in Grand Island for brunch where their menu changes weekly I think. I got the Irish Benedict which is pretty much Corned Beef over Rye Toast with the eggs and Hollandaise etc and it was so damn good! I went to Ireland in the fall and since I’ve been back I’ve been hoping to find a place with a good Irish Breakfast. This meal was the closest I could find so far.
ITALIAN FRIES from SPORTS CITY PIZZA PUB What? I’m actually going to put French Fries on my list of “best of 2019?” Hear me out…they are the type of fries I love the most (where they deep fry them like twice I think) and the Italian Seasoning they put on there makes it taste so good I’ve legit gone there for a Sabres game or otherwise and JUST ordered that. Sometimes two orders. No entrée. Sometimes I’ll get some of their medium sauce on the side to dip it in.
Nick Guy (Writer at The Wirecutter) and Lizz Schumer (Writer at Good Housekeeping): Adda Indian Canteen (Long Island City, Queens) Adda has made it on plenty of “best of” lists since it opened in 2018, and it’s earned the food critics’ fawning. We’ve been three times this year, and each visit has lived up to the hype. While everything on the menu is impressive, we’ve solidified some go-tos. Dahi batata puri are shatteringly crisp fried dough balls filled with soft potatoes, yogurt, and chutney, and topped with thin little crispies. It’s a one-bite (literal) explosion of flavor that’s incredibly addictive.
The grilled lamb chops are perfectly seasoned with warming sweet and spicy garam masala—the cumin gives it a nice punch—with an even char that plays well against the slight gaminess of the meat.
But the real star of the show is the Lucknow dum biryani. It’s a showstopper of a dish with most tender goat and perfectly seasoned rice, served in a large bowl under a naan-like crust. Think Indian pot pie. The creamy yogurt sauce and pomegranate arils served on the side really put this one over the top.
Mercado Little Spain (Hudson Yards, Manhattan) Modernist chefs José Andrés’ and Ferran and Albert Adrià’s brought their groundbreaking food to New York, finally. Mercado Little Spain pictured above) is kind of like the Spanish version of Eataly, with full-service restaurants, bars, kiosks serving one or two dishes each, and fresh produce, meat, and fish markets, all in on cacophonous food-lovers’ playground.
We’ve gone straight for our known-favorites from other Andrés restaurants, so far. We’ll try to do a better job exploring in 2020, but come on, the heart wants what it wants. First love: patatas bravas: Crispy fried potatoes. Garlicky mayo. Spicy tomato sauce. Always delicious. Next, pan con tomate proves the best food doesn’t have to be complicated, with just sun-sweetened tomatoes, flaky salt, and earthy olive oil smeared on lightly toasted bread. It’s out of this world. And the spherified liquid olives are just plain old fun.
Homemade Taqueria (Corona, Queens) It’s a bit out of the way, but a thousand percent worth the trip. Take the 7 train out to the Junction Boulevard stop in Corona for al pastor tacos at Homemade Taqueria. They’re basic, they’re perfect, and they’re cheap (three for $5, or a buck apiece on Fridays!) Queens has plenty of vertical spit-roasted meat, but this is definitely among our favorites. Perfectly tender but with a crispy exterior, topped with diced white onions and cilantro, served alongside grilled peppers and whole, small onions, the platter alone is perfection. But don’t sleep on the truly impressive self-service salsa bar, with several kinds of salsa roja and verde and pico de gallo to heat things up to your preferred level.
Senia (Honolulu, Hawaii) When most people think Hawaii, their minds go to poké and shave ice, macadamia nuts and Kona coffee. But if you find yourself in Honolulu, Senia is totally worth swapping out your flip-flops and board shorts for real shoes and actual pants. The brainchild of two Per Se alums, Senia is a small plates, locally sourced dining destination that makes the most of the amazing seafood and produce paradise has to offer. Each plate is better than the last.
While the menu rotates frequently, you’ll likely find smoky kalua pork croquettes with tingling chile pepper water, the most perfectly prepared fish you’ve ever tasted, and fresh pasta that would put any Italian grandma to shame. But one of the best dishes we’ve eaten all year – or maybe ever – was the roasted cabbage. A wedge of cabbage gets roasted until tender then topped with fresh dill; a soy, mirin, and shio kombu dressing; sharp parmesan and powdered moringa leaf for a flavorful revelation. It’s all resting atop a schmear of Green Goddess dressing that puts any diners’ version to shame. Senia’s proof that eating your vegetables is its own reward.
Jake Strawser (Co-owner and General Manager of Billy Club) For the past few years, I’ve been fortunate enough to be asked by Donnie to participate in the “Best Meals Of” series for Buffalo Eats. It’s become something I look forward to every year, because it gives me the opportunity to look back and realize how fortunate I really am to have had these incredible experiences. This year was no different, so below, although I’m sure I’m missing something – I’ve tried to include some of the highlights for whoever might be interested.
Early in the year my business partner at Billy Club, Dan and I took a quick day trip to NYC for the Polaner Selections portfolio wine tasting. Besides drinking some truly incredible, albeit too much, wine all afternoon we made it to a highly recommended restaurant in Harlem called Clay (pictured above) where our good friend Kelly Schram had previously worked while living in the city. The husband (Chef Gustavo Lopez) and wife (GM Gabriela Alejandra) team provided us with the star treatment as we ate through several different courses accompanied by perfectly paired natural wines hand selected by Gabriela. Highlights from the meal included house made Gnocchi with fried sage and parmesan as well as beef tartare and cured egg yolk. Standout wine included the Bodegas Los Bermejos, Listan Negro Rosado from the Canary Islands. It was a restaurant so comfortable that even on your first visit you felt like you knew everyone there. You could easily pick it up (staff included), place it on any corner in Buffalo and it would be an instant hit. I look forward to going back and hopefully getting the opportunity to return the favor should Chef Lopez and Gabriela make the trek to Buffalo.
A few months later, for my girlfriend Kathleen’s birthday we decided to take a long weekend trip to Toronto staying at an AirBnb in Trinity Bellwood’s Park, giving us the opportunity to hit a few more spots than a single day trip has allowed in the past. Aside from doing the tour-de-Grant van Gameren (Bar Raval, Pretty Ugly, Bar Isabel etc.) we made sure to stop at one of our personal favorites and one of my Best of 2018 restaurants Aloette. Sometimes, when you have such an incredible experience on your first trip somewhere you can attribute it to the “shiny new toy” effect. This was most certainly not the case for us and Aloette; as the second visit was even better than the first. Situated beneath one of, if not Canada’s best tasting menu restaurants Alo, Aloette provides more approachable, a la carte fare than it’s sister but with the same precision and care. Paired with a Vouvray from Bernard Fouquet the beef carpaccio with pine nut, parmesan, rapini and lemon was an absolutely perfect midday snack. The tenderness of the meat, fattiness of the pine nut and parmesan was cut perfectly with the bright lemon flavor. And I cannot forget to mention (again) that this is such a well designed and gorgeous restaurant, efficient in it’s design and flow of service in every way. Also, Superpoint Pizza – this is a don’t miss and in my opinion a Toronto sleeper. It might be the best pizza I’ve ever had and yes I just said that Canadian pizza might be the best I’ve ever had. Their wine list is awesome and they have a lot of vermouth so cut me some slack if I’m being hyperbolic.
