Local restaurants offer customers unique burger flavors and toppings

Cole's black & blue burger, $10.50.

One of America’s most popular foods is being offered on the menus of some local restaurants, with unique flavors and toppings. 

Soho Burger Bar, Cole’s, and Jack Astor’s offer customers the opportunity to choose from a wide selection of burgers, combined with a long list of toppings which includes peppers, jalapenos, and olives.

Formerly a club venue for 13 years, Soho Burger Bar at 64 W. Chippewa St., was reinvented as a restaurant almost two years ago.

Front of the house manager, Jack Reid IV, said Soho Burger Bar offer customers a wide array of signature burgers, which includes a gold standard burger ($13), a bison beef on weck ($14), a red hot chili burger ($12), and a steak house burger ($13.)  

“The one burger that is mostly sold at Soho Burger Bar that everyone loves is the red hot chili burger,” said Reid. “The red hot chili burger is different because it’s a combo, which means the peppers and the tomatoes are in ratio to each other with a level of hotness, and the melted cheese is on top.”

Soho Burger Bar prizes itself as a unique burger restaurant in Buffalo. Its burgers are made with beef that is exclusively made for them at Johnny’s Meats and their signature and mini buns are baked exclusively at Romeo’s Bakery, according to Reid.

Another popular burger offered at Soho Burger Bar is the steak house burger.

 “The steak house burger is another one of our burgers that stand out,” said Reid.  “There’s Swiss cheese on there, the cream horseradish is different as opposed to regular horseradish, caramelized onions, and wild mushrooms.”

Soho Burger Bar serves its burgers on their signature brioche bun, but customers can also choose wheat bun, or no bun at all, according to Reid.

Cole’s at 1104 Elmwood Ave. is a popular restaurant in Buffalo. Among its extensive menu items, are burgers that are exclusive to Cole’s.

“We offer the Wagyu beef for some of our burgers, which a lot of places don’t,” said assistant manager, Jessie Sprenger. “It’s very similar to Kobe beef. We make sure that our cows are healthy and constantly massaged to create that tender type of beef.”

Cole’s offer customers burgers including huey, louie, Andouille ($11), black & blue burger ($10.50), Colorado lamb burger ($12), bruschetta burger ($10), mangy moose burger ($10.50), and Vietnamese bahn mi pork burger ($11).

“For our signature burgers, we have the huey, louie, andouille burger, which is composed of andouille sausage, ground beef, and topped with caramelized onions and cajun spices,” said Sprenger.

“We also offer our Vietnamese bahn mi pork burger, with pickled Asian vegetables and srircha aioli, so it does carry a little bit of a spice to it,” added Sprenger.

Cole’s burgers are made with beef, steak, or lamb.

Among its most popular burgers are the Colorado lamb burger, bruschetta burger, and black & blue burger.

“One of our best sellers is definitely our Colorado lamb burger,” said Sprenger. “It is topped with tzaziki which is a Greek sauce, baby arugulu, red onions, feta cheese, and olives and served on a Wolverman’s sour dough English muffin”

“Our bruschetta burger is also very popular,” added Sprenger. “It has pesto-diced tomato, red onions, basil, parmesan and provolone. It has a really nice fresh, yet still wholesome flavor to it.”

Cole’s black & blue burger is another popular signature burger. The 8-ounce black pepper-crusted burger is topped with crumbly bleu, and roasted red peppers.

“The signature burgers that have always been here that we’re known for are the black & blue burger, the doc smith, and the mangy moose which is topped with barbecue sauce and an onion ring,” said Sprenger.

Each burger is served with fries or a substitute menu item of choice.

Jack Astor’s Bar & Grill at 2000 Walden Ave. offer customers a wide selection of burgers; each grilled to perfection, and served on a toasted bun.

Among Jack Astor’s list of burgers are two burgers that are considered unique by server Brendan Tobolski. 
Jack Astor’s smoky jack’s burger ($11.33) and its señor jack’s jalapeño burger ($11.33) are signature burgers, which are served with fries, soup, or house salad.

