Return
to Buffalo Gazette IndexLydia’s Pearl
Breakfast Lunch and Seafood Bar
484 Pearl Street 856-CLAM
by Michael I. Niman & Laura McClusky
Buffalo Gazette Culinary Arts Critics
To get into Lydia’s, go through the door make a hard
right and go up a few steps. Then go through another door and take a hard left.
Once through this little maze, you’ll find yourself in Buffalo’s
coziest little 12 seat restaurant. As
you take a seat, you’ll be surrounded by cool Jazz tunes flowing in the air.
It’s not the usual old tired jazz that usually muscles it’s way onto
Buffalo’s airwaves, we’re talking hot stuff, like Louie Prima belting
out some N’Orleans swing followed by Squirrel
Nut Zipper and the Great Ladies of Jazz. The atmosphere is sweet.
But let’s talk
about the food. Everything here is
homemade and delicious. Everything. This
includes the soups, quiches, sandwiches, chilis, muffins, cookies, croissants
and all sorts of specials “de jour.”
The bad news is Lydia’s only serves breakfast and lunch on weekdays,
usually closing by 3PM. The good news is, starting June 1, the clam bar will be
open Thursday through Saturday nights until 10 or 11PM. (Lydia will stay closed
on Saturday’s until dinner time).
Lydia’s
breakfast menu (7-11AM) is replete with waffles, French toast, fresh fruit,
eggmelts ($1.50 - $2.00) and omelets ($4.25-$4.75) such as her Giambotta which
is complete with sausage, peppers, onions and potatoes. For lunch she
has a host of sandwiches, oddly named after Gilligan’s
Island characters, all priced at $3.95.
Two of the eight sandwiches, the Maryann and the Mrs. Howell are
vegetarian options, a nice break from an otherwise carnivorous downtown.
In all, Lydia offers at least seven daily choices for vegetarians.
Double that number if you’re a fish eating “vegetarian.”
Lydia’s soups
($1.50-$2.00) are hearty and teaming with that homemade feel.
We had the Vegetable Rice soup, a generous serving of an extraordinarily
tasty stock teeming with about eight different vegetables and rice.
The soup was low in fat, high in fiber, yet full of flavor, made from
fresh (not canned or frozen) vegetables.
Earlier diners
made quick work of Lydia’s Split Pea with Ham soup, leaving nothing but an
empty pot by the time we arrived. But
don’t worry, Lydia is always cooking, augmenting her regular menu with a
constantly changing array of seasonally appropriate specials. Downtown workers can sign up for a weekly fax of Lydia’s
upcoming specials, all of which, incidentally, can be delivered to downtown
offices.
We also had the
Ham and Cheese Quiche. Again,
hearty is the best word to use here. This
is not a delicate quiche, but a generous cheese filled pie with a light and
flaky crust.
Lydia’s is also
a full functioning clam bar, starting at 11AM.
She offers Raw, Steamed and Casino Clams ($7.50-$7.90 per dozen) as well
as Mussels ($4.95 per bowl), Shrimp Cocktails ($3.95) and “Dainties” ($3.25
per dozen) We arrived just as an
obviously satisfied patron finished his rather large bowl of what seemed like,
giant mussels. The smell of garlic
and butter was still in the air as the man rubbed his belly and nodded his head
in approval, mumbling praise all the way out the door.
It’s that kind
of place. Friendly and cozy.
It’s not just home cooking. The
whole restaurant is like home. When we stopped by Lydia was talking about her
upcoming trip to New Orleans, an annual pilgrimage to the N’Orleans Jazz Fest.
The restaurant would have to be closed for two days (but don’t fret, by
the time this review is published the festival will be done and gone and Lydia
will be back full of energy and ready to cook). Lydia promises that her time in
N’Orleans will not be a complete vacation. She’s going to scout out a
few new Cajun recipes for the restaurant (we’re hoping for Muffalata
sandwiches).
Lydia’s is a
great lunch spot and we’re looking forward to the late night outdoor clam bar.
It’s comfortable, cozy, like home. Stop by grab a seat, enjoy the sweet sounds
of good jazz and enjoy the fantastic smell of fresh baked goods (75c-95c).
Be mindful, however, Lydia’s only has 12 seats and the biggest table
only sits two, so be prepared for take-out if you come at the height of the
lunch hour. Otherwise, just head on in, grab a Gazette and a cup of Chai ($1.50) , sit a spell and enjoy a great home cooked
meal in one of the coziest places in Buffalo.