Mr Chips Shuffles off to Buffalo

Re:Mr Chips Shuffles off to Buffalo (Oh Canada)

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 22:49:29 GMT

Oh Canada

Re Tim Hortons: I didn't visit one on this trip but will go back to the Tims that was near the Roadfood Weekend hotel. That's two reasons to return to that area: Tims and Charlie the Butcher(?). Beef on weck at Schwabl's was my weekend highlight and I want to see what the competition does. So when I do my next weck weekend I'll check out Tims to see if they offer the same menu as here in Canada and whether the coffee tastes the same.

Had a chance to do the above this afternoon on the way home from Pennsylvania. First, coffee at the Tim Hortons across the street from Charlie the Butcher. It had more flavour than what I expect from American coffee but I don't think the flavour is as strong as the Canadian brew. And it was slightly bitter. This afternoon's price was comparable, at $1.21 US v $1.23 Cdn; I noticed that just south of Syracuse the price was $1.25 US before taxes, and the Smile cookies were $1 US compared with $1 Cdn. Overall, I would buy another Tims in the US. (I had a good cup of coffee at the Lehigh University stadium yesterday and, on Wednesday, a lovely lunch at Mollie's in Stroudsburg, Pa.)

Then I went across the street to Charlie the Butcher. This may be a dreadfully unfair comparison, Charlie the Butcher at 3 p.m. on a Sunday v arriving at Schwabl's with Jane and Michael Stern and sixty others, plus having wonderful company to dine with at Schwabl's. But today's experience was a disappointment. The bun appeared to be a hamburger bun. Too much bread made the sandwich dry compared with what I recall from Schwabl's. The roast beef was not as delicately sliced. The meat was flavourable and a nicely-done medium rare. The salt and caraway flavours were mild; I had to add lots of horseradish to get a kick out of the flavour. Overall, I was glad that I hadn't driven three hours from home just to eat at Charlie the Butcher's. A better test might be to eat at Schwabl's and Charlie the Butcher's on the same day. At this point I am just going to enjoy my Roadfood weekend memories.

Re:Mr Chips Shuffles off to Buffalo (indickjs)

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 20:09:28 GMT

Glad you enjoyed the salt potatos. They are actually from Central NY, as is the Dinosaur.

Re:Mr Chips Shuffles off to Buffalo (Greymo)

Sat, 26 Sep 2009 14:38:44 GMT

Mr. Chips

I loved your report. Photos are great but it is so nice to just sit and read each word and imagine. Frank Lloyd Wright is one of the people that I admire for his talent and all that he accomplished. My son's home is filled with "prairie style" furniture and and books about him. Fallingwater is one of our favorite places...............his budget does not allow for staying overnight but it is fun to think about.

It is also nice to read your comments on the friendliness of the people in Western New York..............all of New York State is much the same.........................very nice people who are interested in others.

Re:Mr Chips Shuffles off to Buffalo (mr chips)

