Ryan "The Lion" W.'s Profile

I can't believe this place is right around the corner from my apartment! What a cool store. Walking into this place is like walking into your grandma's dream garden, bursting with leafy, healthy plants and fun goodies (gardening books, natural soaps, very advanced-looking garden gloves).

I have trouble keeping even desert plants alive, but I feel like this shop could change that -- especially since they host free workshops on the regular.

I'm also excited to see what it looks like in the summer, when their entire backyard is full of plants and people picking out flowers.

Sidenote: they have an inside entrance that opens onto the excellent Five Points Bakery, which in my mind, makes these two businesses the perfect one-two Saturday morning punch for an outing with mom, dad, aunt, grandpa, or any other person in your life that enjoys gardening, coffee, and really good cinnamon rolls.

I found Old Editions, ironically, via a Social Media Club meetup in the side room. This gem of a bookstore is hidden right down the street from the old Electric Tower, where I work sometimes, on a dark side street.

When you enter, you're confronted with a universe of old books, stacked on shelves, fanned against the wall, and encroaching even into their communal meeting space, where we were perched, eating pizza.

The meeting itself was interesting. Don't get me wrong. But I am a nerd at heart, and used books are nerdnip. So as talk turned from social media to accounting and membership issues, my attention turned to the bookshelf next to me ... and there, right before my eyes, was "The Novel of the Future," by Anais Nin, who happens to be the one author whose books I cannot resist buying whenever I find them in a used bookstore.

(BTW, if you're a yelper and you haven't read Anais Nin's journals, step away from your computer and go find them. All of them. In used bookstores, only. Then read them. It'll take you several years, but it's okay. I'll wait. They will inspire you to up your writing game in ways you never imagined.

Okay, back? Cool. Nice to see you there, reading this on your hovering iPhone 10S. Carry on...)

Anyway. Once I had this crusty old Nin paperback in my sights, it was only a matter of time before I could get my hands on her. When I had a chance, I snuck away to the counter and slid her across.

"Screw social media," I told the clerk with an evil grin. "I'm buying a BOOK!"

He rang me up, then paused. "You know, I think we have the photographic supplement to her journals somewhere."

My jaw dropped. "Really?"

"Yeah. I mean, I don't want to promise it, but ... give me a minute."

Eric (we're now operating on a first-name basis on account of what he did next) returned with a slim paperback book full of photos, photos that apparently illustrate several years of Nin's life. He slid it across.

"I will GIVE you this, if you promise to come back and keep buying books," he said.

"Dude," I said. "I promise."

I realize maybe five people in the world can relate to how cool this interaction was. That's fine. Eric, you know you're awesome. Everyone, please keep buying books. The end.

Pretty much your standard Buffalo watering hole, where you're bound to run into someone you know (or someone you don't want to see). Its generic quality actually seems to be related to its popularity, I think, and the fact that you can never find anywhere to park nearby on a weekend night.

Weekend nights are my only experience with Thirsty, actually, and at those times, the bar's usually packed so tight it's tough to get a drink, which leads to pretty gruff service. I'm not sure how it goes during slower times, but on a Friday, it's the kinda place where you wonder: should I really be tipping a dollar to a guy who's managed to take my order, open my beer, and give me change without once making eye contact?

That said, the patio's nice and warm, even in the winter, with plenty of room, and a great place to sneak off and enjoy your hard cider or watch a game in peace. And the music is never terribly obtrusive (especially since you usually can't hear it over the crowd).

Bottom line: I never dread the suggestion of Thirsty Buffalo as a drinkin' venue, but I'm never the one to think of it, either.

I love that this place oozes character, from the black and white photos covering the walls to the old-skool video games in the corner. The pizza's awesome too -- thick crust, slightly sweet Buffalo-style red sauce, plenty of cheese, and calorie-rich toppings to up the cholesterol factor (this is Buffalo, after all). Weirdly, they can even arrange toppings in your company logo.

All this, and it's ready in record time (about 20 minutes for a pickup order big enough to feed a family). Nice!

However, the service could be better. I know they're "the #1 pizzeria in America" and all, and they've probably gotta get off the phone stat so they can ship an oversize carton of wings to nostalgic Buffalonians across the country (yes, they do this!). But let's not rest on our laurels, shall we? I'm a local customer with a million questions, and I'd like to have 'em answered before you hang up. Especially when you have like, 20 different kinds of wings to choose from. Don't blame me if I'm overwhelmed ;)  

Related: La Nova, your medium-hot wings are decent, and your barbeque wings are frankly the best I've ever had. Seriously. That said, I ordered the sesame honey wings, and got some bone-dry specimens that seemed like they'd been sitting under a hot lamp for ages. When they're that far gone, take the extra time to make 'em fresh, or call me back and offer me something else (like more barbeque wings!).

Also, $6 for a slice? I probably won't be back for one of those again.

Don't get me wrong, La Nova. Your pizza's damn good. But let's remember that you've got a lot of competition in Buffalo, so keep your head in the game, hey?

Those who work close enough to the Washington Market should count themselves lucky, as they can get a good latte, a delicious deli-style sandwich, and a six-pack of local Flying Bison beer, all in the same neighborhoody convenience store. I had two of the three today (the first two, obviously -- c'mon, it was before noon!), and found them totally delicious.

