Good Eats

In the last few weeks, I have had the pleasure of visiting a couple of pseudo-Anthony Bourdain-worthy restaurants. (Wow, do I envy his life.)

When in NYC, I met my girlfriend Beth at Charlie Palmer's Metrazur in Grand Central.



Very elegant and sophisticated for two chicks wearing jeans. I ordered the ahi tuna tartare and, per our waitress' recommendation, the veal pappardelle. In other words, enough to feed a horse. Hearty, filling, interesting, something I would never normally order and, yet, nothing I'm craving now. The dramatic ambiance, overlooking the concourse, is what makes it worthy of a visit. As an added bonus: Beth knows the owner so we were given a free plate of cookies to accompany her warm chocolate chip and banana financiere. Calorie overload. Sensory overload. Taste explosion. Nice touch.

Last weekend, some of the hubby's friends took us to Santasiero's, a Buffalo landmark.



Although the building stands in what felt like a deserted, industrial area of downtown, inside it was warm, friendly, inviting and packed to the gills with families of all ages.

The tablecloths were plastic, colorful and covered with mismatched Christmas motifs. The dinner salad consisted of iceberg lettuce, cherry tomatoes, black olives and something akin to Wish-bone Italian dressing.

I was persuaded to order either the pasta e fagioli or the pasta and peas. Why not? When in Rome, right? I opted for the "pasta fasoola" (as it was written on the wallboard menu alongside something about their "family jewels" -- yum). What arrived was a gigantic, delicious, heaping bowl of pasta and kidney beans that was never-ending. So good, I could eat it again immediately. And the carafe of wine I shared with Cyd came with two, unassuming shot glasses for our wine. Loved it! Nothing pretentious here.

Food-wise, Santasiero's was the clear winner. Ambiance? Impossible to compare apples to oranges but I think Santasiero's was more my style overall. Company? Excellent for both meals. But there's something to be said for leaving the table at Metrazur and wandering through the Grand Central Market and the holiday fair. Yep. Everything can be trumped by a great tree chandelier.