Towards the end of the year and just a couple of months ago we ended back up in Tulum, Mexico where we once again experienced incredible food regardless of the setting. Whether it was the street taco at 2:00 a.m. or a Peter Luger-esque steakhouse on the beach; there is no shortage of good times and incredible food to be had. But, I’m a pretty habitual person and we found ourselves back at ARCA where we spent plenty of time in 2018. This time though, we were smart enough to enjoy more than just their creative and flavor intensive cocktails. Nomad alum, ARCA Chef and co-owner Jose Luis Hinostroza’s menu is primarily vegetable forward focusing on indigenous ingredients which may be the perfect compliment to eating in the middle of the jungle. ARCA is a Tulum staple, and dining here for the first time was an incredible experience. The scallop crudo with fermented tomatillo, coconut and basil salsa verde, pickled onion flowers and sapphire powder was almost as beautiful as it was delicious. Served in a piece of bark over black stones the dish was seasoned to perfection and as fresh as I had ever had. Other noteworthy dishes included the soft shell crab in Amaranth tempura, fermented grosella and pickled habanero salsa, hoja santa emulsion and hoja santa “tortilla” and the “Whole Squash” with sautéed squash greens, squash flowers, toasted squash seeds and squash seed sauce. But what brought us back some many times over the past two trips to ARCA was the bar. Both the front and back bars are absolutely stunning and the cocktails that come out of them are equally the same. For me, the El Solar is what I crave most regularly; a mix of Mezcal, Hibiscus, Chipotle Piloncillo Syrup, Lime and a Chapulin Salt Rim (yep cricket salt) has heat and spice but finishes with smoke and acidity; perfect to be drinking in the middle of the jungle. Finish the night off with a shot of Pox (look it up) and you’re well on your way to a great night.
As I look back and opine on everything I ate, it becomes even more clear that as good as the food or drinks are, the company is far more important. From jungle dinners in Mexico with Kathleen and our best friends Chris and Alison to $11 Campari and Soda’s with Dan in NYC or even just inevitably ending up at Casa Azul every Tuesday night for a Charred Brussels Sprouts Caesar with the Casa Crew, this list is always a welcome reminder of how great the past year was and how much I’m going to enjoy writing the recap of 2020 next year.
Brian Hayden (Communications Manager at Visit Buffalo Niagara): On Labor Day weekend, our team at Visit Buffalo Niagara hosted a press trip for five British travel writers who were here to eat their way through Buffalo’s food scene and to judge the National Buffalo Wing Festival. I was their guide for a Friday afternoon classic Buffalo food crawl through the Northtowns – Ted’s, Duff’s, and Bocce Club Pizza.
At Ted’s, I played up how the writers had reached the “Holy Trinity” of Buffalo calories – with Anderson’s and Paula’s Donuts across the street – so naturally, they insisted on trying those too. By the time we reached Bocce, I was concerned everyone would be tapped out and full.
Quite the contrary.
Bocce Owner Jim Pacciotti – who took the 73-year-old business over from his late father in 1978 – joined us at the picnic tables under the awning at the pizzeria’s Bailey Avenue location. As he shared his story and explained with enthusiasm how Bocce still makes its dough from scratch and maintains a secret sauce recipe, the pie came out.
We lifted the lid to find a steaming hot, perfectly cooked Bocce pizza with slightly sweet sauce, airy dough, gooey cheese and “cup and char” small pepperoni that’s a Buffalo-style signature. After all the food we’d eaten, I figured the writers would try a bite or two or call it a day, but each one finished their slice. Some even finished a second. They raved that it was one of the best pizzas they ever had.
Seeing our food scene anew through their eyes, and their genuine enthusiasm for that pizza even after trying other pies the world over, made that dining experience under the Bocce awning my favorite of 2019.
Alan Bedenko (Blogger at The Public, @BuffaloPundit): My wife and her family had long been big fans of legendary celebrity chef Rick Bayless, who was into cultural appropriation before it was cool, and even now when it's not. Frontera(pictured above) is not a fancy place where you have to dress up, but it's sort of haute Mexican that goes beyond the tacos, burritos, and quesadillas to which we have all become accustomed.
At our first visit, we went on a whim. We had flown in from Buffalo and it was late - later than we usually eat. The restaurant was lively but there was immediate availability in the basement, and we enjoyed delicious margaritas and various selections off the menu that were revelatory.
Sure, the guacamole is excellent, but a simple tomato salad with a vinaigrette, croutons, and arugula was a great appetizer. Queso fundido with wild mushrooms was creamy and flavorful. But the thing that had me, at least, go back for 2/3 of the remaining visits was the Prime ribeye marinated in red chiles. Served with black beans, sweet plantains, homemade crema, cheese, and guacamole, every bite was filled with delightful flavor without any sort of ridiculous heat. It was the best steak I had all year and I had it thrice. It was served with fresh, homemade white corn tortillas.
We were supposed to get deep dish the next night but we did that for lunch and went back to Frontera to try more things. When we returned to Chicago a couple of months later, we went again. Twice. On Friday I got the special, suadero ahumado, a smoked beef brisket in a Oaxacan mole that's black as night, queso añejo mashed potatoes, and veg.
I look forward to a nice bottle of red and a return to this fun spot that's worth the hype.
Regina Schrambling: I went to Japan kicking and bitching both because I don’t eat sushi (Mike A’s beef on weck excepted, of course) and because “Lost in Translation” made me dread sensory overload. And of course it was the place where I had (most of) my best meals of 2019, always in tranquility.
Easily the most spectacular thing I tasted all year was the uni tucked into tempura sushi at Rakushoku Fujita in Tokyo, where my Kenmore consort had to communicate with the chef and his wife via Google Translate on iPhones. (When she brought the last omakase course, beef tendons with mushrooms, she showed her screen: “This is the end.”) I may have a hard time dealing with raw fish, but raw gonads are good to go, and the crunch wrapped around ’em made this unforgettable “taco” nirvana.
The rest of the meal was almost as fabulous, but so were so many other dishes at so many other places, so I’ll just do the Cliff Notes: Yuzu ramen at Afuri in Tokyo. Pork tonkatsu (AKA Japanese Milanese) at Butagumi in Tokyo. The most extraordinary soft shell crabs before the crab and rice hot pot finale served in two courses at Sun, also in Tokyo. Smoked tofu and smoked daikon at Itachi, an izakaya in Osaka, and sensational roast wild duck with pickled mustard seeds at Banya Hana, another izakaya in Osaka. The crispy shrimp head at Koryu in Osaka (there are many reasons that city is considered the belly of Japan). And in Kyoto we had my (and our cat’s) dream dinner: All duck, cooked on a tabletop grill by the woman owner, at Mitsufuji.
One of the most revelatory meals was at Bistro Kiki in Tokyo (pictured top), where the young chef had trained in France and paired his reinterpretations of Japanese classics with Japanese wines. When we finally experienced our ultimate soba at Toshian, we understood what we were eating because we’d had his okra soba in roasted-tea soup with sea bass wrapped in a filo nest. (If someone had told me we’d be comped paté with pistachios with house-made rye bread in Roppongi Hills, I might have been happier about flying westward to eat in the fabled East.)
