It's not delivery!

http://www.ginoandjoesnypizza.com/

• 400 Main St, first floor of the Main Place Mall!
• Price - Cheap
• Distance to target - 82 steps
• Coke or Pepsi? - Pepsi

Yes, that is in the "Mall"

Buffalo has great pizza.  This is a fact.  It is as solid a fact as the Bills fumbling on key kickoff returns and Bass Pro opening a shop on the waterfront (that's still happening, right?).  If you don't believe us just think: The tagline "It's not delivery, it's DiGiorno" is actually meaningful in other parts of the country.

But not here, because Buffalo has great pizza.

Take Gino and Joe's for instance.  We certainly do, often twice a week.  Down on the lower level of the Main Place Mall, nestled next to a whole bunch of stores you'll never shop at, is some of the best pizza in Buffalo.  Gino and Joe's serves wide flat slices of NY style pizza that's just the right amount of greasiness and crust.  None of that "Pizza Junction" brick of mozzarella on top either.  They take pride in the proper proportion of cheese to sauce to bread.  That's what makes a good slice.

They even have fancy artwork!

At lunch time G&J's will get a little crowded.  This is a good sign.  It also means you need to know your order ahead of time, before you clog up their line with your indecisiveness.  The servers behind the counter will bark at you for your order and when it's busy they're not patient while you peruse the options.  We suppose this turns some people off, especially if you're the type to crack under pressure, but we consider just an additional part of the G&J's charm.

You might not think you've got a lot to think about heading in but don't make that mistake.  They sell pizza by the slice every day with dozens of different toppings.  It's all pre-made and ready to throw in the oven to warm up for you, or you can customize with extra toppings as you see fit.  Like any good pizzeria they augment the standard pepperoni and sausage fare with a wide variety.  Taco pizza, chicken finger pizza, bacon-and-chedder...  

If you're not in the pizza mood Gino & Joe's also has a full menu.  They make hot and cold subs to order on the always important Costanzo's rolls.  Chicken fingers from the deep fryer in back are always delicious a la carte or on a stinger sub.  They've also got salads but honestly, if you're buying a salad here we don't want to be your friend.  This is hangover food they're serving here.

The Main Place is not totally dead.  Gino and Joe's is a reason all on it's own to take a lunch out of the office and kick your cholesterol level up a notch.  

Where everybody knows your name

http://www.suesnydeli.com/

• 622 Main Street, Underneath The Tralf!
• Price - Cheap
• Distance to target - 822 steps
• Coke or Pepsi? - both

Reflections of construction?  

Let's face facts, you've probably already been to Sue's NY Deli.  Sue's has been next door to Shea's for as long as I can remember.  It's only a few stairs from The Tralf but as you enter one you do your best not to acknowledge the other.  At eleven at night you like to pretend you didn't have a souvlaki in this lobby only a few hours earlier and at Friday lunch you play dumb when anyone asks you about the bar upstairs.

Buffalo Lunch has no shame though and we feel Sue's is worth highlighting.   For starters the food kicks ass.  For finishers did we mention the food kicks ass? Sue's may be located in an office building next to a fancy theater that inexplicably also hosts a bar but no matter; this is a prime lunch destination in Buffalo and for good reason.

Located in the thick of the theater district Sue's makes sandwiches and soups and salads with the best of 'em.  Recently Sue's enjoyed a makeover, shifting their dining room just a touch north closer to Shea's.  Fear not the old classics that you know and love are still on the menu.

Never an quiet moment

Sue's can be a tough place to catch if you're new in town, or an easy place to gloss over if it's been a while.  It's sort of hidden underneath the Shea's sign.  This didn't seem to be a problem though judging by the line that wound around the lobby at 12:15. Buffalo Lunch rule of thumb: Long lines are frustrating but also a good sign.

Their menu seems like a straightforward soup-and-sandwich joint at first, the gems are hidden in there though.  All of the food is fresh made and the specials change frequently. Today there was a lentil rice salad with ripe tomatoes on the tray along with tortellini soup that was thick and creamy. We ordered a deli sandwich which came out piled high with thin sliced ham on a soft brioche bun. 

Buffalo Lunch also grabbed a falafel wrap which came bound up tight in Chipotle-style foil so that it didn't spill all over like some wraps do (You heard me, Rachel's).  This is the way a greek wrap should be served: no fork required.  Take note WNY restaurant owners.

