Local Review: Eddie Jays Restaurant on Buffalo Avenue

For this week's review, the Chickadee and I decided to visit Eddie Jay's Restaurant on Buffalo Avenue in LaSalle. You may remember the building a long time ago as "Weekends" in the 1980s, or maybe as "Goomba's" in the 1990's, or perhaps you paid a visit when it was "Rock n' Jocks" a few years ago. If you've never been there in any of it's past incarnations, let me first tell you how to get there... you'll find Eddie Jays on Buffalo Avenue, just past the LaSalle Library and Cayuga Drive going towards the Summit Mall... in fact, here is a handy little map to help you find your way:


(click image to view larger)

Eddie Jay's was pretty empty when we arrived, but at 5pm on a Tuesday, I wouldn't expect too many customers at any restaurant on a dreadfully rainy November afternoon. The place was very clean, with a Tuscan-esque decor... a far cry from how I remember it as the pizza and wing place called Goomba's. Eddie himself greeted us at the bar and told us to sit anywhere we'd like. Although there wasn't any sports on at this time in the afternoon, the half dozen hanging LCD televisions scattered throughout the restaurant gave me the impression that this would be a great place to watch some games, drink some beers and have a good meal while doing so.

The menu at Eddie Jay's offers a lot of choices at very reasonable prices. Take a look at the menu by clicking here. After much deliberation, I went for the stuffed shells (with two meatballs) and the Chickadee decided to have the chicken alfredo. With our dinners, I had chicken soup and she had a house salad. The chicken soup was hearty and helped to nullify the lingering bite of the cold rain outdoors. Within minutes after finishing our starters, the entrees arrived, and they looked and smelled delicious. The portions were large, the sauces were rich (not acidy), and the taste was excellent. When you visit Eddie Jay's, if you stray from the regular choices of burgers, wings, etc. - I highly recommend the pasta dishes, there were great.

After our dinner plates were cleared, Eddie suggested we try one of his sister's homemade desserts. We went for the peanut butter cheesecake. Once again, awesome! The dessert was the perfect ending to a very good meal.

Our bill came to a grand total of $47.00. That included: 4 drinks (two glasses of Shiraz, and two Stoli-sodas), a dinner salad, a bowl of soup, a large plate of stuffed shells in meatsauce with two extra meatballs, a whopping plate of chicken alfredo, and one slice of homemade cheesecake. Great quality - great price!

Eddie Jay's also has a large late night menu and a full bar offering up all the spirits you could wish for, making it a great place to watch any sports action or to hunker down and watch a Buffalo Bills game. Bring the entire family during the holidays and enjoy the excellent family style cooking that Eddie Jay's offers. Visit the website here for more information.

For more information, click this link for a past Niagara Falls Reporter article featuring Eddie Jay's.

The Local Drive In Movie Theaters

The Starlite Drive In was located across the street from LaSalle Senior High School on Military Road... oh wait, that isn't there anymore either! Okay, maybe I should say that the Starlite Drive In was located right about where Wegman's now stands. I only slightly remember it... I recall seeing The Empire Strikes Back there when I was about 6 years old. It was a double feature along with a Dom Deluise movie called Fatso... how many of you remember that movie?!

Here are some classic photos and newspaper ads of The Starlite Drive In:

(Aerial view 1948)

(Aerial view in 1978)

(Niagara Gazette ads and article - 1948 - click for larger images)

Here are a couple photos of the Falls Auto Vue Drive In located on Witmer Road (across from the softball fields).

(Aerial view from 1965)

Do you have any memories, comments or photos you would like to share? Please comment on this post or email StenzTV - we'd love to hear from you!

Thanks to Bill for sending along the links and photos. Please visit the original MySpace page where these are published by clicking here.

The Barenaked Ladies at the Seneca Niagara Casino

Canadian pop (rock?) group The Barenaked Ladies took the stage Friday night and played to a capacity crowd at the Events Center in the Seneca Niagara Casino. The Barenaked Ladies, which consist of singer/ guitarist Steven Page, guitarist/vocalist Ed Robertson, keyboardist/vocalist Kevin Hearn, drummer/vocalist Tyler Stewart and bassist/vocalist Jim Creegan (sorry folks, no actual barenaked ladies performed!) blew the roof off the joint with their energetic, improv-laden performance.


Barenaked Ladies - One Week - 1998

The Barenaked Ladies, known for many of their pop hits in the 1990s (One Week, If I Had a Million Dollars, Brian Wilson and many more) have clearly refined their stage persona over time with a mixture of music, stories, comedy and improvisation. Between almost every song, frontmen Steven Page and Ed Robertson would banter back and forth, making up mostly every word as they went along... Could they really have written lyrics to an on-the-spot song about furry teeth and pork and beans?! Are Fonzie impersonations always part of the act? The improv style made the crowd howl with laughter between each song, just long enough for everyone to catch their breath from the constant dancing and singing along.

The Events Center proved to be a great venue because of the sound quality, large screen videos and diverse crowd. There were adults ranging from 18 - 80, guys in Harley Davidson attire bumping hips with senior citizens, long time fans dancing with brand new listeners, no matter who was in attendance - everyone had a smile on their face. It was a great sight to see so many people having such a good time. At this Casino concert, everyone emerged as a winner.

