Buffalo Rising Online

Oct 28th 2007, 4:26pm By queenseyes

After a long Saturday night it's always interesting to see where everyone wants to go for Sunday brunch. This morning my mom and dad called to see if we wanted to join them for breakfast. Of course we took up the offer and that's when the 15-minute conversation began about what to get and where to go. Betty's was suggested, and so was Amy's Place and Mythos. Instead of those stand-bys I suggested that we head over to Niagara Street to try out the Riverview Family Restaurant. The last time that I had paid a visit to this exceptionally terrific food joint I posted on how good the food was. This time it was the neighborhood that caught our attention. While eating inside, we kept on looking out the windows and commenting on how attractive the two Peter J. Smith Architect buildings looked standing side-by-side. In a part of the city where fully restored brick structures are not commonplace, it was a welcome sight to see. Even the brick building that we were seated in looked solid, and although the glass block section forming the windowsill didn't quite fit with the rest of the structure, the general appearance was pleasing.

It is these small sections of well-maintained commercial properties that can be the springboard for an entire street. We're starting to see a small renaissance take place on Amherst Street, and although progress is slow at the Thalaza Bakery building on Grant, that project will hopefully inspire others to join in on fixing up the surrounding buildings (near Guercio's - another stronghold). All of these streets... even Elmwood with Spot and Hertel with Empire... have commercial anchors that act as strongholds until the troops arrive. Even though the family-run Riverview Family Restaurant has only been around for two and a half years, it has already become a meeting place for the surrounding neighborhoods. By the time we left, around noon, the place had filled up and was totally hopping with so many different types of people. One can only hope that as more people discover places like Riverview, they will open their eyes to the nearby possibilities and opportunities.

By the way, if you have not tried breakfast at The Riverview, I can honestly say that it is well worth the trip. The food rocks. The burger supremes have got to be the biggest in the city and there is an extensive kids' menu. The place seats forty people, the laid-back atmosphere is perfect for the college students as well as the locals, the service is stellar, the architecture is beautiful, there's a lovely refurbished corner park a few doors down, the new bike route is close by... with a few of the empty gaps filled in this section of Niagara could really thrive again.

Riverview Family Restaurant is located at 1893 Niagara Street in Buffalo. Orders can be called in for pick-up at 716-875-1956 while the restaurant is open seven days a week. Food is served Monday through Friday from 7:00am to 8:00pm and weekends from 7:00am to 3:00pm.