“We’ve had the smoky jack’s burger on our menu since the restaurant first opened,” said Tobolski. “That’s our signature burger, so you won’t find that anywhere else.”

The smoky jack’s burger is made with smoked bacon, smoked mozzarella, and a stack of crispy onion straws, according to Tobolski.

“The señor jack’s jalapeño burger is another one of our signature burgers,” said Tobolski. “It is made with ‘peño monterey jack, ‘peño bacon, ‘peño zucchini relish, tomato, lettuce, and hot chili sauce.”

 “It’s a spicy, crunchy burger, with a nice thaw texture,” added Tobolski.

Each burger is served on a gluten-free bun or a focaccia bun, which is a Greek bun.

“In addition, our burgers are made with third pound beef, and grilled to each customer’s specification,” said Tobolski. 

Explore tastes of Elmwood Village with the Buffalo Bites Food Tours

Zillycakes at 1008 Elmwood Ave., one of the tasting locations of the Buffalo Bites Food Tours. 

For those who are looking to explore bits and pieces of Buffalo’s history and experience some of the city’s finest local cuisine, the opportunity to do so is now at your fingertips.  

The Buffalo Bites Food Tours offers the opportunity to sample a variety of foods and experience the culture of Elmwood Village. Tasting locations on the food tours include Globe Market, Cole’s, Blue Monk, D’Avolio’s, Zillycakes and Chow Chocolat.  

The three-hour guided tour is offered at 11 a.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and will continue through Nov. 30.

 “The tour is a great way to spend a day with family and friends and eat great food,” said owner of the food tours, Laura Reed. “You get to see great architecture and neighborhoods, and learn about Buffalo’s rich history.”

BlueMonk at 727 Elmwood Ave. has been a participant of the food tours since its beginning in May 2012.

Bar manager Ryan Bedford said he thinks the food tours is a great opportunity for people to see what restaurants have to offer without being fully committed to sitting down and having a whole meal.

“It’s a good way to sample food items,” said Bedford. “Customers get two menu items, which are the blue balls, a traditional jerk style meat ball, and our duck frites, which is Belgium-style French fries that are fried in duck fat.”

“We also provide customers with one sample pour of beer, usually something local or a New York State beer,” added Bedford.

Zillycakes at 1008 Elmwood Ave. is offering customers mini cupcakes, which comes in a variety of flavors.

“Everyone gets a mini cupcake that we make to order at the cupcake bar,” said owner Zilly Rosen. “They choose from one of eight flavors of cake and then they choose from the different frostings and the different sprinkles.”

Zillycakes offer flavors such as yellow, red velvet, chocolate, and lavender. In addition, customers are able to choose from four specialty flavors, which change every month depending on the season, according to Rosen.

“Right now we have rocky road, vegan pumpkin, maple bacon, and rosemary corn,” said Rosen.

The food tours has been successful thus far, according to Reed. As a result, she plans to expand in the 2013 season.

“Our first season has gone quite well,” said Reed. “People from 11 different U.S. states, Canada, Mexico, Australia, and the United Kingdom have participated.”

“Over time, we will add more tours in different neighborhoods,” added Reed. “We also hope to capture more of the growing number of tourists coming to Buffalo.”

Tickets are $30 for children 12 and under and $42 for adults.

For more information on the Buffalo Bites Food Tours, visit www.buffalobitesfoodtours.com, email info@buffalobitesfoodtours.com, or call 1-800-979-3370. 

Local coffee shops offer seasonal treats for the holiday season

Dunkin Donut's coffee coolata and holiday star donut.

With the holiday season approaching, some local coffee shops have unveiled their seasonal menu items, offering customers foods, snacks, and beverages.

This year, Starbucks Coffee Company, Spot Coffee, and Dunkin’ Donuts are offering customers new menu items, in addition to past seasonal favorites.

At 235 Delaware Ave., Starbucks Coffee Company is offering customers the opportunity to choose from a wide array of seasonal beverages such as caramel macchiato, pumpkin spice latte, salted caramel mocha, and white chocolate mocha. Starbucks also has its much-anticipated seasonal favorites, which are brought back every year.  

