The restaurant, with its sun-splashed patio as its centerpiece, had not previously entered my standard rotation of check-ins. It required a native’s suggestion to do so.

Yet on Thursday, amid a pause at the NHL Combine, I found myself at Deep South Taco surrounded by 80-degree weather, bright sun, and cold drinks, wondering whether I was in Buffalo or Phoenix.

In Buffalo, outdoor patio is neither a term nor a construction that does much to suppress a giggle. It is an oxymoron, just like a screen door on a submarine.

As many visits as I’ve made to Buffalo, it helps to acquire inside information. This time, it came via colleague Emily Procknal. Emily is a proud Buffalonian, which is a redundant phrase.


You can refer to Zagat. Concierges know their stuff. Before its redesign, Chowhound was a critical resource.

But sometimes you have to respect a native’s knowledge.

While covering the combine, I spent three nights in Buffalo, enough time to hit four of Emily’s suggestions: Mulberry Italian Ristorante, Deep South Taco, Public Espresso + Coffee, and Jim’s Steakout. They were all first-timers for me.

Mulberry Italian Ristorante in Buffalo, N.Y. Fluto Shinzawa/Globe Staff

Mulberry was all right. The caprese salad had a big chunk of mozzarella. It was nothing compared to the preposterous meatball plopped atop a plate of spaghetti. Only half of the meatball could fit on my table. The other half was somewhere in Rochester. The meatball’s mass made me so dizzy that I forgot my credit card. I thank Mulberry’s kind staff for keeping it safe until retrieval the next day.

Meatball and spaghetti at Mulberry in Buffalo, N.Y. Fluto Shinzawa/Globe Staff

While I’d pass on a return visit to Mulberry at the draft, Deep South Taco will require further investigation. I am confident in predicting that three feet of snow will dampen the patio’s hospitality during a regular-season visit. But with June temps threatening to defrost anything resembling ice deposited by a Zamboni, it was a good time to make my first visit. It won’t be my last.


My two-taco lunch arrived on housemade corn tortillas. Despite their thickness, the tortillas had no chance of containing everything piled on top. The huitlacoche taco overflowed with corn. The panza was the better of the two tacos, with terrific slabs of pork belly – crispy on the outside, soft on the inside – offset by crunchy radishes, cilantro, and onion.

Two tacos at Deep South Taco in Buffalo, N.Y. Fluto Shinzawa/Globe Staff

A post-taco stumble to the nearby Hotel Lafayette led to a much-needed jolt. The lobby is home to Public Coffee + Espresso. A single shot of Rwandan was excellent. Like all good espressos, Public’s expression lingered on the palate long after it went down the hatch.

I said goodbye to Buffalo with a Stinger from Jim’s Steakout for the drive home. It’s a mashup of two of the city’s specialties: beef and Buffalo chicken. The base layer is a few slices of sirloin. The ridiculousness comes with a second layer of chicken fingers, sauced to whatever heat level you prefer, and separated from the beef with a few slices of American cheese. I suppose everybody should try a Stinger once. Whether a repeat is required is up to you.

The fun resumes later this month when Buffalo hosts the draft. The combine served me well. It gave me good intelligence on the picks that require additional study and the ones that can be bypassed.

It was helpful to view the players, too.


Follow Fluto Shinzawa on Twitter at @GlobeFluto