Maliszczak Cafe and Brewery

Today's lunch was compliments of Maliszczak's leftovers.  These sliders from Dash's were delicious!  They were bacon cheddar burgers grilled by Nick, topped with some blue cheese (we buy it by the gallon - hey, I never said we were heart healthy!) and served on a Costanzo roll.

 

Bocce's on Hopkins

David had to drive Joe home today, so he offered to pick up lunch.  Of course, the only place I could quickly think of, conveniently, was a pizzeria.

While the pizza was good, it seems that most pizza parlors can't seem to grasp the concept of "double pepperoni".  This is what we got.

 

Now, to the untrained eye this may look like double pepperoni.  But, people, this is double pepperoni.  (Second pizza compliments of Tony's Pizza on Harlem Road)  This should be the standard for pizzas everywhere.

 



John's Pizza and Subs

We had a lunch guest with us who wanted a salad.  We had to really think hard about a place that would still satisfy our need for grease, while serving salads for our dining companion.  I was a little nervous about parking in their parking lot as the last 2 times we have been there we have had some near misses including when a car slid off the road and hit the parked car next to mine.  But, we figured it couldn't happen every time.

Eric was pleased with his salad, it had a nice amount of chicken on top and came with plenty of dressing.

 

 

David has his usual "stinger" sub, which contains steak and chicken fingers.  Get it ... "stinger"?  Pretty clever.

 

 

Our verdict?  (Just don't park near the street!)

 





Lunch at the Car Wash

While lunching at Delta Sonic was never a fine-dining experience, the quality of the food more than made up for the fact that all the low tables and booths were taken up by people waiting for their cars to be detailed.  This meant we had to lift our fat asses up to the counter height tables.  But that hand carved turkey made it worth the sacrifice.  Not anymore.  While the prices have remained the same, the quality has not.  I had a hand carved turkey sandwich which used to be piled high with turkey.  Now it barely covered the roll.  But the side of fresh fruit salad was refreshing and delicious.

David had an Italian sub, which was only $5, but the cold cuts were now about half of what they used to be.

Would we go back?  Probably.  Although we are turning more bitter about the non-eaters at the tables.  We're not getting any younger and those counter stools are high!

Bravo's

I have been starting to turn on Bravo's recently due to the decline in the quality and quantity of their pizza, although David is not quite the pizza snob as I am.  I waved Bravo's in front of his nose for my own benefit.  I wanted to go to Highway Garden Center for some plants.

Our visit yesterday was enough to turn David.  Their selection of ready made pizza was limited to only 3 different kinds.  While the pepperoni still had nice little puddles of grease in the center, there just wasn't enough.  They also no longer had Meat Lover's Pizza.  What's a carnivore, like myself, to do?

While the outing to Highway was pleasant, we're forced to give Bravo's a thumbs down!  Sorry, Bravo's,

Dash's

In the spirit of trying to eat healthier (and also because I needed to buy Mother's Day cards!), we opted for Dash's Market at Hopkins and Klein for lunch.

David had a pre-packaged hot meal of meatloaf and smashed potatoes.  The food was hot, although a little bland.  I had a Julienne Salad, which was a delicious mix of lettuce, tomatoes, salami, ham and turkey.  Only thing missing was onions, which I can understand why they weren't included.  But they do make everything so much better.

This Dash's location has a cute little café, complete with fireplace and has a huge selection of both hot and old cold entrees, pizza, and soup for both lunch and dinner.

Our verdict:  Yes, we would eat there again!

Anderson's

There isn't a time that I eat at Anderson's that I don't give my usual "Mr. Anderson must be rolling in his grave."  While nothing tops an Anderson's custard, their service has gone downhill since the days of street racing on Sheridan Drive.

We hit the Anderson's on Niagara Falls Blvd. and there was not a single customer in the restaurant when we arrived.  The service was surprisingly slow, although the food was tasty.  David and I both had the chicken in the grass which consisted of char broiled chicken with spinach, onions, tomatoes and cheese with a balsamic dressing.  David had curly cue fries, I chose to abstain from ordering fries (hey, summer's coming!) but instead ate off David's tray.

The one thing that has changed about Anderson's is they used to be one of the few places where you could get Vernor's, but alas, they have changed to a less tasty ginger ale.  Although they still offer Loganberry.

Our verdict:  Even though it's tough to make that left hand turn to return to the office, we will continue to go back.  Food trumps service most of the time!

Marco's Italian Deli

If it's Italian you want, head out to Marco's Italian Deli on Maple Rd. in Amherst, NY.  The atmosphere is clean and the guy behind the counter was cute too!

