A night in Buffalo

OK, so I haven't been great about updating my blog, but I have a huge backlog of half-finished entries. I just found this one in my phone. I wrote it on my phone while I was out having dinner and drinks in Buffalo, NY. I think I intended to polish it up, but I think it's a good read as-is. The numbering at the end is me trying to distinguish between the different drinks I was having. Nothing has been changed except for the addition of one picture and the correction of one typo where I said "in" and meant "on." I hope you enjoy. This was on the evening of May 14, 2010.
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So I'm in Buffalo for the night, unexpectedly. Since I know nobody here, I am going out and have plenty of time to blog on my phone as I am not distracted by conversation. Yes, I am a total loner tonight. As such, I will give you a review of my drinks and locations.

Salsarita: the concierge at my hostel told me about this place. He said it wasn't bad Mexican food (he was comparing it to SF taquerias, which are the gold standard as far as I'm concerned). I was expecting a hole-in-the-wall and the place looked like a chain restaurant. Should have skipped out then. It's a level up from Taco Bell (aka the Worst Food Ever), but is 83 levels behind the lowest rung for SF taquerias. I award you no points and may God have mercy on your soul.

Allen Street Hardware: nice venue. [Ed. note: here's a pic from that night:

Allen Street Harware]

Red walls covered in original pieces of art, a huge bar, and 4 beers on tap, none of which I've never seen before. It also appears to serve some pretty good food for reasonable prices. I hate that fucking concierge right now as I'm full on shitty Mexican food and this menu looks über-tasty! Here's what I drank:
1) Piledriver IPA ($4.50 pint): made exclusively for this particular bar/restaurant, it is an excellent IPA. Milder hops than most IPAs, but with that same distinctive IPA taste and a lingering finish.
2) The first IPA filled me up quite a bit, so I'm not trying their other IPA, called Tröegs, for my next beer as the bartender said it is "really hoppy." Instead, I opt for the Rare Vos Belgian brew out of Cooperstown ($4.50 pint). Delicious! Smooth, but not too floral and sweet as some Belgians can be. It tastes like a pilsner with a faint hint of delicious root beer. Just enough flavor to let you know it's Belgian style.
3) HOLY CRAP the other bartender was wrong about the other beer being an IPA. It's the fantastic Nugget Nectar by Tröegs.
4) Check receipt in pocket
5) hoegarden
6) I am fuuuukt! Woo hoo! mamas little yella pils- oskar blues


Scotty is the MAN!!!!


[Ed. note: Scotty was my bartender, who was probably the best bartender I've ever had. Incredibly patient and attentive and yet somehow able to handle a crazy number of customers simultaneously. He gave me a free beer even before I told him that I thought he was the best. Of course, the next day I was talking with someone at brunch and mentioned Scotty and they said "Oh yeah, he's won 'Best Bartender' in Buffalo a couple times." Go Scotty, go!]

Location:Buffalo, NY