Sat, 26 Sep 2009 12:50:08 GMT

Day 5(Con)
   After the Buffalo zoo, I continued my Frank Lloyd Wright explorations. Wright's Buffalo patron Darwin Martin had Mr Wright design a lakeside summer home in Derby, New York, just south of the Buffalo suburb of Hamburg. The house is located just above a 70 ft. bluff over Lake Erie and is called Greycliff. Wright's theme here was water and to the left of the main entrance there are widows that allows that allow one to see through the house to the the Canadian mainland beyond. There are a lot of windows and all but rooms in the house have a view of the lake. There are ponds in the front of the house and every path and room on property is designed to get you to look out at the lake. Mrs. Martin had complained that the family's main house was too dark so she made provide more light which he did but not happily. The house was built from 1927 to 1929 and is kind of a transitional work between the prairie style of his younger days and the later concrete forms of Falling Water and the Hollyhock house. Not as many overhangs, cleaner lines and less dark than usual. The house is undergoing restoration and renewal and will probably be further along in restoration in coming years. Well worth a visit.
   During the drive back to my hotel I stopped at Mike's Candy Shop. Michael Stern had told me of a candy there called stolen havens that was light milk chocolate and had fresh nuts. When I stepped into the place she was telling a regular about Michael Stern's recent visit, the mention on the website and how she thought he was writing another book and the place might be mentioned. She was very excited. I mentioned the eating tour and she again was stoked. I mentioned Michael's recommendation, said I only wanted a little so she gave me 5 pieces and comped them, saying that the Sterns' recommendation was one of the best things that had ever happened to the store. I thanked her profusely and left, once again awed by the friendliness of western New Yorkers and the deep and abiding affection the local restauranteurs in the area seem to have for Jane and Michael.
   I went over to the Buffalo Brew Pub in Williamsville for one last beef on weck This place is reviewed in the new 500 things to eat with the note they marinate the roast beef in one of their brews. It was very tasty and my second homesickness inducing restaurant visit of the day. My hometown of Portland is microbrew heaven and I told my server to surprise me and she brought me an Oktoberfest brew that was quite satisfying. I had one more place to go and I was driving so I had to limit myself to one beer but the selection looked good.
   My last Buffalo eating stop was Duff's for chicken wings. My server at Charlie the Butchers had recommended them strongly on day one and I wanted to try. The servers there wear t-shirts that say medium is hot, hot is very hot and extra hot is taking your life into your hands. I ordered medium light and they were pretty hot. I liked them better than Anchor's but they were spiced to my taste. Unlike Emilylou, I did use my fingers which contained a tasteful melange of chicken, sauce and bleu cheese. I washed everything down with the local speciality of loganberry juice and drove back to my hotel a happy man, grateful for a week of great sightseeing, wonderful food, and boon companionship.

Re:Mr Chips Shuffles off to Buffalo (mr chips)

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 20:06:56 GMT

Thanks for the link, Greymo. That probably is a little too spendy for my family budget but it would be quite an experience to overnight there.

Re:Mr Chips Shuffles off to Buffalo (Greymo)

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 15:32:08 GMT

Mr. Chips

You, too, can indulge in Wright's creative flair.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/n...m_life/us_fallingwater

Re:Mr Chips Shuffles off to Buffalo (Niagara)

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 13:37:09 GMT

Oh Canada

Hi Mr. Chips,

Thanks for the wonderful trip reports. They gave me more reasons to return to Buffalo, depending on the welcome at the border! I think the best way to do this is to pull up, turn the engine off and settle in for a chat... Going home I was quizzed about the weekend and asked for my favourite of all the places we visited. By that point my brain was custard but I was even able to spell Schwabl's.

Re Tim Hortons: I didn't visit one on this trip but will go back to the Tims that was near the Roadfood Weekend hotel. That's two reasons to return to that area: Tims and Charlie the Butcher(?). Beef on weck at Schwabl's was my weekend highlight and I want to see what the competition does. So when I do my next weck weekend I'll check out Tims to see if they offer the same menu as here in Canada and whether the coffee tastes the same.

My personal favourite (no, that is not a spelling mistake) at Tims is the turkey club on brown - the honey mustard is a great touch. They've recently added several blueberry items - may be just seasonal but they're wonderful.

You've made me think about the Canadian addiction to Tims. Consistency, maybe, but I think the coffee flavour (yup, we use u here) is stronger than Mcdonalds or Coffee Time.

If you ever do a Roadfood tour of Tims, be sure to visit the Hamilton, Ontario, location that was the first-ever Tim Hortons. It hasn't been modernized and there's a showcase of hockey memorabilia. (An aside: Hamilton, Ontario, is the location of the most recent Woody Harrelson movie that debuted last week at the Toronto International Film Festival.)

Thanks to everyone for a fantastic weekend - Jane, Michael, Stephen, what a team!

And can someone tell me how to create an avatar?

Cheers,

Carol

I love Tim Horton's and remember when he played for the Sabres & the Leafs and the sad accident on the Q.E.W. on the way back from the Leafs game that took his life.

Re:Mr Chips Shuffles off to Buffalo (Niagara)

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 13:32:27 GMT

mr chips

Carol, I love your new Roadfood handle. Please write often about the joys of Canadian cuisine.

Butter Tarts - now there's the joy of Canadian cuisine.