I know that you know about Sue's.  Everyone knows about Sue's. However, if you don't, I won't be the one to ruin your secret.  Make it a point to have lunch there soon.  We won't tell.

Down to the Market

http://www.thewashingtonmarket.com/

• 461 Ellicot Street, not on Washington
• Price - Cheap
• Distance to target - 970 steps
• Coke or Pepsi? - Stewarts

An easy walk from almost anywhere downtown on the quieter street of Ellicott across from St. Michael's our stop today was The Washington Market. It has a distinctly lower-Manhattan feel to it with brick walls and exposed duct work.  While it may often go overlooked due to its much more famous next door neighbor The Washingon Market deserves a spot on your regular lunch routine.

It has a bit of multi-personality disorder, unable to decide if it wants to be a cafe, or a deli, or a grocery store. The thing is it wears all of those hats well.  They sell good coffee and breakfast foods that you can enjoy on the front patio.  The market is one of those hip places that sells kettle potato chips, and coke in glass bottles, and those flat pretzels that are just the outside of the pretzel*.  The deli makes sandwiches for lunch or catering trays to take back to the office, although Buffalo Lunch is strongly opposed to the working lunch meeting.

Groceries to left of me, seating to the right.

The best part is definitely their lunch menu though.  They have a case of fresh made pasta salads always available but also some cool fresh salads like the Asian Fusion to go along with more traditional Greek and Caesar.  They also have a big griddle in the kitchen and a huge menu of hot sandwiches, wraps, and our personal favorite:  The Chicken Quesadilla.  A giant wrap toasted on the griddle in butter comes out crispy but it's stuffed with chicken and sour cream and big hunks of fresh avocado.  It's huge and delicious and a reason to stop in all on it's own.

Lunch is affordable here too.  Most menu items are $7-$8, while a few reach the lofty heights of $9.50.  Nothing over the $10 mark though so the whole menu is open to try and we'd recommend making the effort to work your way through it.

You can take out but there is plenty of seating available to dine in.  From the front patio to the coffee house style front room to a full-on dining area in back you can always comfortably get a place to sit. They don't have full service but they will bring your order out to your table when it's ready.  Speaking of which, it can get crowded at lunch time so call ahead and save yourself a wait.

* - What do they do with the rest of the pretzel?  Is there a landfill full of pretzel fillings somewhere?  

Give me liberty or give me lunch!

My photos didn't work, so I stole the logo
from their website

http://libertyhoundbuffalo.com/

• 1 Naval Park Cove, by the gigantic battleship!
• Price - Moderate-to-uncomfortable
• Distance to target - 1381 steps
• Coke or Pepsi? - Pepsi

The weather continued to cooperate with us today so we took advantage and hoofed it down to the Canalside park for lunch at one of downtown's only seafood restaurants.  Tucked next the gift shop of the Naval Park it could easily have gotten away with being a flimsy fry-joint with no character to speak of.  Instead they opted for a cool brass-and-brick restaurant with a unique menu and easily one of the city's best patios.

The owner of Coles, The Blue Monk, and Brennans opened The Liberty Hound down at Canalside before it was cool to be down at Canalside (which is to say prior to 2013).  The Hound is a great place to catch lunch, a breeze, and a view of all the great work that's happening at the harbor.

There is a ton of great work too.  The Donovan Building has a facade and is looking almost like a finished project.  The Harbor Center went zero-to-60 in a Buffalo minute and is already well underway.  The Canalside used to be just a hole in the ground but is now... well, a slightly larger hole in the ground.  But they do have a Piano!

 

Sun and sights and food?  In Buffalo? Yes!

While you're eating at the Hound you've got a great view of all of this. Small tables and a comfortable bar use the tight inside space really well.  The gem however is the patio out back.  With a ton of seats it's backed right up against the Naval Park.  It overlooks the Inner Harbor and the entrance of the Canal itself.  A large awning kept the sun off of us while we ate but for the less skin-cancer minded a small pier ran out into harbor with plenty of seats and waitress service.

The Hound has a great menu to go along with their great location. A rotating draught beer selection is always full of awesome choices including local breweries like Ellicottville and CBW. Appetizers include clams, mussels, calamari, and even fish tacos.  Easily the best appetizer they offer is the tuna nachos with sliced tuna steak and spicy siracha sauce.

