Miss Food Critic

Chef's

2008-12-17T12:43:00.000-08:00

Chef’s is well known in Buffalo, and I can tell you why. The food is fantastic! This family style American-Italian restaurant will fill you up and won’t break your budget. Located on Seneca street right on the edge of downtown, don’t worry about dressing up. This is a low-key restaurant with high end food. I would recommend a reservation for larger parties or weekend dinners. Put your bib on and let’s get to it!

Above all Chef’s is known for their sauce, which can also be purchased by the jar in house or at many local groceries. It has flavor enough to avoid being bland, but it’s average enough to remind you of your mom’s cooking. I would suggest the Spaghetti Parmesan with Meatballs, which is their signature dish. It tastes homemade with plenty of cheese and fresh noodles. Sure, it isn’t very imaginative, but it’s not bad. With your plate of spaghetti you also get another dish of just sauce, so you can have just as much as you’d like. The portions are large, so feel free to indulge. They don’t skimp on the Meatballs either, which are pleasantly meaty and well seasoned.

Their desserts are the only really impressive menu items. The Cheesecake is indulgent and buttery. The crust was a bit too soft. I would recommend trying the cherries on top for a little kick. The Mud Torte was rich velvet chocolate, but did taste as though it was made a few days prior. The Cannolis are definitely homemade and very indulgent as well.

I would recommend Chef’s because you can get a decent dinner entree anywhere from around $7-$17 and it is worth every penny. The menu is not very extensive, but what they make, they make well. I would recommend checking out their website, which not only features their entire menu, specials and their history, but also great recipes to make your own delicious food at home.

http://www.ilovechefs.com/

La Nova Pizza

2008-12-10T09:28:00.000-08:00

Pizza, Pizza, Pizza. Here in the Buffalo area we are blessed with more pizza places you can shake a bread stick at. Some are good, some are bad and some might be involved with the mob! Today I had the pleasure of tasting pizza from La Nova and I even managed to scarf down some wings - all in the name of journalism, of course.

Many will tell you that La Nova is a staple in the Buffalo world of pizza. They have been around since the 50s and you can have La Nova shipped anywhere in the country overnight. Is it worth it?

Meh.

I had two types of pizza and some wings. The pizza crust was thick and almost fluffy. It tasted fresh. I would recommend trying crust with seasoning as the plain is a bit too bland. The slices of mushroom & green pepper pizza (though I would never order it myself)were cooked well, as many places tend to under cook these items. The standard pepperoni was just that, standard. The generous amount of sauce was sweet, but was uninspired.

The wing packaging needs improvement. While the pizzas were still hot, the wings were lukewarm by the time I got my order. Most places remedy this by wrapping their wings in tin foil and La Nova should do the same. The BBQ wings are grilled and a little blackened, a very nice touch, but the meat was skimpy and stringy. The sauce quite uninteresting, not especially tangy, hot or sweet. Their regular Buffalo wings are just that -regular, nothing less, nothing more. Those from out of town who want to see what Buffalo Wings are all about, skip La Nova.

La Nova is often described as an authentic Buffalo Pizza joint. I find their food much too expensive for something so mundane. If you are considering having their food shipped overnight, don't bother, unless you're trapped in the bowels of Ohio and can't find any remotely decent pizza. You are better off ordering from a local place.

Fortunately for me, I live in Buffalo and another chance at good food is right around the corner!

http://www.lanova.com/

Welcome to Buffalo - Time to Eat!

2008-12-09T11:53:00.001-08:00

Ah Buffalo. Known primarily for cold weather and losing teams, this city has a lot to offer in the way of delicious food. Explore the restaurants with me, from Jim's Steakout, to the Buffalo Chophouse - we will taste, and savor it all. Email me with your favorite and least favorite places. Let the feast begin!

List of Restaurants

2008-12-08T11:59:00.000-08:00

Here is a list of the restaurants I've reviewed:

La Nova
Chef's
Mister Pizza

My Rating System

2008-12-08T10:46:00.000-08:00

Welcome to my Buffalo restaurant review blog. If you are curious about my rating system, please read below.

Restaurants that I review will get anywhere from one to five forks. One being the lowest and five being the highest.

Although food is the heart of the meal, other considerations are taken when reviewing a restaurant. Decor, customer service, menu selection, and price all contribute to the dining experience. I will also include a link to the restaurant's website, if they have one. This can be useful in getting directions, viewing their menu, making reservations or ordering, if needed. If there is something you think perhaps I missed or misunderstood about a restaurant in my review, please feel free to contact me.

Here is a brief overview of my rating system.

The worst possible rating. This restaurant has nothing going for it be it food, price, decor or service. Diners, don't bother.

Probably not worth your time, money or taste buds. This restaurant needs a lot of improvement. You are better off going someplace else, or cooking your own meal.

Good. This place could definitely use some improvement, but you are likely to enjoy your meal.

Great. This place has a lot to offer and you will probably enjoy dining here.

Excellent! This is the best rating a restaurant can get. The food, service, decor and price are all perfection.