TAKE ONE A very fine Verbena By Alan Bedenko; photos by kc kratt What better way to honor a late, lamented restaurant named after a flower than to open a new restaurant in the same spot named, once again, after a flower? Daffodils is the old, Verbena on Maple Road in Williamsville is the new, and the upgrade is fabulous. I only dined at the old Daffodils once, long ago, and only remember it as somewhat stuffy and a bit old-fashioned. Verbena is neither. The dining rooms are more casual now, although the décor is a bit dated—the eighties meets the twenty-first century. Nevertheless, it was comfortable yet elegant. When we arrived, the maitre d’ was nowhere to be found, so a waitress greeted us, checked our reservation, told us our table would be ready shortly, and asked if we’d like to wait for a few minutes in the bar. It was well-populated with people relaxing after a week of work, and we grabbed a couple of glasses of cabernet. I waited about twenty minutes before going back up to remind the greeter that we were there, and they apologized and seated us right away. Our server was absolutely brilliant, providing detailed descriptions of menu items and specials. (If a server in a Mediterranean-themed fine restaurant can properly pronounce “bruschetta,” that’s an added point in my book.) For starters, we tried the eggplant manicotti. Served piping hot directly from the oven, it was a perfect appetizer portion of tender eggplant in a tomato sauce with a hint of sweetness; the mozzarella cheese was still bubbling from the heat. We also opted for a perfectly prepared scoop of risotto. Presentation was beautiful, with a few droplets of balsamic vinegar. The risotto had a few peas and other veggies in it, although the flavors were a bit hard to discern. Also presented in a manageable portion, it succeeded in getting us excited about the main course. The filet mignon was served with an oxtail-sherry demi, mushrooms, and Cabrales mashed potatoes. The steak—ordered medium rare—was prepared perfectly. Tender steak went beautifully with the reduction and savory mushrooms. The mashed was creamy and satisfying, with a bleu cheesy surprise in the center. Green beans done al dente rounded out the dish. The portion was not unreasonably massive and, paired with the great flavor, made the whole dish wonderfully satisfying. The long bone beef short ribs took on Flintsone-ian proportions. Served attractively in a homemade four-spice BBQ rub, sauce Provencal, and pistou-whipped potatoes, they offered great flavor with every bite, and were slow cooked to perfect fall-off-the-bone tenderness. The potatoes had tones of garlic and olive oil to them, with a hint of pesto, and were remarkably creamy. Both mains featured a gorgeous presentation, as one might expect given the relatively high $38 and $28 price for each, respectively. For dessert, we shared a pineapple crisp that had sweet pineapple, crispy crumble served warm, and a homemade vanilla ice cream that quickly began melting on arrival. Verbena’s menu is quite extensive, offering a dozen entrees in the $20 to $40 range. A macaroni and cheese served with sausage, sweet peas, and lump crabmeat was tempting, as was a free-form lasagna with a seafood theme, creamed spinach, and tomato. It’s not just a great special-occasion place, but offers a leisurely dining experience that’s a great way to unwind at the end of the day or week. Also, it’s one of the few restaurants that bothers to open on Sunday. There’s even a grill room menu featuring less expensive burger and sandwich items. In all, Verbena is a great and worthy replacement for a former landmark. Verbena 930 Maple Rd., Williamsville, 580-3125, www.verbenadining.com Attorney Alan Bedenko blogs at buffalopundit.com and lives in Clarence with his family. SUBSCRIBE NOW Back to the Table of Contents Back to Top