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The "New Arena"


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In my experience, whenever I travel I never ask for Italian recommendations because I always get sent to the closest place with a red pasta sauce.

 

Except in Boston....they just send you to the North End.

The North End is by far the best food in Boston, IMHO. Boston food is pretty pedestrian otherwise.

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Buffalo is far from the city with "the best food of any kind". This I'll agree with. But you are seriously not looking close enough if you can't find variety. All sorts of world ethnicities are represented in the metro area. And plenty of fusion styles too. Edgy may be in short supply but it's out there. You need to leave Sheridan Drive and Transit Road to find it. What Buffalo lacks is variety in high end places. Very little variety there. And Buffalo is lacking in quality seafood.

 

Buffalo doesn't have numbers for each choice but most gastro styles are available.

If Foligno had written, "the best food of any kind after 1AM", I think we would all have a hard time arguing, though.

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Correct. Buffalo also has some (but not all) of the best restaurants I have been to, anywhere, in the $10-$20 / entree category. And some damned good ones in the category above that, too, like Tempo, Hutch's, and Lombardo. Buffalo doesn't compare to Chicago, but unless DC has changed drastically in the last 7 years, I think the food, not necessarily the service, is much better here.

 

All of this is a reminder that I need to get that restaurant guide done before the season starts!

DC has changed drastically. I just spent a week there and the food was fabulous. Mostly Foggy Bottom/Georgetown area though, but we found amazing variety and great atmosphere.

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1) OK. Let's start with the much-heralded improvements to the food stands. Frankly, no improvement. Nicer signs, and I guess what was supposed to be a nod to Buffalo (but "Peace Bridge Pizza" is now just "pizza! pizza!"), but the exact same tired less-than-food from Jeremy Jacobs. The renamed pizza looked inedible, as did the renamed hotdogs; the Pile High sandwich station is still there and probably still doesn't pile a sandwich high. I know, I'm being negative, but it's honest.

 

There is a new "cantina" just up the stairs from the lobby, but it serves the same crappy burritos that were around last year near Aisle 18.

 

The food has NOT changed, despite the presser last week. I still am left wondering (a) why we're beholden to Delaware North, which does VERY little for B-Lo and owns the Bruins and (b) why arenas in Toronto and Washington can have decent and somewhat fresh food, but we cannot. (MSG, the only other hockey arena I've been to, was equally disgusting, but that was 2000.)

 

2) The lobby has not changed dramatically. It's nice to see the "We Live Hockey" mural, but everything else is the same. This isn't negative; it's neutral.

 

3) Good to see the slugs gone from the scoreboard, and I like the new center stripe (more conservative) and the yellow paint as opposed to red. They've finally figured it out: it's a Sabres arena, and not some multi-sport complex.

 

4) A line so long at the Sabres store--while the anthems were sung--that they were letting in five at a time. That's gotta be because of the promotion, right?

 

 

But all in all, hey, I'm there for the team. I'm very disappointed in the "improved" (not really) concession stands that were touted last week. I'll keep eating before games, thank you, and that's too bad, because I'd rather eat at the game. I don't need a steak and a salad; I just need a couple of slices of pizza that actually are palatable, or a hotdog that actually looks like it was cooked.

 

EDIT also this: 5) MOST of the time, but not all of the time, the music between whistles was loud enough, but not so loud that I couldn't have a conversation with the person next to me. Still needs work, but it was better than last year. Also: Shocktop on tap! Good call there.

 

 

So I'm behind the game in responding. But, went to a couple of arenas last year with PHENOMENAL food:

- American Airlines Arena, Miami, FL

- United Center, Chicago, IL

 

After a little research (just now), these are both run by Levy Restaurants. Levy, with Aramark are the leaders in Sports and Entertainment dining, with Levy owning the reputation as the 'premium' option. It's all online to be found. My reading leads me to think DNC is the dinosaur, behind the times. True?

 

Maybe Pegs brings in a new group to step it up?

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My brotehr in law who went to the game said that one of the servers told her it looks like the set up was kind of temporary and thought that they may be transitioning to something different for the home opener. He said the menu on the 200 level seemed the same. So speculation will be they are working on something that will start at the first game I guess. I hope.

We do go to the rink early and eat there and watch the warm ups usually so food quality sure as hell matters to us.

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