The Buffalo Lunchers ordered fish and chips and an ahi tuna sandwich.  The cod was almost the size of the piano but was still cripsy on the outside and not overcooked.  The sandwich meanwhile had a large slab of pan-seared tuna (cooked up rare the way it's supposed to be) with a ginger flavored slaw and a soft bun.  It's not something we've ever seen before but it was delicious.  Un-ordered today but enjoyed on a previous visit is the Coronado burger with guacamole and chipotle-bacon-aioli.

One downside is that The Liberty Hound is not for those of you who are faint-of-pocketbook.  The lunch options start north of $10 and go up from there.  A chicken sandwich rings up at $11 while burgers or fish fry will run you $13.  It does top out at about $20 however for the larger dinner entrees which is fairly cheap for good seafood.  The portions were not small, and many of the appetizer items are also cheaper and can easily fill in as a lunch; the highlight of that menu being the tuna nachos.

If you enjoy catching a great meal while checking out decommissioned naval vessels, the Liberty Hound is the place for you.

Taki it to me!

• 43 Court Street, under the green awning!
• Price - Cheap-to-moderate
• Distance to target - 487 steps
• Coke or Pepsi? - Coke

French cafe-style seating available.

It's a familiar sight on Court St, stuck onto the rear-end of the Buffalo Convention Center in a building known mostly as "that building that caught on fire in the middle of the day last year".* 

Taki's Restaurant was a natural choice for the Buffalo Lunch.  It's an easy walk from just about anywhere downtown so we took advantage of the nice weather and made the trip  It's been a downtown staple for just under five-hundred years for good reason: They serve top-quality diner food quickly and without a big hit on the wallet.

On your first trip into Taki's you might think you know why they keep the prices low.  The walls are painted dull yellow and the Formica tables are accented by plastic red cups they got at a Pizza Hut close-out sale.  The whole place carries an air of disdain for the past three decades.  You might even be tempted to turn your nose up and leave.

You would be making a huge mistake though you snobby jerk.  Look around and you'll notice the restaurant is full of judges, clerks, and attorneys from the various court houses up the street.  Here's a Buffalo Lunch rule-of-thumb:  If an attorney will eat there it's plenty good enough for you.

The space has a very cool NYC-deli vibe. You'd also notice the funny posters on the wall.  Greek gods and goddesses making puns about the food at Taki's.  That's clever!  Also, if you were Buffalo Lunch you'd notice they recently replaced all of the chairs which goes a long way in our book.

Is it the 1970's again?

We split up the menu among the Buffalo Lunch, ordering burgers and club sandwiches and of course chicken souvlaki.  Just about anything on the menu can be had for less than $10.  We've eaten here quite a bit over the years so we can comfortably recommend all of the food without reservation.  All of the lunch specials come with fries which are the kick-ass crispy beer battered type.  All year long on Friday Taki's drops a mean fish fry in the tank. 

The best part about food at Taki's though is the all-day breakfast.  It's the only place downtown we have been where you can order breakfast in the middle of the day and not feel weird about it at all.  Having a bad day? Pancakes smothered in syrup is therapeutic.  Boss wearing you down?  Steak and eggs!  There are few problems that don't feel lighter after eating breakfast food at 1:00 in the afternoon.

Buffalo Lunch wholeheartedly recommends Taki's at any time of year.

*-In Taki's defense, they had nothing to do with that fire.  What they did have something to do with is the delicious lunch that you've almost certainly had if you work downtown.

The Stepford Town

Buffalo Lunch was supposed to start today.  For real. Unfortunately this Buffalo Luncher forgot he was going to be out of town in Virginia.  The walk to downtown Buffalo was going to take too long so instead I decided I would write up a quick dispatch from the twilight zone.  It's a good place to start from since it highlights just so much of what makes Buffalo a great place to eat.  It'll get us in the mood.

I do mean the twilight zone too.  I'm in Reston, VA, specifically the "Reston Town Center" and it is a scary place.

Come child, join us.

Reston Town Center is a square half-mile outdoor mall and business park.  It was constructed in a laboratory by German scientists high on Ecstasy and Redbull. It's a planned community of cement and sterile restaurants and bright sunny skies.  It has a movie theater, and a Hyatt, and more parking garages than the entire state of New Jersey.  I arrived in the midst of some event that involved children wearing ball gowns everywhere they went. Oh, and a Talbots.  Do people still shop at Talbots?

The corners are all sharp, the curbs brightly painted and un-chipped, and the sidewalks are so clean that if you dropped an ice-cream cone you would seriously consider licking it right up from that bright red brick. That brief pause would be the demise of your treat however as whirring robots were revealed from previously hidden nooks and quickly swept up the mess. In Reston Town Center there is no time to have a mess laying around.  It would ruin the vibe.

