Meet Lou – the most experienced bartender in Buffalo. Lou works at Filippo’s Ristorante Italiano on Hertel Avenue, but has been bartending in Buffalo since 1950.
“When downtown was downtown!” said Lou, who bartended at several bars in the heart of the city back in the day.
Although Lou is a fan of serving up drinks, he is not a big fan of the new trend in bars – flavored vodkas. Lou prefers to make more old-fashioned drinks such as Manhattans and martinis (the original recipe), but admits that people rarely drink those anymore.
“But they still drink wine,” says Lou.
Although times have changed, Lou’s favorite thing about bartending has not; it’s all about the people.
“First you mix people, then you mix drinks,” he chuckled.
Lou plies his trade–mixing drinks and talking to people–on Hertel these days. If you’re lucky he’ll tell you some good stories about the places he’s worked, the people he’s served, and what kind of drinks are real drinks.
Fillipo’s Ristorante Italiano
1264 Hertel Avenue
716.447.5683