Delaware Avenue & Niagara Square, Buffalo, NY
Web: Taste of Buffalo 2008
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Beef on Weck Buffalo Festivals
Whereas the first part of our look at the 2008 Taste of Buffalo focused on seafood items, our second part is focused on some spicy and/or meaty items that caught our attention this year. As you'll see, we weren't as enthusiastic about some of these findings, but there are some tasty picks from local restaurants inside.
Lafayette Tap Room: Blues, bikers, and barbecue are supposed to be in abundance at the Lafayette Tap Room, but we haven't visited. After trying the tasty, substantial BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich - unlike some other restaurants, a full-sized portion - and seeing the place's massive pork prep area, we think we're going to stop by. While we didn't think that the sandwich was hugely distinctive by comparison with other pulled pork we've eaten locally, it was definitely good.
Fat Bob's Smokehouse: After hearing the hype and seeing the place during our walk through the Allentown Art Festival, we were actively excited to try Fat Bob's to see whether this place really had the area's best barbecue. We even loved the shop's logo, which looked a lot like another fat Bob - Kevin Smith's Silent Bob from the Clerks series. Sadly, this Bob's St. Louis Pork Ribs stunk: they looked plenty good, but there was less flavor than scent, which we'd guess was the product of a smoking process that wasn't accompanied by enough marinade. This was one of the biggest disappointments at the Taste, and seemed to confirm what we'd heard from friends - the hype's just hype.
Mobay's: We knew nothing about Mobay's, a Bailey Avenue in Buffalo Caribbean restaurant, but we were seriously impressed by the Jamaican Jerk Chicken, served with red beans and rice. Unlike most of the Jerk Chicken we've tried and liked in the past, Mobay's version was extra saucy, with a rich flavor that trickled over onto the thick grained rice. If we ever find ourselves on Bailey again, we'll be stopping in here for a snack.
Filippo's Ristorante Italiano: An unexpected sweet spot in the early part of our wanderings was Filippo's Stuffed Hot Banana Peppers, a prior Taste of Buffalo winner served one to a bowl in a creamy, slightly peppered sauce. While we enjoyed the oversized piquant pepper, we especially liked the sauce, which we sopped up with a slice of crusty bread that had been wisely tucked underneath.
Red Osier: Having wandered the entire Taste without locating a traditional Beef on Weck - one vendor was serving something similar - we were glad to find that the Stafford, NY-based Red Osier was offering what appeared to be a standard Roast Beef Sandwich. It was actually a bit under standard, topped lightly with caraway seeds but no salt, and the meat was a bit overprepared - too marinated, too well-cooked. In our view, the Taste needs a really superb Beef on Weck restaurant, if only so that tourists don't leave the area with the wrong impression.
Shannon Pub: Though not a major part of the menu at this Irish restaurant on Niagara Falls Boulevard in Buffalo, Shannon Pub's Shepherd's Pie was an authentic taste of U.K. cooking - mashed potatoes on top of a mix of spiced ground beef and vegetables. It wasn't bad, wasn't great, but it was the real deal.
Tandoori's: Having already covered Tandoori's in a review, we didn't see the need to re-visit the booth here, which started out less than exciting but by mid-afternoon had kicked into high gear with some loud, fun Bhangra (Indian dance) music - pre-recorded, but accompanied by a live metal drummer at the booth. We caught this on the way out, and it was nice to see someone trying to represent a foreign culture at the Taste of Buffalo with more than just booth decorations.
We close out our Taste of Buffalo 2008 coverage in part 3, dealing with memorable drinks and desserts. Here's part 1 and part 3.
