First time in buffalo

[Buffalo716]

Just now, Giuseppe Tognarelli said:

Gotcha. I've actually still never heard that for highways or whatnot until I started listening to Buffalo radio. 

 

Here, I-68 is 68, Route 40 is 40, Route 219 is 219, but in Buffalo it would probably be the I-68, the 40, and the 219

 

I kind of like it

You got it 👍

 

Buffalo will gladly adopt you

[Augie]

8 minutes ago, Buffalo716 said:

That's more for highway names and interstates and stuff

 

The I90, the 33 etc 

 

Nobody says the Broadway street or the southwestern boulevard

 

 

 

Just for the helluvit, I might start doing exactly that! “I’m heading down to THE Main Street to have a drink.”  Or “I’ll make a left on THE Maple Road and be there in 10 minutes.”

 

As I read thru this it makes me realize our amazing food options are somewhat limited for our vegetarian DIL. Advice welcome on that front from any in the know. Not sure if she can make the opener at this point, but all our best stuff IMO not geared toward her. 

 

Where can we get good food, AND vegetarian food?   

 

 

.

Edited May 16, 2021 by Augie

[Buffalo716]

5 minutes ago, Augie said:

 

Just for the helluvit, I might start doing exactly that! “I’m heading down to THE Main Street to have a drink.”  Or “I’ll make a left on THE Maple Road and be there in 10 minutes.”

 

As I read thru this it makes me realize our amazing food options are somewhat limited for our vegetarian DIL. Advice welcome on that front from any in the know. Not sure if she can make the opener at this point, but all our best stuff IMO not geared toward her. 

Grindhaus Cafe on Allen at is a strictly vegetarian, vegan place ... Highly rated 

 

The Healthy Scratch on main Street is serving up healthy home-made options

 

 

 

Edited May 16, 2021 by Buffalo716

[Wacka]

4 hours ago, USCGBILLSFAN said:

Gotta do the ice rink!  That will be fun!

Its iffy if it will be open for that weekend. Depends on the weather. Also down at Cananlside, they are starting to build a replica of the 1825 packet boat that Gov.  DeWitt Clinton  rode down the canal when he opened it then. Oh and if the COVID restrictions are lifted by then,  the bars will be open until 4 AM! Just don't go out the night before the game. Get up early game day and go to Hammer's Lot and see Pinto Ken.

Edited May 16, 2021 by Wacka

[Just Jack]

1 hour ago, Augie said:

Where can we get good food, AND vegetarian food?   

 

Anyplace that sells wings will have celery for her. 

[Augie]

1 minute ago, Just Jack said:

 

Anyplace that sells wings will have celery for her. 

 

Thanks, probably carrots too! 

 

She’s not an actual rabbit, she just eats like one. 

[hondo in seattle]

On 5/14/2021 at 5:42 PM, USCGBILLSFAN said:

Hondo, gonna do all that we love history and arcitecture, do for sure will fo that.  Frank lloyd wright is at the top of our list!

Thank you for all the reccommendations

Sorry boys a bit drunk typos abound..lol

 

I forgot the mention the Frank Lloyd Wright Graycliff House in Darby, maybe 30 minutes from Buffalo.  I've personally never been but the photos are tremendous.  And it's open to the public.  I'll make sure to visit on my next trip to the area.  

 

I really wanted to stay at the Henry Hotel my next time in Buffalo but I heard it closed during the pandemic.  Sad news.  The Henry Hotel was located in the Richardson Olmstead Campus which is the new, pleasant name for the old Buffalo State Asylum for the Insane.  I remember driving by it when I was a student at UB before I transferred out of state.  It was my favorite building in Buffalo (that and the Central Terminal which I once snuck inside).  The Henry Hotel took over part of the place and won numerous accolades for "adaptive reuse" - the fancy expression architects use to describe the renovating and repurposing of historic buildings.   

[maryland-bills-fan]

What about beer?   Is Simon Pure still around?

[Shaw66]

On 5/15/2021 at 9:00 PM, Augie said:

 

Where can we get good food, AND vegetarian food?   

 

 

.