Japan, though, came after another couple of memorable eating expeditions, and before a few more.
Last January we made the social justice pilgrimage to Alabama, to the Lynching Memorial and museum in Montgomery by way of Birmingham, and had grits-and-biscuits perfection every morning at Urban Standard and an impressive last dinner at Highlands Bar & Grill (pictured above). The famous baked grits with mushrooms and country ham, the quail on arugula, the much-lauded coconut-pecan layer cake were all outstanding, but it was really about the experience of Southern service and setting.
We made a detour from Selma to Auburn to see what the Chez Panisse of Alabama was all about and were rewarded at Acre with superb seared fish over black-eyed peas, after fried green tomatoes topped with lump crab and laid over pimento cheese. The young servers also tipped us off to Byron’s Smokehouse for a breakfast of champions next day — the smoky sausage was exceptional (as were the biscuits under peppery gravy).
A couple of weeks after that we went down to Philadelphia for the first of several eating expeditions and had our most amazing meal of many in that A+ food city. Cadence, a BYOB in South Kensingon, does small plates so satisfying four of us could take small bites and still grasp all the nuances of the flavor/texture combinations: smoked trout, beets and everything-spiced spaetzle; roasted maitake and mapo mushrooms with five-spice rice cakes; New Jersey scallop with Meyer lemon, Asian pear, broccoli and brown butter, and the date frozen nougat with Cara Cara orange and rye porridge.
We also made our way in early fall to the East Coast’s Portlandia and were wowed by a lunch at the counter at Central Provisions (pictured above) that started with an exquisite melon salad. then crispy Maine potatoes with crab salad, and finished with a grits and lobster extravaganza. The four varieties of potato doughnuts from The Holy Donut also made quite an impression, though, as did the raw Glidden Point and Heron Island and Pemaquid oysters I was emboldened to slurp down with rosé while gliding through the farms they came from with Damariscotta River Cruises.
As for eating close to home, the most dazzling dinner we had all year in Manhattan was at Momofuku Nishi, David Chang’s Chelsea outpost - his reinvented cacio e pepe was exceptional. His new Noodle Bar in the mall at Columbus Circle also came through with repeatedly perfect spicy noodles, roasted carrots and caramelized shiitakes that could pass for bacon (the hozon soft-serve ice cream, made from chickpea water, gives Anderson’s a run for the money). And we never walked away from Fonda in Chelsea without thinking we could turn around and go right back for the queso fundido with chorizo, the huarache with mushrooms, the duck serape in an awesome creamy chile sauce, the crab croquetas with three salsas — even the happy-hour nachos are world-class.
I could keep going but will only quote Bob, as we were finishing another faultless dinner the other week at the very fine Krupa Grocery after the vaut-le-voyage JR show at the Brooklyn Museum. Polishing off a plate of ricotta gnocchi with the unlikely but lively combination of tomatoes, basil, black sesame seeds and lemon, he just said: “Maybe we eat too well.”
Allison Ewing (Co-owner and Founder of BreadHive): Eating out this year has mostly been an exercise in finding the places we felt most comfortable bringing a young toddler at varying stages of readiness to be dining in public (Lin, Taj Grill, Pho Lantern, Five Points and Chef's are our go-tos now. She's basically grown up at BreadHive, I'm not counting it because she mostly hangs out in the back and bums cookies & scraps off people.) So the best meal I had wasn't in a restaurant, although my new year's resolution is to leave the house *without* a child and try some of the excellent new and old places I have on my list. Check back in 2020 for a write-up featuring a local restaurant again, I promise.
The best meal I had, and not just for sentimental reasons, was a backyard potluck & bonfire in honor of my friend Neil who died tragically and unexpectedly in Alaska. He was a kind and adventurous soul who loved to fish and then send his friends salmon in the mail. His community here didn't know what else to do when we got the news other than get together and cook/drink our feelings. I got a deal on a ton of Sitka salmon (get your hands on some, it's unbelievable) and grilled it in foil with a fresh herb & fennel crust, my friend went hunting for the first time ever and the resulting roast duck was maybe the best meat I've ever eaten... I was sopping up the juice from the platter with bread (our pain rustique, natch.) Another buddy brought his full paella setup: a giant pan on an equally giant burner, which resulted in everyone going home with plenty of amazing paella after eating as much as they could handle. So many people had a bottle of Neil's homebrew mead stashed away, and we drank that together. Neil had ties to the food scene here (he helped build BreadHive in our early days, he was Barrel + Brine's first hire) but he mostly loved just getting together at someone's house and casually feasting. Which, same. So it was an honor to do it for him one last time and not a surprise that objectively it was the best meal I had all year. (See Previous Favorite Meals: 2014, 2015 and 2016)
Ann Marie Awad (Host of CPR’s On Something, Former Buffalo Eats Blogger): “The Green Stuff” Molokhia. Pronounced like mow-low-hay-uh, with a real guttural “h” sound.
I’m honestly not sure if “molokhia” is how you spell it -- that’s how it’s spelled on the wrinkled seed packet I have from Kitazawa Seeds. I tried to grow it this past summer, but after sprouting heaps of it, I got over-eager and put them outside too early in the season. They all died. No fresh molokhia for me this year.
I went to Egypt for the first time earlier this year. I am Egyptian, but I always say that sort of hesitantly. I was born in Buffalo, New York, to parents who had -- by that time, in 1989 -- left Egypt three sons and one marriage ago. A long time ago.
Buffalo had long felt like more of a mother country to me than Egypt, even after I left the city for a handful of other cities. I came back in 2017 for my brother’s wedding -- the first time I had returned in nearly a decade -- and I still felt like more of a native daughter than how I felt in the streets of Cairo.
Food really felt like the only connection I ever had to Egypt.
Comfort food, the stuff we eat as children, can be anything depending on where you come from and the circumstances you had. For me, some weird mix of chicken wing subs and heavy, tomato-based Egyptian stews occupy this category of “comfort food.” Even though the food was twice removed, for lack of a better term.
My dad taught himself to cook when he came to this country alone, often from memory. My dad’s cooking is wonderful, it fills a place in my heart that’s hard to articulate. But even he admitted often that it wasn’t quite like the “real thing.” The ingredients he could get in Buffalo were usually dried or frozen, bought from a store on Hertel that seemed to have few other customers besides my dad. It wasn’t the freshest stuff.
Nonetheless, molokkhia was my favorite thing he made. It’s a vegetable, kind of like spinach, that you finely mince and turn into a stew. It naturally becomes thick, and almost slimy, because it’s got properties similar to okra. When I was a kid, molokkhia usually came out of a package in the freezer, a swamp green brick that my dad would drop into a pot of simmering chicken stock. Way back before that, it came from a box. It was minced fine, dried and brittle, and it got everywhere.
After adding the swamp brick to simmering chicken broth (freshly made, do not skim out the fat, please), dad would pop in a spoonful of tomato paste, some fried garlic and seasoning. Customarily, you eat molokkhia spooned over a heap of rice laced with little fried vermicelli noodles. That chicken you undoubtedly boiled for hours, for broth? Shred it and mix it in. Chicken soup for the Egyptian’s soul.
