Midway Buffet at Hamburg Casino

I might be beating Janice Okun to this one, and I’ll be first to admit to previously taking some low shots at the new Hamburg Fairgrounds Casino. However, like most good casinos, the Hamburg one features a buffet—the Midway Buffet to be exact.  (Who am I kidding, Buffalo's storied restaurant critic has far better taste than a casino buffet!) Lunch at the Midway will cost you $13.95 + tax and tip, while dinner is $18.95. At those prices, this had better be one damn good buffet.

January, however, is a perfect month to try the buffet out. It’s just $9.95 all day, every Wednesday until January 31. Player’s Club members received a coupon in this month’s mailer that brings that price down a little further yet.

The Buffalo RV show is going on at the Hamburg Event Center, and after gawking at gross consumerism on wheels, I was hungry. A discounted buffet dinner was in order. Unlike lunchtime, dinner features all-you-can-eat king crab legs.

After waiting for an unacceptably long time—a lady who’d had too many visits from the cocktail waitress was flirting with the cashier—I was finally seated. Like everything at the Hamburg Casino, the Midway Buffet dining area is fresh and new. Tall booths flank the perimeter and provide a semi-private seating area, while I got stuck at a small table in the middle of the floor where everyone can watch you eat. Oh well, for the price I shouldn’t complain.

The food at Midway Buffet is certainly of a high quality. I overheard one diner exclaim, “For a change it’s actually good tonight!” For my first visit, I’d have to agree, the food was very good.

You can start at the salad bar and build your base from fresh, crisp romaine or spring mix. Some of the traditional salad fixings—julienne carrots, bell peppers—were lacking, replaced by grape tomatoes, raw mushrooms, and chickpeas. The dressing selection looked house-made, and I opted for an infusion of two Old World flavors—Italian with feta cheese. It was a rich, robust, tangy, cheesy delicious accompaniment.

Soup also flanks the salad bar, and I opted for an Oriental experience—hot and sour pork soup. It was not over salty, and the hot and sour flavors were ever so subtle. It was loaded with fresh vegetables and ground pork. There were long, pale strips of something that had a vegetal texture immersed in the golden broth. Was it Asian cabbage strips? Pig intestine? I have no idea and probably don’t want to know; the flavors worked together well.

For a main course, I skipped the carving station. While there were plenty of delicious looking roasted meats to choose from including lamb and beef, I opted for the king crab legs. For $9.95 you can’t even buy a pound of king crab at your local grocer. All the cracking supplies, pickle forks, and an array of toppings (melted butter, cocktail sauce, tartar sauce) surrounded the seafood station. King crab takes a lot of work to get every ounce of succulent meat out of those straw-like legs, but it’s a buffet, you’re supposed to pace yourself!

I also sampled Italian blend vegetables, a mix of artichoke hearts, green beans, and tomatoes in a vinegary marinade; carrots and pearl onions; and mashed potatoes, which were way too buttery.

While choices are abundant, Midway Buffet doesn’t overwhelm with thousands of low-quality items to pick from. International stations include Asian, Mexican, and Italian while American comfort food—roasted meats, mashed potatoes, sausage-studded macaroni and cheese, gravy—fill out the carving board area. On the Italian line, the pizzas looked particularly appetizing with thick crust and fresh toppings—certainly not your typical greasy, hours-old hotplate pizza. Fresh paninis were for the taking too, but hey, I’m one guy; I can only eat so much.

For dessert I opted for a slice of tiramisu and a hot, fresh blueberry cobbler—all topped off with vanilla soft-serve. The tiramisu was rich on chocolate flavor, while espresso seemed non-existent, and the blueberry cobbler was in a word perfect. Not overly sweet, the doughy puff pastry was an ideal accent to loads of large, succulent berries in a deep purple juice. The vanilla ice cream was a nice complement.

Midway Buffet’s menu does change from time to time and is available at Hamburg Casino’s dining website. A hit on a slot machine later that evening more than paid for dinner, but even so, this is one casino buffet that is worth its clams.

Shedding Some Light on the Season...

I know we’re getting late in the season for this post, but I’d still like to share my thoughts on a couple Christmas lighting spectaculars causing brownouts all around Western New York.  I had been trying to decide:  Olmstead Lights Winter Nights in Delaware Park or Hamburg Festival of Lights at the Fairgrounds?  I ended up visiting both. 

Since the internet was little help in finding pre-visit reviews and tips—and neither venue has a very useful website—I figured I’d make a small but valiant attempt to correct this problem.  Both shows run into January, so even though Christmas is three days away, there’s still plenty of time to go light peeping.