I grew up in Buffalo in the 50s. In those days vegetarian was a hot dog without chili.  I'd say go to Ted's.

[Don Otreply]

On 5/15/2021 at 9:03 PM, Buffalo716 said:

Grindhaus Cafe on Allen at is a strictly vegetarian, vegan place ... Highly rated 

 

The Healthy Scratch on main Street is serving up healthy home-made options

 

 

 

That would be “the Allen “ or “the 17”  😁

Edited May 17, 2021 by Don Otreply

[Captain Caveman]

I'm bringing my wife and kids up for the home opener (well just me and the older son are going to the game.) They were in Buffalo about 3 years ago but not really old enough to remember it.  I'm excited to bring them to Ted's, Gabriel's Gate and Anderson's on Saturday.

[CuseBill]

After reading through this thread, I'm thinking that as a public service someone should mention who the best cardiologist is in Buffalo.  Anyone have any suggestions?

[Greybeard]

On 5/14/2021 at 11:23 PM, Just Jack said:

Someone mentioned the Canadian side of the falls, just make sure the border is open first, though they may reopen this summer.

 

Preliminary talks on lifting Canada-U.S. border restrictions underway | CBC News

 

If you like history, there is the Teddy Roosevelt Inaugural Site to check out.

 

Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural Site

 

 

           I have seen several mentions of going to the Canadian side.  Do they still require a passport or an Enhanced Drivers License to go there?   Do they accept out-of-state drivers licenses?

          

[Just Jack]

55 minutes ago, Greybeard said:

           I have seen several mentions of going to the Canadian side.  Do they still require a passport or an Enhanced Drivers License to go there?   Do they accept out-of-state drivers licenses?

          

 

Travel documents and identification requirements (cbsa-asfc.gc.ca)

 

[Beerball]

On 5/14/2021 at 9:37 AM, USCGBILLSFAN said:

Hey guys just bought my tickets for the Bills/Pats* monday night game in Dec.  This will be my first trip to Buffalo, been a fan for 30 years and finally get to see our Bills at home. Im in the Coast Guard and have seen them everywhere i have been stationed, finally close enough to drive up and see them in Buffalo.  

That being said, can you guys give me reccomendations for things every bills fan should do while there.  Might sound cheezy but i want real buffalo wings, beef on a weck, a garbage plate so on and so forth, where should i go for all that.   Thanks guys look forward to the advice and cant wait to see them kill the Pats*!

Go to Bar Bill for the wings and weck. Only other place you should consider on your first trip to Buffalo would be The Anchor Bar as a pilgrimage, of sorts. Stay away, far away, from Duffs.

[ChronicAndKnuckles]

On 5/14/2021 at 9:51 AM, Chicharito said:

Depends on where in the city you will be . Everyone has their own favorites for wings. You could go to anchor bar but you pay for the name not the quality IMO. You could go to any bar and get beef on weck and wings. I would recommend mooneys and also try the Mac n cheese. I haven’t had a garbage plate in forever around here so I hoping I can get a great recommendation. 

 

I thought the garbage plate was a Rochester thang?

[The Jokeman]

On 5/15/2021 at 8:57 PM, Giuseppe Tognarelli said:

Gotcha. I've actually still never heard that for highways or whatnot until I started listening to Buffalo radio. 

 

Here, I-68 is 68, Route 40 is 40, Route 219 is 219, but in Buffalo it would probably be the I-68, the 40, and the 219

 

I kind of like it

 

You know you're from Buffalo, when...

 

you can correctly pronounce the Scajaqueda expressway.

 

you use the word 'the' in front of expressways, the 400, the 90, the 290, etc.

http://www-cs.canisius.edu/~salley/buffalo.html

 

 

Edited May 18, 2021 by The Jokeman

[stinky finger]

On 5/15/2021 at 5:44 PM, HOUSE said:

 

https://www.bigtreeinnbuffalo.com/

 

 

Man - I miss this place.

 

Thanks for posting. 

[USCGBILLSFAN]

Guys i cant thank you all enough!  This thread has gone on beyond anything i could imagine! Cant wait for the game!

