Experience great comfort food and the history of Buffalo in this lovely little pub right next across the street of the Buffalo Zoo, in Delaware Park.

When you first walk in to Parkside Meadow, you notice something different write away. The walls and shelves are decorated with photos, advertisements, and other memorabilia from the history of Buffalo. You will find represented everything from local department stores and sports franchises to factories. The place just exudes Buffalo history.

The local focus is represented on the menu as the pub has local favorites such as Beef on Weck and chicken wings and the drink menu features many local craft beers. My companion as I wanted to sample these, so we got flights. My flight consisted of (left to right): Oatmeal Stout, Steampunk cider, Genesee Ruby Red Kolsch, and Genesee lager. I liked them all (even the lager, which I am not normally a fan of). But my favorite was the Kolsch, a golden ale with a tart grapefruit flavor.

While Parkside has a full menu, they had so many appetizers we wanted to try that my companion and I decided to order several of them and make that our meal. We started with a soup and salad. These were a french onion soup and an Eggplant Caprese salad. Both were excellent. The soup had plenty of onions, some croutons to give it some crunch, and topped with a thick dose of mozzarella. Delicious.

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The caprese salad consisted of fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, deep fried eggplant, and plenty of salad greens. Drizzled over all was a thick balsamic glaze. The greens had a nice, sharp taste, which complemented the juicy tomato, soft cheese, and the sweet dressing quite well.

We rounded out the meal with Pretzel Rolls (rods, really), shrimp dumplings and stuffed peppers. The pretzels tasted like they came right out of the oven. They were warm, crunchy on the outside, but soft on the inside, and served with a nice and smooth beer cheese. A classic combination done well. The shrimp dumplings were crispy and stuffed with filling. They were a little dry without the sauce, but the sauce is excellent. A Teriyaki sauce, it has the perfect blend of sweet and salty. The peppers were stuffed with sausage and cheese, with no fillers. The cheese was very creamy, and the peppers had a bit of a kick to it, but were not extraordinarily spicy.

There was not a bad appetizer in the bunch. However, my companion and I both agreed that the best one was Eggplant Caprese. It is fantastic.

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The menu has much more than appetizers. There is an extensive sandwich section that includes burger and Paninis. Bigger entrees include comfort food items such as meatloaf, mac n’ cheese, pasta, and a pot roast. I’ll have to try them next time I’m there.

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The owners of Parkside Meadows, Nancy Abramo and Len Mattie, have lived in the area for over 20 years. The building is a historic, as it housed a storied bar from the 50s until the early 90s. It was vacant for years, until the couple bought the building and opened the restaurant in 2015. They bring a lot of love and care to their restaurant, and it shows.