A night out for a friend’s dirty thirty birthday calls for the celebratory mantra “Go big or go home.” The current resurgence and expansion of the city of Buffalo embodies the mantra and is certainly evident inside of the old Fairmont Creamery building. Just before walking into the amazing $14.6 million renovated space, I paused and looked at my friends comically quoting, “Who wants cream? Nobody? Ok, no cream!?”
Upon entering the lobby, one instantly notices its grand stature and welcoming brightness. The bar is within sight from the entrance and just a few strides away, leading directly to the restaurant. Tempted by the impressive appearance of the bar, I decided to start off my evening with none other than an old fashioned. Delighted with the slight bite, my experience at the Mahoney Fairmont was off to a good start.
My typical routine is to do a little recon on the location before my arrival. Thus allowing me to build a mental “food playbook” of sorts. This helps me to incorporating what I want to try both food and drink-wise, what to expect, ambiance and so on.
Changing up my typical routine, I began my first look over the menu. Pleasantly surprised, I found a strong Asian and Mexican influence. Owner and attentive host, Brian Mahoney, describes his restaurant as “a tribute to ethnic diversity in America.”
To start off I ordered a few appetizers, as is custom with any meal for me. My choice: The Chorizo Stuffed Jalapeños ($10) and The Mahoney Seafood Cocktail ($12). The chorizo stuffing was excellent! Ingredients consisting of manchego cheese, rice and herbs then served over cornbread croutons. Although the cornbread was delicious, it was not enough to sojourn the twelve alarm fire in my mouth! I love spicy food but wow, those had kick! Others at the table agreed that the level of spice was just too much to be enjoyable. Then again, I have some friends who would have been in seventh heaven with this hotness.
The seafood cocktail was not what I anticipated and not visually attractive when placed in front of me. The cocktail dish itself consisting of quite the variety of mishmash. Two shrimp are found along the edge of a canning jar with a combination of: calamari, white anchovy, pickled cabbage, roasted jalapeño, cilantro and lime juice compacted un-artistically into the jar. For me, ‘cocktail’ implies cocktail sauce; without it, it is simply not a cocktail dish. The seafood was fresh, but the flavors did not mesh well together. Disappointed, I asked for cocktail sauce, to try to salvage the plate but, the restaurant was unable to provide any. I would not order this dish again.
The Mahoney Burger ($13), a lean ground beef patty topped with corned beef is a nod to an Irish classic. An impressive layering of house made sauerkraut, pickled red onions, Emmental cheese, and spicy mustard on a split half Kaiser, half grilled marbled rye bun. I was anxious to try it so, please excuse my enthusiasm. Delicious is all I need to say.
Not to be outdone by the burger, the Hoisin Glazed Salmon Filet ($29) served over stir fry vegetables, bean thread, peanuts and crushed chilies was a picturesque presentation of this Asian themed dish. The flavors just as beautiful.
Shrimp, scallops, salmon, clams and vegetables simmer in a cilantro-coconut lime broth make up the Seafood Stew ($30). All the seafood in this dish was cooked perfectly. The salmon is wrapped in seaweed to keep it from falling apart while simmering. The vegetables did not fall short, as they still had a snap of freshness to them. All of that then served over herbed brown rice. Chef Mahoney melded all these flavors with trained precision.
Per any birthday celebration, desserts are quite necessary, thus swiftly ordered. We shared three desserts – all equally delicious. The dessert list available is vast, thus all cravings are met.
I plan on going back to the Mahoney Fairmont, and hope that others feel the same way. While enjoying my own meal, I watched as several dishes were brought to tables; they all looked excellent. The Mahony @ The Fairmont is the perfect distance from the arena, making this place a great pre Sabres game restaurant.
The Mahony @ The Fairmont | 199 Scott Street | Buffalo NY | (716) 854-0060 | Facebook | See interior