Anyone ever been up there?  Going to be there for a couple of days next week and would like some suggestions on places to see and restaurants to try...

There's really not that much on the US side of the border, to be honest.  Head down Pine Street to Niagara Falls' Little Italy, which is a more workaday Italian-American neighborhood than a tourist destination, and check out Como, an Italian restaurant that is supposedly a favorite of Buffalo area Mafioso.  It's the kind of place that is dark and very old-school, with signed photos of Sinatra and the like on the walls.  Niagara Falls is a VERY Italian-American city, but don't expect much in the way of unique dining; Buffalo-style red sauce Italian cuisine is dominant.  It's damn good, but a bit monotonous. 

 

If you're an urbanist kind of person, there's really a lot more to be seen in Buffalo; the Elmwood Village, Allentown, and North Buffalo neighborhoods in the city really don't have an equivalent in Cleveland.  East Aurora is Buffalo's answer to Chagrin Falls, but it's in the Southtowns, on the opposite side of the metro from the Falls.

Thanks for the response...I hope to get to Buffalo for at least a day to explore...Is there any particular place one has to see or eat when in Buffalo?  Is there an equivalent to Ohio City or Tremont in Buffalo?  Sorry for all the questions, but my googling isn't helping me much on what to do...

Is there an equivalent to Ohio City or Tremont in Buffalo?

 

Allentown = Tremont + GBLT Lakewood

Elmwood Village = Coventry + Cedar-Lee + Cedar-Fairmount + Shaker Square + Detroit Street + Little Italy

Chippewa Street = combination of Warehouse District and old East Flats; somewhat smaller than, but much wilder than the Warehouse District.

North Buffalo/Hertel Avenue = Little Italy + Cedar-Lee X 2; great urban fabric but not as much pedestrian traffic as either Cleveland-area 'hood.

University Heights = Cedar-Lee + a lot of grit

East Aurora (suburb) = Chagrin Falls in 1990

 

As far as where to eat: I recommend the wings (and atmosphere) at Gabriel's Gate on Allen Street.  There's a lot of Italian restaurants, pub grub, and a growing number of upper-middle end restaurants along Hertel.  You'll find a huge variety of places along Elmwood. 

 

Dining/restaurant trends in Buffalo are several years behind Cleveland, and about 10-15 years behind the nation, so don't expect much in the way of cutting-edge cuisine.  Obscure ethnic dining (Ethiopian, South American, etc) is nonexistent, and even Mexican food is hard to find.  There's no shortage of old-school 1950s-style menus (meatloaf, roast/fried everything, surf and turf, etc.), especially in blue-collar burbs like Cheektowaga.