Re:Mr Chips Shuffles off to Buffalo (mr chips)

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 11:09:49 GMT

Day 5 I was back on my own. Wandering Jew(Dale) set up a morning meeting at Spot Coffee in Williamsville(as mentioned above). I had my first latte in a few days and a pleasant farewell conversation before he began his drive back to Rhode Island. I appreciate Dale's company and hope to visit him in Rhode Island some day.
   My final day in Buffalo was dedicated to Frank Lloyd Wright and touring houses he designed in the area. The first place was the Martin House complex near Buffalo's Delaware Park(designed by the same gentleman who designed NYC's Central Park.). Buffalo corporate exec Darwin Martin was very much taken with Mr. Wright's work and gave him a virtually unlimited budget to design the family compound which included a carriage house, a second smaller house for Mr. Martin's sister, a gardner's cottage. and a covered walkway. The site had fallen into some disrepair and a couple buildings had been torn down and the interiors redesigned in the others. In 1992, a non-profit foundation was set up to repair the homes, rebuild the structures that had been torn down and put Mr. Wright's original design back in place as much as possible.
   The compound was built between 1907-1909 and very much in the Prairie style of Mr. Wright's early work. There are the overhanging roofs, copious amounts of windows with intricate designs stenciled on them and of course, much Wright designed furniture. There still needs to be a lot of work done but what is there is impressive. One gets the sweep of Wright's imagination and Mr Martin's patience and willingness to pay for and indulge Wright's creative flair. A well-spent morning.
   Parking for the house ws at the Buffalo zoo so I spent a couple hors there. It is very old-fashioned, taking up a tiny portion of Delaware Park and the first zoo I've ever seen with houses just across the street No real environmental design, just paddocks and steel cages. Nice for kids but not worth a whole lot of time or money unless you have a little time to kill..

Re:Mr Chips Shuffles off to Buffalo (mr chips)

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 08:37:38 GMT

Carol, I love your new Roadfood handle. Please write often about the joys of Canadian cuisine.

Re:Mr Chips Shuffles off to Buffalo (MacTAC)

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 21:46:05 GMT

Carol Dilworth

That's two reasons to return to that area: Tims and Charlie the Butcher

Wednesday, I flew to Buffalo to pick up a truck to bring back to Long Island. Thanks to the Roadfood review, I planned to have lunch at Charlie the Butcher's and to stop later at the Cornell Dairy Bar in Ithaca. My Beef on Weck, mustard egg Potato Salad and Birch Beer was very good. As I was leaving, I looked across the street and there was a Tim Horton's. Having read about them, also on this site, it was the perfect opportunity to try. I got a sour cream (unglazed) donut and coffee to go. Both excellent and the coffee helped me make Cornell with some time to spare, a few hours later. The Espresso Chunky Chip ice cream was delicious as was the chocolate milk that had been very favorably reviewed here.

I had my very own mini Roadfood tour and it was really perfect. I arrived home a little after 10 pm feeling very content.

Re:Mr Chips Shuffles off to Buffalo (mr chips)

