Sponsored by:
The 2021 Holiday Shopping Guide is a unique blend of independently owned and operated businesses in a variety of industries, such as retail, food, dining, arts, non-profit, and more, all designed to encourage WNY residents to #shoplocal. Sponsored by Visit Buffalo Niagara and Erie County, the 2021 guide will explore all the unique shopping districts that Erie County has to offer. To view this year’s full holiday shopping guide, click here!
In 2009, the American Planning Association named Kenmore one of the top ten great neighborhoods in the United States. It’s easy to see why; this turn of the 20th century village just north of Buffalo features tree-lined streets and well-kept homes surrounding a vibrant central business district. Long-running businesses like King Condrell’s Candy and Ice Cream Shop and the Plaka Greek restaurant that have served the village for years have been joined by newcomers like Jay’s Artisan Pizza, La Davina Tacos and Home Taste Chinese restaurant. It all makes Kenmore an appealing blend of tradition and reinvention.
King Condrell’s Candy & Ice Cream
Condrell’s has been offering its delicious goodies from its 2805 Delaware Avenue address since Nick Condrell converted a butcher shop into the candy and ice cream shop back in 1966. He gave the shop his Greek last name, but the story actually starts a little further back. Louis Liakeas, proprietor of the original and beloved Garden of Sweets on William Street, taught the business to his son-in-law, Nick Condrell, who had married Liakeas’s daughter Mary. Condrell, considered by many to be the godfather of Buffalo’s modern-day chocolatiers, opened up a second Garden of Sweets on Bailey Avenue and would come out of retirement in the 1960s to open Condrell’s Candies and Ice Cream Parlor on Delaware Avenue in Kenmore. In 1996, it was purchased by Rich King. Buying Condrell’s, seemed like a natural fit for King, who possessed a desire to marry ice cream to his chocolate and candy offerings. Hesitant to scare away any customers used to the old familiar Condrell’s name, Rich didn’t change it for several years, despite his Grandfather’s protests, but as new candies and sundaes appeared, customers began to ask questions. Rich has never been content with just making the current favorites and is always raising the bar, thinking outside the box, and coming up with new creations.
King Condrell’s offers several options including take out, curbside pickup, online ordering and walk-ins. They offer a variety of chocolates including sponge candy, foiled candy, melt away fudge, and Christmas suckers. Can’t decide what to get, they offer a variety of holiday themed baskets that are sure to be a hit with your kids or loved ones. If you’re shopping and need a break, King Condrell’s offers a variety of ice cream treats like sundaes, milkshakes and their Super Bowls. Of course their gift certificates, which they offer in $10 increments, make the perfect stock stuffer! This is also a great place to use your Shop 716 gift card!
2805 Delaware Ave, Kenmore, NY 14217 | 716-877-4485
Website | Facebook | Instagram
Druk’s Cuisine Kitchen
A druk is a figure on the national flag of Bhutan, a thunder dragon to be precise, clutching jewels to represent wealth. Druk is also the name of Buffalo’s first and only Bhutanese/Nepalese restaurant.
The food is the clear winner here, thankfully and rightfully so, and the obvious reason to visit Druk Cuisine Kitchen. I recommend that you eat at the restaurant, instead of getting take-out, as the sister-owner duo of Sita Bista and Gita Tiwari could not be more friendly, accommodating, or excited to educate you on all things Bhutanese/Nepalese. But just a couple of things to note in doing so. The atmosphere is pretty basic, 6 3-top tables and a pictorial menu banner, pretty much round the space out – it’s pretty stark and simple. Also, bring a sweater/coat for sure, as I was glad I did earlier in the week on a pretty mild day. There is a fireplace, but if it’s not on, it gets chilly.
Lastly, don’t fret if they bring your tea along with your main course – the timing might be a bit off, but there’s a good reason for it. Seeing as the same sister who is serving you, will, most likely, be preparing your meal, these ladies’ main focus is getting your order out speedily, and not necessarily staggered. To me, sometimes places like this, it’s their quirky nature that makes them such a treat to visit – as long as the food is good of course. And at Druk, the food is divine. As you shop in Kenmore for your holiday gifts, stop into to Druk for some delicious food!
2768 Elmwood Ave., Kenmore, NY 14217 | 716-603-6754
Website | Facebook
Gigi’s Cucina Povera
Chef Mary Ann Giordano, the author of the best-selling Saint Joseph’s Day Table Cookbook and a Nickel City Chef competitor, is excited to showcase her ancestral recipes in her restaurant. The restaurant’s name is a tribute to both her Sicilian heritage and her daughter, Gabriella Giordano. La Cucina Povera is an Italian phrase that means “cooking of the poor,” or “peasant cooking.” On a deeper level, it reflects a philosophy that is common to all cultures: making do with what you have to transform humble ingredients into dishes that are more than the sum of their parts. At Gigi’s, expect to eat “great food made with simple, fresh, local, and seasonal ingredients at affordable prices.”
