By Jasmine Peterson and Maria Yankova
BegnalNews Reporters
When you open the door to Lucy Ethiopian Cuisine, the combination of onions and robust spices take over the smell and the intimate hourglass-shaped tables made of straw add a unique feel to the establishment. It’s an Ethiopian tradition that people gather around those tables and eat together.
The restaurant located at 388 Amherst St., serves traditional Ethiopian dishes such as Awazie Tibs, Kifto, Gomen Basiga and offers authentic skin products from Africa.
Nicole Green, a customer at Lucy Ethiopian Cuisine talks about why she enjoys the restaurant:
Lucy Ethiopian Cuisine is one of the many ethnic restaurants on the West Side that compliment the cultural diversity of the area along with the Niagara Café, Niagara Seafood, Delicious Bakery & Tropical Food, Wah Sing and the West Side Bazaar.
“There’s not a lot of Hispanic bakeries in this area,” said Damicela Rodriguez, an employee at Delicious Bakery and Tropical Food. “We serve everyone as family. We just treat everybody the same and there’s no difference. It’s something that we’ve always had in our family, that we love to serve others.”
The place has had a new owner since November of last year and it will soon be called La Flor. It offers authentic Hispanic foods and deserts, such as pasteles, flan, and tres leches cake.
Another option for authentic Hispanic food is Niagara Café. The restaurant is family- owned and been around for 20 years. The Hispanic music playing in the background and the Hispanic TV channel add to the cultural atmosphere.
“We have great home-made cooking,” said manager Lillian Quintana. “It’s a great place; people come here for meetings - politicians, lawyers - since we’re close to downtown. We get a diverse crowd. It’s the only sit-down Puerto Rican place on the West Side.”
BegnalNews Reporters
When you open the door to Lucy Ethiopian Cuisine, the combination of onions and robust spices take over the smell and the intimate hourglass-shaped tables made of straw add a unique feel to the establishment. It’s an Ethiopian tradition that people gather around those tables and eat together.
The restaurant located at 388 Amherst St., serves traditional Ethiopian dishes such as Awazie Tibs, Kifto, Gomen Basiga and offers authentic skin products from Africa.
Nicole Green, a customer at Lucy Ethiopian Cuisine talks about why she enjoys the restaurant:
Lucy Ethiopian Cuisine is one of the many ethnic restaurants on the West Side that compliment the cultural diversity of the area along with the Niagara Café, Niagara Seafood, Delicious Bakery & Tropical Food, Wah Sing and the West Side Bazaar.
“There’s not a lot of Hispanic bakeries in this area,” said Damicela Rodriguez, an employee at Delicious Bakery and Tropical Food. “We serve everyone as family. We just treat everybody the same and there’s no difference. It’s something that we’ve always had in our family, that we love to serve others.”
The place has had a new owner since November of last year and it will soon be called La Flor. It offers authentic Hispanic foods and deserts, such as pasteles, flan, and tres leches cake.
Another option for authentic Hispanic food is Niagara Café. The restaurant is family- owned and been around for 20 years. The Hispanic music playing in the background and the Hispanic TV channel add to the cultural atmosphere.
“We have great home-made cooking,” said manager Lillian Quintana. “It’s a great place; people come here for meetings - politicians, lawyers - since we’re close to downtown. We get a diverse crowd. It’s the only sit-down Puerto Rican place on the West Side.”
Right down the street from Niagara Café is Niagara Seafood located at 837 Niagara St.
and is both a grocery store and a restaurant. The establishment offers frozen seafood and fresh
Vietnamese, Burmese and Thai dishes. Vietnamese music playing throughout the place adds to
the ambience.
According to owner Michael Nguyen, the most popular dish that they offer is the Vietnamese sandwich. He said the place will soon be renamed to Lantern because there will be a lantern at every table, “which makes the atmosphere really warm and welcoming.”
Niagara Seafood will be part of this year’s Taste of Buffalo, a two-day food festival featuring various restaurants from around the city.
The West Side Bazaar at 25 Grant St. is yet another place that offers a taste of nations around the world. It features a fully equipped kitchen where native Peruvian, Burmese, Chinese and Ethiopian cooks prepare food from their respective countries.
“Our vegetarian food is different from American food and any other country’s food, and we always make it fresh, nothing frozen.” said Zelalem, owner of Abyssinia, the Ethiopian restaurant at the bazaar.
Five Points Bakery located at 426 Rhode Island St., adds to the diversity on the West Side in a different way with all of its food made from scratch and from whole-grain products. Its cinnamon rolls won an award for best healthy treat by Buffalo Spree in 2011.
“One of the biggest benefits is the relationship with the producers and suppliers because when you deal with a company that you can’t go see, even if they say they’re organic, you don’t know,” said owner Kevin Gardner. “But I know these farmers, I know their families, and I know how stuff is produced. And the money is spent locally.”
According to owner Michael Nguyen, the most popular dish that they offer is the Vietnamese sandwich. He said the place will soon be renamed to Lantern because there will be a lantern at every table, “which makes the atmosphere really warm and welcoming.”
Niagara Seafood will be part of this year’s Taste of Buffalo, a two-day food festival featuring various restaurants from around the city.
The West Side Bazaar at 25 Grant St. is yet another place that offers a taste of nations around the world. It features a fully equipped kitchen where native Peruvian, Burmese, Chinese and Ethiopian cooks prepare food from their respective countries.
“Our vegetarian food is different from American food and any other country’s food, and we always make it fresh, nothing frozen.” said Zelalem, owner of Abyssinia, the Ethiopian restaurant at the bazaar.
Five Points Bakery located at 426 Rhode Island St., adds to the diversity on the West Side in a different way with all of its food made from scratch and from whole-grain products. Its cinnamon rolls won an award for best healthy treat by Buffalo Spree in 2011.
“One of the biggest benefits is the relationship with the producers and suppliers because when you deal with a company that you can’t go see, even if they say they’re organic, you don’t know,” said owner Kevin Gardner. “But I know these farmers, I know their families, and I know how stuff is produced. And the money is spent locally.”
From Chinese cuisine to Ethiopian fare, the West Side is rich with diverse eating options. There are some surprising finds that reflect the intersection of cultures. For example, at Wah Sing, a Chinese restaurant on West Ferry Street, there’s nothing out of the ordinary at first glance. But if customers take a closer look, they’ll notice a pale yellow sign with a handwritten menu of Hispanic dishes taped to the wall near the counter. That’s right – patrons can enjoy chuletas con tostones (pork chops with fried plantains) with wonton soup and egg rolls. When asked why the restaurant offers Hispanic food options, owner Kim Chang simply replied, “The neighborhood.” -- Jasmine Peterson and Maria Yankova
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