Check out their official website here: http://www.bnlmusic.com/news/


For more information about future events at the Seneca Niagara Casino, click here: http://www.senecaniagaracasino.com/seneca-events-center.cfm

Haeberle Plaza - 1959

(Click on photo for larger image)

Haeberle Plaza - 1959 - Downtown Niagara Falls. (Courtesy of the Niagara Falls Local History Department.)

Good Morning Niagara Falls!

Good Morning America's Whistle Stop Tour '08 paid a visit to our hometown this morning, broadcasting live from the brink of the Falls.

Chris Cuomo does a segment just feet away from the mighty Niagara

I arrived on the scene at about 5:30am (yikes!) and was able to get a close view of all the mayhem and hoopla that springs from a live television broadcast. Although there were about 500-700 people in attendance, I was able to worm my way closer to the front of all the action in order to be "one of those people in the background." Have you ever watched any of the live morning television news broadcasts like Good Morning America or the Today Show and wondered, who the hell would wake up that early and stand there like an idiot in the background? Your boy Stenz, that's who!

Diane Sawyer and the early morning crowd

Niagara Falls, NY was just one of the many stops on GMA's Whistle-Stop Tour as the train makes its way across the nation. Click here for the official site and for some interesting insight about our hometown. You be the judge as to whether the video is an optimistic view of our city (looking forward?) or if our glass is half empty. Either way you view it, I think any publicity is good publicity.

The entire event this morning was a thrill for many onlookers and celebrity seekers (myself included), but no one had a better time than young JT Robertson. Watch the videos from today's broadcast here and also to see the interview and the special surprise that JT received from ABC's Extreme Makeover Home Edition. Very cool.

Ty Pennington gets ready to surprise JT

Even more surprises from the cast of Extreme Makeover Home Edition

Sam Champion in the midst of the crowd and in the mist of Niagara Falls!

Robin Roberts signs autographs and talks to fans

Michael Moloney and Paige Hemmis

Michael Moloney and Paige Hemmis with
a real hometown Lebowski Achiever, ME!

It was an eventful morning not only for JT and his family, but for everyone in attendance hoping to get a little glimpse of the Hollywood on display here in Niagara Falls. On a personal note, had I known this morning I was going to meet Paige Hemmis, I definitely wouldn't have complained about having to get out of bed so early!

Aquarium to Host Wine Tasting Gala Event

Sniff the nose. Check the legs. Taste some of the finest wines from the Niagara Wine Trail and the Finger Lakes area at the Aquarium of Niagara’s annual fundraiser, Winds, Waves & Wines IX.

Wine tasting, sampling hors d’oeuvres, live music, a silent auction and more are all a part of the gala planned from 6 to 9 p.m. September 18, 2008, at The Conference Center Niagara Falls, 101 Old Falls St. Free parking will be available at the Aquarium lot, between Third and Whirlpool streets. Shuttle service, provided by the Niagara State Park Trolley, will run from 5:45 to 9:30 p.m. Parking also is available on city streets and in nearby lots.

The popular Aquarium event will feature Aaron Mentkowski of WKBW Channel 7 as celebrity host. Participants include the Niagara Wine Trail wineries: Niagara Landing, The Winery at Marjim Manor, Eveningside Vineyards, Freedom Run Vineyards, Honeymooon Trail Winery, Arrowhead Spring Vineyards, Chiappone Cellars, Leonard Oakes Estate, Warm Lake Estate, Vizcarra Vineyards, Spring Lake Winery and Schulze Vineyards; also Dr. Frank’s Vinifera Wine Cellars, Goose Watch Winery, Heron Hill Winery, Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards, Johnson Estate, Merritt Estate, Penguin Pay, Standing Stone Vineyards, Swedish Hill, Vetter and Wagner vineyards.

Caterers/restaurants include the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Days Inn at the Falls, Muscareil’s Bistro & Dessert Gallery, Niagara CCC Culinary/Pastry Arts program, Starbucks Coffee Co. Niagara and the Conference Center Niagara Falls.

The Rod Nickson Project, sponsored by Turner Construction, and Premier Sound Mobile DJ will provide musical entertainment.

Tickets to the fundraiser automatically enter guests into a drawing for an authentic penguin or sea lion painting. A silent auction could also net guests prizes from Whitenight’s Jewelers, Art Effects Glass, Fichte, Endl & Elmer Eyecare, WELCOME Magazine, Wyland, marinelife artist, and many more.

Tickets for WWW IX are $55 each or $100 a couple. They can be purchased in advance at the Aquarium or at the door that night. For more information or to be included as an event sponsor, call 285-3575, Ext. 204. Sponsors to date are Advantage Flooring & Tile, Business First, Calamar, Empire Building Diagnostics, M&T Bank, Niagara Frontier Publications Weekly Newspapers, Sharp Printing Inc. and the Talking Phone Book.

Hyde Park Swimmers 1931

(click on photo for larger image)

Swimmers at Hyde Park - Summer of 1931. Photographer was standing near where the dam is now located.