The Blue Monk in Buffalo
I was only in Buffalo a total of 28 hours and my flight was delayed for 3 of those of course. Luckily my friend Kristin drove me to the airport and it gave us some time to stop and have an early dinner before I left. First we tried to go to Seabar but it was right between the 2 hour window that they close between lunch and dinner. Drat! Instead we veered off course and returned to the Blue Monk which I had tested out in the summer before they started serving food.
Blue Monk is known best for having one of the most extensive beer lists in the Western NY area. Immediately I noticed a new Dogfish Head I’d never had before the Namaste. It was basically a light, hefeweizen style of beer that wasn’t too exciting but certainly tasty. Since it was really early in the evening we weren’t feeling a full on dinner so we ordered two appetizers instead. First up- Blue Balls.
Yes only in Buffalo would you find something called Blue Balls on the menu. However these large German meatballs get their name from the Moody blue cheese crumbled on top. Neither of us liked these very much. They used a veal demi glace as the sauce and it was so rich and gamey it overwhelmed absolutely everything- even the stinky cheese! We both tried to scrap it off but it was so sticky the effort was futile and we ended up leaving most on the plate.
Our other appetizer was Duck Fat Frites with Siracha Mayo and Roasted Garlic and Sea Salt dipping sauces. Now the first thing I must tell you is that these came out lukewarm. I’m not sure if they had been sitting on the counter for a while or if they just used some old fries from the lunch rush. Either way there is no excuse in my book for cold fries. The whole point of a French fry is to be crispy and warm. Wouldn’t you agree?
Luckily they did retain some of their crispness and the flavor was pretty spot on. I really enjoyed both dipping sauces, especially the Siracho mayo. It’s just too bad the fries were cold. I should have complained and asked for another batch but I still had a plane to catch.
So unfortunately the Blue Monk completely disappointed both of us. The beer selection is stellar and the space is nice but they really need to shape up in the food department.
Blue Monk is known best for having one of the most extensive beer lists in the Western NY area. Immediately I noticed a new Dogfish Head I’d never had before the Namaste. It was basically a light, hefeweizen style of beer that wasn’t too exciting but certainly tasty. Since it was really early in the evening we weren’t feeling a full on dinner so we ordered two appetizers instead. First up- Blue Balls.
Yes only in Buffalo would you find something called Blue Balls on the menu. However these large German meatballs get their name from the Moody blue cheese crumbled on top. Neither of us liked these very much. They used a veal demi glace as the sauce and it was so rich and gamey it overwhelmed absolutely everything- even the stinky cheese! We both tried to scrap it off but it was so sticky the effort was futile and we ended up leaving most on the plate.
Our other appetizer was Duck Fat Frites with Siracha Mayo and Roasted Garlic and Sea Salt dipping sauces. Now the first thing I must tell you is that these came out lukewarm. I’m not sure if they had been sitting on the counter for a while or if they just used some old fries from the lunch rush. Either way there is no excuse in my book for cold fries. The whole point of a French fry is to be crispy and warm. Wouldn’t you agree?
Luckily they did retain some of their crispness and the flavor was pretty spot on. I really enjoyed both dipping sauces, especially the Siracho mayo. It’s just too bad the fries were cold. I should have complained and asked for another batch but I still had a plane to catch.
So unfortunately the Blue Monk completely disappointed both of us. The beer selection is stellar and the space is nice but they really need to shape up in the food department.
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