Buffalo/Niagara Region
The Best Moderately Priced Restaurants…
Some Great Fooderies that won’t break the bank.
Villa Coffee House - Lewiston
From the outside this restaurant appears to be your standard Breakfast and Coffee place, but there is a Crazy Good twist! On Wednesday, Thursday and Friday nights the chef, who used to be the Chef at a fancy French restaurant in Buffalo, prepares gourmet meals with great wine options that are as good as any Fine Dining restaurant in the Buffalo/Niagara Region. I had the Braised Oxtail and Lentil Soup as a starter and it was one of the best soups that I have ever had. For the main course, the Beef Brisket Ragu over homemade pasta was phenomenal. Everything that the rest of our group got was just as good. The only reason that this restaurant isn’t near the top of the 5 Best Fine Dining list is because ambience and high-end amenities are part of the Fine Dining experience. But if you like amazing food and great wines, put this place on the top of your list for an incredible Gastronomic experience.
Shamus Restaurant - Lockport
The restaurant has been in business for over 70 years and we now know why - great food, great service, and an ambience of a well appointed late 1800’s building. The menu here runs the entire food gamut from comfort food to gourmet. You can get a Cheeseburger and Lobster and Shrimp Pasta and both are fantastic. I hadn’t seen Potato pancakes on a menu in a while and I am glad that I got them. They were very tasty. The ice cream stuffed cream puff for dessert was a great way to finish off a great meal.
Zambistro - Medina
This boutique restaurant on Main Street in Medina gives you Big Time culinary treats in a small town environment. Our favorite appetizer in the Buffalo/Niagara region can be found within these doors - the Tuna Package! Crusted Ahi Tuna cooked perfectly medium rare with a spicy cherry sauce drizzle is dEEElish! It is so good that we have tried to duplicate it at home, but we cannot quite get it right. For the carnivores out there, the Filet Mignon is always perfectly cooked with the accompanying Yukon Gold Mashed potatoes. Feeling Fishy? The Lobster Pasta with asparagus, mushrooms, and a Brandy Cream Sauce never dissappoints. Finish it off with the Ice Cream topped French Cream Puffs and you will be loosening the belt a notch with a smile on your face.
The Roycroft Inn - East Aurora
Touring the Roycroft Museum is a great experience in it’s own right, but having a meal at the Inn is definitely a stop that any foodie should make. The menu has a lot of gourmet options at prices that don’t break the bank. For appetizers, we had the Shrimp and Lobster bisque and it was fantastic. We hadn’t seen homemade Potato chips on a menu before, so we had to try the Truffle chips. The combination of Black Truffle Oil, Gorgonzola Cheese, and sea salt made for the best chips we have ever had. This is what we call a “Can’t Go Wrong” Restaurant because everything on the menu is Uber tasty.
Kuni’s - Buffalo
Good sushi is one of those foods that you just need to have when you have a hankerin’ for something different. And if you want the best Sushi in the Buffalo/Niagara region, Kuni’s is the place to get it. The Spicy Tuna was perfectly spiced and cooked and the Sushi rolls are particularly good. We always love the nostril clearing joy and flavor of Wasabi Shumai and there was definitely no stuffy nose after that appetizer! The Miso is another of our Sushi restaurant standard appetizers and that didn’t disappoint either. Sitting outside at a table on a quaint street in the middle of the city took us back to a simpler time when people would walk down the road to their neighborhood joint for some great food and great conversation as well. Two thumbs up for Kuni’s from us.
Websters Bistro & Bar - Tonawanda
Don’t let the name fool you, this isn’t a corner Beer Joint! The ambience is very elegant and with Appetizers like Oyster’s Rockefeller, Chicken Crepes, Pork Belly with Spätzle, the food is upscale and very tasty. They also have great signature cocktails and great wines by the glass and bottle. All of our entrees were very tasty as well. Our dinner guests had been there over 20 times and said that they had never gotten a bad meal there. After our great experience there, we agree even though we were 19 meals behind them…