That’s a cup of tomato sauce off the the right – a vegetable!
Working in Niagara Falls for five years, I heard lots of complaints. One of the true perennials was the restaurants. People expected more downtown, besides the casino and the Hard Rock Cafe. They also wondered why, in a city full of Italians, there was so little worthwhile Italian food.
I ended up sending lots of people to Michael’s, at 3011 Pine Ave. It’s at the beginning of the “Little Italy” section of Pine Avenue, next to the decorative arch over the street. (Pine Avenue, not Main Street, is the “main street” in Niagara Falls.) Next door is La Hacienda, an interesting Italian restaurant in its own right.
I like Michael’s for blue-collar Italian done fast. It gets crowded at lunch and sometimes dinner but the people standing waiting for tables don’t mind because they can see how fast the plates come whipping out of the kitchen.
There’s a bunch of specials I learned to look for, including gnocchi with pesto and pine nuts, and linguine with prosciutto and cream. On a recent visit, they weren’t offered, so I settled for another showstopper, their calzone.
It’s as long as my arm, and it’s deep-fried. I don’t normally give diet advice, but this is probably not something you want to eat every month. Hacked into pieces, apparently with a machete, seasoned ricotta and mozarella seeps out, while I try to remember why I thought I needed pepperoni too.
Serves two normal-sized appetites
Another can’t-miss is the “beans and greens.” At Michael’s, this brew of cannelini beans and foliage – is it escarole? – is heartwarming, savory with Romano cheese. People stop by to pick up a bowl, and trudge away through the slush.
Vitamins, protein and warmth, all packed in one pretty package
9 Comments
February 18, 2007 at 2:28 pm
Oh. My. God.
February 20, 2007 at 3:26 pm
Michael’s is the best. Hands down. When I lived in the Falls it was the best place to go for anything, especially Beans and Greens.
La Hacienda has great pizza, no doubt, but the owner is a little cranky at times.
February 22, 2007 at 1:25 pm
Michael’s is a Niagara Falls “secret place” that Buffalo people probably don’t know about, but should. The service is fantastic (owner Mike Capizzi is usually there to make sure), the food is always first-rate (I always order off the specials board), and the ambience is “real” Little Italy. No Godfather posters needed here; this is where the locals eat.
La Hacienda (what a strange name for an Italian restaurant!) will always have a place in my heart, for two reasons. First, I took my wife Becky (aka Lucchetti) there on our first date. We went to a Marx Brothers movie, and a bunch of my beer-drinking buddies sat behind us and heckled us every time we tried to kiss. Then they turned up in the next booth at “La Hac” while we were trying to have a romantic dinner. But we’ve been married 26 years, so no harm done.
Then, in 1974, I went to a concert at Niagara University (with the same bunch of guys) to see an obscure but supposedly up-and-coming rock band. We stopped for carry-out pizza on the way home. The lead singer was there playing pinball. He was the only one who hadn’t hooked up with a coed after the concert, so they sent him in from the car to wait for the pizza. We told him we were blown away by his music, and were sure he going to be a big star some day. We made him promise not to forget the “little guy” when he got rich and famous. He shrugged it off, and seemed skeptical about our prediction. Regardless, I think he’s done a good job following our advice: his name was Bruce Springsteen.
La Hacienda is known in the Falls for the cheesiest, greasiest, thinnest-crust pizza imaginable, served so hot that even seasoned pizza guys have to eat the first couple bites with a fork to avoid wearing it. It’s so good that you end up wolfing down several bites while it’s still impossibly hot. Then, the next day, you realize that you’ve burned the roof of your mouth. Don’t worry–it heals quickly.
February 22, 2007 at 6:29 pm
I use to work in the Falls and I have been to Michael’s which is cheap and tasty. Now I live down South and I miss the food of WNY so much, the photos are mouthwatering. Everytime I come back home, I get a hot dog from Ted’s.
February 23, 2007 at 10:36 pm
Went to Michael’s tonight for dinner with a friend.
Great recommendation! Great Italian food!
February 23, 2007 at 10:36 pm
however the address is 3011 Pine Avenue.
February 23, 2007 at 11:15 pm
Thanks for pointing out my error; I’ve fixed the article.
March 25, 2007 at 6:35 pm
[...] pine nuts – if you’ve got ‘em; try subbing pecan/walnut bits, maybe sunflower seeds [...]
February 28, 2008 at 12:21 am
[...] to mention more distributors, bars and restaurants, including Michael’s Restaurant, which just might be the best family restaurant in Niagara [...]