Those of you who know me well know that I'm originally from Buffalo, New York. (Or to be more precise, I grew up in the suburbs of Buffalo.) I moved to the Dayton, Ohio area almost 15 years ago.
There's lots of things I miss about my home town. What do you miss about yours?
1) The friends and relatives I left behind there
2) Real Buffalo-style chicken wings (only people outside of Buffalo call them "Buffalo wings" or dare to bread them)
3) Beef on weck (roast beef on a kummelweck roll -- yummy!)
4) Ted's Hot Dogs (charcoal-broiled year-round)
5) Mighty Taco
6) Sitting on the banks of the Niagara River and watching the world (and boats) go by
7) Snow in the winter (not ice, rain or no precipitation at all)
8) Beautiful summers
9) Niagara Falls
10) Weber's Horseradish Mustard (yellow like French's but with a kick)
11) Chiavetta's Barbecue sauce (actually it's more like a marinade)
12) Real Italian food made by people with Italian ancestry and who put love into their cooking (unlike most of the franchised operations here)
13) The Buffalo Brew Pub (still brewing fine beers on premises since 1986)
14) Crystal Beach amusement park (now closed)
15) Day trips into Ontario (and the obligatory stop at Brewers Retail)
16) Letchworth State Park (absolutely gorges in the fall)
17) Allegany State Park
18) Family-owned pizza and sub shops on nearly every street corner
19) Gioia macaroni (bought out by Borden)
20) The ethnic mixture of the town -- Italian, Polish, Irish, German, Hispanic, African-American
21) Greek restaurants (many of which claim to be the "Home of the Souvlaki")
22) Picking up radio and TV stations from Toronto and Hamilton
23) The Hertel Avenue strip in North Buffalo
24) Turning the garage into a sitting room during the summer
25) People who know how to drive in snow, and road crews that know how to get rid of it
There's lots of things I miss about my home town. What do you miss about yours?
1) The friends and relatives I left behind there
2) Real Buffalo-style chicken wings (only people outside of Buffalo call them "Buffalo wings" or dare to bread them)
3) Beef on weck (roast beef on a kummelweck roll -- yummy!)
4) Ted's Hot Dogs (charcoal-broiled year-round)
5) Mighty Taco
6) Sitting on the banks of the Niagara River and watching the world (and boats) go by
7) Snow in the winter (not ice, rain or no precipitation at all)
8) Beautiful summers
9) Niagara Falls
10) Weber's Horseradish Mustard (yellow like French's but with a kick)
11) Chiavetta's Barbecue sauce (actually it's more like a marinade)
12) Real Italian food made by people with Italian ancestry and who put love into their cooking (unlike most of the franchised operations here)
13) The Buffalo Brew Pub (still brewing fine beers on premises since 1986)
14) Crystal Beach amusement park (now closed)
15) Day trips into Ontario (and the obligatory stop at Brewers Retail)
16) Letchworth State Park (absolutely gorges in the fall)
17) Allegany State Park
18) Family-owned pizza and sub shops on nearly every street corner
19) Gioia macaroni (bought out by Borden)
20) The ethnic mixture of the town -- Italian, Polish, Irish, German, Hispanic, African-American
21) Greek restaurants (many of which claim to be the "Home of the Souvlaki")
22) Picking up radio and TV stations from Toronto and Hamilton
23) The Hertel Avenue strip in North Buffalo
24) Turning the garage into a sitting room during the summer
25) People who know how to drive in snow, and road crews that know how to get rid of it
no subject
Date: 2004-04-20 10:29 am (UTC)I'm somewhat more fortunate. My home town is about an hour's drive.
:D
2) Real Buffalo-style chicken wings (only people outside of Buffalo call them "Buffalo wings" or dare to bread them)
3) Beef on weck (roast beef on a kummelweck roll -- yummy!)
4) Ted's Hot Dogs (charcoal-broiled year-round)
5) Mighty Taco
10) Weber's Horseradish Mustard (yellow like French's but with a kick)
11) Chiavetta's Barbecue sauce (actually it's more like a marinade)
When my parents went out to visit my aunt and uncle who had moved to Denver, they asked if there was anything they could bring. When my parent's boarded the plane, their 'carry-on' luggage was a pair of shopping bags full of buckets of wings from Anchor Bar, kummelweck rolls, Weber's mustard, Chiavetta's, kabasa from Broadway Market and six-packs of Genny and Genny Cream. :D
6) Sitting on the banks of the Niagara River and watching the world (and boats) go by
9) Niagara Falls
Not to mention the Ice Boom! For those not from Western NY, there's a chain across the river to keep the ice-berg sized chunks of lake ice from crashing over the falls. In spring, when the ice has melted to less than 2 sq. mi., they pull the chain and let it go! Spring literally comes to Niagara Falls with a roar and a thunder! :D
13) The Buffalo Brew Pub (still brewing fine beers on premises since 1986)
And still going. There's a basket of salted peanuts on every table. The refill barrel is by the dartboard. Help yourselves. And feel free to throw the peanut shells on the floor. :D
14) Crystal Beach amusement park (now closed)
*Sigh!*
15) Day trips into Ontario (and the obligatory stop at Brewers Retail)
Day trips, check! Where's Brewer's Retail?
