Savoring Savor

It was a bit of a long week so we decided to go for a bite. I knew there was music on Old Falls Street and suggested to Beth we check it out and then, if the food choices don’t look great, head to Mami House.

Even though we just returned from California we never did get a proper anniversary date.

We parked in the state lot. (If you live here, spend $80 on an Empire Pass. Free admission and parking at every State Park all summer long)

Doubleshot was still setting up when I noticed Savor seemed to be open and has patio dining.

The Niagara County Community College teaching restaurant is prix fixe, $35 a plate and always hopping. Reservations can be booked weeks out.

We went inside and were greeted by a friendly, very tall host who said they just opened after a 10-day break and yes, they had a table for us. I was shocked.

Our server, Pete, said he’d only left the kitchen a couple weeks ago to try his hand on tables.

Beth had a glass of Pinot Gris. I ordered a Great Lake Brewing Edmund Fitzgerald Porter. With the proliferation of excellent local breweries it was nice to see a product that’s been around for at least 10 years and comes from Cleveland.

The bread course, with strawberry butter, a bit of butter and homemade pickles was outstanding.

Beth ordered the strawberry bleu salad. It came with real lettuce and tons of crunchy pistachios. We’re used to seeing walnuts, maybe pecans or perhaps slivered almonds on a salad. Pistachios were a nice twist.

I had the Hungarian stuffed pepper. The flavor was good, not burn me up hot, but the cheese filling was a bit runny.

For main courses, Beth had the pork chop with a roasted pepper concoction and polenta, perfectly cooked, thick and juicy.

I ordered the shrimp risotto with asparagus. The dish was perfectly creamy. The shrimp were tender, tail off. The asparagus was al dente and in bite-size pieces. It gave me a big wow and made me promise to cook risotto soon.

For dessert Beth had the berry cheesecake. It was beautifully presented with a small scoop of sorbet. I had the strawberry rhubarb panna cotta, mostly because I didn’t know what it was (a sort of custard, with a house made biscotti on top)

Our service was excellent, our dinner was outstanding and every element of the Savor experience was beyond compare.

We just spent a week in California and didn’t have a single meal as good as what we stumbled on 5-minutes from home.

Go check it out. You can make a reservation here. https://www.niagaracc.suny.edu/nfci/savor/