The menu is definitively Mediterranean, featuring many Sicilian favorites. Sicily has a long rich history and has endured foreign occupation many times. As a result, Sicilian cuisine encompasses a broader flavor palette than its kissing cousin, Italian. With each invasion, another group of ingredients was incorporated into the cuisine. There is ample evidence of Greek, Spanish, Norman, Arabic and other influences. All left their mark on Sicily’s culinary landscape and will turn up in dishes at Gigi’s.
Chef Giordano has designed the menu with sharing in mind. The substantial menu offers an array of small plates, sandwiches, salads, and pasta which are available in 2 sizes, as well as classic entrees like chicken Marsala, veal Scallopini, and eggplant parmesan. The affordable prices and small plate format make it easy to share and take the opportunity to explore many flavors. Healthy dining options and gluten-free dishes are also on the menu.
Everyone loves Italian food so if you are looking for a great gift, we highly recommend getting a gift card. If you know someone who loves cooking, you can also pick up Chef Mary Ann Giordano’s bestselling cookbook “The Saint Joseph’s Day Cookbook” which is chock full of recipes you’ll want to try!
981 Kenmore Ave., Kenmore, NY 14217 | 716-877-8788
Website | Facebook | Instagram
WINGNUTZ
Wingnutz started in the kitchen of Ed and Alicia Wrazen in 2005, after many disappointing visits to local eateries where the wings were either over or under cooked. Sauces were in the bottom of the serving dish mixed with the grease. Totally not what they were looking for, so they decided to have a go at a crunch for the wing that holds in the sauce and sauces that actually have flavor. By 2007, they were feeding others their delicious creations, and the evolution of Wingnutz began! In 2009, family members brought Ed and Alicia a sign that is the current logo seen on their shirts and sign at their location. The vision was to make people happy and to open a small restaurant with a limited menu – the vision proved to pay off.
In 2019, on National Chicken Wing Day, BuzzFeed reported that Buffalo’s Wingnutz wings are among Yelp’s Best Chicken Wings in the US! Wingnutz extra-large wings are smothered in their homemade secret sauce, while so crisp. Yelp counted Wingnutz as the best Chicken Wing Spot in the State of New York. Developers, chefs, and Owners Ed and Alicia Wrazen are grateful to their customers. While you are out shopping for holiday gifts in Kenmore, stop by Wingnutz for some delicious wings!
In Knights of Columbus, 1530 Kenmore Ave., Kenmore, NY 14216 | 716-990-5438
Website | Facebook | Instagram
Kenmore Lanes
Sometimes we need a break from all the stresses that come with the holiday season. Bowling is a great way to escape from those stresses while having fun with friends or family. Kenmore Lanes offers a variety of options to help you have a great time. Every Monday through Saturday from 5pm-Close, they offer open bowling specials, with Sundays from 11am-2pm $1 per game per person. They also have league sign-ups on their page. If you are looking for great gift ideas for the bowler in your life be sure to check out their gift shop!
1691 Kenmore Ave., Kenmore, NY 14217 | 716-875-5340
Website | Facebook
La Divina Mexican Store
It is impossible for a city to have too many good Mexican restaurants. La Divina occupies a large retail space on Delaware Avenue, with plenty of room for growth. The store now sells produce and a large variety of Mexican products, including chilies, beverages, beans, and canned goods. The store houses a Mexican butcher and sells Mexican bread.
Sergio Mucino, owner of La Divina, is also the creative force behind several other successful Mexican restaurants in the area, including Don Tequila on Allen Street and Agave on Elmwood Avenue. La Divina also prepares homemade tortillas for its own in-house operation and Mucino’s other restaurants in the area.
Whether you are looking to pick up ingredients for Mexican and Latino recipes or just taco Tuesday, we recommend stopping into La Divina. They also offer a great menu of delicious food that you can take home if you don’t feel like cooking!
2896 Delaware Ave., Kenmore, NY 14217 | 716-447-8989
Facebook
Visit Buffalo Niagara
Have you picked up your Shop 716 eGift Card yet? For a limited time, when you buy one for $25 or more, you get an Erie County sponsored bonus $25 eGift Card. Support local and get rewarded for it – buy yours today and view the full list of participating businesses here: https://amherst.org/shop716/
Support your local restaurants, retailers and attractions. Keep your hard earned money, right here where you live. By doing so, you keep your friends and family employed and create more local jobs. Shopping local conserves energy and resources and is better for the environment!
WNY is our home & we can show the #Buffalove we have by shopping and supporting our local businesses. The Shop 716 initiative is to be a champion of all business, supporting the shop/support local themes; to develop business unity and camaraderie to uplift our entire region.