 “We currently have our four drinks that come back every winter, which are the caramel brulée latte, peppermint mocha, eggnog latte, and gingerbread latte,” said manager, Jenny Stanek.

Each holiday beverage comes in three sizes: tall ($3.75), grande ($4.55), and venti ($4.75).

In addition to its seasonal drinks, Starbucks Coffee offers promotional sales and specials each year. This year, Starbucks is bringing back its iconic red cup, which signals the arrival of the holidays.

 “We get red cups every Christmas to celebrate the holidays,” said Stanek. “On Nov.15 to 18 from 2 to 5 p.m., customers will be able to buy one holiday drink and get one free.”

 “We also have 12 days of gifting,” added Stanek. “Every day for 12 days we run a different product on sale, starting Dec. 1.”

Starbucks offer seasonal treats such as gingerbread loaf, cranberry bliss bar and snowman cookies.

 “We usually recommend pairing one of the holiday beverages with the holiday foods,” said Stanek. “Our gingerbread loaf, cranberry bliss bar, and snowman cookie also comes back every year.”

SpotCoffee at 227 Delaware Ave., is offering customers seasonal beverages and foods. This year, Spot Coffee’s most popular seasonal beverages are hot chocolate made with steamed milk, ghirardelli chocolate and whipped cream ($3.25) and chaider made with ½ chai, ½ apple cider, steamed with two cinnamon sticks, and your choice of milk ($3.95).

“For seasonal drinks this year we’re doing chaider, which is chai and cider mixed together to get a spicy, apple tea beverage that’s warm,” said manager, Rob Fussell. “We’re also offering hot chocolates with cayenne pepper, which gives it a little more spice.”

In addition, Spot Coffee has seasonal lattes, sandwiches, and salads.

“We’re offering our seasonal lattes, which are peppermint, gingerbread, and pumpkin spice,” said Fussell. “We’re also offering a Thanksgiving turkey sandwich, made with cranberry cheese spread, salami, turkey, and tomato served on focaccia bread. We’re also going to start doing a Greek salad for the winter.”

Dunkin’Donuts, a popular coffee and baked goods shop has introduced new seasonal foods and beverages. It has also brought back popular favorites, featuring pumpkin and apple flavors.

Under the slogan “Tis the season for sharing,” Dunkin’ Donuts is offering customers seasonal donuts such as red velvet drizzle, red velvet munchkin, pumpkin donuts, and holiday star donuts.

Vasabha Weevasinghe, manager for Dunkin’ Donuts at 1264 Main St., said each season offers new menu items.

“Every year, we have something new,” said Weevasinghe. “For this season, we have red velvet donuts, pumpkin donuts, and holiday star donuts. Coming up, we’ll have the Christmas donuts which will start the last week of November.”

The red velvet donut is glazed with a cream cheese icing drizzle. It is also available in munchkins donut hole form. The holiday star donut is a star-shaped Bavarian creme-filled donut that is finished with green icing and white star sprinkles. The pumpkin donuts are glazed and can be enjoyed as a munchkin donut hole treat.

Each donut is sold for 89 cents.

“The pumpkin was originally for Halloween, but it will last from the Nov. 1 to 31, since we still have a lot of it coming back,” said Weevasinghe. “We also had apple orchard donuts and munchkins from September to October.”

Dunkin’ Donuts’ seasonal beverages includes apple cider, coffee coolatta, mint hot chocolate, and pumpkin packaged coffee. Each beverage comes in three sizes, which are small (2.59), medium (3.29), and large ($3.89).

“We are offering apple cider, which is served either hot or iced, and coffee coolattas made with coffee or neutral base flavors such as strawberry, orange, lemonade,” said Weevasinghe. “Our pumpkin packaged coffee comes in an 8-ounce size and offers customers the choice of making their own coffee at home.” 

Popularity of pizza grows in Buffalo

Joe's New York Style cheese pizza, $2.35 by the slice

Pizza lovers in Buffalo can enjoy their favorite pizza at a number of local pizzerias, which are offering a wide array of menu options.

Customers can dine at popular local pizzerias such as Casa-Di-Pizza, Just Pizza, Zetti’s Pizza & Pasta, Mister Pizza, Destini’s Pizzeria, and Joe’s New York Style Pizza. 

