Wegman's sponge candy would be an authentic Rochester sweet, and I'm sure Wegman's will ship it to you wherever. My favorite flavor is dark chocolate coating/orange-flavored filling. Children seem to like the milk chocolate best.

I think that Abbott's custard is also based in Rochester. A little harder to ship and serve because of its frozen state.

Best wishes!

I've been to the Hotel Lafayette lounge/bar and it was poorly run, sad to say. I haven't been to Mike A's Steakhouse, but people seem to like it on Yelp.

Hi, neighbors: Most restaurants of the "Hutch's" type in Buffalo are indeed closed for weekday lunch.
Here's what I can recommend, all in central/downtown Buffalo:

Trattoria Aroma, 307 Bryant Street in Elmwood Village. Fine Italian food; quiet and comfortable.

Bistro Europa on Elmwood. Creative Continental cuisine; may not be the most comfortable or quiet place since it is small and can get crowded.

Seabar, 475 Ellicott Street. Buffalo's best sushi.

I hope that you all enjoy the tour and lunch.

If you want atmosphere (good food, but atmosphere primarily) in a private room then I would recommend the historic Roycroft Inn in East Aurora (about 20 minutes Southeast of Buffalo; easy to reach on the 400). The Roycroft was central in the development of the Arts & Crafts movement in American culture. The architecture, with dark wooden beams and chapel-like features, is a fun/romantic setting for a family occasion. I am not sure of the cost per-person but they probably have an option in the $75 range. The event I attended was a bit large; maybe that's why I noticed some people were less than satisfied with beverage/wine supply. However, I had no complaints and I thought that overall it was charming.

Pomegranate at 4125 Transit (South of Main St. in Clarence) has nice basic Persian/Iranian dishes. They also have a convenient counter at the Walden Galleria mall Food Court. Highly recommended. http://www.pomegranateny.com/

For Lebanese, I recommend Byblos out in Getzville/Amherst (270 Campbell Blvd). It is upscale and comfortable, with lots of Lebanese entrees. It is a trifle dark inside at night, which makes me sleepy, but the service is very attentive and friendly. http://bybloscuisine.com/

I think people mainly go there for the Belgian-style ales, but they have an excellent reputation for food also.

Gosh, this is probably too late, but I would not recommend Bistro Europa for two 80-something diners unless they are remarkably spry. It is rather cramped and can be noisy. You may have to park far away as well. Also, reservations are a MUST for the weekends. Other than that, it is a tip-top restaurant for Buffalo in terms of food. I've lived and traveled extensively in Europe and I go to Bistro Europa to reminisce. It is a good value too.

As I recall, Elmira is kind of a wasteland for interesting food, but Corning has some good eateries along its main drag. I've enjoyed Brick-Oven Atlas Pizza and the Market Street Brewing Co.

I've yet to find a really good restaurant/eatery on Grand Island. If you are in the Buffalo area and would like to try out its New-Orleans-style food, good places are Shango on Main St. in North Buffalo and Chester's on Transit Road in East Amherst. The former is more upscale and the latter is more casual.

Also if you like the NYC Hard Rock Cafe, the one in Niagara Falls compares well (and is definitely better than the one across the bridge in Ontario).

BYOB (bring your own bacon)?

I definitely second smooter on recommending Mulberry in Lackawanna. From what I recall it is all on ground level, with easy parking across the street. Fantastic veal, meatballs, ravioli, and lasagna, Their lasagna-of-the-day is not to be missed!

Also good for standard Italian, there are at least two Pasquale's. I'm pretty sure the one in East Aurora would be accessible by wheelchair.

And there is a small chain that is like Olive Garden but much better quality, called Carrabas. It's in a strip mall off of Niagara Falls Blvd in the Northtowns (Amherst). Senior citizens love it. Accessible as I recall. However, the wait for a table can be long.

For sliced meat sandwiches, whether turkey or roast beef, Charlie the Butcher's is recommended. There are several locations, including 1065 Wehrle Drive in Cheektowaga (near the airport).

Schwabl's in West Seneca is also renowned for their sliced meat sandwiches. That's at 789 Center Road. They do everything the old-fashioned way; it's like entering a time-warp.

The third option, though I haven't tried it myself, I've heard good things about, is Eckl's, in the suburb of Orchard Park (4936 Ellicott Road). Also known for making sliced meat sandwiches the old-fashioned way. However, unlike the first two they are only open for dinner (4:30-11), and hence geared more toward hot entrees.

In Batavia, between Rochester and Buffalo and close to the 90, there is Alex's, which is excellent for ribs and other barbecue foods. Greats sides too. They have won several awards recently for ribs and pot roast sliders.

It's a half-mile from Exit 48.

8322 Park Rd, Batavia, NY 14020
(585) 344-2999

http://www.alexsribs.com/home/

Both Obama and Conan O'Brien headed straight for Duff's (3 locations; Obama hit the one on Dick Road and Conan went to Millersport Hway) for wings. Jay Leno flies into town for the pizza and wings at La Nova Pizzeria.

