Four Bites Sunday News: One pierogi door closes, another opens in Black Rock
Plus Texan diner opens in Lancaster, Sandwich’on by Macho shines downtown
By Andrew Galarneau
Four Bites
Above image: Pani Maria’s pierogi, $12 including salad, Fridays at Ukrainian-American Civic Center
Janice and Peter Schlau have wrapped another brava season of Prosit, depriving Buffalo’s pierogi hunters of a main target.
So this an especially auspicious time to learn about Maria Hanypsiak’s menu. On Fridays, the Ukrainian grandmother cooks for whoever’s hungry at the Ukrainian-American Civic Center, 294 Military Road.
The center has a dining room and bar, and a hall in the back where weddings and other events are scheduled. Walk in and it’s a corner tavern, except it’s quiet, and there are icons of the Virgin Mary.
Friday is a big night for fish in the 716, and Pani Maria’s offering is a distinct departure from the deep-fried battered local standard. Her haddock is egg-dipped, floured and pan-fried to a tender finish, served with a finely chopped fresh slaw, salad, and crinkle-cut fries ($15).
Her menu has five items. Pierogi ($12, top photo) are a half-dozen boiled potato dumplings served with caramelized onions, sour cream, and salad.
A pair of holubtsi ($12), Ukrainian beef-stuffed cabbage rolls similar to Polish golabki, are served with salad. One holubets, three pierogi and salad is the combo dinner ($12).
Borscht ($4) with housemade mushroom dumplings vies for the title of the best sub-$5 dish in town. Beets, cabbage, and onions in a vinegar-lightened broth, hiding two pasta pillows stuffed with earthy forest mushrooms.
A full bar provides beverages hard, soft, and in-between.
There’s a whole slate of Ukrainian events on the center’s site, like the Pierogi & Soup Fest Oct. 13 at St. John the Baptist in Kenmore. You can join the Ukrainian-American Civic Center for $10 a year, and host guests there other days of the week.
Friday is for everyone.
REVIEW: Bistro Avera, the new Lewiston fine dining restaurant, has already found an audience for Steven Pusateri’s finesse and flights of fancy. In a room he finished himself, in a restaurant named after his first two daughters, the former Rue Franklin sous chef managed to build the restaurant he wanted to run. The results are spectacular. (Later today, for patrons.)
OPENING: A Texas-style diner challenging Western New York’s dominant Greek diner culture opened Tuesday in Lancaster.
Cody Hix and Lourdes “Maggie” Alvarez opened Southern Belle Diner in the former Vargo’s Pizzeria space. It’s a welcome oasis of huevos rancheros and other Southern diner stars that may finally give chicken-fried steak addicts everyday relief without having to turn to Cracker Barrel.
The El Gordo breakfast burrito ($9.95) packs scrambled egg, sausage, pico de gallo, and homefries, served topped with queso and mild picante sauce. Huevos rancheros Southern Belle style ($9.95) are two salsa-dipped cheese-stuffed tortillas carrying two any-style eggs, draped in warm salsa and queso, two bacon strips and grits, hashbrowns, or homefries.
Platters like chicken fried steak ($15.95), hamburger steak smothered in sauteed onions, mushrooms and beef gravy ($14.95), and southern-style fried fish fingers and hushpuppies ($14.95) come with two sides.
Sides include green chile cheese grits, fried okra, and pinto beans.
Barbecue is another draw. Dinners of smoked beef brisket ($14.95), pork spare ribs ($17.95), and sausage ($12.95) come with pickles, onions, grilled Texas toast, and two sides.
Southern Belle Diner, 3575 Walden Ave., Lancaster, 716-393-3033
Hours: 7 a.m.-3 p.m. daily.
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OPENING: After having to push back the opening of Alibaba Kebab’s West Seneca outpost, Anand Kattu said this time is for real: Oct. 7.
The rice boxes, grilled kabobs wrapped in fresh naan bread, and tandoori wings that have won the hearts and wallets of many Buffalo-area Indian cuisine fans will finally offer a Southtowns outpost
He apologized for the delay. In the meantime, have a look around the 1100 Southwestern Blvd. restaurant.
ON THE MAP
At Sandwich’on by Macho, opened last year in the heart of downtown Buffalo, Edward “Macho” Colon offers office types and travelers an array of overstuffed Puerto Rican sandwiches that make a fine lunch – and dinner, too.
Colon’s pernil sandwich ($17.99) draws desk dwellers away from their laptops with layers of long-roasted pork shoulder, plantains, and pepperjack cheese, with lettuce, tomato, and aioli.
My favorite was the pollo mango ($17.99) with plenty moist chicken breast jacked up with mango salsa, garlic mayonnaise, and pepperjack cheese.
Pernil sandwich, lunch table, pollo mango sandwich, pastelillos with “house” on the right, menu
The savory fried turnovers called pastelillos come in beef ($3), beef and cheese ($3.50), and “house” ($3.50), a superior blend of beef, potatoes, and olives.
Some sandwiches are only available Fridays and Saturdays. Bistec ($19.95), cube steak, combo (pernil, bistec, $21.99), tripleta (grilled chicken, cube steak, pernil, $22.99) aren’t on offer Tuesday through Thursday. (Thanks to Adam Bojak for the tip.)
Sandwich’on by Macho, 56 Niagara St., 716-313-5010
Hours: 10:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday. Closed Sunday, Monday.
ASK THE COOK:
Q: With Thanksgiving approaching, where should I get my knives sharpened?
– R.L., Amherst
A: I’m not sure, actually. So this is a good time to ask everyone else.
Where would you recommend folks finally get their knives sharpened? Preferably local places, not the mail-order sharpeners.
Please send me your suggestions, at andrew@fourbites.net.
More reading from Michael Chelus:
- Mr. Galarneau told us that reliable family dining can be found at either location of Family Thai [Four Bites]
- Food stories take center stage at Read It & Eat Bookshop on Main Street in Buffalo [Four Bites]
- Crisis Services’ Men Who Cook 2024 will take place on 10/16 [Buffalo Spree]
- Christa told us how we can find great happy hour deals at places like Saint Neri, Johnny D’s and more [Buffalo Spree]
- The Library Bar has opened inside the Roycroft Inn [Buffalo News]
- Rosie’s Handcrafted Ice Cream has opened its second location in Buffalo [Step Out Buffalo]
- Brian’s Buffalo Beer Briefs told us of the new partnership between Ellicottville Brewing Company and Pressure Drop Brewing, Mortalis Brewing Buffalo’s first anniversary and more [Step Out Buffalo]
- Francesca told us the story behind Papa’s Pizza Oven [Buffalo News]
- Steelbound opened a craft distillery and Indian fusion restaurant in Williamsville [Step Out Buffalo]
- Brett wrote about Southern Belle Diner in Lancaster [Step Out Buffalo]
- Christa interviewed the person behind @buffaloarabeats [Step Out Buffalo]
#30#
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Edible intel from Andrew Galarneau, exploring the world from Buffalo, N.Y.
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