[Teddy KGB]

8 hours ago, Beerball said:

 Stay away, far away, from Duffs

 

Which one and why ? 

[Augie]

7 minutes ago, Teddy KGB said:

 

Which one and why ? 

I’m guessing so he can get a table???   🤷‍♂️   

[BillsPride12]

On 5/18/2021 at 5:34 PM, ChronicAndKnuckles said:

 

I thought the garbage plate was a Rochester thang?

It is.  There's a few places in WNY that might have some variation of a garbage plate on their Menu but it's not a staple around here like finding Beef on Weck's and Stinger Subs.  I usually head up to Rochester a couple times every summer to play golf and we always try to grab a garbage plate somewhere when we go.

[Chicharito]

On 5/18/2021 at 5:34 PM, ChronicAndKnuckles said:

 

I thought the garbage plate was a Rochester thang?

There was a place on Niagara street called George’s that had garbage plates . I’m surprised no restaurants have really marketed them in Buffalo. But yes I do believe they are a Rochester thing.

[Mango]

13 hours ago, BillsPride12 said:

It is.  There's a few places in WNY that might have some variation of a garbage plate on their Menu but it's not a staple around here like finding Beef on Weck's and Stinger Subs.  I usually head up to Rochester a couple times every summer to play golf and we always try to grab a garbage plate somewhere when we go.

 

Unpopular opinion/Hot Take.

 

The Garbage Plate is not a thing. It is a conglomeration of ingredients. There is no unifying sauce, seasoning, flavor, or technique. Yours might be cheeseburger, pasta salad, french fries, and mustard. I might go with hashbrowns, hotdogs, mac and cheese, with ketchup and hot sauce. But Rochester steps up  and goes, "yup, both of those things you ordered, ours, they are the same, that is us, we own this "dish"". Rochester is in no mans land and they are just begging to be attached to something and the best they could come up with was this garbage plate. They only have minor league sports. They are too far away to be considered part of WNY. People don't totally affiliate them with the finger lakes, at least from outside the region. Syracuse does a little bit better job of that. Syracuse also has the Orange.

 

Flanking Rochester on either side of the 90 are two cities with some sort of national notoriety. An identity. A thing. The Garbage Plate is Rochester's stupid attempt to be "known for something" like the middle child acting out in school for attention. 

[chaccof]

On 5/14/2021 at 10:09 AM, USCGBILLSFAN said:

This is great!  You guys are awesome!  Thanks for the info so far!

And by the way, thanks for your service.....

[CincyBillsFan]

3 hours ago, Mango said:

 

Unpopular opinion/Hot Take.

 

The Garbage Plate is not a thing. It is a conglomeration of ingredients. There is no unifying sauce, seasoning, flavor, or technique. Yours might be cheeseburger, pasta salad, french fries, and mustard. I might go with hashbrowns, hotdogs, mac and cheese, with ketchup and hot sauce. But Rochester steps up  and goes, "yup, both of those things you ordered, ours, they are the same, that is us, we own this "dish"". Rochester is in no mans land and they are just begging to be attached to something and the best they could come up with was this garbage plate. They only have minor league sports. They are too far away to be considered part of WNY. People don't totally affiliate them with the finger lakes, at least from outside the region. Syracuse does a little bit better job of that. Syracuse also has the Orange.

 

Flanking Rochester on either side of the 90 are two cities with some sort of national notoriety. An identity. A thing. The Garbage Plate is Rochester's stupid attempt to be "known for something" like the middle child acting out in school for attention. 

I agree with you on the Garbage Plate but your geography needs a little work.  Even a casual glance at a NY State map would show that Rochester is a part of "Western NY".  I would also include Syracuse as the Eastern border of Western NY.

 

 

 

[Mango]

6 minutes ago, CincyBillsFan said:

I agree with you on the Garbage Plate but your geography needs a little work.  Even a casual glance at a NY State map would show that Rochester is a part of "Western NY".  I would also include Syracuse as the Eastern border of Western NY.