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 10:04:57 GMT

Day 4 of my trip was the Roadfood tour of the Buffalo area. We began the day at Schwabl's, home of what many believe to be the best beef on weck in Buffalo. The owners opened the place early and hired extra carvers so we would be served quickly and efficiently. And the beef on weck was one of the best meals I have ever had in my life. The kimmelweck roll was very salty and the balance of salt to meat was perfect. I had mine done medium well and the beef, juice and salt combined for an explosion of pure joy in my mouth. It was the platonic ideal of roast beef and a sensual delight. I have never had roast beef that wonderful before. Go to Schwabl's before you die for a taste of heaven.
   The servers and owners seemed generally appreciative of our business and even seemed a little shy about my effusive praise. But it really was one of the best things I've ever eaten.
   Stop 2 was at Ted's Hot Dogs in Towawanda. The charred red hots are a western New York speciality and they did not disappoint. I loved the char and the feel and my only concession was that I had a regular instead of a foot long red hot. A damn good dog.
   Walking across the street to Anderson's Custard I treated myself to a baby cone of pumpkin custard that was divine. Buffetbuster's thread has a picture of me eating the cone lustily so it is probably pretty obvious I enjoyed the treat.
   Our next stop was Parkside Candy, a delightful candy and ice cream shop with internal decor that resembled the wild movie palaces of the 20's and 30's. The stop at Anderson's had me ice creamed out so I nibbled on sponge candy, a milk chocolate delight that is rich but not oversweet. I also chatted with a lot of folks and simply enjoyed the stunning interior during our time there.
   Our next stop was the Anchor Bar, the place that invented Buffalo Wings in the 60's. We were seated communally and served plates of wings that were either mild or medium with hot sauce available on the side with blue cheese, celery and carrots as the usual companion sides. Got to meet moderator Mike S and spouse and enjoyed the food. I think we got the side room because the Bills game did not begin for another hour .
   We went back to the hotel and a few of us went to Antoinette's in Williamsville. I bought sponge candy,(Michael Stern strongly suggested milk chocolate instead of orange and I did so)and another Buffalo candy speciality,the Charlie Chaplin. Chocolate, again very light and a taste treat.
   Then back to the hotel for a night of football and rest.

Re:Mr Chips Shuffles off to Buffalo (Niagara)

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 10:17:29 GMT

mr chips

Day i continued ith a visit to Nick Tahout's. I was probably the most impressed member of the tour. Much of misspent youth was spent at truck stops and pie shops and this place brought back fond memories of late night adventures and my former cast-iron stomach.
   I opted for the whit dog plate which had beans, fried potatoes, mac salad, hot sauce and other things all smooshed together in a delightful mix of flavors. Best greasy spoon food ever. My thanks to Mr. Tahout for comping us the food, Wandering jew(Dale) for splitting the plate and saving my stomach, and Jane, Michael and Stephen for taking us to wonder monument to late night American food.
   After the meal we were given fresh apples and a brief history and tour of Rochester. I liked seeing High Falls and the locally produced cider and beer that he gave us were great complements to the food.
   Next stop was the LNR char pit and Abbot's custard for steak sandwiches and frozen custard. Surprising to me, the places were located next to park(with a beach)on Lake Ontario. I got my sandwich to go, grabbed a pumpkin custard cone at Abbot's and walked along the beach for about 45 minutes. The custard was delightful, the sandwich, thin sliced and incredibly tasty and the lake spectacular. Waves were gently crashing, boats leaving the harbor, and heading out, families and couples were enjoying the sand and warmth and I simply sucked in the vibe. I love the trips but I just wanted to be alone and enjoy nature for a brief time.
   I rejoined everyone and discovered than everyone's food (except mine) had been comped again and again had great conversation with Ayersian (Chris and Amy) and Buffetbuster and the Meltons. This was a marvelous stop.
   We all had a big surprise after this. Stephen Rushmore had arranged for us to go to a swap meet in Albion,and enjoy a fundraising barbecue for a local volunteer fire department. The culinary treat was Cornell chicken, a vinegar, egg and other stuff marinade that gave the chicken a very satisfying crunch and tang. There were homemade pies from local mennonite and/or Amish women and a nice vibe at the swap meet. I thought of my roadfood friend Bill Voss as I walked around. A fantastic and totally unexpected experience and cannot praise Mr. Rushmore enough for arranging this experience.
   Evening was spent Steve's Pig and Oxtail Roast in Lackawanna, a place reviewed in the new Stern's book. The food was disappointing but the company of my fellow roadfooders was not. Again my thanks to Dale for splitting a plate and saving my stomach. It was a wonderful and very full day.

In WNY, "Cornell" chicken at a volunteer fire company barbecue usually means Chiavetta's marinade. I grew up eating this, and buy it in quarts on line to marinate it here for cookouts. It's also good on pork chops.

