The Black Sheep
I've finally arrived in Scotland, but before I start writing about all the exciting stuff here in Glasgow, I wanted to give a quick shoutout to a little place I visited in Buffalo, New York. I had stopped by for a few days to see my newborn nephew (all hail Emperor Kai, may he live forever) and my brother-in-law took me to this great new place called The Black Sheep. I used to go to Cafe Europa exclusively for their pierogi when I lived in Buffalo and was brokenhearted to find that they had closed. But the folks from the Europa opened the new place, so I had to get me some pierogi. We tried quite a few small plates, which were all quite good, but these three really stood out.
First was the pierogi. I have dreamed about these pierogi ever since I left Buffalo. At Europa, they made a different kind every week, so of course we had to go every week to try them. These were everything I remembered. Nice and crisp on the outside, and soft on the inside, with a pork confit filling. I'd be eating them right now, if I weren't on the other side of the planet.
Observe:
Second was the gnocchi. I usually find it to be so-so, and I've never been all that impressed by it. But the flavor here was off the charts. Served with peaches, gorgonzola fonduta and pistachio pesto, I thought it was going to be a truly weird combination. But I seriously couldn't get enough of it. This dish is a monument to experimentation, and my hat goes off to the chef:
And finally, my dessert. An espresso mousse with fresh fruit and a house-made biscotti. It was so rich, and the perfect end to so much flavorful food. I truly enjoyed not worrying about getting to the bottom of it:
I'm really glad to have had the opportunity to eat here. I think Buffalo really lost something special when Europa closed, so I'm glad to see these folks back in business with a new location. My advice is to get yourself there. I heartily recommend the pierogi. Foodies never die. That is all.