 

 

 

 

It depends on where you look. Like the DEC, NYSED, and NYS Comptroller don't don't consider Rochester part of WNY. Which is sort of the point. Rochester is a bit homeless in terms of being firmly apart of a region. Here we are, debating where the hell Rochester belongs, and it is exactly why they are grasping so tight to the Garbage Plate. 

It is sort of like when your parents get remarried later in life to somebody with kids but you are sort of an adult. They are technically your stepbrother/sister. But also, they are just sort of people in your life by marriage, so not really. That is Rochester.

Nobody considers Syracuse part of WNY. At least nobody in Buffalo or Syracuse.

[Jauronimo]

4 hours ago, Mango said:

 

Unpopular opinion/Hot Take.

 

The Garbage Plate is not a thing. It is a conglomeration of ingredients. There is no unifying sauce, seasoning, flavor, or technique. Yours might be cheeseburger, pasta salad, french fries, and mustard. I might go with hashbrowns, hotdogs, mac and cheese, with ketchup and hot sauce. But Rochester steps up  and goes, "yup, both of those things you ordered, ours, they are the same, that is us, we own this "dish"". Rochester is in no mans land and they are just begging to be attached to something and the best they could come up with was this garbage plate. They only have minor league sports. They are too far away to be considered part of WNY. People don't totally affiliate them with the finger lakes, at least from outside the region. Syracuse does a little bit better job of that. Syracuse also has the Orange.

 

Flanking Rochester on either side of the 90 are two cities with some sort of national notoriety. An identity. A thing. The Garbage Plate is Rochester's stupid attempt to be "known for something" like the middle child acting out in school for attention. 

There is the meat hot sauce on top which makes it. That is the defining flavor of a plate.  Its also a trademarked dish so while some joint may slap together mac and cheese, hashbrowns, and a hotdog and call it something like a trash or garbage pile, thats not a garbage plate.  Btw, I've never seen anything close to an abomination like that and I lived in Rochester for 30 years.

 

If you really want to go down this road and apply the same logic elsewhere we could discredit a lot of our favorite foods. 

 

- Buffalonians were hardly the first people or culture to deep fry a chicken wing.  Putting hot sauce and butter on it is some Michelin level technique right there.  What is the defining flavor? Oh right, a Louisiana style hot sauce.

- Beef on weck is a roast beef sandwich.  How many roast beef sandwiches existed before Buffalo slapped roast beef on an overly salty kaiser roll and called it their thing? 

- A chicago dog is a boiled hot dog but it has pickles and tomatoes on top. What a feat! 

- The Pittsburgh sandwich is just another sandwich except with effing french fries in it. 

- The LA staple the French dip. Somehow they figured out how to roast beef , perhaps stealing secret from buffalo?, and instead of slapping it on a salty roll they dip it in the braising liquid to make the bread wet and unstable.  Brilliant.

 

I'd rather just enjoy all these humble treats rather than focus on what they are not.

 

The first thing people actually associate Rochester with is Kodak which you might remember as being one of the most recognizable, iconic global brands of the 20th century.  Kodak was hand in hand with Coca-Cola on a world level.  Bausch & Lomb and Xerox were also synonymous with Rochester.  Now its Wegmans as those once proud companies have crumbled.  Syracuse is a "never ran" in this discussion.  Also, Syracuse is a shithole.  No one in Rochester is envious of Syracuse. 

[scuba guy]

13 hours ago, Chicharito said:

There was a place on Niagara street called George’s that had garbage plates . I’m surprised no restaurants have really marketed them in Buffalo. But yes I do believe they are a Rochester thing.

Yes it is the city has a competition every year to see who has the best,

 

Most votes just go to the one that advertisers the most.

 

Just like anchor bar

Nick Tahoe's was the first 

 

Really a plate is just 2 hots or hams macaroni and really greese home fries

 

Flash back 

When I was in college  we took the schools vans on training trips to Florida and the night before go at o dark thirty and eat one of those or 2.

 

The windows on the vans stayed rolled down the whole way there. The girls team did not ride with us ever again after that trip. Still makes me laugh 😅.

