If Buffalo is known for one thing, other than our obsessed sports fans, it is our food. It is NOT healthy but it is delicious. Buffalo is home to chicken wings, chicken finger subs and a major advocate of Franks Red Hot, blue cheese and Friday fish fries.

Not always, but more often than “seldom”, some of the best places for specialty food are not the prettiest to look at. The Buffalo establishments may scare off out-of-towners and Buffalo “Newbies” but the true Buffalonians don’t blink an eye. On Elmwood avenue not too far from Buff State and a bunch of other Buffalo specialty shops lies a seedy hole in the wall called Merlin’s. This place is great. The dilapidated awning hugs one of the best places for low key people watching. While you will not want to pee sitting down at this place, we highly encourage everybody to come and check out the clientele and if you are into clams, then Steve’s Clam bar (part of Merlin’s in the Summer Time) is the place that you have been dreaming of.

Merlin’s is a personal favorite and a great place to take a date before heading over to the small lot between M&T bank and the corner church to watch “Cinema Sotto Le Stelle”. The “Cinema Sotto Le Stelle, is part of the Summer Elmwood avenue movie festival and a great way to impress a women who is not afraid of subtitles.