Brodo Restaurant in Amherst

Because I work full time, and teach aerobics classes a few evenings a week, usually when I have a post for the blog, it takes me about a week to sit down and actually put it together. However, after my meal at Brodo on Wednesday, I had the post almost completely finished that evening. After we left the restaurant, I had to teach a Zumba class but had about 20 minutes to kill in between. My fingers were going crazy on the laptop as I began writing about my great experience…

Brodo is a deceiving restaurant from the street. Located on a corner on Main Street in Amherst, it looks small and can sort of get lost in the mix. A couple who came in after us even commented that they drove right past it, to the other guests in their party. They do have a parking lot behind the restaurant with ample space which is always a big plus on a busy street. What we found when we walked in was truly a "hidden gem". I was pleasantly surprised when we walked inside. The décor and ambiance are awesome and there were a lot more tables than I imagined. The lights were dim, the modern artwork on the walls gave the space a more upscale look and the tableware, tables and set up flowed very nicely.

I heard they have great soups so I was excited to order the “Flight of Soups” to start my meal. They were better than great, they were outstanding. I ordered the Tomato, Beef Barley and Poblano Corn Chowder. My favorite was the Poblano Corn Chowder. The little kick really enhanced the flavor, and I am not typically one for any kind of “kick” in my food. My boyfriend Geoffrey ordered the Brodo soup (the only kind I didn’t try) which was a tomato based soup with sausage and spices and he really enjoyed that as well.

As an appetizer, we ordered the duck quesadillas, which came with a mango chutney, and were absolutely delish! I go back and forth on whether or not I like duck, but these quesadillas were so flavorful, the duck so tender and the chutney was the perfect balance of sweetness! When I go back, I’ll definitely be ordering these again as a starter.

For my main course, and to be honest by then I was already getting pretty full, I ordered the grilled chicken focaccia. It was shaped like a pizza and was really great. It had flavor, all the ingredients mixed together well, and it really hit the spot. Although it was super tasty, I ended up taking half of it home and enjoyed it during the Sabres game later that night!!

Other guests in my party ordered the chicken Caesar salad and the pressed roast beef sandwich, which came with a side of pasta salad (that got two thumbs up from the little guy in our party, Jacob). Everyone really enjoyed their meals and we all talked about coming back again.

Wednesday night is ½ price bottles of wine night, and nearly every table aside from ours, was indulging in a bottle! (For those of you surprised I wasn’t enjoying a glass of wine, I did have to teach a class after!)

The service flowed nicely and the timing of our entrees was perfect. It was truly an enjoyable dinner out with awesome company. As we walked to our cars after the meal (on a perfect “spring” day in Buffalo) one guest in my party commented, “I’m trying to figure out why I waited until now to come here!” My sentiments exactly!

If you haven’t tried out Brodo yet (4548 Main Street, Amherst, NY) add it to your list of “night out’s” soon! Brodo will be one of the restaurants participating in Restaurant Week from March 26^th – April 1^st, so that might be the perfect time for you to get out there. If you have a pack of the Buffalo dining cards, Brodo is one of the cards in the pack, so make sure you pull it out and use it! You can find Brodo on the internet at www.brodo.net and they also have Facebook and Twitter pages.

Sometimes you try a new place out and it is a complete miss, but then you try places out like Brodo and you want to keep looking for other "hidden" gems throughout Buffalo and WNY! If you aren't as adventurous in your food choices as me, stay tuned, as I continue exploring the area!

For more reviews on Brodo check out: