The Eastern Pearl Chinese Restaurant on Maple Road in Williamsville is located on the site of the former Chang's Garden restaurant, which was destroyed by fire over a year ago. Since Chang's was very popular, it's good to see another high-quality Chinese eatery open there. The decor is very elegant, yet don't feel that you have to get all dressed up. The food, which mainly consists of Cantonese dishes, is of high quality. Some of the selections include sesame chicken, Moo Goo Gai pan, shrimp lo mein and garlic shrimp. The dinner is a bit pricey, but then this is not a tiny take-out joint; you are paying for the ambiance. The lunch prices are a bit more reasonable. - Christine A. Smyczynski

Melting Pot is another name for delicious fondue and memorable dining. Enjoy warm fondue and sparkling wine in a relaxed ambiance that this place has. The classy and chic decor is complimented by bold and earthy colors on walls and furnitures. Choose from the wide range of delicious cheese on offer. This place also serves salads and seafood. All in all, this is a complete diner. This beautiful diner is also used as venue for parties and gatherings.

As the name suggests, you can devour your hearts content on Japanese cuisine. Enjoy the freshest sushi you can lay your hands on. Well, if you are not into experimenting something new and would like to stick to the good old 'cooked' food, then you could choose from the regular menu. Shrimp Shumai served here is interesting. All said and done, a wonderful place for family and group lunches. Making reservations is definitely advisable.

Rated among the top 20 in Western New York, this Williamsville restaurant, located near the Buffalo Niagara International Airport, offers traditional Indian cuisine for diners looking for something different. The restaurant, in business for more than a decade, has a range of vegetarian dishes and your choice of spicing from very hot to mild. Dinner mains include murg maharaja, roasted chicken breast in an onion, poppy seed, cashew and spice gravy and vegetarian offerings like aloo tikki, grilled patties of spiced mashed potatoes mixed with green peas.

If you're looking for the spot where the theater crowd hangs after a show, this is definitely it. Located on the border between Buffalo's Theater District and the Chippewa Club Zone, this bar-restaurant has an authentic theater feel. The place is packed, especially on weekends. There's a good dance floor and plenty of tunes to get you singing along. The food is mostly standard pub and bar fare with a dash of Italian thrown in. But people come here mostly for the ambience and good cheer. The venue is open Monday to Friday from 11:30 a.m and from Saturday to Sunday, 4 p.m. onwards.

Located within the Buffalo Marriott Niagara hotel in the Amherst business district, this upscale restaurant presents award-winning cuisine under the watchful eyes of world-renowned chefs. Main-menu dishes include filet mignon with grilled portobello mushroom and grain mustard sauce, seared Atlantic salmon, and linguini with shrimp, roasted chicken, asparagus, scallions and mushrooms in white wine. Perfect for both the power luncheon and the leisurely after-shopping meal, the restaurant combines ambiance, good food, innovative cocktails and excellent service for a tantalizing dining experience.

Run by the same family that operates the Tralfamadore Cafe and directly across from Shea's Performing Arts Center in Buffalo's Theater District, this restaurant attracts a wide variety of clients from business people to tourists to all sorts of theater-goers. For groups of six to 60, you can hold your private event on the second floor at the Bijou Club Level, where there are two banquet rooms that can only be reached by a private elevator. The restaurant not only offers privacy for a romantic dinner, but also one of the best views in the city; check out the website for more information.

This warm and welcoming restaurant, which opened in 1995, offers fine Italian cuisine. They offer huge portions of traditional Italian dishes, like tripe and veal cacciatore. They make a homemade sauce, available in tomato, meat, mushroom, and marinara, which is also available for take-out by the quart. Start out your dining experience with soup, like pasta fagiola or the soup of the day. Home baked pastas include lasagna, manicotti, stuffed shells, ravioli, baked pasta parmigiana, and baked tortellini. Dinner entrees, which are served with either a salad or a side of pasta, include veal or chicken Florentine, veal or chicken cacciatore, veal marsala, eggplant parmigiana, and much more. Some of their specialty pastas include pasta a la Amici, Sicilian calamari, luguini carbonara, and fettuccini alfredo. They also serve baked or broiled fish, fish Florentine, and a chicken finger dinner. Their wine list features wines from Italy, California, France, New Zealand, and Australia, as well as New York State wines. - Christine A. Smyczynski

This tiny café, located along Hertel Avenue in Buffalo's Little Italy section, is known for serving generous portions of homemade comfort food in a friendly atmosphere. One of their signature breakfast dishes is Big Bob's Jumbota, made with eggs, potatoes, Italian sausage, green peppers, and onions. They also have dishes like omelets, French toast, and scrambled eggs on the breakfast menu. Lunch selections include a soup of the day, pizza, and sandwiches, like an Italian sausage patty sandwich topped with salami, capicola, provolone, and tomatoes. They are also known for their steak, which is cooked to order. -Christine A. Smyczynski

This restaurant is located in a plaza that also houses a Chinese take-out restaurant right next door (Ling Ling's) as well as an Asian grocer at the end of the plaza, so you can really get your fill of Asian cuisine here. Orchid Asian Bistro focuses mainly on Japanese dishes like sushi, along with Thai foods like pad Thai. Many people say that this is one of the best sushi restaurants in the area. There are a variety of rolls and hand rolls available, including California roll, spicy tuna roll, and even an eel cucumber roll. Thai selections include red curry and green curry, along with noodle and rice dishes. Japanese entrees offered include chicken teriyaki, beef teriyaki and vegetable tempura. -Christine A. Smyczynski