Even in my pickiest eating phases, when I would decide suddenly that I didn’t like things like beans or rice (kids!), I would still happily slurp down a bowl of molokkhia a la carte. It’s a food I’ve always liked, a food that’s always felt like home. So in January, when my mom and I decided to go to Egypt together, it was at the forefront of my mind. She had a long list of monasteries, churches and religious landmarks she wanted to see, and I had the green stuff on the brain.
I expected our arrival into Egypt to be this grand emotional moment for me. Instead I was deliriously tired, and I honestly don’t remember that much about getting there. In the coming days, this strange feeling would ebb and flow -- that I was where I was meant to be, but I was somehow still an outsider.
The outsider feeling was something I’d sort of struggled with all my life. I don’t have the language. Here in this country there were sounds, words, even just the unique way people laughed or exclaimed, that felt familiar, that felt like home. But they were blips in an otherwise foreign tongue. I often felt that overwhelming feeling of being a little kid who didn’t speak Arabic in a room full of grown-ups who did. Except now I was on the cusp of 30, and the room was everywhere. I felt a connection to Egypt, but it was elusive. It will take me more visits to chase it down.
Mom and I stayed in Zamalek, a district of Cairo on a small island in the Nile. It’s an island of Western, high-end boutiques, international embassies, and hotels, lots of hotels. Nearby our hotel was a restaurant called Abu El Sid(pictured above, via egypt-vip.com), which was the first place I had fresh, real molokkhia. This one was made with rabbit, and it was thicker and more flavorful than any molokkhia I had ever tasted. It was a revelation. It was everything I already loved about the stew, but it was punched up, amplified, somehow. I was in love. We ate there the following night, and I ordered it again.
But that is honestly not my favorite meal of 2019.
My favorite meal of 2019 was actually at my cousin’s home. It was the last night of our trip. My aunt Titi, my dad’s sister, was making us dinner. It was the second time she had cooked for us on this trip, and I was very excited to eat her food again.
When I had mentioned her cooking over the phone to my dad, he said of course her food was better than his. My dad didn’t join us on the trip because of health issues -- it was me, mom and two of my older brothers. Dad also insisted that he was done with Egypt, and there was no need for him to go back. However, he gleefully ate up all the details of our trip when we called him each night from the hotel. I’d recount all the day’s adventures, experiences that I could finally have first hand, and he’d laugh and share memories of his own, when he lived there with all his sisters.
Aunt Titi had been, up until this trip, the only one of my dad’s sisters that I hadn’t met. She was the last of them that still lived in Egypt, in their hometown of Beni Suef. Titi had come to Cairo to see us on our visit. And to feed us. And on that last night, she made molokkhia. I had a bowl of it with rice. It was divine, lightyears better than Abu El Sid. Titi also made okra, stewed with cubes of beef in tomato sauce, roast chicken and heaps of steaming rice, dotted with the little fried vermicelli noodles. Around the table were little bowls of cheese, olives and pickles, and small stacks of warm pita bread.
Titi doesn’t really speak any English. But her food spoke to me, as cheesy as that might sound. It was like the missing piece of his long loop that connected her, my dad, and me. My dad came to America alone, and taught himself to cook from his memories of the food his mother and sisters made. On late night calls from the hotel, my dad would praise Titi’s food. She was his inspiration. And here, in Cairo, the food was in context. The ingredients came fresh from nearby, not from some swamp brick in the freezer. It was like a grand connecting of the dots, and the bow upon it all was the molokkhia.
As the meal wound down, the conversation shifting intermittently between Arabic and English, my cousin Fady tapped me on the shoulder. Fady also didn’t speak much English, but he had spent the previous week driving my mom and I everywhere. He was sweet, and took many small opportunities to remind me that we were family. Once, when my mom had ducked off to the bathroom at a church we were visiting, Fady snuck me cotton candy from the snack stand outside. In the mornings he would meet us at our hotel with little sandwiches his wife had made for us. In the market, he negotiated on our behalf, helping me secure two beautiful antique copper pots. Over our two week visit, he tried to teach me bits and pieces of Arabic, and encouraged me to try new foods.
When he tapped me on the shoulder, I looked over and he signaled to the small bowl of molokkhia that he was cupping in his other hand. He took a long slurp from it, almost like he was taking a long sip from a hot cup of tea. He reached over and ladled a spoonful of molokkhia into my empty bowl in front of me, and gestured for me to do the same.
Although I was full, I cupped the bowl in both hands and took a long drink, savoring the warm stew. I couldn’t remember the last time that I just drank it straight like that. It reminded me so much of being a little kid, shunning everything else that was on the table, and opting instead to make a meal out of simple green stew, gulping it down like a drink and making a mess all over my clothes.
Fady smiled over at me before being roped back into the conversation, and I sat sipping my molokkhia contentedly.
Sexy Slices (Anonymous Pizza Critic): Despite best efforts, turns out man can not (yet) survive on pizza alone. Wings are an essential part of the SexySlices balanced diet, and I’m happy to say the Lemon Pepper wings from Wing Kings have bobbed to the top of the blue cheese as my “meal of the year”. Migrating north out of Atlanta strip clubs, the salty tangy lemon pepper pop on that crunchy glistening chicken skin is a refreshing reminder that there’s life outside the crimson sea of Buffalo sauce. If you’re yearning for some fresh flavor on ol’ reliable it’s a mind bending experience that may become habit-forming. (See Previous Favorite Meals: 2017 and 2018)
Kevin Purdy (Writer at iFixit): The best thing I ate this year past, I ate a little after 3:17 one Friday morning. It was a tiny piece of bread, mostly crust, straight out of the oven. It tasted like victory.
I had been trying, on and off for more than four years, to bake a loaf of No-Knead Bread the Jim Lahey recipe made famous by Mark Bittman in the NYT. In theory, this recipe replaces the work one would normally do of kneading and shaping the dough with a really long proving period with instant yeast, in a really wet dough. It's framed as bread for people who think baking bread is too fussy. In practice, I've thrown away at least four sad bundles of browned flour that tasted like yeast and regret.
I can bake a good bit. I've even made that 2-day, 3-part Momofuku birthday cake. But this "baking hack," with the simplest ingredients, was driving me nuts. It felt like I was getting pretty good at AP Calculus but couldn't make change for a dollar.
I asked a friend who had, according to Instagram, baked at least 100 loaves in the last year for help. Her suggestion: why don't you try (get this) kneading the dough and (brace yourself) using bread flour to make bread. This worked. But I goofed the timing of the two rises, such that letting it go overnight would mess it up, so I set some irresponsible alarms and quietly left my bed to make this loaf happen.
Some shortcuts are too short. I could taste how good it felt to let go of a genius innovation, standing over my round little loaf in a very quiet kitchen. Good bread. (See Previous Favorite Meals: 2012, 2013 and 2017)
Zack Klug (Winemaker/Grapegrower of Liten Buffel): 2019 was hard. I complained a lot. I looked angry a lot. I spit out many hot takes. It’s easy to forget how fortunate you are. It’s easy to take things for granted once they become routine, and routines smell like burdens. If nothing less, 2019 was humbling.
