Downtown Bazaar getting reboot, and where to find gluten-free excellence
If you’re looking to get away from it all in downtown Buffalo, you can hardly do better than Oralia.
Chef-owner Jessica Melisz administers a haven of chillness tucked into an art gallery on the south side of Lafayette Square, on the first floor of the Brisbane Building. The address is 403 Main St., but the entrance is on Clinton Street, facing the Soldiers and Sailors monument.
Instrumental Mexican music lays down a plush sonic carpet, and there’s actual oriental carpets on the floor. Oodles of tables for groups, couples, and those flying solo. The restroom facilities are first-class, too.
It’s a winning combination for urban escape spaces: wifi, peace and quiet, and breakfast tacos.
Before launching Oralia, her Mexican-centered menu, Melisz was the chef for two places at once: Five Points coffeehouse Remedy House, and downtown grab-and-go Flint (now Prova).
Partner Mark Anthony’s mom Oralia Tyner is from Chihuahua, and helped Melisz develop Oralia’s dishes. Melisz also offers catering from her downtown kitchen.
The mainstay breakfast taco ($3.50) is scrambled eggs and cheese plus bacon, chorizo, potatoes, on corn or flour tortillas, with choice of housemade salsas. A tofu scramble version is vegan-friendly.
Larger-caliber breakfast burritos ($9) pack eggs, cheese, potato, refried beans, and choice of meat, with salsa. Huevos rancheros ($10) loads corn tortillas with refried beans, potatoes, corn salsa, crema, cheese, cilantro, and a pair of eggs.
Tacos in corn or flour tortillas ($4) bear fillings like carnitas, chicken, tofu, beans and vegetables, pork chilorio, and picadillo, seasoned ground beef with vegetables.
After settling into the Brisbane Building, Melisz has expanded Oralia’s offerings to include plates like cheese-stuffed poblanos ($12). There’s worse ways to spend lunchtime in downtown Buffalo than working your way through a poblano plate, adding salsa as needed, while watching the world bustle by.
REVIEW: Will Grange Community Kitchen put Hamburg, N.Y. on the list of foodie dream destinations the way French Laundry put Yountville, California on the map? If it keeps attracting culinary talents like Manuel Ocasio and Gina Nalbone, I like its chances. Canny cooking drawing from premium local ingredients and worldwide inspirations, and a polished, cheerful staff makes the Grange the sort of restaurant that makes visitors sick – with envy. (Later today, for patrons.)
LAST CHANCE FOR LECHÓN: You have until Dec. 21 to get into 617 Main St. for a shot at Buffalo’s only Ethiopian, Filipino, and South Sudanese cuisine, and lotus flower cookies.
Last chance until April, that is. The Downtown Bazaar space will get a makeover into International House featuring Le Bar Flamant Rose, under direction of its new operator, veteran restaurateur Mark Supples.
The restaurant operators are staying. Abyssinia Ethiopian Cuisine, Nile River Restaurant, Pattaya Street Food, and Pinoy Boi will reintroduce themselves in April, after renovations are complete. Read Friday’s story for all the details.
OPENINGS
Water Lily Cafe, the Thai restaurant at 3800 Union Road, Cheektowaga, has reopened after a hiatus.
“We appreciate your patience during our time away and are excited to announce that we are now open,” owner Kim Suphankomut wrote on Facebook.
Water Lily Cafe will open 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m., 4 p.m.-8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Phone: 716-288-9940.
CLOSINGS
Kim’s sister Rin Suphankomut announced that she has closed Rin Citi, her Thai restaurant on Elmwood Avenue.
Rin Thai Bistro, 4446 Main St., Snyder, remains open, and will honor Rin Citi gift cards, she said.
ASK THE REPORTER
Q: What are some of the best gluten free bakeries or places with good gluten-free offerings? All over WNY recommendations are welcome.
A: Kith & Kin Bakeshop & Bistro, 5850 S. Transit Road, Lockport. Parents with children with celiac run full-spectrum bakery and restaurant, with everything for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, from frozen pizza crust to cinnamon buns to beer and wine.
Vin-Chet Bakery, 2178 Kensington Ave., Amherst. Area’s original gluten-free bakery has been at it since 2008. Today it supplies regional groceries and has a retail shop.
Savage Wheat Project products, available at Farm Shop and through FreshFix, are not gluten-free. But Emily Savage uses only ancient and heirloom grains, making breads, rolls, cookies, and pancake mix much easier on gluten-sensitive people.
More reading from Michael Chelus:
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Mr. Galarneau wrote about the flavors to be found at As-Salam Diner & Kebab House [Four Bites]
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The Greek Guy Bakery is now delivering fresh pita to the Lexington Co-Op [Four Bites]
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In 2025, Andrew plans to answer more reader questions [Four Bites]
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Winter outdoor dining is surviving post-Covid at places like Coco Bar & Bistro, 42 North and more [Buffalo News]
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The National Buffalo Wing Festival will return to Sahlen Field this summer [Buffalo News]
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Brett wrote about Kitchen Little operating out of the basement kitchen of the Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church on Elmwood [Step Out Buffalo]
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Brian’s Buffalo beer news told us about Other Half Brewing Buffalo’s expansion to a new taproom, a new double release from Beer Kind Brewing and more [Step Out Buffalo]
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