It’s funny, this past Saturday, Rachacha told me that Buffalo needed a place that served up Garbage Plates (a type of meal that is loaded with every breakfast/lunch food item imaginable, and then some. Hailing from Rochester (of course), he felt that Buffalonians would also appreciate a Garbage Plate. Last time I checked, Lake Effect Diner was serving up a Blizzard Plate, which is something similar to a Garbage Plate. Plus, a few short-lived local restaurants had attempted to bring the Garbage Plate concept (originally concocted by Nick Tahou Hots in Rochester) to Buffalo, with little success.
So I was surprised to see the Garbage Plate representing Buffalo in Brooklyn, at a WNY appreciators’ gathering called Buffalo City Fair (held on March 24). The event featured a variety of Buffalo-related items, from Sahlen’s Hot Dogs to loganberry flavored cocktails. The event was recently featured in The New Yorker, which is kind of neat. Apparently the affair was so popular that the organizers ran out of Labatt Blue.
After reading the article, I was struck by a couple things. Why have Garbage Plates not taken off in Buffalo? And wouldn’t it be great to see someone producing loganberry locally again? With the kombucha and hard cider scene taking off in Buffalo, there appears to be an opportunity for someone to tap into the old Crystal Beach favorite, which has become synonymous with Buffalo over the years.
In the meantime, it’s always fun to see Buffalo appreciation events taking place in other cities. We’re seeing this sort of thing more and more these days, as Buffalo continues to bounce back and impress.