I’ve had many meals over the last few years that could be considered the best of my life. I’ve traveled a lot, and I ate a lot, and I partied a fair, healthy amount haha. 2019 was the year that I realized I didn’t need to hide who I was, or where I come from. In the past, I’ve written about meals that were subversive to my normal dining experience. Or I’d hide behind a heartfelt meal with friends. It’s because I tend to feel like an imposter writing about this bougie spot, or that instagram spot. Yet the cantankerous 2019 coughed out one of the most memorable meals of my life. One that needed no excuse for where it was, or what it was.
My wife and I were almost done with a week long work trip in nyc. I was pouring at some fairs, and doing a few wine dinners. Somewhere in the mix we were planning to fit our anniversary dinner in (it didn’t happen). Our host, a fellow westerner, and truest expression of the term brother, Brian had been so kind to leave us his apartment. He slept on the floor of his soon to open bottle shop. A plan he surprised me with only after I had unpacked, and a plan he refused to concede on. After a few days of industry life; stay up until 4, work all day then stay up until 4 again, my age had started to show. No more than a slice, or a BEC and a coffee had entered this temple. In hindsight, I was saving myself.
The place I call home in Brooklyn is Mekelburgs (pictured above). It’s in Clinton Hill, and you have to walk through a kickass grocery before you enter the bar. I took no pictures, and can’t tell you everything we ordered, but the three of us took stand at a small diner table. We proceeded to order three quarters of the menu family style. I know there was hot chicken involved, and a salt baked potato with pork belly, or maybe it was caviar and creme. There was also lasagna, and possibly a duck banh mi. More hot chicken, and some shots. After all those events in a busy foreign place… the only thing I wanted was a family meal with three westerners and no pressure. We got messy that night. We were shiny.
If you ever find yourself at Meks in Clinton Hill, you must order a coffee challenge. It’s not on the menu, but don’t worry… they’ll know you’re from WNY. We also had some of the worst wings while there. There’s a cool Bills Bar called Fulton street ale house, but they don’t do wings which is understandable. That’s because nobody fuckin does. Wingstop is the closest, and it’s still trash. They also don’t know what a pizza log is. (See Previous Favorite Meals: 2017and 2018)
Andrew Berger (Chef at Misuta Chows): The best meal I’ve had in Buffalo in 2019 had to be the tasting menu at Dobutsu. My only regret is that I didn’t go in hungrier lol. We got the seven course tasting with the wine pairings and it was incredible. I’ve obviously fell in love with Asian cuisine the past decade and they touched on so many memories of learning about the craft. It wasn’t plated like Picasso, it wasn’t pretentious, it was just damn good and delicious. Brett paired the wines and the only bad part about the meal is that I couldn’t fit anymore food in my stomach. I couldn’t imagine the amount of food if we went 10 courses. Best ‘bang for your buck’ tasting menu in existence. (See Previous Favorite Meals: 2018)
Jesse Crouse (Owner of Tipico Coffee): 2019 was a bit of an intense year for me and my family. With two kids, a growing company, my wife excelling in her job, and just one car amongst us, going out to eat isn’t in the cards much. There were a couple times this year where I was just saved by food. I mean a total freewheeling shit show turned right by the glory of a couple all timers.
One of those times came sometime around my birthday, we popped into Jay’s Artisanto order a couple pizzas and take them home to eat. I remember it was pretty early after work, so the happy hour was in full effect, so we waited with two maniac children, a glass of wine, and some killer can of beer. The needed respite was great, but what I hadn’t realized was what was going to happen when we got back home. Jay’s Detroit-style pizzas aren’t just good, they are get out of my way good. Like park for 30 minutes in a loading zone with your flashers on while you wait for it good. Growing up in the burbs of Chicago, and living in the city for my early adultness I am a complete and utter sucker for deep dish pizza, and while I can separate the good from the bad, I can still polish off just about any halfway decent excuse for deep dish. This isn’t to say Jay’s Detroit-style is like deep dish, this is to say that whatever Frankenstein he is putting out is the nectar of the gods. It’s perfect.
Adrian Bylewski (Chef/Owner of Loose Cannon Food Truck): Without a doubt my favorite meal of 2019 took place in a city better known for the infinite amount of chain restaurants, Walt Disney, and one of the most entertaining crime blotters around, Orlando, Florida. My girlfriend and I were a few hours from boarding our plane home and we really wanted one last lunch of fresh seafood. We knew the weather in Buffalo was getting worse by the hour and honestly dreaded leaving the 85-degree heat. While several inches of snow really doesn’t bother us, it would most likely ground my 1969 food truck anyway. We ended up finding what may be my new favorite restaurant…maybe…ever.
Walking up to Lee and Ricks Oyster Bar in Orlando, Florida may seem scary to some. The building is a boat. It literally looks like a grounded, old, run down, wooden boat. There weren’t many cars outside, but we decided to venture in anyway. Upon entry we were hit with a very distinct and profound fish smell, not old fish, but more the scent of fresh fish market. While that may deter the faint hearted, we walked in to find many, many, others lined around an old concrete bar slamming oysters left and right. The bar was light blue and yellow and the paint was slightly chipped from decades of use. It was angled backwards, with the slope leading to a concrete troth. We placed an order for a bucket of oysters and two coronas. Not kidding, a bucket was 21 dollars and at least 36 oysters. I’ve shucked thousands of oysters but never in my life had I seen anyone shucking quite as fast as our server/bartender/best friend for the afternoon. The oysters were placed directly on the concrete bar facing us, so the slope retained the oyster’s liquor and eliminated the need or even want for plates. After each delicious oyster we happily pitched the shells into the troth and kept on eating. Our server shucked our oysters significantly faster than we could consume them. She had over 30 years of experience and it showed. After our first bucket, my phone buzzed and much to our dismay, our flights home had been cancelled. The remaining flights were all on the following day. Disgustingly upset, (not upset at all) there was only one logical thing to do, order more oysters, two more beers, and find an airbnb for the night. The second bucket was just as good as the first, if not better. Possibly because it came with a side of 85-degree weather for one more day. Definitely a meal I won’t forget anytime soon.
Kerry Quaile (Market Manager at Blackened American Whiskey): The winner of meal of the year hands down goes to Le Swan in Toronto. Jen Agg and her team have done it again. The diner; and yes it is a beautifully preserved diner in all its counter and booth charm, is whimsical in and ambiance and mouth wateringly delicious in fare. I need to go back soon and eat the entire rest of the menu with a party of 10, but since that wasn’t the case at the time of my visit I ordered the two things that I couldn’t walk away without eating. I had a traditional french omelette to start and beef bourguignon paired with wine. Both dishes were prepared to absolute perfection and the wines were delicious. On a snowy night in November, this was heaven. (See Previous Favorite Meals: 2013, 2014 and 2017)
Chris Lindstrom (Host of Food About Town Podcast): Le Swan (Toronto). There is something special about the first meal when you get into any town that isn't yours and despite the fact that Toronto is a short 3 hr drive from Rochester, it still feels new every time I head over. The trip we made in August started with a stop into the newest Jen Agg establishment that set the tone for the rest of the weekend. Just like all of her places, Le Swan has a fully realized vision of what it is and doesn't try to do any more than that.
