254944 Fri Mar 25 10:13:31 -0800 2005 5 20 Tristate Region 0 1350792 We are coming back to the Allentown Art Festival this June 11 and are staying at the Hyatt on Fountain Plaza. We are looking for dinner recommendations, hopefully within a safe walking distance of the hotel, although driving is certainly an option if it is worth it. Ability to make advance reservations is also an advantage. Also, breakfast on Sunday morning, which does not have to be within walking distance as we will be checking out. As far as food type for dinner, we are amenable to anything good and do not mind paying a fair price for it. Thanks. Fri Mar 25 10:13:31 -0800 2005 0 Attknee 1 1350852 Well, if you're staying at the Hyatt, you'll find E.B. Green's Steakhouse on the ground floor. So that's a pretty safe walk. It's often noted as a top national house, but I'm not sure if I'd go that far. My affinity for the place is based mainly on the bar there where the regular pianist (Jackie) plays sentimental standards in subdued style on a baby grand. I feel confident, however, in recommending Rue Franklin. It's probabably the best/most serious restaurant downtown and walkable from your hotel (few blocks). You'll find excellent continental cuisine in an intimate, tastefully-appointed rooms. Going North towards Allentown you can try Mother's on Virginia Place off Allen St. With lower lights, and a more active bar scene (mostly well-coiffed urban professionals) than either Green's or Rue Franklin, Mother's offers an eclectic menu of thoughtfully prepared dishes at slightly lower prices than the other two. I seem to recall having a fairly good piece of duck with wild rice beside some kind of poached pear/walnut concoction and garnished with delicate string beans. I also seem to remember that the wine list here was better than expected. On the corner of Allen and Franklin (about 3-4 blocks North of Rue Franklin and just around the corner from Mother's) you'll find Fiddlehead's. When my girlfriend and I lived down Allen St, this was our regular weekly/after work restaurant. Small but diverse menu, classy, but not imposing, and consistently good. Rarely spent more than $80 for two, with drinks. Further out (driving down Delaware Ave) you will find Hutch's and Oliver's, which are both excellent. If you end up driving, also consider Left Bank on Rhode Island St just outside of Allentown. Another possibility is Toro (Elmwood Ave), a rather trendy bar that features generously-sized tapas and other Iberian-inspired food. What else...Some people like the Buffalo Chop House (Franklin St., downtown), and the meal I had there was competent, but unremarkable. I'm not fond of the ambiance there, it feels a bit prefabricated, as if you're eating dinner on a stage set that was hastily cobbled together with a lot of glue and chintz. I had a truely terrible meal and service at one of the owner's other establishments (across the street), so I grant that this may have prejudiced my feelings about the Chop House. Though native Buffalonians love Panos' (Elmwood Ave) or Towne (Allen St) for breakfast, we've always lamented the absence in Buffalo of both good greasy-spoon diners and nice places for a classy brunch. You might try Ambrosia (Elmwood Ave) which might be somewhere in between. The place I go most faithfully on weekend mornings is Solid Grounds on the corner of Elmwood and Bryant. It's little and funky, with generous omlettes full of fresh basil flanked by slabs of homemade bread. Like all of the interesting art on the walls there, the food at Solid Grounds feels distinctly hand-made. Very reasonably priced too. It fills up though, so come early. Walking around downtown after dark: Chippewa and some of the near parts of the intersecting streets are busy with bar traffic until all hours making them safer thoroughfares. If you go up to Franklin Street, just walk North up Pearl to Chippewa, then over to Franklin. You should be ok as long as you are around the bar-going folk (kids, really) of Chippewa, lower Delaware Ave, and environs. Around downtown Bflo, it's usually pretty evident when it's time to turn around and head back towards the crowds and light. Although some of the reviews can be a bit out of date, Bill Rapaport's Buffalo Restaurant guide is invaluable. Check out the alphabetical restaurant listings. You should also be able to Google up official sites (and menus) for Rue Franklin and E.B. Green's. The other places don't seem to have much of a web presence. Link: http://www.cse.buffalo.edu/restaurant.guide/nonframed.index.shtml Mon Mar 28 20:26:59 -0800 2005 1350792 0 orexin 1 1350867 When in Buffalo be sure to try their speciality - The Hot Wing. Anchor Bar and Duff's make them best. Tue Mar 29 13:11:21 -0800 2005 1350792 0 EAF 1 1350882 My favorite restaurants in Buffalo are: Mother's and Just Pasta. You would need to drive to both- Mother's is on Virginia Place (right off Allen) and Just Pasta is on Bryant- right off Elmwood. I heard Toro is good also- on Elmwood. Wed Mar 30 08:38:00 -0800 2005 1350792 0 Sara 2 1350895 Just Pasta was good... But Just Pasta appears to be undergoing a change in ownership or something and has been closed or dormant since December. There are signs up in the windows that say: "Coming soon, Vincent's Just Pasta Plus." We'll see if this actually comes to pass, and if the new operation is as good as the old one. No idea if the place will be open by the time our chowish friends hit town. Wed Mar 30 17:29:49 -0800 2005 1350882 0 orexin 1 1350918 Thanks for the thoughtful suggestions. I will run them by "the boss" and we'll make a decision. Thu Mar 31 16:21:38 -0800 2005 1350792 0 Attknee