Each pizzeria offer customers pizza toppings such as cheese, pepperoni, chicken, vegetable, and sausage.

At 976 Elmwood Ave., Zetti’s Pizza & Pasta offer customers authentic New York style pizza, and other Italian dishes. Customers can choose from menu items such as jalapeño poppers ($6.99), calzone ($4.99), penne vendura ($11.99), and baked ravioli ($9.99). 

Steve Gyarmathy, manager of Zetti’s Pizza & Pasta said the business has been opened for eight years, but has been at its Elmwood location for three years. Zetti’s Pizza & Pasta separates itself from other pizzerias in Buffalo because customers are able to enjoy authentic New York style pizza, according to Gyarmathy.

“I grew up on Long Island and this has been the closest thing for me to home,” said Gyarmathy. “In New York City, Long Island, and New Jersey, they make this style of pizza, so it brings me back home.”

“Our whole menu has different kinds of pizzas,” added Gyarmathy. “We have specialty pizzas, a lot of chicken pies, white pies with ricotta cheese, and bruschetta pies.”

Zetti’s Pizza & Pasta’s most popular pizzas are cheese pizza, pepperoni pizza, buffalo chicken pizza, and chicken bacon -ranch pizza. 

Customers can also choose from gourmet pizza, bruschetta pizza, pizza without cheese and pizza without sauce. The gourmet pizza, bruschetta pizza, and pizza without sauce comes in three sizes: medium ($16.99), large ($18.99), and extra-large ($20.99).

“We offer white pies made with a lot of different kinds of chicken such as buffalo chicken, and barbeque chicken,” said Gyarmathy. “We also give customers the choice of making their own kinds of pizza based on the ingredients we have.”

At Zetti’s Pizza & Pasta, customers have the option of buying pizza by the slice, or whole pizzas.

Canisius High School students Jamel Mosley and Aaron White are regular customers at Zetti’s Pizza & Pasta. Both students said they are able to enjoy their favorite pizza slices for a decent price.

Mosley said Zetti’s Pizza & Pasta’s chicken finger pizza is his favorite.

“A part from the taste, it’s also great quality pizza,” said Mosley. “I get a decent amount for the price, and I usually pay about $3.80 for a slice.”  

“I get a slice of cheese pizza for $2.20,” said White. “The price and the quality are both great, and I like the relaxing environment.”

At 345 Amherst St., Joe’s New York Style Pizza offers customers the opportunity to choose from a wide array of pizza toppings such as cheese, pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, peppers, onions, and ham. 

Joe’s New York Style Pizza pies are hand stretched and cooked directly on the brick, daily.

Manager Ben Islami said a part from its New York style pizza options, Joe’s New York Style Pizza also offer specialty pizzas such as white pizza, meat deluxe, deep bleu chicken, barbeque chicken, and  buffalo chicken.

Customers can also choose Joe’s large and extra-large pizza combo special which includes the choices of a house pizza with one topping and 12 wings ($22.15), and two large 16-inch pizzas with one topping and 50 wings ($44.75).

“We offer a Monday night football pizza for $10,” said Islami. “Our most popular pizzas are our deep dish pizza, which is made with bleu cheese and marinated buffalo chicken, and our stuffed steak pizza, which is made with steak, sweet peppers and onions.”

Joe’s New York Style Pizza attracts many customers on a daily basis, because of its freshness and unique pizza styles, according to Islami.

“We have our own home made sauce,” said Islami. “We make everything fresh daily and every customer gets to see that.”

Local restaurants offer customers healthy options

Chicken Mobay is one of the healthy choice menu items at Curly's Grill & Banquet Center. 

With health issues such as obesity and heart disease on the rise, many restaurants are including healthy options on their menus.

Curly’s Grill & Banquet Center, Shadow Lounge & Restaurant, and Subway are three local restaurants that are offering customers healthy menu options.

Curly’s Grill & Banquet Center is a third-generation family owned restaurant at 647 Ridge Road in Lackawanna.  Curly’s offer customers the opportunity to choose from a wide array of gluten-free and healthy-choice menu items.