We experienced top end execution of diner classics with a certain flair for the dramatic most exemplified by the tuna melt. It was like nothing I'd had before with high quality tuna and a blanket of cheese crisped up into a frico along the edges. A pitch perfect smoked fish salad with roe and a warm jamon beurre were fantastic as well but that tuna melt was over the top rich and truly special. (See Previous Favorite Meals: 2013, 2016 and 2018)
Evan Duckett (Buffalo Eats Contributor, Singer of Final Declaration): For 2019’s top local meals I wanted to focus on a few things that are new that I really loved.
La Verdad Cafe (Lovejoy). “I’m gonna head over to Lovejoy today and get some of the best ribs, chicken, and brisket in WNY” might sound like a mad lib, but honest to god it’s real. We ordered the beef ribs, chicken, burnt ends, and jalapeño mac, and then the owner brought us out small portions of all the things we didn’t order because it’s owned by the nicest people I’ve ever met. Seriously, give this place all of your money.
Daniela (Elmwood Village). Cafe outpost for a catering veteran serving up wonderful Italian basics- Roman style pinsa, pastas, salads and panini. There’s one day a week that they do mussels in a spicy tomato broth, and their rendition is in the running for best mussels in Buffalo. You should go.
Jays Artisan Pizza (Kenmore). This isn’t new, okay. But what is new is the every day availability of Jay’s square pies. You thought his Neapolitan program blew your mind? Wait until you dive into the best pan pizza you’ll ever have. They’re all good.
Ristorante Limoncello (Boston, pictured above). For non-local, I’d like to call out a particular meal I had in Boston over the summer. On the final night of the 100th anniversary Saint Anthony’s Feast (Boston’s extremely large Italian festival), a group of coworkers, clients, and I ventured to Boston’s historic North End for dinner. Finding in advance that all of the big name spots on the main drag were booked solid nearly a year in advance, we settled on Limoncello (who for some reason agreed to make room for us). A bit off of the beaten path and steps from the Paul Revere house was where I ate one of the most enjoyable meals of my life. When we arrived the tables were set with fresh breads, marinated olives of various varieties and house made oils. Everything from the antipasto, to the pasta course (we selected Pasta Rosette- wide noodle, Italian ham and cheese pinwheeled like a rose and served with a tomato cream sauce and a giant meatball on the side), to the Veal Saltimbocca, to the chicken parm, to the fresh stuffed cannoli to the- I’ll stop, it was all perfect. The owner, Maurizio (who opened the place after hitting it big on a scratch off ticket when he was a young Italian-immigrant busboy at a different restaurant- not kidding) and his manager Susan treated us like family, and I will be back during every trip to Boston. The moral of this story is to take risks with your food, go off of the beaten path- sometimes it really pays off.
Bryan Mecozzi (Chef/Owner of Black Iron Bystro): Dang. I can definitely pinpoint my favorite meal of 2019, but I can’t tell you everything about it. It probably has something to do with the fact that I am eternally tired. It also may have something to do with the fact that it was in Toronto and my wife, Rolande and I stayed in an airbnb above a dispensary.
On March 9th, my birthday and the day Biggie died, we crossed the vortex.
Beyond the cloudy room I left behind I found myself with reservations to Lee Restaurant (601 King St W), an Asian-French fusion spot that is so incredibly cool, Fonzie would beg for mercy. It is one of Chef Sursur Lee’s babies and his name and brands are worth the google.
Starting off with a solid mezcal-margarita riff with a spicy sumac rim we glanced over the menu.. When you know you are in a good spot and your gut tells you that the server is knowledgeable your best bet is to let them do the work and order for you.. another clue as to why I don’t remember everything, as I pretty much just opened my mouth hole blindly. Oh! The things we ate! Oyster and Dashi Shooters, Caramelized Black Cod with miso mustard & Goat Cheese Tarts. The big kahuna was in fact the Chef’s signature dish and claim to fame.. the Singaporean Slaw. Loaded with 20 different herbs, lettuces and flowers topped with crispy vermicelli and tossed tableside with a salty plum vinaigrette. Surprisingly not overkill on the 20 ingredients.. in fact: perfect! So good I could have had just that and been completely satisfied. They also offer Sursur’s slaw with a few choice proteins to add on to make as an entrée. Incredibly silky atmosphere, super courteous staff and food that is just as much art as it is flavorful. Dessert was birthday cake for the Pisces and Beach House at Sony for the ear holes.
RJ Marvin (Co-owner of Barrel + Brine): Ever been to Scranton, Pennsylvania? I have. Let’s be perfectly honest here...Scranton is only known for two things, The Office, and Pizza. Well, not so much pizza but when it comes to grabbing the best pizza in Scranton there’s really only one question...Do you choose Alfredo’s Pizza Cafe or Pizza by Alfredo?
I know what you’re thinking. “Same thing”...but no.
There’s a very big difference between these two pizza places both in quality of ingredients, and overall taste. Now, since eating Pizza by Alfredo is like eating a hot circle of garbage, we naturally went with Alfredo’s Pizza Cafe. I suppose the fact that Pizza by Alfredo doesn’t exist also helped with the decision.
So anyway, here we were, in Scranton Pennsylvania in a dimly lit restaurant that looks kind of like an old school Italian couples basement. The kind of restaurant that says “hey, look. Sure we have Italian stuff, but don’t forget that you’re in Scranton Pennsylvania and we’ve never seen an Italian person outside of Rocky Balboa, and the oldest of the Golden Girls. I’m anxiously tapping my fingers on the table while finishing what's left of a stuffed mushroom while waiting for our server to drop the square pizza off at the table. I feel like Kevin Malone. Fuck. I am Kevin Malone.
The pizza is here now, and just like every person in the place it’s square and white as hell. The cheese is shiny like a mirror. The mushrooms were pale and, well, just there. My mouth was watering. We dig in.
What in the fuck? What is that? What’s…...what’s that flavor?
Lindsey and I look at each other like we both had just woken up from comas. What’s that flavor? Another bite.
“Are these mushrooms fresh, or canned?” No one knows.
The cheese sticks to the roof of my mouth like a cat burglar. We stop the waitress. “Excuse me, what kind of cheese is this?” the waitress looks at us both and says, “American”
Now. She didn’t just say “American”, she said “American” as if to say “ummm….it’s American cheese you stupid asshole. Now what the fuck did you think it was?” Suddenly it hit us both that the flavor we knew but couldn’t pinpoint was Land O Lakes White American Cheese. The same cheese that we used in our younger days to toss onto a tortilla, or slice of wonder and melt in a microwave to quiet down some drunken high school cravings.
I’ve never had a pizza with American cheese on it before that day and I’ve never had pizza with American cheese on it since. As it turns out, that style of pizza is called “Old Forge” style and it’s pretty damn popular. In fact Old Forge Pennsylvania considers itself the “pizza capital of the world.” At the time, it was the weirdest and grossest pizza I’ve ever had, but you know something? I still think about it from time to time. I’ll be sitting there, couch locked and I’ll
think….shit. I could really go for some Alfredo's Pizza Cafe right now. Still.
What is better: a medium amount of good pizza or all you can eat of pretty good pizza?
Medium amount of good pizza.