Other down-home favorites include Ted's Hot Dogs (local chain; get the fried onions) and Jim's Steakout (also a local chain with many variations on the Philly Cheese Steak).

When Anthony Bourdain covered Buffalo he dwelled on Ulrich's Tavern downtown near the theatre district. It is very historic and has a good menu of German-style dishes.

The above are the most authentic Buffalonian down-home or "comfort" eateries. Seabar (for sushi, not exactly a Buffalo specialty) and Hutch's (fine dining) are good on the more upscale side of things.

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Jim's Steakout
2611 Delaware Ave, Buffalo, NY 14216

La Nova Pizzeria
371 W Ferry St, Buffalo, NY 14213

In Canandaigua itself, I don't know any restaurants; all I can recommend is Roseland Water Park. It's one of the best aquatic amusement establishments I have tried with my kids.

As for eateries, the closest one to Canandaigua I can recommend is just Southeast of Geneva, Emile's. It is Italian-based cuisine, very rustic and comfortable, with a good salad bar.

As someone who shops the various Buffalo-area Wegmans frequently, I can tell you that the one on Sheridan Drive in Williamsville/Amherst, near the corner of Hopkins/Evans, is far and away the best in terms of prepared foods and most of the fancier items such as cheese, deli meats, etc. It's both a gourmet specialty store, organic/health food store, and major supermarket all in one.

Their sushi is execellent; nice array of hot Asian foods, including Indian, as well as salads. The olive bar is not with the other bars, but rather at the back of the store near the cheese department.

One local product stocked by Wegman's that I would especially recommend is White Cow yogurts, in the refrigerated organic section. This is an artisanal yogurt and it's out of this world. My favorite flavor is the pumpkin.

Also, Minneo & Sapio sausages (hot or mild Italian sausage made with cheese) sometimes found in the Wegman's meat department (about 60% of the time) are outstanding. Enjoy!

When on the Outer Cape I make a point of stopping at least once each at:
Van Renseler's (South Wellfleet)
P.J.'s (Wellfleet)
Catch of the Day for take-out (South Wellfleet)
Arnold's (Eastham)
However, I don't know where to go in P'town so I've never eaten there.

Call first because I haven't been there in several years, but I really enjoyed Calabria's on Pixley in suburban Rochester. It struck me as a good place for an inexpensive rehearsal dinner.

Red Rose Italian restaurant and pizzeria: it may seem large and cavernous, but it is wonderful. You cannot go wrong here. Downtown, centrally located.

Just East of Geneva there's EMILE'S. It is not upscale or fine dining by any means; more like family-style and comfort foods. However, it sounds like many on this board have been herded into tourist traps and this place is the antidote.
Packed with locals; you may need to call for a reservation. Specializing in Italian dishes and home-made pies. Everyone piles up on the ample salad bar; entrées include steak, chops, seafood, as well as pasta. Excellent children's menu and wine list.
If you don't mind the down-home wood paneling, the dedicated but harried wait staff, and the chaos of a very popular locale (which is in the middle of nowhere; people come from miles around because it's good). Try it and see what you think if you are in the Northern or Western Finger Lakes.

I guess nobody else has had the bad luck to wander into Rookies, in South Wellfleet. This place was so nondescript, it did not even measure up to the fried-stuff standard of Cooke's in Orleans. Everything seemed to come out of a can, and the service was so slow. How does it stay open year after year?

Haven't heard of Pete's, but here are my recs for cheap and casual:

Wings: The Anchor Bar on Main Street in Buffalo. Locals and tourists all throng there; it's where wings were invented.

Dessert: Sweet Tooth on Elmwood

Seafood: Hayes Seafood House, 8900 Main St. in Clarence (15 mins. East of Buffalo). Outdoor patio; beer & wine.

Chinese: Chang's Garden and The Golden Duck, both on Maple Road in Williamsville

Lunch-style Beef on a weck: Charlie the Butcher, a 50's-style luncheonette in Cheektowaga, the corner of Wehrle and Cayuga. Also the Anderson's chain all over the area is a good local fast-food joint with good meats and custard.

Beef on a weck, dinner-style: Schwabl's in the southern burb of West Seneca.

In between Charlottesville and Alexandria, a few minutes off the main road (29) in Orange is the Willow Grove Inn, a very notable establishment for fine dining with great historic atmosphere (it's an old plantation, on the historic register). Just beware because some people do feel it's over-priced. Often featured in travel mags. My wedding was held there.

I left Charlottesville ten years ago so I'm not sure my favorites are still there; also I like ethnic foods and you are looking for real Southern, so the safest rec I can give you is for SOUTHERN CULTURE, on Main halfway between the University district and "Vinegar Hill"/Downtown. It's nouveau Southern and very relaxing. For a true Upper End experience, I remember the best one has its dining room upstairs (bar/bistro downstairs) exactly one block off of the Downtown pedestrian mall (515 E. Water St.). It's called the C & O, and while it does not specialize in Southern fare (it's more French-style), you are bound to find something there you would like.