[YoloinOhio]

On 5/14/2021 at 10:04 AM, qwksilver said:

This topic comes up quite a bit. Someone put together a spread sheet for game day and it includes places to visit. I am terrible at using the search function, maybe someone else can post it.

 

Another staple is Mighty Taco, I never miss it when I go home. Make sure you visit a good Italian restaurant (if you like it) as these seem different at home than anywhere else (my choices are Chef's, Ilio's or Mulberry Italian Ristorante).

 

Have fun.

I went to mulberry when I was there a couple months ago. Highly recommend. Amazing vibe. Everything top notch, from food to service.

[Just Jack]

11 hours ago, CincyBillsFan said:

I agree with you on the Garbage Plate but your geography needs a little work.  Even a casual glance at a NY State map would show that Rochester is a part of "Western NY".  I would also include Syracuse as the Eastern border of Western NY.

 

10 hours ago, Mango said:

It depends on where you look. Like the DEC, NYSED, and NYS Comptroller don't don't consider Rochester part of WNY. Which is sort of the point. Rochester is a bit homeless in terms of being firmly apart of a region. Here we are, debating where the hell Rochester belongs, and it is exactly why they are grasping so tight to the Garbage Plate. 

 

This is what New York considers for regions...

 

 

 

8 hours ago, Jauronimo said:

The first thing people actually associate Rochester with is Kodak which you might remember as being one of the most recognizable, iconic global brands of the 20th century.  Kodak was hand in hand with Coca-Cola on a world level.  Bausch & Lomb and Xerox were also synonymous with Rochester.  Now its Wegmans as those once proud companies have crumbled.  Syracuse is a "never ran" in this discussion.  Also, Syracuse is a shithole.  No one in Rochester is envious of Syracuse. 

 

 

Umm, hello? Do you like air conditioning?  Thank Willis Carrier and the Carrier corporation.  Also, salt potatoes.  And, uh, I'll think of other stuff later.  

Edited May 21, 2021 by Just Jack

[Sammy Watkins' Rib]

Can anyone suggest a good hotel to stay at the weekend of a game? Do some tend to have more Bills fans out and about then others? 

 

It sounds like Bar Bill on Main Street in East Aurora should be a destination. Are their good hotels or motels in that area or is it better to stay down town or near the airport?

[Buffalo716]

35 minutes ago, Sammy Watkins' Rib said:

Can anyone suggest a good hotel to stay at the weekend of a game? Do some tend to have more Bills fans out and about then others? 

 

It sounds like Bar Bill on Main Street in East Aurora should be a destination. Are their good hotels or motels in that area or is it better to stay down town or near the airport?

Buffalo and surrounding communities are very accessible wherever you're staying

 

Whether you're in hamburg, cheektowaga, orchard Park or downtown Buffalo you can reach any destination within 20-25 minutes

[Mango]

7 hours ago, Just Jack said:

 

 

This is what New York considers for regions...

 

 

 

 

 

Umm, hello? Do you like air conditioning?  Thank Willis Carrier and the Carrier corporation.  Also, salt potatoes.  And, uh, I'll think of other stuff later.  

I thought salt potatoes were a Syracuse thing? Poor Rochester. 

[Just Jack]

8 minutes ago, Mango said:

I thought salt potatoes were a Syracuse thing? Poor Rochester. 

 

They are. 

[CincyBillsFan]

9 hours ago, Just Jack said:

 

 

This is what New York considers for regions...

 

 

 

 

 

Umm, hello? Do you like air conditioning?  Thank Willis Carrier and the Carrier corporation.  Also, salt potatoes.  And, uh, I'll think of other stuff later.  

Looks like a divide and conquer mindset here.  If there was ever a way to magnify NY City and Albany's control over a state it would be divide it into the littlest bits possible.

 

I mean how dumb is it to refer to the Rochester metro area, which gets within what 30 miles of the CANADIAN border, as the "Finger Lakes" and not Western NY? 

 

I like to keep things simple and split the State right down the middle (north to south) and if you do that Syracuse is on the Eastern border of Western NY and Rochester is the center of WNY.  If you split the State three ways - West, Central & East - Syracuse falls out of WNY but Rochester is clearly still in the middle of WNY.