It's the kind of place where you feel totally out of sorts at all times.  Seriously, their motto is "Where Outside is In!".  I guess "Black is White and Up is Down" was already taken.

Feed Me Seymour!

Maybe the worst part of all is eating here.

I shouldn't be too critical; the restaurants are not bad in Town Center.  The food is good and often unique in ways you don't see a lot of other places. There are many options (their website claims 30) and a rich variety to those options.  They are clean, the staff is friendly, and surprisingly nothing is wildly overpriced.  I expected to spend my week drowning my sorrows with Oreo milkshakes at Applebees, so I suppose I shouldn't complain.  But I will.

What bothers me the most is that the restaurants here are boring.  I would like to sugar coat it somehow but I can't

For starters, they're all built according to "The Plan".  I haven't seen "The Plan" but clearly it exists.  Every restaurant has both indoor and outdoor seating with a bar and an entrance both from the street as well as whatever office building it's stuck to.  They run the same hours, serve the same brands of wine and beer, and presumably all share one gigantic kitchen below the city streets staffed by brainwashed itinerant workers. There is every kind of restaurant but only one of any given kind.  Presumably competition is too mean-spirited for the Town Center.

Nothing is locally owned.  There is no dirty pub with a guy named "Frank" or "Spazz" serving deep fried whatever-was-in-the-back-of-the-freezer.  No old moms hand making food in the kitchen or enthusiastic gay couples running a trendy wine bar.  I met the same bartender three times and got the same introduction from him every time as if we had never met.

You might think I'm being picky and I probably am.  But I hope you understand better after the next thirty days are up.  Buffalo is a wildly colorful town and a great place to get food, even if it's not fancy.  It's the anti-Reston in almost every way and that's a big part of the reason I love it.

Il Mio Bel Salvatore!

Vapiano only looks awesome because it is

Reston did have a surprise for me though.  A cool restaurant with great food and bare-knuckled pricing and character, ambiance, and decor to spare.  The sort of restaurant that can restore a person's faith in humanity and frankly has no business being in Town Center.

Most surprising of all?  It's a franchise.

Vapiano (which translates to something like "We own you now, son") is a German restaurant chain that serves casual Italian-esque food.  It was a great space to walk into with tall windows that let in a ton of that Reston-manufactured sun.  The tables and counters and benches were all brushed natural wood.  There was an herb garden in the middle of the restaurant.  If you wanted to add some fresh basil to your dish you could walk up to it and pick some basil.

Vapiano doesn't run like American restaurants.  As you walk in the hostess hands you a plastic card and sends you on your merry way.  That card acts like a charge card and as you walk up to various food stations you place your order with a person who is standing there making your food.  On your way out, you hand your card back and settle the bill.  Everything is made to order so you have to go and pick up your own food after its ready.  You also seat yourself.  All of which may sound terrible on paper but was actually wonderful in execution.  I ended up seated bistro-style at long benches with total strangers who were perfectly friendly and happy and didn't mind at all sharing a quick meal with me. This does not happen in Buffalo, I know, but it should.

Those aren't curtains above him, that's pasta.

If all of that wasn't enough, the food was delicious. It wasn't anything you couldn't get anywhere else to be sure but it was expertly executed.  The pizza was hand tossed, rolled super-thin, and fired in a brick oven perfectly.  The pasta is made fresh right in dining room.  Seriously, there is a guy in a glass prison rolling out fresh pasta.  Who does that?

I'm officially starting the "Get a Vapiano Franchise in Buffalo" campaign right now.  Any Signature Span or Major League Baseball initiatives should immediately cease operations and transfer all of their resources into this project.  This is the anchor tenant for the waterfront we've been looking for.

Honorable Mention

I can't sign off without making one additional highlight.

The Market Cellars was an exceptionally cool boutique wine outfit right in Reston Town Center.  For such a small shop in such an otherwise normal place they had a wild variety of wines and beers stocked for sale.  There were bottles as cheap as ten dollars but also as high as I can count.  The proprietor (seen below) was friendly and helpful and sold me an awesome bottle of wine.

If you find yourself in Reston this is a shop that's definitely worth your time to step into.

May I see some ID?

Main Place

Review forthcoming....

Wait until August 5th.  Show a little patience.  I've been told it's a virtue.