Sawbuck Specials: 5 great Buffalo dishes $10 and under, Volume 2
Buffalo’s full of big-city choices at small-town prices.
Here’s the second in a series of tipsheets focused on $10-and-under wonders in Buffalo and nearby.
Prices are subject to change. But the last time I checked, a Wegman’s sub was $15. You can do better for that kind of money. Thanks to the diligent work of our local restaurant community, a sawbuck gets it done.
Winfield’s Pub Kiki’s Warm Potato Salad ($10)
Chef-owner Tab Daulton’s mother Kiki got him hooked on Velveeta-based potato salad with green olives. It’s one of the longstanding favorites at Winfield’s, which delivers scratch cooking from a master chef based on seasonal ingredients in an ordinary-looking Lackawanna tavern.
1213 Ridge Road, winfieldspub.com, 716-821-0700
007 Chinese Food Dragon Egg (3/$7.99)
Egg-shaped fried dumplings with crispy-chewy jicama shells are stuffed with saucy pork and peas. That’s only one of a dozen dim sum dishes - dumplings, braised dishes, deep-fried snacks - made fresh by chef-owner Maung Maung, a veteran dim sum expert.
84 Lake St., Hamburg, 007kitchen.com, 716-951-2535
Strong Hearts Buffalo cupcakes ($5)
The cupcake craze never died at Strong Hearts, the Niagara Street restaurant where you wouldn’t know it’s all vegan if you didn’t have your contacts in. The Fauxstess won my heart, nailing the nostalgic devil’s-food with cream center down to the vanilla twirl on its chocolate icing. Me like Cookie Monster second best.
295 Niagara St., stronghearts716.com, 716-635-1777
La Casa de Sabores tres golpes ($8-$10 small)
Fried salami, fried cheese, and fried egg is a Dominican breakfast known as “three hits” - tres golpes. It’s $10 over yuca potato’s more interesting cousin, cooked with vinegar and garlic, which is my favorite. The $8 version comes over mangu, seasoned mashed plantains.
1 Letchworth St., see menu here, 716-370-1484
Colombo Spice vadai ($5.95)
This Sri Lankan restaurant has plenty of dishes that aren’t found in Indian restaurants. But one of the best vegan deals in town are the South Indian savory doughnuts called vadai. Made from lentil-rice batter, they’re crispy, fluffy, gluten-free and come by the pair, served with zippy mint-chile chutney and sambar, spicy vegan lentil soup.
265 Kenmore Ave., Tonawanda, see menu here, 716-810-1282
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