 

As an aside, I've always thought the larger geographical definition of WNY should break away from NY State and form it's own state.  The money coming in off oil/Natural Gas exploitation alone would dwarf whatever funds from Albany you would lose.  Heck it's sort of happening in Oregon right now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Jauronimo]

 

 

11 hours ago, Just Jack said:

 

 

This is what New York considers for regions...

 

 

 

 

 

Umm, hello? Do you like air conditioning?  Thank Willis Carrier and the Carrier corporation.  Also, salt potatoes.  And, uh, I'll think of other stuff later.  

Carrier was actually started in Newark, NJ.  That makes a lot of sense because once you get out to Central New York you're entering the Jersey Jets/Giants country. One more reason why Syracuse sucks.  There is no question what NFL team is #1 in Rochester.

 

https://www.syracuse.com/axeman/2013/01/is_syracuse_a_buffalo_bills_or.html

 

https://www.syracuse.com/axeman/2015/10/is_syracuse_a_bills_or_a_giants_town_hint_its_neither.html

Edited May 21, 2021 by Jauronimo

[machine gun kelly]

22 hours ago, Jauronimo said:

There is the meat hot sauce on top which makes it. That is the defining flavor of a plate.  Its also a trademarked dish so while some joint may slap together mac and cheese, hashbrowns, and a hotdog and call it something like a trash or garbage pile, thats not a garbage plate.  Btw, I've never seen anything close to an abomination like that and I lived in Rochester for 30 years.

 

If you really want to go down this road and apply the same logic elsewhere we could discredit a lot of our favorite foods. 

 

- Buffalonians were hardly the first people or culture to deep fry a chicken wing.  Putting hot sauce and butter on it is some Michelin level technique right there.  What is the defining flavor? Oh right, a Louisiana style hot sauce.

- Beef on weck is a roast beef sandwich.  How many roast beef sandwiches existed before Buffalo slapped roast beef on an overly salty kaiser roll and called it their thing? 

- A chicago dog is a boiled hot dog but it has pickles and tomatoes on top. What a feat! 

- The Pittsburgh sandwich is just another sandwich except with effing french fries in it. 

- The LA staple the French dip. Somehow they figured out how to roast beef , perhaps stealing secret from buffalo?, and instead of slapping it on a salty roll they dip it in the braising liquid to make the bread wet and unstable.  Brilliant.

 

I'd rather just enjoy all these humble treats rather than focus on what they are not.

 

The first thing people actually associate Rochester with is Kodak which you might remember as being one of the most recognizable, iconic global brands of the 20th century.  Kodak was hand in hand with Coca-Cola on a world level.  Bausch & Lomb and Xerox were also synonymous with Rochester.  Now its Wegmans as those once proud companies have crumbled.  Syracuse is a "never ran" in this discussion.  Also, Syracuse is a shithole.  No one in Rochester is envious of Syracuse. 

J-Man I agree on most especially going to Oswego and spending a lot of time in SU, I don’t consider that at all WNY.  It’s just Upstate.  Rottenchester though to me really is part of WNY.  There a lot more ties.  I actually liked that city as dating a bunch of girls going to Oswego, but lived there in Fairport and Chili.

 

I always looked at Rochester as more of the white collar Buffalo.  It just seemed cleaner for some reason.  Then again I worked at the BN driving trucks with all of those bundles fir my college job so I’ve driven through the nice areas, but a ton of time in the crappiest areas in Buffalo, and some suburbs.

 

Im just glad our veteran here has so many great ideas for garbage food (the stuff we love), nice places, architecture, things to do, and the best places to have fun overall.  As usual the Queen City guys (all of you) deliver.

[TheBrownBear]

Oh man, this thread made me both hungry and homesick.  😧

[Wacka]

22 hours ago, Just Jack said:

 

 

Umm, hello? Do you like air conditioning?  Thank Willis Carrier and the Carrier corporation.  Also, salt potatoes.  And, uh, I'll think of other stuff later.  

It was invented in Buffalo.  He worked for Buffalo Forge and is buried in Forest Lawn.