Some days, nothing will suffice but a proper knife-and-fork meal. Not a burger, not chicken wings - nothing that involves getting your hands greasy or going through a drive-in. And for those days, there are very few places that beat Sweet_ness 7 Caf?(c) on Parkside Avenue.
A plane ticket to Paris might be a little out of your budget right about now, but the taste of France lives inside Sweet_ness 7's crepes. You walk through the rustic, wooden door into a haven of relaxation and the smell of perfected, bubbling batter.
Sweet_ness 7 offers an extensive range of crepes - from savory to sweet - and there's something to satisfy even the fussiest of pallets. If you like to eat sweets, order the "Afterglow" - sweet crepes loaded with lemon curd, kiwis and whipped cream. If savory is your thing, then give "Bagoshwag" a taste. You'll be served the standard crepe - simple in its recipe but excellent in its execution - filled with roast beef, blue cheese, pear and spinach, drizzled with a hearty ladle of B?(c)chamel sauce. A serious treat for all your senses.
The presentation of the food is spot on - not overly pedantic in its placing, but not sloppy either (as crepes have a tendency to appear when smothered in B?(c)chamel sauce). The whole plate is good enough to Instagram, and, luckily, Sweet_ness 7 offers free Wi-Fi.
The portion size is also incredible - so big it's hard to finish, but so good that you can't leave a crumb on your plate.
Although the caf?(c)'s menu is limited to crepes, the bar is adorned with seasonal baked goods and its drink menu is almost as exciting as its crepe list. You can warm yourself up with a well-made, fair-trade Americano or can spoil yourself with the Sipping Chocolate - the most decadent drink of the bunch: a cup of pure melted chocolate, topped with whipped cream.
Imagine it passing your lips on a cold, snow-covered Buffalo afternoon.
But just because you're spoiling yourself doesn't mean you're going to be digging too deep into your pockets. Crepe prices range from $4.50 to $9.50, and drinks start at $1.75 for a cup of locally roasted, Guatemalan coffee. Not extortionate in the slightest and worth every cent.
There's a strange but satisfactory self-service method applied in the caf?(c). I'm not talking impersonally pressing buttons or an iPad or checking a box on a piece of paper. But, simply, customers order at the bar and then collect their plates there when called out. The sauces are on the side next to the knives and forks, and the milk jugs are cozied up to the honey bottle for customers to help themselves.
Nestled in the corner of the room is a cupboard filled to the brim with board games - from Monopoly to Zingo! to Checkers. You can take your pick, get comfortable in one of the corner tables near the window and spend hours with friends reminiscing over the nostalgia of the old games.
Sweet_ness 7 is a beautifully authentic caf?(c) that pulls out the best of Buffalo. There's also a Sweet_ness 7 on Grant Street in Buffalo.
The food is mouth-watering, the people are kind and entertaining and the atmosphere is inviting and relaxing. Take an afternoon and nestle yourself in the caf?(c) - do your homework or read that book you've been wanting to read for months.
Make sure you wear your stretchy pants, because it's unlikely that you'll leave Parkside Avenue without truly indulging yourself.
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