While the space suffers from the cold overhead florescent lighting, a few other design elements help to warm it up. First, there's the dining area up front, with a community bulletin board stuffed with cool local events and a lovely mural on the wall of an old-fashioned produce market. Then, there's the friendly staff, there to greet you as you walk past the latte station and deli towards the back, which has all kinds of grocery staples, from flour to honey. And the back boasts another open dining area with exposed brick walls and plenty of seating.

What could make this place better? Well, while the paintings on the walls depict shelves bursting with fruits and vegetables, the only fresh food I saw here was a rack of spotty bananas. Can we see some local apples, perhaps? And while I saw some local Lewiston jams on the shelves and Great Lakes beer in the fridge, I'd love to see the local grocery options grow by a bushelful here overall (see: Cafe 59, which has all kinds of non-perishable local goodies for sale). And at some point, they've gotta ditch the harsh overhead lighting if they want people to stay here instead of taking their food to-go.

In the meantime - I'll definitely be back for a coffee, a sandwich and a local paper!

This place is an Elmwood staple, an old-man bar that seems to draw an all-ages crowd -- perhaps because they're working hard to serve customers well and stay relevant on a hipster-fying strip.

Last time I visited, we had a GIANT party of family members and friends, and they seated us without issue, even finding an extra table and chairs for a few latecomers so we could all sit together. So nice!

I also had a friend with me from out-of-town, and when she wasn't mowing down on her first beef on weck (so delicious here!), she was staring at the decor: old posters, signs and carousel horses mounted above the booths. Love it!

Cole's doesn't appear to have brunch on Saturdays, or at least they're not sellin' it very hard, because we only received the lunch menu at around noon on a Sat. That said, the lunch menu is solid, with a nice mix of the expected (burgers), the twists-on-an-old-staple (stuffed banana peppers with marinara), and the whoa-that-is-actually-a-brilliant-idea (lamb burgers with feta and arugula, "banh mi" pork burgers with ginger, scallions and pickled vegetables).

I do wish they had more interesting salads, and maybe more than one kind of tea, but this is obviously not a health-food restaurant. And this is Buffalo, so even at midday on a weekend, the most popular beverage was craft beer, coming out mostly in sample-paddle form from the bar. However, I gotta say, I was tempted!

Remembering the meal we had at Traif is like remembering a tough but rewarding race: the surging levels of adrenaline and serotonin, the heat, the excitement, and the exhaustion afterwards. I lost count of the small plates we ordered in rapid succession, from the superfresh salad to the tiny and delectable sliders ... and of course, the famed bacon donuts. It's all such a blur ... but something I'd willingly do again, now that I've forgotten the pain (of how full I was at the end!).

Why have I never done the Thrifty park & ride thing before? It's so much easier to come to the airport and leave it on your own schedule than it is to beg someone else to drop you, wait for them to pick you up, or deal with a surly taxi driver at 6am.

The price is decent, too -- if you reserve online, you can self-park and leave your car for about $6 a day (which saves you money over just showing up). For short trips, that's cheaper than a cab.

I also found everyone here to be very friendly, from the attendants who checked me in to the shuttle drivers who got us to the airport. The man who dropped me off at my car even waited for me to start up my ol' Corolla to make sure it'd make it in the Buffalo cold.

One note: as their site says, be sure to come ~20 minutes before you need to be at the airport to give yourself to take a ticket, find a space, wait for the shuttle, and trundle over to BUF (literally right across Genesee Street).

Oh, and there's a drive-in Tim Hortons at the entrance, too. I was tempted as usual, but the skies were a-callin!

This spot won my heart in a number of ways, right from the get-go.

1) I love secret places.
2) We came with a giant party and they were still able to seat us right away.
3) In the dead of winter, this place is WARM and TOASTY.
4) I had some of the best sake in recent memory here.
5) Their okonomiyaki, while small, was totally bomb. It was a little tough to sell "uh, an eggy pancake made with cabbage, BBQ sauce and mayo?" to the crowd, but we ate every last bite. It's the perfect late-night snack.
6) Service was excellent. Our glasses were always full, food came out quickly, and even though it was late, our waitress was cheery and friendly.
7) The atmosphere reminded me of my favorite nightlife spots in Seoul (as Korea and Japan take a lot of style cues from eachother). Underground, covered in graffiti, cozy and cool at the same time. LOVE.

One warning: they are SERIOUS about their wasabi pork dumplings. My boyfriend popped one in his mouth and almost passed out. If you order this, eat slowly and with caution :)

Lunchtime in winter. I realize my hotel is just up the street from the infamous burger and shake shack. Having come from snowy Buffalo that morning in the middle of January, I have absolutely no need for anything frozen in my life, but I just can't resist.

The benefit of coming at this time of year is that there are only TWO PEOPLE in line when I stroll up. I go with something simple: the bird dog. No toppings -- none necessary, really -- and bun grilled to perfection. The sun is shining, I'm in New York, and I decide to order it "for here" and sit eating it with my gloves in the sunlight. And it is simple but delicious.

I wish it had been about 50 degrees warmer today so that I could get the full sunshine-and-custard experience. But don't worry, Shake Shack - as Rachel C says, I WILL BE BACK FOR YOU. I PROMISE.