O’Connell’s Hourglass has recently received the horribly incorrect moniker of “most expensive restaurant in Buffalo”. I can assure you that that is not and has never been the case. To further illustrate that point, I’d like to point out the new spring menu, chock full of appetizers, bar food and serious entrees.
Last Friday, I happened to arrive during Happy Hour. We were impressed to find not only $3 drafts of Flying Bison and Hoegaarden, but also a pretty stellar spread of free eats. Being Good Friday, the offerings were decidedly meatless. I helped myself to a bowl of steaming crawfish gumbo, cheese tortellini with a creamy sauce and mussels, clams and shrimp in a classic broth/wine/diced tomato format. These “utensil required” options were accompanied by crispy crostini with bruschetta (an especially good one) or olive tapenade. All of the food was delicious and available in great quantity to eager after-work snackers. The picture above is just one of the five plates that my group managed to polish off.
During Happy Hour and, well every other hour, not only are you encouraged to participate in the ever-growing trend of eating at the bar, but there’s a sleek television and a savvy bartender to help you wile away your time.
Additionally, I took a look at Chef O’Connell’s new menu. His “most expensive” reputation came from his 8 to 10 course tasting menu. Offered as a special, it is generally lush with the beauty of foie gras, pork belly and Kobe beef. Yes, it’s expensive. Yes, it’s worth it. And no, despite the fact that tasting menus of this ilk are available in most fine dining restaurants in every city worth mentioning, it is still not the most expensive meal in town considering that you do not need to order dessert or sides to complete your meal.
Further consideration of the new menu spring menu reveals O’Connell’s love of high brow and lowbrow cuisine. The “bar” menu (available to seated guests as well, of course) offers an open-faced Angus sandwich on garlic ciabatta served with pomme frites ($15.95), and an Angus burger with Irish cheddar, crispy onions and again, the Hourglass’s killer pomme frites ($12.95). O’Connell’s personal favorite in this portion of the menu is the classic Monte Cristo sandwich served with maple syrup and strawberry preserves ($11.95).
As with every restaurant, for me the best part of the menu is the appetizer section. I had the duck confit crepes (shown above), drizzled with barbecue sauce and served with a corn and black bean salad ($10.95). They were really quite delicious; the refreshing salad offered a perfect contrast to the rich crepe. You’ll also find sautéed mussels with saffron and mustard ($7.95), southern fried chicken with cheddar and green chile biscuits ($8.95), roasted littleneck clams with garlic, shallots, sausage and herb broth ($9.95), Cajun crab cakes ($11.95), poached potato gnocchi with basil pesto cream ($7.95) and a few others.
There are bigger pasta dishes like gnocchi with braised veal shank ($18.95) and goat cheese and beet ravioli with grilled chicken and arugula pesto (at only $16.95 I’m dying to try that one!). Soup and salad include the traditional French onion and a petit Caesar with rosemary croutons and shaved Parmesan cheese.
Entrees hover between $19 and $27- an average price point for a fine dining establishment. Crispy Scottish salmon with roasted shallots and Pinot Noir sauce, grilled wild Russian scallops with green beans and a pine nut and herb butter and pink peppercorn crusted tuna loin with wasabi potatoes and a sesame soy glaze round out the seafood offerings. There is also a duck breast with a sweet orange sauce, and O’Connell’s other personal fav, an individual meatloaf with demi glace and garlic mashed potatoes. Tournedos of Angus with a roasted shallot and herb cream and a grilled prime sirloin served with the chef’s signature duck fat fried pomme frites are also available.
“Evening’s Features” is the title of the supplementary menu, a place where you’ll find the cuisine with which O’Connell’s has thus far developed a devoted following with. Seared foie gras with truffled bread and butter pudding and steak tartar are two of the appetizers. Pasta includes lobster ravioli served with grilled lobster tail and prawns in a tarragon cream. Entrees consist of a rack of lamb, Chilean seabass, an Angus filet mignon and rib eye and certified Wagyu in the form of a strip steak and a filet mignon. This portion of the menu is pricier, but it boasts some of the best food in Buffalo.
Whether you stop in for Happy Hour, an appetizer and a drink, or a full-five course meal, O’Connell’s is more than worthy of your attention.
Happy Hour takes place on Friday’s from 6pm – 8pm. Draft beer is $3 a pint, bottled beer is only $2 and house wine will run you only $4 a glass. You can find more information about O’Connell’s Hourglass on their website.
O’Connell’s Hourglass
981 Kenmore
877.8788