Buffalo Rising Online

Oct 18th 2006, 10:24am By queenseyes

Close to two weeks ago an email was sent to me wondering if we were familiar with the Mid Day Club of Buffalo. Attached to the email was a name (Jim) and a phone number. I have to admit that I had never heard of the club, so I called the number and once connected asked for Jim. On the other end a man replied, "Yes, this is Jim and I'm the Chef and Manager of the Mid-Day Club... how can I help you?"

Before I knew it we were arranging to meet up downtown at the club, which it turns out, is located on the 21st Floor of the Liberty Building. On the day of the scheduled meeting I arrived at the building and rode the elevator to the 20th floor. From there I climbed a flight of stairs and found myself staring at a door with a small gold plaque on it the read, 'The Mid-Day Club'. Jim Mackowski (photo front) met me as I walked through the door, and the two of us spoke for a moment before he led me around the place. First impressions? The views from the club are some of the best in the city and it's hard to pull yourself away from the windows upon first arriving.

Once Jim finally pealed me away from the views we pulled up a couple of chairs so that I could learn about the club's history as well as its current role in the downtown business community. Jim was more than happy to explain, "The Mid-Day Club was established in 1936. There is an enrollment of 150 members, mostly from the local business community, who like to have a place where they can come to enjoy a good lunch amongst friends and associates. We're really only open from 12-2pm Monday through Friday, but in that time we regularly serve upwards of 45 guests a day. Some of our members reserve the club for cocktail/dinner parties in the evening, or for wedding receptions throughout the year, but mostly this is a lunch club."

I asked Jim what sort of membership he was talking about... was this an exclusive club or could any businessperson join? Jim clued me in that there were a few different club memberships according to age, and that Mid-Day was not an exclusive club. "We are always excited to welcome new members. If you work downtown and appreciate great food with an excellent view, then we're here for you. There are no quarterly dues for members under the age of 34, and initiation fees at that age only total $50. The only thing that we require at that point is to spend at least $40 a month on food and drinks... but I would think that anyone who wants to be a member would want to take advantage of the club. We also have reasonable dues once a member graduates to the next age bracket. We try to take it easy on the amount of dues that a member pays... we want them to treat the Mid-Day like it is a restaurant that they can frequent anytime that they like for lunch."

Speaking of lunch, I was curious as to what sort of food the club served and since Jim was both Chef and Manager I figured that he would know best. "Our four page menu offers specials every day and all of the food is fresh. Each morning I take a trip down to the Main Street farmers' market to pick up fresh produce. I always make sure to include soups and salads for the lunch crowd and even try to pick up seasonal and specialty items whenever I can. Members can choose to eat at the long table with other members, pull up a seat at a two or four-top, or reserve the smaller dining club area if they have a larger group. Oh, and the dress is business-casual... you know chinos and a button-down is fine."

This sit-down with Jim was a real eye-opener. Until the meeting I had no idea that there was a lunch club in a beautiful old 21-storey building that overlooked the rest of the city and onto Canada. Here was a club that you would expect to find in NYC,AeP a club that is affordable enough for young business people to join without having to worry about breaking the bank. The services are all there, the setting is unbeatable, and the staff is over-the-top-friendly. Mid-Day is offering potential members the ability to stop by in order to 'Test-Drive' the club. The club is within walking distance of the Light Rail "Free" zone, making it easily accessible from many points up and down Buffalo's business, medical and collegiate corridors. If you're interested in taking the club for a spin, just call 716-852-7792 and ask for membership details, reciprocity programs with other clubs, and a complete listing of membership dues.

Photo Top (L-R) : Jacquie, Angela, Becky and Anthony. Jim is seated.