Rome-in' to Another Restaurant

Aside from reviewing restaurants, I’ve had nothing else to comment on this week. Call it blogger’s block. So here goes another one:

On the newly reconstructed Main Street in East Aurora stands Tony Rome’s, an EA landmark since the days when it served as the Globe Hotel stagecoach stop. When I was little, we ate at Rome’s virtually every week. I practically was raised on their chicken fingers, celery sticks, carrots, and bleu cheese (it’s all I’d eat in those days). When you’re young you don’t appreciate the charm that a preserved historic hotel has, but after dining there the other night I really took in the captive aura of a 19th-century hotel…if only those walls could speak…

Anyway, despite sounding Italianesque by name, Tony Rome’s is all American, and more specifically, all Buffalo dining. Fish is fried up with loads of mayo-based salads and fries every night. BBQ ribs, wings, and steaks are also standard fare. There’s fancier seafood, chicken, signature dishes, and nightly specials as well.

Visiting on a Tuesday evening, I decided to have the stuffed peppers special. For $9.95 dinner included soup or salad and bread to start. I always like salad and bread; it’s a nice light appetizer without actually ordering off the appetizer menu (something I pretty much never do). Salad was a colorful mix of greens, onions, and tomatoes. The house-made Italian dressing was on the bitter side, however, and wouldn’t stay blended. Served in a little cup, it wasn’t feasible to give all those spices, vinegar, and oil the good shaking they needed. Croutons were deep fried and very oily. The thick-sliced white bread in the breadbasket was soft and tasty.

Remember those chicken fingers I mentioned? In the barroom they were in a hotplate for the taking, along with plenty of dipping sauces. I didn’t try any though; something about bar snacks and not knowing whose hands have been in them scares me.

Dinner was presented on a colorful plate and consisted of three green peppers, all stuffed to bursting with seasoned ground beef and white rice. The filling was done to a nice, slight char. Only thing lacking was the sauce; I’d have liked to see a more robust marinara as opposed to what looked and tasted like Campbell’s tomato soup. It was refreshing that they didn’t smother the beef in any cheese, like some restaurants that add cheese to everything.

For my potato I opted for mashed…Make that smashed. Skin-on baby reds came seasoned with what tasted like garlic and maybe sour cream or some tart, acidic dairy. Capers served as a garnish. While not bad, there was something a bit off about the potatoes; I blame the tartness I couldn’t quite put my finger on. They looked nice though, whipped and flecked with the red skins—definitely showed freshness, not Potato Buds. Fresh boiled snap peas were served as the only choice for vegetable and proved to be a good one.

So overall I enjoyed visiting Tony Rome’s again. The atmosphere of this place is definitely unique and captures the charm of old East Aurora well. The food is reasonably good for what you pay, and the service was friendly and prompt. This is a place I would definitely patronize again.