Posted by Bruce Bilmes and Sue Boyle
, October 05, 2009 14:36
Buffalo is 73 miles west of Rochester yet, other than their common infatuation with hot dog cuisine, they each have their own world of local delicacies. And, if ever there was a local food item that seemed primed to go national in a big way, beef on weck should be it. Should be, but it’s been around for decades and you’d be hard-pressed to find one 50 miles out of town. We have no idea why. What is beef on weck? It’s a roast beef sandwich on a roll that is heavily crusted with pretzel salt and caraway seeds:
Our first visit of the Roadfood Tour day took us to Schwabl’s, home of the finest beef on weck in Buffalo, hence the finest in the world. The plate above is sided by some of the best German potato salad you’ll ever enjoy, good homemade mayo-less slaw, and a few stray slices of beet.
What makes Schwabl’s so much better than the rest is the care taken in the cooking, slicing, and trimming of the beef. Schwabl’s opened early for us – we had the entire place to ourselves – and there were tables for everyone but we chose to stand at the bar where we had a ringside seat at the sandwich station. The master carver went about his business with a Zen-like focus, carefully carving choice pieces off the giant roast, then trimming and thinly slicing those pieces on a board with the dexterity of a master lox slicer from the Lower East Side. Each half of the roll is momentarily dipped in natural jus before receiving an alottment of the worried-over beef.
The folks at Schwabl’s seemed concerned that perhaps they weren’t serving people as fast as they should, but they need not have given it a thought: the sandwiches were perfect, the show was fascinating, the talent inspiring. Bruce felt Schwabl’s was the highlight of the two-day event.
Buffalo is a hot dog town, and there’s no better way to see that for yourself than at one of the seven area Ted’s Hot Dog shops. Local Sahlen’s dogs are grilled over coals till crusty and blackened, then dressed as you like, but especially with Ted’s own hot sauce.
A footlong is really getting in the spirit of things at Ted’s, even though there is much more food to come today. And don’t forget to order a side of Ted’s superlative O-rings.
If an entire footlong just seems like too much food, you can always share:
You’ve qualified for our bonus lightning round! The goal? To dash across six lanes of traffic, reach the other side without making contact with a moving vehicle, and then grab the frozen custard of your choice from Anderson’s.
Let the debate begin! Who serves better custard? Abbott’s in Rochester or Anderson’s in Buffalo? Many chose Anderson’s (especially the pumpkin). Many chose Abbott’s (especially the chocolate almond). We’ll give a small edge to Abbott’s for now, but we really need more samples of each to truly declare a winner. If they’d both care to ship a few dry ice packed containers to us in NJ we promise to give the weighty subject further consideration.
Back on the bus, and off to Parkside.
Parkside Candies is a beautiful old candy and ice cream shop with a stunning and dramatic interior reminiscent of the great old movie palaces. They specialize in that fascinating and delectable Buffalo specialty know as sponge candy, which is a light and airy chunk of crisp caramelized sugar that is enrobed in dark or milk chocolate.
Our own eating capacities having been temporarily exceeded, we were unfortunately only able to look but not taste. We trust from the happy look on the chocolate-smudged faces of those spooning into cups of ice cream and carrying bags of nut clusters and milk chocolate sponge that Parkside was a worthy stop.
Our final stop was the source of the very first Buffalo wing ever created by mankind: the Anchor Bar. It’s a huge tourist attraction now, but in some ways it’s still the same thing it always was: a neighborhood bar, a place to catch the Bills on TV and down some local beer and wings. And the thing is, when all is said and done… with the proliferation of Buffalo wings throughout the city, and all over the country… with people now proclaiming this place in Tampa or that place in Milwaukee, or even someplace else in Buffalo, as the source for the “world’s greatest wings”… we think the Anchor serves the best wings we’ve ever had (that is Bruce talking there; Sue does not like wings). They are perfectly crisp, yet moist within, and the wings are not swimming in sauce.
The platters were served
Both in mid-hot and mild,
With sides of hot sauce
For all fans of the wild.
Each wing bone was nibbled
And stripped of its meat.
Leaving morsels too small
For even Cindy Lou Who to eat:
Now ordinarily this would be the end of the story, as well it should be for anyone who has eaten along with the Roadfood gang. But there was that old Roadfood magic in the air, and as all the world knows, where Roadfood travels, romance follows. And so it was that a Roadfooder named JoJo, from Hawaii by way of Florida, asked for the microphone and asked to speak to those gathered on the bus for the ride back to the hotel from Anchor Bar. The words were halting… nervous… but oh so sincere, as she proposed marriage to Mike, seated at the back of the bus. He, of course, said yes.
Here is the first photo of the happy, engaged couple, in the back of the bus. They have promised to name their first born buffetbuster.
The bus returned to the hotel, as many folks had planes to catch. A few true diehards continued on the bus for another Antoinette’s visit, and more ice cream. We just could not face another bite. Hugs and kisses all around/promises to gather again in March for the 2nd Annual Louisiana Roadfood Festival/waves to cars heading off to home. Stephen promised that this would be the best Roadfood tour yet. Listen when Stephen speaks. He knows what he’s talking about. He was absolutely right.
Many of the photos in this report are the work of Stephen Rushmore Jr. and Judy Rushmore.