Krista Van Wagner and her husband Kirk Van Wagner have been the owners of Curly’s for 25 years. As graduates of the Culinary Institute of America, they offer lunch and dinner items that are made daily, from scratch.

“We are a healthy venue because we are a scratch house,” said Krista Van Wagner. “There are a lot of boxed foods out there loaded with salt, MSG and trans fats. We peel every potato and we make our bread from scratch.”

Van Wagner said she goes out of her way to not only take care of the trends, but to cater to the needs of customers. Van Wagner has been featuring gluten-free menu items for 15 years. 

“With the new rules and regulations coming in and the chains having to put the calories on each menu item, I felt I wanted to be competitive with them,” said Van Wagner.

Van Wagner teamed up with Healthy NY through the independent health and the Erie County Board of Health to put together an opportunity for restaurants in the area to join.

“It’s a way to put our recipes in,” said Van Wagner. “It will also tell us all the nutritional facts and the calories of each menu item.”

Curly’s lunch and dinner menus feature a wide array of appetizers, salads, sandwiches and entrees.  For lunch or dinner, customers can choose Curly’s black bean soup ($5), a popular gluten-free and healthy- choice item made with diced onion and sour cream.

For dinner, customers can choose healthy-choice and gluten-free entrees such as chicken mobay ($20), a wood fired bone-in chicken breast made with spicy mango-banana curry sauce or  “wolf-fit entrees” which includes the choices of sweet potato puree, fire roasted vegetables and chimichurri chicken breast ($19), fresh fish fillet ($26), or scallops ($26).

Through her menu items, Van Wagner not only hopes that customers take the opportunity to eat healthy, but that they also enjoy eating healthy.

 “Not only is our food healthy, it also tastes good,” said Van Wagner. “We make healthy food taste good, and people don’t think that healthy food can taste good. We use fresh herbs and spices and olive oils to add taste.”

Shadow Restaurant & Lounge is a family owned restaurant at 1504 Hertel Ave. Executive chef Christopher Andres offers customers the opportunity to choose from healthy alternatives such as salads and sandwiches.

“Any one of our salads is healthy,” said Andres. “They include grilled chicken, and nothing fried.”

Among Shadow Lounge & Restaurant’s healthy menu items is their walnut, encrusted goat cheese salad ($9).

“It’s a ball of goat cheese, encrusted with walnuts, which is served with fresh strawberries, and fresh oranges,” said Andres. “It’s a spring green mix and there’s fat free raspberry vinaigrette dressing that you can add.”

Shadow Lounge & Restaurant also offers a sandwich section and daily specials. Andres said the restaurant offers grilled proteins such as shrimp, chicken or beef.

“The beef is filleted so it’s very low in fat,” said Andres. “We also offer broiled fish, and we stay away from the creamy sauces as well.”

Andres said the restaurant accommodates the needs of all customers, whether they are meat lovers, vegans, or vegetarians.

“If someone has any specific dietary needs, we accommodate to whatever we can do best for them,” said Andres. “Whether it’s no carbs, if they’re vegan or if they’re vegetarian; if someone comes in and ask, there’ll be something available at all times for them.”

Subway is a sandwich chain restaurant that offers customers the opportunity to dine healthy with their  “Eat Fresh” menu selections.

At 1124 Elmwood Ave., Subway restaurant offers a variety of sandwiches and salads, all made with fresh ingredients.

Scott Annese, a server at Subway, said the restaurant offers healthy menu items which includes vegetables, and lean meats.

“We’re all about trying to be that alternative to greasy fast foods,” said Annese. “Out of our healthy items, our turkey sub is definitely a popular item.”   

“We have a vegetable sub, which is a sandwich with all the different vegetables on it and a vegetable patty,” added Annese. 

The veggie sub features a combination of lettuce, tomatoes, green peppers, black olives, and onions with the choice of fat-free condiments. 

Though it may be considered a fast food restaurant, customers are able to enjoy healthier alternatives at Subway than they would at other fast food restaurants such as McDonalds or Burger King, according to Annese.

