Saturday, October 20, 2012

Restaurant Week Recap #3: Mothers in Buffalo

My younger brother Richard just got engaged. Well, he got engaged about a month ago, but Thursday night was the first chance my boyfriend and I had to take them out to celebrate their engagement. I let them choose where they wanted to try (since they are as adventurous as we are), and they chose Mothers on Virginia Place in the city. 
I'd only ever been to Mothers once before, and that night we walked in and quickly walked out. We were looking for something cheaper and quick, and Mothers wasn't it. While many of the menu items looked amazing, we weren't in the mood to spend a lot of money and a Sabres game would be starting in about 30 minutes and we didn't have good sight lines for their television. 

I was excited to get back though, because I loved the atmosphere and have heard great things about the restaurant. We had a reservation for 6, and when we arrived  I was so glad I made reservations. The bar and tables were packed and it didn't let up the entire time we were there. 

Mothers has a very cozy feel to it. The dim lighting, gorgeous covered tables lit with candlelight and stone/brick interior make it a very romantic spot as well. The night we chose appeared to be girls night out, as we were only one of three tables that had couples at it. The bar was hopping with well dressed men and women enjoying happy hour. 

Their restaurant week special included a glass of wine (we all selected the Riesling and it was crisp and delicious), either the house salad or soup, and an entree. 

My brother, his fiance Jenny and my boyfriend all ordered the exact same meal, even down to the dressing on their salads. They had the generous 12 oz. sirloin steak which came served with mashed potatoes and snow peas.  I felt I had to be different so I went with the tenderloin tournedos, and learned a new word! If you aren't down with your beef lingo, a tournedo is the center most portion of tenderloin and is sometimes referred to as filet mignon in the US.  My dish was served with asparagus and roasted red potatoes and the meat was sitting in a delicious sauce with mushrooms. 

To put it quite simply, the meal was perfect. There wasn't a single aspect of the dinner that I can gripe about. The salad and soup (I chose the Mushroom Asparagus) were the perfect start to the meal. The meat was cooked perfect; tender, medium just the way I like it and seasoned well. The sauce it was in was outstanding and really complemented the meat. The potatoes and asparagus were great additions to the beef as well. I had a taste of the sirloin steak and it too was "melt in your mouth" good and I could have eaten all my boyfriend's mashed potatoes (and I'm not a big fan of mashed potatoes).

We had a great meal and all left the restaurant very satisfied and full. I don't get to spend a lot of time with my brother (like me, Richard is always on the go), so it made the night that much more special to share it with him.  

Mothers is the perfect "special occasion" spot, and a great option for happy hour in the city. It is tucked away on Virginia Place and parking can be limited, as there is only street parking available. If you are planning on checking it out, I would consider reservations. Even though it was Restaurant Week, they are often busy. 

My only gripe about Mothers is that they don't have a website, or really much of a social media presence. They do have a Facebook page with over 1,000 followers, but it doesn't look like they utilize it that often. That being said, Mothers wasn't hurting for business. They are also a popular hangout for local politicians, especially during campaign season. 

If you are looking for a great atmosphere and a delicious meal, Mothers is worth the price and a must try!


Sirloin steak (left) and the tenderloin tournedo

For more reviews on Mothers, check out:  Mother's on Urbanspoon

6 comments:

  1. I have been meaning to ask this asian euro girl with beautiful big brown eyes out to dinner. I think this is a good restaurant and she loves steak, too!

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  2. The last time I had sirloin steak was at a catering sydney. I'm afraid I might have forgotten how succulent it tasted. There's like a party in my mouth!

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  3. I love steak so much that I've actually considered having a franchise plan plenty of times. I'm just looking for the perfect place to go with it.

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  4. I have always dreamed of a really nice wedding in a peaceful garden full of the people very dear to me, however, I haven't left out the detail that I want a tasty steak on the buffet menu.

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  5. It's amazing how restaurants gain their popularity just by advertising online and also through the bloggers. Great review!

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  6. Mothers in Buffalo is one of my family's favorite restaurants. I'd say, it's a good business, especially if you know you can serve dishes as excellent as that. People are very particular in taste, nowadays. If you can succeed in giving them the taste they crave for, then you can make it to the top. Congratulations to Mothers in Buffalo!

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