16) Letchworth State Park (absolutely gorges in the fall)
17) Allegany State Park
Yup! Yup!
20) The ethnic mixture of the town -- Italian, Polish, Irish, German, Hispanic, African-American
And everyone of them has an ethnic festival with a parade and a food area where you can eat your favorites to your heart's content. And *all* the ethnic restaurants come out for "Taste of Buffalo".
21) Greek restaurants (many of which claim to be the "Home of the Souvlaki")
My favorite is Towne in the middle of Allentown.
22) Picking up radio and TV stations from Toronto and Hamilton
Sometimes with a clearer signal. And you can see the movie that was pre-empted by the President's political speech.
23) The Hertel Avenue strip in North Buffalo
Not what it used to be. Chippewa is the hot-spot nowadays. Yes, I said Chippewa, all the whore-houses are gone and some really hot bars are there now.
24) Turning the garage into a sitting room during the summer
Yup! And there's an electrical outlet in your garage so you can plug the TV in! And a phone jack, how else are you going to order the pizza! :D
7) Snow in the winter (not ice, rain or no precipitation at all)
25) People who know how to drive in snow, and road crews that know how to get rid of it
My wife just presented her newest paper in a conference in Chicago this past weekend. (Full details this evening when I have time to write) Do you know what Chicago calls a 'snow emergency'? TWO INCHES!!! Around here, that's called "Spring!" :D
no subject
Date: 2004-04-20 12:33 pm (UTC)Well, if Rochester had any jobs for me at the time, I would be too. :-( But then, I would never have met my wife.
When my parent's boarded the plane, their 'carry-on' luggage was a pair of shopping bags full of buckets of wings from Anchor Bar, kummelweck rolls, Weber's mustard, Chiavetta's, kabasa from Broadway Market and six-packs of Genny and Genny Cream. :D
I often pick up these things in my trips back home. I think the local Kroger now carries Genny and Genny Screamers (which I don't miss). The beer is way too hoppy.
Not to mention the Ice Boom! For those not from Western NY, there's a chain across the river to keep the ice-berg sized chunks of lake ice from crashing over the falls. In spring, when the ice has melted to less than 2 sq. mi., they pull the chain and let it go! Spring literally comes to Niagara Falls with a roar and a thunder! :D
I never saw the ice boom. I remember hearing about it, though.
And still going. There's a basket of salted peanuts on every table. The refill barrel is by the dartboard. Help yourselves. And feel free to throw the peanut shells on the floor. :D
BBP is one of of the bars that I've used as inspiration for my personal website: a virtual tavern. Other bars in the mix include Anacone's Inn, the Tralf, and your local Applebee's. Throw in a few coffeehouses, a bar with a stage for either folk or rock bands or performers, a sports bar, a truck stop or two, and Callahan's Crosstime Saloon, and that's what the Line of Death Bar & Grill is all about. Now to actually sit down and *write* the pages to go on the website.
Day trips, check! Where's Brewer's Retail?
Now called "The Beer Store". I think there's one on the corner of Gilmore and Idlewylde in Fort Erie.
And everyone of them has an ethnic festival with a parade and a food area where you can eat your favorites to your heart's content. And *all* the ethnic restaurants come out for "Taste of Buffalo".
Is there a "Taste of Dayton" or "Taste of Cincinnati"? I don't know; I haven't gone to it. It would probably be a mix of German and Appalaichian food. Not to mention Cincinnati-style chili.
Sometimes with a clearer signal. And you can see the movie that was pre-empted by the President's political speech.
Not to mention less editing of the "naughty bits" and cuss words.
Yup! And there's an electrical outlet in your garage so you can plug the TV in! And a phone jack, how else are you going to order the pizza! :D
Of course. All the amenities of home. I wouldn't put out the plastic pink flamingos, though.
My wife just presented her newest paper in a conference in Chicago this past weekend. (Full details this evening when I have time to write) Do you know what Chicago calls a 'snow emergency'? TWO INCHES!!! Around here, that's called "Spring!" :D
In Dayton, one inch is enough to declare a snow emergency. The local drivers here don't know about "coefficient of friction".
no subject
Date: 2004-04-25 06:42 pm (UTC)Yes, there is a Taste of Cincinnati. It's sometime in the summer. I'll let you know when - whenever I find out.
Missing Home
Date: 2004-04-20 03:19 pm (UTC)- The Safehouse - neat restaurant...kinda like a Spy Club...really interesting but a little too hard to describe!
- The Mitchell Domes
- Lake Michigan
- Bradford Beach
- Grand Avenue Mall
- Summer Fest
- my old house!!!!!!!!!
Can't think of anything else @ the moment though...Re: Missing Home
Date: 2004-04-20 08:14 pm (UTC)...five, six, seven, eight, schlimiel, schlamazzel, hassenpfeffer incorporated.... ;-)