We were there at noon and the tables were already filled! There is a wide array of sangwiches, salads, burgers and paninis. They also offer a delivery service, as well as catering.

The menu is simple and has some great Italian names.   I ordered a Big Johnson (stop laughing) which consisted of sausage, capicola, onions, cheese and peppers, all piled high on a grilled roll.

Annie selected the Maria Goumade. Her sandwich had turkey, pepperoni, ham, provolone with peppers and onions on grilled bread. Annie thought it was delicious, and just the perfect size for lunch.

The service was super fast and even during prime lunch hours, we were in and out in less than 30 minutes. And there was an unlimited supply of napkins!!

Annie picked up some cannolis for tonight's dessert, which will be reviewed later.

Bottom Line - super tasty, fast service delivered with a smile!

Reuben's New York Deli

If it's corned beef you're after, don't miss Reuben's New York Deli on Maple Rd. in Amherst.  It was a first time for us both and we would definitely go back! They have a slew of corned beef choices as well as traditional luncheon fare. While the menu is a little overwhelming at first, there is certainly something for everyone.

The restaurant/deli is newer ( October 2013) and boasts a modern décor, clean and inviting. The staff is very pleasant and helpful.

You are given a nice starting dish of pickles which are crisp and delicious probably the best I have had, and coleslaw. The coleslaw was tasty, but a little dry.

Ann chose the citrus salad which was fresh and loaded with strawberries, mandarin oranges, almond slivers and grapes sitting of a bed of fresh lettuce. It came with a fruity dressing.

I chose the tuna melt which was piled with tuna and muenster cheese on grilled rye.
It came with crisp fries which were so tasty I didn't need any vinegar or salt.

Each table has it's own endless supply of napkins!   You may want to be there early as there are limited tables available but plenty of counter space.

On a side note our table did wobble ( hey it happens!) but Ann was relieved it was the table and not her having a stroke.

Bottom line- good food, wide selection priced reasonably.

Our verdict:

 

Greek Isles

Today, we visited one of our regular spots, "Greek Isles" in the Boulevard Mall Food Court.  While sometimes this may be a crap shoot, most of the time they get a thumbs up.

David had his usual open chicken souvlaki, while I had a chicken souvlaki wrap, no dill sauce.  On the plus side, the chicken is always delicious, and the girl at the counter is pleasant.  But, what's with the rationing of the napkins?  Five napkins for 2 people?  First of all, who gets to use the extra napkin?  And secondly, have they ever actually eaten a souvlaki?  They're messy! 

An added bonus to eating at the food court are the stores!! It never hurts to drop by Yankee Candle and check out the latest sale with that extra 15 minutes of your lunch hour.

Our verdict:

Sunshine Cafe

The slashing rain on the windows encouraged Ann and I to eat in.
Lucky for us we have a Sunshine Café in the lobby of our building.
It is a smallish but clean and well staffed café with soup and lunch specials everyday.

Ann selected a chicken fajita salad and was pleased to note it included both lettuce AND spinach!
The lettuce and spinach were both crispy and fresh and had a wide selection of toppings. Fresh grilled chicken was included. Bottom line- good salad, a little dry. Annie topped it off with some dressing from our office refrigerator. She was pleased after this.

I opted for a ham and cheese on grilled rye and a large cup of beef vegetable soup. The sandwich was tasty but it could have used an extra slice of ham. Their soups are usually delicious! This beef vegetable could have used more beef and less large cuts of broccoli and cauliflower. It was tasty however.

Bottom line- Conveniently located, clean atmosphere, friendly service and tasty food.

We would eat there again and probably will when we don't want to venture out, but we prefer our food a little less healthy.   

First Up ... Just Pizza (NIagara Falls Blvd.)

Join us as we eat our way through the Amherst and surrounding areas.  First up, Just Pizza. 

We had the usual discussion before the 11:30 hour ... "I'm a little worried about a heart attack", says David as I try to sway him towards a nice greasy pizza.  Bravo's was nominated, but I suggested Just Pizza.  I was wrong.

As we walked in, we noticed there was no pizza in the warming oven.  My question "Where's the pizza?" was greeted with a dirty look and a reply that there were two coming out of the oven.  One would think they would be a little better prepared for the lunch hour.

We were called to the counter after a few minutes for a couple of slices squeezed onto a paper plate.  Our verdict ...  Undercooked pizza, served poorly.  Edible, yet disappointing. 

Stay tuned folks for our restaurant reviews from "Two Old Biddies".