Mediterranean's Hot on Elmwood Avenue
You can add The Falafel Bar to Elmwood's list of Mediterranean restaurants. This quaint little eatery (formerly Edrito's, and Pano's before that) is very homey, and the food really is splendid. Owner and Executive Chef, Oded Rauvenpoor, has turned this infamous location on Elmwood into a colorful oasis with a brand new patio replete with umbrellas, cozy dining area, and an extensive menu aimed at pleasing just about everyone. The dishes are quite remarkable as is the overall atmosphere. The portions are rather large, so if you are going to order an appetizer, you just might end up taking your dinner home with you. The homecooked authentic food ranges from hummus and tabouli to baba ganoush and lebaneh.
Hummus: A dip made from chickpeas. Tabouli: A bulgar wheat salad. Baba Ganoush: A smoked eggplant dip. Lebaneh: A sour lemony yogurt dip with spices.
The restaurant also serves traditional Greek entrees (souvlaki, kabobs, and gyros) and has a kids menu as well. The prices are reasonable and take out/delivery are options.
Falafel Bar is located at 1009 Elmwood Avenue, near Bidwell Parkway 716.884.0444

As we mentioned in our previous post, we’re in the process of changing the Buffalo Rising site. We’re almost there as we expect to launch the new site on Friday, December 19th.
In the meantime, posting will be light as we log new stories in the new publishing system which will only be viewable when we launch on Friday.
As always, we appreciate our users’ patience as we make this transition but we promise it will be well worth it. With faster load times, a comment view …
Caroline Kennedy was in town for a visit with our mayor yesterday. A possible choice to succeed US Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, Kennedy's name has been mentioned along with that of Attorney General Andrew Cuomo (son of former New York Governor Mario Cuomo) and our own Byron Brown, among others.
Certainly, Kennedy has "been around politics" all of her life, which is to say she was born into a family of politicos and lived in the White House--neither of which would necessarily f …
Free light rail rides on downtown's above ground section could be derailed thanks to the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority's budget mess. That is the news coming out of a Buffalo Place meeting this morning. Facing a budget shortfall and reduced State operating assistance, the NFTA is scrambling for new revenue sources and is contemplating charging for rides along the lengthy downtown pedestrian mall.
Well it is Christmas time in the city and the NFTA helped put people and especially children into the mood in a very festive and fun way. One of my favorite memories of childhood was taking the train downtown with my grandfather. I would gaze out the windows and watch the tunnel speed by. It always felt like we were going a million miles an hour.
Then there was the ability to stand up and walk around during the ride without the need to be strapped down. It was always a fun time … 