Madeline Hall (@BuffaloFoodSlut): As you know I’m a Buffalo Food Slut hitting up all the best restaurants in this ever-growing food city. How did one acquire the name Buffalo Food Slut? Well I’m from Buffalo and my love for food is unreal. Spending my earlier twenties living in the Elmwood village kept my taste buds growing. People say, “Keep Buffalo A Secret”, but how could we with all this amazing food? Here are some of the best meals I have had of 2019.
To no surprise one of my favorite restaurants for the last two years has been Lucky Day (pictured above) located right on Pearl Street. They are in the heart of downtown Buffalo spreading their love and knowledge on whiskey and personally mouth watering food. The meal that kept me coming back though is the bone-in pork chop. I know what your thinking, ordering pork at restaurants turns out to be dry and over cooked. Nope not this 14oz maple glazed pork chop with smoked gouda grits, sautéed baby kale and cranberry reduction. That pork was crunchy on the outside then as you got to the middle the juices ran and leaving you with a sweet taste of cranberry lingering in your mouth.
Lucky Day through an outstanding two-year anniversary party over the summer that one can not forget. Seafood heaven is what I would call it. Buffet of dreams, sweet oysters, lobster tails, crab, ceviche, shrimp and even homemade cheesy biscuits. Washed those babies down with six-dollar old fashions on special for the night, guess who had a few too many of those? Lucky day is a great place to go and have conversation, listen to live music and try everything under the sun. They even have a late-night menu with crispy chicken sandwich, pickle plate, thrashed burger (five dollars), gouda mac & cheese and my favorite hand pies, some with meat but at least one vegan, (last week’s vegan choice was a Jamaican sweet potato with jerk spiced coconut spice). Winter is here, I promise you Lucky Day is going to be your next favorite spot. Ohh yeah, for happy hour one-dollar oysters, you’re welcome.
It was the first snowfall of the season, like one of those magical Disney movie snow falls. White, huge bright flakes coming down so peacefully. It was a Friday night when I got a text from one of my girlfriends saying she was heading to Dapper Goose. I thought I hadn’t been there in a while, lets go. It was packed, I think everyone had the same idea. It was to beautiful of a night not to go out, (a true buffalo excuse for everything). We somehow scored a seat at the bar within minutes. We had ourselves a Rye Manhattan and a fancy cocktail called Broken Garden Tools (gin, celery, parsley, lemon, morrocan spice & black pepper). They went down just a little too easy. You can never go wrong with fresh pressed cocktails. So, if people ask me if I juice, I don’t have to lie.
Okay, so let me tell you about the food we had at Dapper Goose, because damn those brussel sprouts! These may have changed my life. I don’t believe I have ever had something so creamy & crunchy in my life. They were covered in a cashew cream sauce topped with croutons and apples. Man, I’m hungry just thinking about them. We had the mushrooms with hummus, red pepper puree, hazelnuts and rye bread crumbs. We didn’t stop there, however, they took beets to a whole new level with beetroot tartine covered in horseradish cream cheese, crispy chickpeas, orange zest and fresh dill, so colorful! Lastly for you meat lovers lets talk about the main entre. That Korean fried chicken crispy, saucy and yet so damn moist. How does one make something so tasty? It was paired with kimchi fried rice and spicy cucumbers. By the end my friend and I licking the plate. We finished the night with a shot of tequila and a full stomach. Now for my final feast of 2019 was one of my own creations. A few years ago, I use to be a personal chef and I was always cooking bomb ass meals but there is one that stands out the most. That meal was my surf and turf feast.
My friends’ father is a fisherman in Alaska and he over knighted some Alaskan King crab legs that were the size of my arm. I couldn’t image that thing coming at me under water, no thank you. They didn’t fit in a pot, so I had to steam them in the oven with coconut milk, garlic, butter, salt, pepper and lemon. When those babies came out, they were cooked to perfection. You took one crack and pulled out a huge chuck of meat, waiting to be dipped in garlic butter. For the turf I did ribeye, one of my favorite fatty juicy cuts. For seasoning I made my favorite brown sugar coffee rub, which is ½ brown sugar, ¼ coffee grounds, 1 tbs garlic powder, 1 tbs Dijon mustard powder, 1 tbs kosher salt, 1tbs cumin and some fresh black pepper. I mixed it and gave that ribeye all the loving, rubbed it around and let it rest for some time. Grabbed a cast iron skillet with olive oil, fresh garlic and rosemary seared each side for two minutes till it’s a nice golden brown, then popped it in the oven at 130 degrees for 15 mins. That ribeye comes out a beautiful medium rare and ready to be paired with a huge glass of red wine.
After all this talk about food I’m wondering where my next meal will be? Whether its cooking my own meal or searching for something better the Buffalo Food Slut will find you, and she will be hungry.
Roo Buckley (Wine Director at Carte Blanche): Fourth of July dinner this year was my favorite meal, everything about it was ideal.
Setting, menu, guest list, a true collaborative effort in the kitchen to accommodate for the laundry list of food specifics - gluten free, vegetarian, vegan, dairy free, grain free...we made it happen and then some. My brother was hosting some friends from Texas, and with their two kids, his three and my two, we had quite a yard full of noise and fun. We had a great time taking our turns during the day being the parent out on the water in canoes and kayaks, a trip to the beach on bikes, and then carefully planning where we were going to sit to watch the fireworks up and down the shore of Lake Erie.
Six beautiful Delmonico steaks, two dozen heavily seasoned 80/20 burgers, Sahlen's for those that wanted, tofu for the vegetarians all made their way from the grill to the warming oven; two potato salads made with avocado mayo and bacon fat mayo respectively, baked beans with and without bacon, a scratch coleslaw with the first of the sturdy vegetables from the farmers markets, a huge salad to showcase the first of the tomatoes and baby lettuces, pies from the local bakery....what a feast.We all cycled in and out of the kitchen as we were called away by children, biological or otherwise, and it was just one of those serendipitous meals where everyone was on the same wavelength and was more than happy to step in and finish a dish with just the briefest explanation as we were being pulled by the hand to judge who's cartwheel was faster or be the escort for a quick bike ride up the road to maybe see if there were frogs by the shore.
The beverage of the day was rosé, we had bought a mixed sampling from Chile, France, Spain and Portugal - some familiar and some an adventure, and it was a wonderful foil to all the different flavors that we eventually put out as a buffet on the island in the kitchen. As dusk descended and we finished the last of the pie and ice cream, we refilled our glasses and headed outside to relax into lawn chairs as the citronella candles spat and hissed, and then the show started, up and down the shore on both sides of the lake. Ooohs and Aaaahs from all the kids and climbing into laps when the bombastic finales started, it really was a great night with all the perfect elements to frame an amazing meal. (See Previous Favorite Meals: 2017)
Zina Lapi (Chef/Owner of Casa Azul): I DIDN’T KNOW, WHAT I DIDN’T KNOW! As a restaurant owner, working chef, culinary school Graduate and fan of eating Indian Cuisine. I thought I knew some things about Indian Cuisine. Wow was I wrong! This past February I had the distinct honor to travel to the content of India and visit New Delhi “the city of Rallies “Our last night in New Delhi I was dining at the highly acclaimed Indian Accent one of the most widely known and highly praised Culinary establishments in India. I was skeptical of the reputation, but I must say the 8-course tasting meal prepared by Chef Manish Mehrotra literally blew me and my guests away. It was such an eye-opening culinary experience. I was pleasantly surprised and in awe of how chef utilized some of India’s most popular street food and recognized dishes then put his own modern culinary twists and artistic abilities into each course. At Casa Azul I strive to do similar with our menu. Needless to say, his approach very much resonated with me. All the comfort and familiarity were there with each bite and yet each dish was also a new experience. This led to becoming more and more exciting in anticipation of the next course and what excitement it might bring to the pallet. Chef did a superb job of creating such a clear identity and natural fluidity that in my opinion isn’t the case when taking on a tasting menu. It was a lovely experience and an awesome opportunity to grow as a chef and food patron. I will forever cherish my night at Indian accent and the cuisine I experienced prepared by Chef Manish Mehrotra. (See Previous Favorite Meals: 2018)
Matt Kahn (Co-Founder and President of Big Ditch Brewing Co): OK, two-way tie, and neither is in Buffalo, and both were with my sales team!