Re:Mr Chips Shuffles off to Buffalo (mr chips)

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 10:09:33 GMT

Day 3 continued with a visit to Nick Tahou's. I was probably the most impressed member of the tour. Much of misspent youth was spent at truck stops and pie shops and this place brought back fond memories of late night adventures and my former cast-iron stomach.
   I opted for the white dog plate which had beans, fried potatoes, mac salad, hot sauce and other things all smooshed together in a delightful mix of flavors. Best greasy spoon food ever. My thanks to Mr. Tahou for comping us the food, Wandering jew(Dale) for splitting the plate and saving my stomach, and Jane, Michael and Stephen for taking us to wonder monument to late night American food.
   After the meal we were given fresh apples and a brief history and tour of Rochester. I liked seeing High Falls and the locally produced cider and beer that he gave us were great complements to the food.
   Next stop was the LDR char pit and Abbot's custard for steak sandwiches and frozen custard. Surprising to me, the places were located next to a park(with a beach)on Lake Ontario. I got my sandwich to go, grabbed a pumpkin custard cone at Abbot's and walked along the beach for about 45 minutes. The custard was delightful, the sandwich, thin sliced and incredibly tasty and the lake spectacular. Waves were gently crashing, boats leaving the harbor, and heading out, families and couples were enjoying the sand and warmth and I simply sucked in the vibe. I love the trips but I just wanted to be alone and enjoy nature for a brief time.
   I rejoined everyone and discovered than everyone's food (except mine) had been comped again and again had great conversation with Ayersian (Chris and Amy) and Buffetbuster and the Meltons. This was a marvelous stop.
   We all had a big surprise after this. Stephen Rushmore had arranged for us to go to a swap meet in Albion,and enjoy a fundraising barbecue for a local volunteer fire department. The culinary treat was Cornell chicken, a vinegar, egg and other stuff marinade that gave the chicken a very satisfying crunch and tang. There were homemade pies from local Mennonite and/or Amish women and a nice vibe at the swap meet. I thought of my roadfood friend Bill Voss as I walked around. A fantastic and totally unexpected experience and I cannot praise Mr. Rushmore enough for arranging this experience.
   Evening was spent Steve's Pig and Oxtail Roast in Lackawanna, a place reviewed in the new Stern's book. The food was disappointing but the company of my fellow roadfooders was not. Again my thanks to Dale for splitting a plate and saving my stomach. It was a wonderful and very full day.

Re:Mr Chips Shuffles off to Buffalo (Niagara)

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 10:07:19 GMT

mayor al

Carol,
Thanks for the description of you experiences crossing the border. I sure miss the days of merely telling the Canadian officer where we were going in Canada and then telling the US guy that all we bought was gas and dinner !

Check the Beverage forum on this site for a thread about Canadian Beer. I recall reading some good discussion there about "Strange Brew" in the 'Great White North'!!

When I was younger, all the guys working the US side of the bridges in the summer were teachers moonlighting during summer break, and since my parents both taught, crossing back into the States for me only involved the Customs and Immigration guy going "say hi to your mom & dad" and waving me through.

The most in-depth crossing I remember was when I was in college and was coming back pretty wasted from Toronto about 3 AM after having seen the Stones at Maple Leaf Gardens - Mr. Haggerty, my high school english teacher asked if my mom knew I was out that late and waved us through, long hair and all.

Re:Mr Chips Shuffles off to Buffalo (mr chips)

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 09:12:28 GMT

I too sadly recall the days when crossing the border was as easy as buying a gallon of milk. I packed my passport this trip but forgot to tell my rental car company I might go to Canada so could not go, The Rainbow Bridge at Niagara Falls seems a bit longer now.

Re:Mr Chips Shuffles off to Buffalo (mayor al)

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 06:44:07 GMT

Carol,
Thanks for the description of you experiences crossing the border. I sure miss the days of merely telling the Canadian officer where we were going in Canada and then telling the US guy that all we bought was gas and dinner !

Check the Beverage forum on this site for a thread about Canadian Beer. I recall reading some good discussion there about "Strange Brew" in the 'Great White North'!!

Re:Mr Chips Shuffles off to Buffalo (Oh Canada)

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 01:24:33 GMT

Buffalo Tarheel

Carol Dilworth

Hi Mr. Chips,

Thanks for the wonderful trip reports. They gave me more reasons to return to Buffalo, depending on the welcome at the border! I think the best way to do this is to pull up, turn the engine off and settle in for a chat... Going home I was quizzed about the weekend and asked for my favourite of all the places we visited. By that point my brain was custard but I was even able to spell Schwabl's.

