EatRestaurantNorth Buffalo The space was home to University Hots forever, then did short stints as a hipster coffeehouse and Buffalo's first Cambodian restaurant; now it's returned to its roots as a purveyor of good old-fashioned Buffalo-style junk food, this time with a slight Southern-style bent. @Eleven's name is half accurate: while the only "cuisine" offered is the aforementioned one, wings are easily the most popular item on the menu, and they're meaty, crispy, and bursting with flavor. Chicken also comes in the form of tenders and in marinated quarters; other comfort-food classics include sandwiches and hoagies, deep-fried seafood of varying descriptions, and a surprising wealth of pasta dishes topped variously with alfredo or Cajun red sauce — whatever you get, it's going to be good, so don't be shy.
Tue-Thu 11AM-8PM, Fri 11AM-9PM, Sat noon-9PM·$15-30
EatJamaican restaurantNorth Buffalo Located just off Main Street in the former Fast Frank's, Kalypso serves up a range of Caribbean specialties that is surprisingly ample given the relative humbleness of its appearance from the outside. Among the usual suspects — jerk chicken, curry goat, oxtail — can be found several delectably prepared selections available nowhere else in Buffalo, such as brown stew chicken, Jamaican pepper steak, and escoveitch fish. A small selection of vegetarian options is also offered.
Mon-Thu noon-9PM, Fri noon-11PM, Sat 1PM-11PM·$10-25
At this friendly and snazzily decorated shop, the namesake item is super flavorful without the cloying sweetness you see at a lot of other places: the folks at Lucky Koi understand that high-quality tea, even more than the flavor syrups, is what can really make or break this sort of place (choose from white, black, green, or oolong). As for the flavors, you've got your work cut out for you navigating the huge range of options; if you need help narrowing things down, the rule of thumb is the Asian flavors — ube, longan, dragonfruit — tend to be better than the Western ones. Made-to-order Hong Kong bubble waffles are a winner too.
Mon-Thu 2PM-10PM, Fri 2PM-midnight, Sat noon-midnight, Sun noon-10PM
BuySweet shopNorth Buffalo Parkside Candy has been in business since 1927 — and walking into their original location is like a trip back in time to right around that year, with a full range of chocolate truffles and cordials, peppermint patties, fudge, old-fashioned lollipops, and their famous sponge candy merchandized amid an Art Deco interior with Adamesque flourishes (designed as a conscious imitation of French confectionery stores) and the classic black-and-white checked tile floor. Best of all, Parkside Candy's Main Street location doubles as an old-fashioned ice cream parlor and soda fountain perfect for warm summer days.
Mon-Thu 11AM-6PM, Fri Sat 11AM-9PM, Sun noon-8PM