“That’s what Subway is about,” said Annese.  “I think the demand calls for healthier items because the world’s changing and people want to eat healthier.”

Caribbean cuisine, a rarity in Buffalo

For those in Buffalo who may want to try different foods, Caribbean restaurants offer the opportunity to choose from a wide array of dishes.

DoctorBirds Caribbean Rasta-Rant and Caribbean Experience Restaurant are two of the few restaurants in Buffalo that offer Caribbean cuisine. Both restaurants carry dine-in or take-out menu options, which allow customers to choose from popular dishes such as Jamaican-style jerk chicken, oxtails, curry goat, stew chicken, and curry chicken.

Doctor Birds Caribbean Rasta-rant is a small restaurant located at 3104 Main Street in Buffalo. The restaurant started as a take-out restaurant in 1981 on the east side of Buffalo, before moving to Main Street.

Owner OG Lee said he wanted to relocate to a neighborhood in which his business would expand and reach people of different cultural backgrounds.

“Buffalo is such a polarized city,” said Lee. “We figured if we came on Main Street we could reach a wider range of people. It is a better location for the types of ethnic foods we try to offer, as opposed to where we were.”

Doctor Birds offer popular Jamaican meals such as patties ($2.75),jerk chicken wing dinner ($11.99), and curry shrimp ($10.49). They also serve side orders of rice and peas ($2.50), tofu burger ($4.99), potato salad ($2.50), and desserts which such as carrot cake ($3).

In addition to the more popular dishes served at Doctor Birds, Lee said he also tries to cater to individuals who may want other kinds of foods.

“We try to cultivate a Caribbean flavor,” said Lee. “In addition to the more popular dishes, we also offer vegetarian dishes for people who may want that.”

Doctor Birds is in close proximity to the University at Buffalo. As a result, many of the customers who frequent the restaurant are from UB. Even though many of the students have moved from the south campus to the north campus, Lee said business has remained fairly good.

“Students from UB visit our restaurant,” said Lee. “Although a lot of them have moved to the north campus, you still have some that can get to us.”

“Whenever UB is on vacation, there is a decrease in the number of students as opposed to when UB is in session,” Lee added.

Caribbean Experience is a family-owned restaurant located at 2897 Bailey Avenue in Buffalo. The restaurant has a dimly-lit setting with a pool table and bar area inside. Since it opened its door 19 years ago, Caribbean Experience has been “specializing in the finest West-Indian dishes.”

Kenroy Walker has been manager of Caribbean Experience for 18 years. Walker said the inspiration behind opening Caribbean Experience was due to the lack of Caribbean cuisine he experienced in Buffalo.

“There are not a lot of Caribbean people in Buffalo,” said Walker. “The few that are here are the older ones that cook their own food. Most of them are in Rochester or parts of Lockport.”

Caribbean Experience has a lunch and dinner menu that also offers popular Caribbean cuisines such as brown stew chicken ($7.95), escovictch fish ($8.95), patties ($2), and jerk chicken ($7.95).Each of the menu items are served with rice and peas. 

Walker said the restaurant offers West-Indian dishes, but focuses more on a Jamaican-based menu.

“We focus strictly on Jamaican food,” said Walker. “We don’t serve burgers and fries like some Caribbean places do.”

The restaurant's lunch menu offer items such as steamed fish ($8.95) and curry chicken ($8.95), and its dinner menu offer items such as steak ($10.95) and Jamaican curried goat ($10.95). They also serve additional side orders of plantains ($3) and steamed vegetables ($2.50), and desserts which includes Jamaican bread pudding ($2.25).

Walker said that business has gotten better since the restaurant first opened because a lot more customers frequent the area.

“For the first 5-6 years it was actually zero,” said Walker. “It was like nobody knew anything about Jamaican food, so they probably didn’t want to come and try. Now we have the weekends where we play reggae music. People got to know about us because we’re open until 4 a.m. and we have food until then.”

Doctor Birds and Caribbean Experience serve as a simple solution for college students who may want to expand their culinary palate, or those who may want to enjoy home-cooked meals.  