Cheers,

Carol

Carol,

Did the customs agents ask you why you had been in the States and then heard about the RF tour? I was wondering what they thought of it - maybe they were looking for ideas as well.

Glad you came to the tour.

The Customs Agents going (US) and coming home (Canadian) hadn't heard of the Roadfood tour and both of them asked really specific questions. Yes, I think the young lady on the way home might have been looking for a recommendation. But the young fellow on the way into the US just barked at me; I was shaking by the time I'd convinced him that I was just a tourist trying to cross the border to spend some money.

There is a pass called NEXUS that people crossing from Canada can get; maybe you can too. I assume that it's a fast-track, pre-clearance. Presumably you would have to renew it from time to time. I don't know the cost, but I have a Muslim friend who lectures and vacations with his famiily in the US and has NEXUS, probably very wise. It wouldn't be worth my while for the few times each year that I cross, but I really wonder where my rights kick in as to how much information I have to provide. On a trip to Michigan for a family party, I had to describe the cakes I'd baked - he said that's because he wanted to decide whether to confiscate them for himself!

This is the first time I've participated in a forum so I'm going to tell you here about Canadian beer. Maybe some day I'll figure out how to start my own forum on Canadian food. The weekend made me think of lots of ideas for travellers.

In addition to Labatts Blue and Molson Canadian, we have some regional products that you can purchase at Duty Free. My Michigan relatives enjoy Alexander Keith's from Halifax, Nova Scotia. Sleemans, Creemore and Wellington are produced in Ontario. Canadian beer is stronger than American beer. That's why I was able to down two bottles of Genesee Light within an hour of each other... We could probably do a whole forum on why I felt the need to explain that, but let's not.

Carol

Re:Mr Chips Shuffles off to Buffalo (Oh Canada)

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 01:07:49 GMT

MikeS.

Carol, it was a pleasure to meet you. Thanks for the input on Tim Hortons.

This board doesn't use avatars or signature lines.

MikeS.

Mike, did I use the wrong term? How do people develop a code name at the left of their messages? Thanks very much. Carol

Re:Mr Chips Shuffles off to Buffalo (Buffalo Tarheel)

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 17:10:39 GMT

Carol Dilworth

Hi Mr. Chips,

Thanks for the wonderful trip reports. They gave me more reasons to return to Buffalo, depending on the welcome at the border! I think the best way to do this is to pull up, turn the engine off and settle in for a chat... Going home I was quizzed about the weekend and asked for my favourite of all the places we visited. By that point my brain was custard but I was even able to spell Schwabl's.

Cheers,

Carol

Carol,

Did the customs agents ask you why you had been in the States and then heard about the RF tour? I was wondering what they thought of it - maybe they were looking for ideas as well.

Glad you came to the tour.

Re:Mr Chips Shuffles off to Buffalo (MikeS.)

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 16:59:25 GMT

Carol, it was a pleasure to meet you. Thanks for the input on Tim Hortons.

This board doesn't use avatars or signature lines.

MikeS.

Re:Mr Chips Shuffles off to Buffalo (Oh Canada)

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 16:53:09 GMT

Hi Mr. Chips,

Thanks for the wonderful trip reports. They gave me more reasons to return to Buffalo, depending on the welcome at the border! I think the best way to do this is to pull up, turn the engine off and settle in for a chat... Going home I was quizzed about the weekend and asked for my favourite of all the places we visited. By that point my brain was custard but I was even able to spell Schwabl's.

Re Tim Hortons: I didn't visit one on this trip but will go back to the Tims that was near the Roadfood Weekend hotel. That's two reasons to return to that area: Tims and Charlie the Butcher(?). Beef on weck at Schwabl's was my weekend highlight and I want to see what the competition does. So when I do my next weck weekend I'll check out Tims to see if they offer the same menu as here in Canada and whether the coffee tastes the same.

My personal favourite (no, that is not a spelling mistake) at Tims is the turkey club on brown - the honey mustard is a great touch. They've recently added several blueberry items - may be just seasonal but they're wonderful.

