And To Each Town, A Wegmans...

I was in Buffalo for an overnight visit on Monday and Tuesday. The city was in a funk about the mid-season prospects of the Buffalo Bills. Some things never change. One of the things that thankfully haven't changed in Buffalo is that the city continues to provide great opportunities for eating, drinking, and making merry. It made me think that if I were King of the World, I would bestow a bit of Buffalo on everyone...

On arriving in town, I first headed to Our Lady of Częstochowa with Ma Mazur for the Lamb's Feast in observance of All Saints Day. Father Harry Szczesniak, an affable, raspy-throated toiler in the Lord's vineyard, gave one of the finest short sermons on the Beatitudes and the meaning of sainthood that I've ever heard. After Mass, we headed for the far eastern reaches of Cheektowaga, near the airport, to pay a visit to Charlie the Butcher. Charlie's is a road-side dive that serves some of the best roast meat (ham, beef, turkey) anywhere. Their specialty is a Buffalo classic, the "Beef on Weck". It's a roast beef sandwich served on kümmelweck (a roll with a crisp top that is crusted with salt and caraway seeds). The beef itself is slow-roasted for 18 hours, and is tender and juicy. The original Charlie the Butcher, grandfather of the current proprietor, ascended from the butcher's block to become mayor of Buffalo in the 1930s, possibly on the strength of his sandwiches. Ma Mazur and I both had a sandwich and a cup of their chunky prime rib stew. The only complaint I had (besides the fact that the place has no beer license) is that the horseradish could have been fresher. Horseradish loses its potency when exposed to air, and the much-desired psychic state called "horseradish head" becomes harder to achieve short of spackling on half an inch of the stuff.

The following morning was busy. Ma Mazur had an appointment in Amherst, so we decided to have brunch at the Original Pancake House on Main Street in Williamsville. The Original Pancake House is not really a Buffalo establishment, but a chain that started in Oregon in the early 50s. But the place has a Buffalo feel: great food in large portions. The main thing that distinguishes the restaurant from most homegrown establishments is that it's a bit pricey. But what do you expect in Williamsville, snob-town of the northeastern suburbs? The Original Pancake House is known for some of its specialties, including giant cinnamon-glazed apple pancakes, the air-filled, lemon-and-sugar-topped "Dutch Baby", and my favorite, clam and egg cakes. These are not actually pancakes (no dough), but medallions of fried eggs scrambled with plenty of clams and served with whipped butter and sliced lemon. Preferred condiment: Frank's Hot Sauce.

On our way back into Buffalo, I tested Ma Mazur's patience as I made a quick stop as part of my ongoing quest to visit every decent tobacconist in the Buffalo area. I spent a few minutes at Bellezia Tobacco on Main Street in Snyder. It's a small shop with a modest, but discerning selection. They had a nice offering of Arturo Fuente cigars, including several Opus X, and a good line of Davidoff Zinos. Bellezia looks like a curio shop stuck amid generic strip malls. The proprietor and some of the regulars seemed like hobbits, waxing gnomic on the world of tobacco. Bellezia also, appropriately, stocks fine pipes and pipe tobacco.

Our last stop was Wegmans supermarket. Wegmans got its start in Rochester, New York 90 years ago, but it has become a Buffalo institution since the first Wegmans appeared there nearly 30 years ago. Their wide range of foods, in-store bakeries, and butcher and deli sections, are legendary throughout the Buffalo diaspora. Wegmans is a model for large grocery stores, and has received many awards, including consistent high rankings (and a recent #1) in Fortune Magazine's 100 Best Places to Work For. Their marketing is unmatched, and includes cooking demonstrations given by their many knowledgeable employees. Wegmans started expanding outside of New York State in 1993 and now has stores throughout the mid-Atlantic, with each new store anxiously anticipated by the local Buffalo expatriates. Wegmans brings a little bit of Buffalo wherever it goes, stocking numerous Buffalo favorites like Bison Brand dairy products, Chiavetta's marinades and dressings, and Weber's horseradish mustard. They have also brought their marketing partnership with the Buffalo Bills to their store in State College, Pennsylvania, in the heart of the great divide between Pittsburgh Steeler and Philadelphia Eagle countries.

My all too brief visit was drawing to a close. But no visit is complete without taking a bit of Buffalo back home. I stopped in at Mike's Homemade Candies on Clinton Street. Mike's sells handmade candy, particularly chocolate, and is known for their "sponge candy", a Buffalo favorite. Sponge candy is chocolate covering a crisp, airy center. The center is made by caramelizing corn syrup and sugar, and then making it foam by adding a bit of vinegar and baking soda. The mixture cools into a light, hard sponge. I can't come home without bringing back a box of dark, milk, and orange chocolate sponge candy. Fit for a King!