Tiffany Walters, a Jamaican student who attends Buffalo State College said she thinks there should be more Caribbean restaurants in the areas close to the campus.

“I think that there should definitely be more Caribbean restaurants around,” said Walters, a senior from Brooklyn, NY. “I think they should open up a Golden Krust here because it would make money because a lot of other students would be open to the idea.”

Walters said she believes having more Caribbean restaurants in the areas around campus would not only benefit Caribbean students, but also those of other cultural backgrounds.

“Other cultures are open to trying Caribbean foods,” she said. “I know many African Americans who basically eat foods that Caribbean people eat. They might not make it the way we make it, but they eat it too.”

Local Restaurant Week Returns to WNY

As part of Western New York’s Local Restaurant Week, local restaurants are offering dining specials for $20.12 through October, 21.

The fall edition of the semi-annual event started yesterday with nearly 200 participating restaurants, allowing customers who may want to try new foods the opportunity to dine at an affordable cost.

“Our goal every time we run Local Restaurant Week is to promote the local independent restaurants of Western New York,” said event coordinator Christa Hobart. “It’s a great reason to go out and try something new at a great price.”

Acropolis,Pano’s on Elmwood and Acqua are three of the restaurants participating this year. The restaurants use Local Restaurant Week as an opportunity to introduce new dishes to customers, and to earn new customers.

Acropolis has been a participant of Local Restaurant Week since it started four years ago. Owner and chef Paul Tsouflidis said Acropolis has transformed itself into a healthy Greek alternative to most restaurants in the area. This year, he hopes the event will attract first-time customers.

“Restaurant week is a great way to introduce people to Acropolis OPA for the first time,” said Tsouflidis. “It is a showcase week for restaurants because there are a lot of people who usually wouldn’t go out to restaurants because it is too expensive.”

For Local Restaurant Week, Acropolis is offering an all-day special, which includes the option of an appetizer, an entrée, and a daily selection of Greek wines. Tsouflidis said the menu items for Local Restaurant Week were chosen based on popularity among frequent customers.

“The lamb shank is our featured item on the menu. It is only right to feature it during a week where potential new loyal customers can be won over,” said Tsouflidis. “The baked haddock and pomegranate baked chicken are two of the many healthy entrees we serve at Acropolis OPA, something we are also known for.”

Pano’s on Elmwood has been an on and off participant of Local Restaurant Week. The restaurant wasn’t a participant last year, but chose to participate this year to attract new customers and boost business.

“A lot of people look at the roster list during restaurant week,” said assistant manager, Kevin Sampsom. “If you’re not on that list, a lot of people don’t come.”

This year, Pano’s on Elmwood is offering a dine-in special from 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. The special includes the option of one of three selected dinner entrees, a glass of house wine or draught beer, and dessert.

“We’re running a salmon and chicken special that customers can choose from, and great bottles of wine,” said Sampson. “Our bar manager has wines all set up for the holiday season that we’re going to be running for restaurant week too.” 

Acqua, a contemporary American restaurant on Niagara Street is in its second year as a participant of Local Restaurant Week. Owner Molly Koessler said Local Restaurant Week has been a good advertising tool and a great way to introduce new products and customers to Acqua. 

“Opening night this year had a good turnout,” said Koessler. “Every day usually gets stronger and stronger. We get a lot of advertising during Restaurant Week, which leads to new customers.”

This year, Acqua is offering customers the choice of three food courses. For their first course, customers can choose butternut squash soup, beet and carrot salad, tomato nicoise olive and feta tartlet, or pan-seared sea scallops. For their second course, customers can choose grilled peppercorn citrus salmon, roasted citrus chicken, braised short ribs, fettuccini bolognese, beef tenderloin, or surf and turf. The third course is a choice of homemade apple crisp or cinnamon ice-cream. 

Local Restaurant Week not only celebrates the local independently owned restaurants in Western New York, but also promotes the area’s unique cultural scene, according to Hobart.

“These restaurants are a part of our culture and are one of the things that make Western New York so unique,” said Hobart. “Supporting local independent restaurants supports our community.”

For more information on Local Restaurant Week and the list of participating restaurants, visit www.localrestaurantweek.com