Taste of Buffalo 2009
Delaware Ave. & Niagara Sq., Buffalo, NY 14202
Web: Taste of Buffalo 2009
Phone: 716.983.0978
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Cloudy and rainy though it may have been, water didn't keep excited crowds from showing up to experience the 2009 Taste of Buffalo, which kicked off today and runs through Sunday, July 12, 2009. Of course, Buffalo Chow had a team on hand to try tons of different items and issue Golden Fork awards to the very best of the bunch, selecting 18 of the top items from over 220 different choices available at the festival. For those who will be attending later today or tomorrow, a brief list of the winning items and restaurants is here for you to use as a crib sheet of "what's great," along with a brief primer on the event; a full show report and more details on the winning items will be posted later today.

Buffalo Chow 2009 Golden Fork Award Winners, Appetizers and Entrees: Whether you're looking for beef, chicken, pork, lamb, or seafood, these picks were all a lot of fun to eat. We were also impressed by the marketing of the Secret Weapon - more on that below.

Caribbean Experience: Jerked Chicken. Note that the Tropical Style Curried Chicken was also very good; the Jamaican Jerked Chicken was the best we tried at the Taste.

Garri's BBQ: Catfish Nuggets. They're fried, they're moist, and they're better than we expected. Try them with the hot sauce.

Mr. Bones: The Secret Weapon (Spun Potato Fries). It's amazing what a change in texture and shape can do for French Fries, say nothing of being served literally fresh from the oil.

Wi-Tini's: Lamb Lollies. The Apricot Ginger sauce was nice, but it was the tender lamb that really did it for it.

Chester's: Cajun Boiled Crawfish. While all of the items on Chester's menu are really noteworthy, this one is the real standout.

The Como: Stuffed Clams a la Como. Goodness in a half clam shell.

Kabab & Curry: Chicken Makhani with Basmati Rice. Wonderfully rich, tomato-based sauce is just one of the many great flavors at this restaurant.

Ms. Goodies: Junkyard Dog Sandwich. This fried fish sandwich with a funny name keeps winning awards for a reason.

Niagara Cafe: Pastelillos (Fried Beef Pockets). We tried a similar version at Papi's - the Empanadilla - but loved the beef in these.

Papi's Family Restaurant: Roasted Pork. Far more moist than we'd have imagined, a bit salty, and full of natural pork flavor.

Buffalo Chow 2009 Golden Fork Award Winners, Desserts:

Anderson's: Loganberry Ice. We also love the lemon version, but this hometown-flavored dessert is always great, an almost completely frozen dish of icey loganberry drink. Try to find this outside of Western New York - we dare you.

Carmine's: Cannoli Chambord. A fresh, lightly crispy cannoli shell that is way more delicate than the overcooked hard ones you'll generally find, stuffed with a special ricotta and black raspberry liqueur filling. Sublime.

Mobay's: Jamaican Sweet Potato Pudding. As simple as it sounded, this possessed a surprisingly complex and interesting flavor that kept changing in our mouths - a very, very good dessert.

Ms. Goodies: Banana Surprise. We'll let you be surprised by this one - the texture is the really interesting thing. Worth trying if you're a fan of banana desserts, as it's unique.

Sweet Melody's: Pineapple Sorbet. Light and fresh, this is a nicely balanced dessert that manages to taste like pineapple without even the slightest hint of artificial flavor.

Buffalo Chow 2009 Golden Fork Award Winners, Drinks:

Canadian Wine Shop/Wayne Gretzky Estates: No. 99 Vidal Icewine 2005. Four of us tried and loved this sweet but silky gentle Canadian wine - one great enough to deserve the Wayne Gretzky name and number.

Chateau Buffalo: Perry Hard Cider. Lighter and milder than we're accustomed to in hard ciders, this comes from an artisanal brewer; we found the sweet Perry version to be more compelling than the semi-dry, which tasted almost watery.

Clarence Center Coffee Company & Cafe: Mango Smoothie. A favorite from last year as well, this is one of the nicest iced fruit beverages we've ever had, with enough real mango inside to separate it from the many phony alternatives out there.

Congratulations to the winners! We've added extended reports with more details to a three-piece report on the Taste of Buffalo 2009, including Ameritalian foods, ethnic foods, and drinks and desserts. Enjoy!