Olmstead Lights Winter Nights



When the LEDs fade to blue, a frosty mood is cast over Delaware Park


Designed by a Buffalo State College professor of theater, this light show is the first to grace Delaware Park in eight years, reports the Buffalo News.  To visit, park at the Buffalo Zoo entrance to Delaware Park.  This simple tip is important; I got discombobulated here (not being a regular on Buffalo’s north side) and ended up at the Albright Knox Art Gallery.  Those more familiar with the city, go ahead and laugh at me. 

This show is pedestrians only, and entry is at the admission booth directly across the street from zoo parking.  While $20 per carload is the advertised rate, it’s also $5 per head—whatever's cheapest.  Make sure to bundle up warmly, as most of this is outdoors.  Approximately 15 acres of parkland are lit up by high-mounted, constantly changing LED lamps.  Their different hues, reflected off the snow, make for an intriguing and dynamic winter scene.  Trees and fences flank the walking path and are decked out in colorful lights while Christmas music sets the mood over an outdoor sound system. 

When you’ve had enough cold, head in to Parkside Lodge and warm up by the fireplace or take in live Christmas caroling.  The Lunchbox Café is also open serving refreshments and light meals.  A menu is available here. 

Overall, I thought this was an enjoyable way to get in the Christmas spirit, but with one caveat.  I’m a suburban boy, and driving nearly 30 miles from East Aurora for this is definitely not worth the time.  If you’re in the area, however, the $5 is well spent, and hey, it goes toward a good cause—supporting Buffalo’s city parks. 

Olmstead Lights runs Wednesday through Sunday each week until January 16, 2011.  It’s closed Christmas and New Years—both eve and the holidays.  More details at Olmstead Park’s website.

Hamburg Festival of Lights

Reflections—The Hamburg Festival of Lights

The defining exhibit here is the nearly two-mile long drive through an animated and illuminated winter wonderland.  The website claims there are over 200 light exhibits ranging from a tunnel of lights to two-dimensional figurines.  To set the mood, Christmas music and trivia are broadcast via your car’s stereo (a sign tells you what FM frequency to tune in to).  The drive lasts for about 10 – 15 minutes depending on how often you stop, but it’s definitely worth seeing.  I especially liked Bills and Sabres logos all made up in Christmas lights.  I wish there had been more hometown displays in this vein. 

While the light show is the crown jewel, once it’s passed there’s still plenty more to do.  A North Pole village showcases miniature storefronts, each with a different window scene and an actual pole of ice in the center of the village.  Brick walkways, nostalgic street lights, and decorations everywhere let you know it’s definitely Christmas. 

There’s also a reindeer barn complete with several reindeer and interesting facts about them.  Winterific is an indoor light show set to Christmas music.  I’ll admit, it sounded hokey on the website, but was actually well done.  It doesn’t last long, but is a good place warm up for a few minutes. 

Since this is an event geared toward families with kids, there’s also a midway with carnival rides (indoors), a Christmas magic show, and visits with Santa.  As you might imagine, I stayed far away from all these. 

The Hamburg Light Show is much better marked and easier to find than Olmstead Lights.  Enter at the Fairgrounds main gate on South Park Avenue where signs direct you to the admission checkpoint.  Don’t pay $18 per carload; coupons for $3 off are everywhere including local Pizza Hut and Wendy’s restaurants and Delta Sonic car washes. 

This one only runs until January 1, 2011 and is closed Christmas eve and day, so time is running out.  It’s open every night from 5:30pm – 9:30pm and the other attractions stay open until 10.  Since it’s a family event, mom and dad can have fun and support New York State their child’s education at the Hamburg Casino, conveniently located at the entrance/exit.  There’s also wine tastings from local Lake Erie wineries. 

Overall, I’d say this one, while pricey, was worth the money and a far more enjoyable show than Olmstead Lights.  Being in the south towns might have helped sway my opinion a bit too.  Check out more pictures in my Flickr gallery below:   

Gamblin' and Dinner—A Shot in the Arm for What Ails You This Season

Jeff Stahler's editorial cartoon from Monday literally made me laugh out loud. What’s going on with bargain-basement flu shots this season? Are they a loss leader, designed to bring patrons in to the hosting establishments?

Seems one business is treating it that way. Excuse me, it’s not a business. It’s a voluntary taxation arm of New York State. It’s a supporter of all things education. Coming up later this month the Hamburg Fairgrounds Casino is giving free (or minimal fee) flu shots. Just make sure—along with proof of insurance—you bring your Player Rewards card.

And then after the needle is stuck in you and your arm begins to throb, chills begin to set in—don’t forget to pull the one-armed bandit. Hopefully nausea hasn’t set in yet and you can still patronize the Midway Buffet. Remember, you’ll be suffering to educate New York’s future leaders. The same leaders that today are running the state into fiscal bankruptcy and using lottery as a means of willful taxation.