Bank Holiday Savings

Being fairly new to Western New York, I feel lucky because I get to discover things here for the first time that I feel many people who live here may take for granted.  I get to look at things through the eyes of somebody who is still unfamiliar with the area, yet is interested and enthusiastic about experiencing new things.

Yesterday was a great example of this.  I used my federal holiday as a way to enjoy the beautiful weather, explore something new, and spend time with old friends.  After a leisurely bike ride around downtown, I met up with two of my closest friends and set off to explore some gems of the West Side.

Our first stop was to a Niagara Street staple, Marco’s Italian Restaurant.  We arrived near the end of lunch hours, but just in time to catch some precious older ladies cashing out after their meal.  I will make no secret that one day I aspire to be one of those Ladies Who Lunch, spending my afternoons enjoying a light meal and a glass of wine with my dear friends.  And luckily, on this day I was able to be one of those ladies, but without the orthopedic shoes.  Soon, my friends and I were the only ones in the restaurant, but our server was certainly not put off by our late arrival time.  Our service was great and my eggplant parmesan “sangwich” was to die for.  It is so easy to mess up eggplant parm, but not at Marco’s.  Razor-thin eggplant, breaded, and fried to perfection paired with a delectable marinara and mozzarella cheese, all piled onto a freshly baked roll.  Yum!  Did I mention the sandwich, with a small house salad, was only six dollars?  Even tastier!

Once we settled our bill, the three of us decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather and burn some calories.  We headed over to the Nowak Pier and spent the next hour or so taking a walk down the pier.  Traffic was backed up in both directions on the Peace Bridge due to holiday weekends in both countries.  Lucky for us, the walkway along the river was nowhere near as crowded as the bridge above, which allowed us opportunities to stop and take in the sights, one of which was the new Frank Lloyd Wright boathouse.  A Wright fan myself, I am excited about this new addition to the waterfront and can’t wait to get an even closer look once the construction is completed.

After our walk, we hopped back in the car and within minutes arrived at one of my favorite destinations, Guercio’s!  The sidewalk in front was lined with an impressive variety of vibrantly colored fresh produce.  No matter how many times I visit this market, I always catch myself slowly perusing every aisle, taking in the uniqueness of local products and delectable imports.  The freshness and array of merchandise is only rivaled by Guercio’s beyond reasonable prices.  Still full from lunch, I had a hard time thinking about food, but that didn’t stop me from picking up some ripe concord grapes.

Columbus Day was a lovely day off, spent right here in Buffalo.  It was fairly humble, and went off without long lines, traffic headaches, or a dent in my wallet.  Every bank holiday should be so relaxing!

Photo credit: Brandon Davis

Posted by on 10/10 at 10:09 AM