You've made me think about the Canadian addiction to Tims. Consistency, maybe, but I think the coffee flavour (yup, we use u here) is stronger than Mcdonalds or Coffee Time.

If you ever do a Roadfood tour of Tims, be sure to visit the Hamilton, Ontario, location that was the first-ever Tim Hortons. It hasn't been modernized and there's a showcase of hockey memorabilia. (An aside: Hamilton, Ontario, is the location of the most recent Woody Harrelson movie that debuted last week at the Toronto International Film Festival.)

Thanks to everyone for a fantastic weekend - Jane, Michael, Stephen, what a team!

And can someone tell me how to create an avatar?

Cheers,

Carol

Re:Mr Chips Shuffles off to Buffalo (buffetbuster)

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 08:20:50 GMT

mr chips-
I am thoroughly enjoying your trip report so far. Even though I was there for part of the time, it is always nice to hear about it through someone else's eyes. And the mixture of sightseeing stops really adds to the report. Looking forward to reading more!

Re:Mr Chips Shuffles off to Buffalo (mr chips)

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 05:00:00 GMT

Day 3 of my trip was day 1 of the roadfood excursions. The day's beginning is always exciting. It's always a mix of familiar faces and newcomers; long time contributors and rookies. We are dedicated to good food and good times. The conversations are always interesting because so many of us are highly opinionated, fluid conversationalists who like to talk.
     Dale(Wandering Jew) sat beside me and ChiTownDiner, Buffetbuster,and Tintin were close by. Michael Stern had us introduce ourselves and kept up giving us information about the places where we were eating.
      Other threads have better pictures and give full accounts of the day so I will summarize and write about my experiences and feelings but may not go into as much detail as others.
     Our first stop of the day was Dinosaur Bar B Q in Rochester. Our bus parked on a bridge over the Genesee River and we had a short walk to the riverside place. I had a rib, really good beans, and the western New York specialty of salt potatoes which were a salty, buttery delight that Mr. Stern had highly recommended. The atmosphere was southern juke joint and we were served at a buffet. Good food, excellent conversation and friendly staff.
More to come

Re:Mr Chips Shuffles off to Buffalo (mr chips)

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 23:53:38 GMT

Day 3 began with a guilty food experience. I have seen the signs for Tim Horton's all over Canada and had no idea what it was. There seemed to be one every 10 blocks in Buffalo so I decided to check it out to see what the fuss was all about. I was not impressed. The coffee was adequate, the doughnuts were, well.doughnuts. It reminded me of Dunkin' Donuts except it said washrooms instead of restrooms and there were Ted Horton hockey cards. Glad i checked it out but I can't figure out why there have been several threads about the places on Roadfood.

Re:Mr Chips Shuffles off to Buffalo (mar52)

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 22:06:57 GMT

There's more to traveling than just food!

What an interesting trip.

Re:Mr Chips Shuffles off to Buffalo (Buffalo Tarheel)

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 21:51:55 GMT

Mr. Chips,

It was a pleasure to meet you this weekend, and my only regret is that the time went so quickly. Thank you for a great write-up of your travels. You could be as good an ambassador for Buffalo as you are for Portland. You're motivating me to visit some local spots that I have not been to - even places that are not restaurants!

Re:Mr Chips Shuffles off to Buffalo (ChiTownDiner)

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 20:26:47 GMT

mr chips -

I love your adventures...you have such a strong combination of interests and when combined...it's a recipe for fun and good times! Great seing you!

Re:Mr Chips Shuffles off to Buffalo (mr chips)

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 19:00:27 GMT

And it did Dale. it was good to see you again and nice to have a latte. I'm still in Buffalo and will fly west tomorrow.

Re:Mr Chips Shuffles off to Buffalo (wanderingjew)

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 18:53:12 GMT

I believe that Mr Chips is one of the last holdouts in Buffalo as he is heading back home Tuesday Morning.

I met Mr Chips for a quick breakfast this morning at a local Coffee House Chain called Spot Coffee just outside of Buffalo in Williamsville.

Since Mr. Chips is a native Oregonian I figured that a coffeehouse would make him feel right at home !