Nosh in Rochester blew me away with their sociable platters, which consisted of various roasted meats, cheeses, and breads. It was almost the richest meal I've ever eaten but super memorable.
Not as impressive, but equally memorable for the surprise factor, was the Dark Horse Tavern in Dewitt. Asked for a hotel reco and didn't think much of the place when we came upon it (tiny looking and in a strip mall), but the food and service were both fantastic. The steak frites served with truffle fries completely hit the spot. It was pretty much a perfect meal and far exceeded my expectations!
Dima Maddah (Buffalo Eats Contributor): I had three favorite meals in 2019, and two of them are from new restaurants, so huge shout to the service industry in Buffalo for constantly delivering quality to our already food loving city.
Bolognese at Inizio - Italian is my favorite food. To me, nothing is better then a big fat bowl of spaghetti and meatballs. I was sad when Joe's Deli closed their elmwood location, but Inizio taking their place was the best possible replacement. I may be a little bias since this was my birthday meal, but considering they make all their pasta and sauces in house, I couldn't go wrong. Usually with most italian places they give you enough food for 3 meals, but I was very pleasantly surprised with the portions and pricing. It was the perfect amount of food and made to perfection. Strong recommend.
The Hex at Breezy Burrito Bar - I've always been a fan of Breezy since they were a small location at expo and when Briana expanded to a stand alone brick and mortar restaurant, I knew things would only get better. I love tex mex and the hex is crunch wrap hand held delight. Their margaritas are also killer.
Breakfast pizza at Roost - This will never not be on a favorite meals list for me. Did I have it on here last year? I can't remember I was probably drunk from brunch, which will probably be my excuse when I put it on next year's top meals list but who cares it's worth it. Bless Roost brunch.
2019 truly was a dumpster fire but at least we all ate well along the way. Happy new year!
Steve Gedra (Chef/Owner of The Black Sheep): Well, here we are. The end of the year. The end of the decade. What a ride huh? Buffalo has come a longgggg way since we moved back in 2009. I can’t believe it’s been 10 years already! The Great Space Coaster is still going!
I really didn’t get to travel much in 2019 so I’m going to focus on local WNY joints, since that’s pretty much where I plunked down for much of this year.
I finally got to Jay’s Artisan (pictured above) for some pizza, (I know, I know, but I’m a busy guy, so get off of my nuts) and I can say definitively that it was incredible. I’ve had some pies to go from Jay’s in the past, but there’s nothing like hammering a pizza on site at that place. I’m sure Jay would agree with me there. I think ellen and I ate 3 pizzas between the 2 of us and I legit didn’t feel like shit like you’d think I would after eating a ton of pizza. The magic of fermentation is real!!
My good friend Dan (SeaHag) Borelli left his post at Elm Street Bakery this year and took the gig cooking at The Little Club, which is Lombardo’s sister restaurant across the street on Hertel. He’s working on upping the offerings in that tiny spot. Not an easy thing since it’s usually just him cooking and he only has an oven to work with. The burrata and figs, French onion soup, (which he told me later was vegetarian. You’d never know it) and octopus terrine were all great and I’m looking forward to seeing what he does next. He’s one of my favorite cooks in town.
Looks like it was a “club” theme this year since I found a table at Billy Club (pictured above) on Allen with my sous, his lady, and my sister on a Monday night at the end of summer. I’ve been to Billy a ton for awesome drinks and visits with my homies Jake and Dan, but I hadn’t eaten there prior. Sweet baby Nate Beardsley is at the helm currently and he lit us up pretty good that night. I distinctly remember Sicilian dumplings called Kinflormblinblops (that’s not really the name of them) being so good I had many questions. I obviously didn’t remember the name, but they’re very reminiscent of pierogi, and they kinda look like mummies. The carrot dish with mole was also insanely good. It was the first time I walked out of that place anything shy of inebriated, which I’m going to do more often in the future.
We got turned to Nellai Banana Leaf out in the wilds of Transitstan by Andrew Galarneau, so we rallied the squad and got to boogie on a good portion of the menu. My favorite thing for sure was the dosa, which is a rice crepe. There was about 384 dipping sauces and two fillings that were presented on that evening, leading to a multitude of flavorful permutations. There’s not a ton of places around here offering dosas that I’m aware of, so I’m always grateful when I get to find one, and this Bad Larry was the king of them all.
Thanks to Galarneau and his knack for finding new places, we got to hit up House of Gourmet on Sheridan (Tonawanda Chinatown) before bingo in late fall. The tea smoked duck was magical, and the dumplings took out Home Taste as my new favorites around. The pork stuffed scallion pancake was also incredible.
Thanks to secret Luchador/pizza guru Sexy Slices, I also found out about Macy’s Place Pizzeria on Genesee in Cheektowaga. They do some wild shit with pizzas, (follow them on Instagram, you’ll see) but I’ve legit gone there 4 of the last 5 Sundays to grab some pies. I haven’t really ventured into the crazy stuff they do quite yet, only because I’m usually looking for some comfort to deal with my PBS (Post Brunch Syndrome) on Sunday nights, but I’m sure I’ll get there soon enough. They’ve taken the crown as my current favorite Buffalo Style pizza. SEND HELP PLEASE.
Last, but certainly not least, I met a few people at Kelly’s Korner on Delaware for the first time in about 15 years, and I’m so glad I did. Their wings and weck are some of the finest around, and I’m certainly not gonna wait even another 6 months to return.
I’ve got a few honorable mentions, but I usually go to these places a few times every year, so it’s not like it’s anything new, but I still love them— pistachio custard at Fran Ceil in Blasdell, a Big George and curly fries at George’s in Boston, NY, and so many breakfasts at Nick’s on Amherst that I’m borderline ashamed.
Here’s to ushering in a new decade in food in and around Buffalo! Considering how far we’ve come in the last 10 years, I really look forward to the next 10. As much as I love our local places, I hope I get some travel in for 2020 and can report back with something crazy next year.
Thanks for reading, and thanks to Buffalo Eats for letting me run my mouth on their site once again. Keep on keeping on Buffalo! I’m so happy Ellen and I moved back here 10 years ago. It’s been amazing to watch the growth our city and region has experienced in the last decade.