One thing Buffalo is known for is no shortage of places to eat out. Sure, it may be the nation’s third-poorest metro, but people here always seem to have extra dollars to spend on life’s simple pleasures, like dining out.
In spite of our great portfolio of eateries, I’d like to propose one more. Just one state south of New York is quite possibly the best steak and seafood chain I’ve ever eaten at. It’s called Hoss’s, and the closest one around is in Erie, PA. Johnson City and Elmira used to each have a location, but these have been shuttered, as have all locations outside of Pennsylvania, save two in West Virginia.
Hoss’s combines the best of moderate-priced steak, seafood, and grill fare, along with a salad bar that is really more of an all-you-can-eat buffet. Most times when I’m south of the NY-PA border I make a point of stopping at a Hoss’s along the way. Rarely do I order anything but the salad bar, as choosing from its selection poses a challenge, nevermind having to quaff an entrée. I will say, however, that their premium crab cake is one of the best I’ve ever had.
The salad bar contains an expansive array of fresh greens, chopped vegetables, toppings, and dressings. Putting together a crisp, green salad is no problem—rather it’s hard to decide what not to put on; there’s so much to choose from! I finished my pile of rabbit food with a slathering of fat-free Italian dressing, which was surprisingly tangy.
And there’s the soups: Chicken noodle is daily fare, with soups of the day on a rotating basis. Last Saturday evening I happened to be in Grove City, and stopped at Hoss’s to refuel after some power shopping at Prime Outlets. Soup of the day was loaded potato, which was too thick to be called a soup—it was like a chunky medley of chopped russets, cheese, and bacon. It was rich and delicious; a fat and cholesterol bomb for sure. French onion was also soup du jour. I’ll admit I hate this soup—until I tried Hoss’s. The dark broth came bursting with onions, and just the right amount of sweet/salty flavor. There was also mushroom chowder (chalk it up to being Saturday night that four soups were on tap). That was thick, salty, and disgusting. It’s too bad too, because the huge chunks of baby bellas made a nice presentation. And finally, the chicken noodle. This soup is testament to the fact that Hoss’s home-makes its soups at each location. Sometimes it has been wicked salty. The other night it was perfect. The chicken flavor was strong, and the thick, rich egg noodles that require a fork to pick up were in abundance. Unfortunately, chicken, carrots, onions, celery—chicken soup staples—were in scant supply. It was more like chicken-broth and egg-noodle soup.
Baked beans, fresh breads, fresh sliced fruit, jello, pudding, cottage cheese, and plenty of desserts completed the salad bar. I opted to finish my meal with bread pudding. It was hot and fresh out of the oven when I dragged myself to the buffet line one last time. Light, chewy, flavorful, and bursting with raisins pretty much sums up this decadent dessert. Various complimentary sauces were offered, but I opted for some soft-serve ice cream. It contrasted perfectly with the hot mass of gooey, sweet bread on my plate.
Unfortunately, until I cross the state border again, I can’t eat at Hoss’s. I have contacted the Duncansville, PA based company a number of times, praising their fine establishments and asking for a Buffalo location. Unfortunately, in the name of the freshness, they have a mileage cap imposed as to how far a restaurant may be from the distribution center. Their PR department has always been friendly and quick to reply with a personal note—further testament to good customer service.
For now, the closest thing we have here in Buffalo is Danny’s. And by Danny’s I’m referring to the airport location only. They have even better homemade soups than the Hoss, and nearly as good of a salad bar. But dessert and other selections don’t exist on their salad bar. Not that this is a bad thing, it is called a salad bar, after all. To read my other thoughts on Danny’s, and why I only prefer the airport location, click here.
No comments:
Post a Comment