In Williamsville, New York a longtime neighborhood bar, Loughrans, had recently closed. In its place is the restaurant Grezi on Main. Having been a patron of the previous establishment, I tried the new place out. Grezi provides a fine dining experience. The food quality is excellent, but the place is very different than the one it replaced.

Grezi on Main is the brainchild of Buffalo natives Greg Wakeham and Joe Freer. Both have extensive restaurant experience in Atlanta and parts of Florida. They have returned to Buffalo and Grezi is their first restaurant in city. They describe the restaurant as “casual fine dining”, mixing the concept of fine dining with a sports bar. It opened in September 2023. Grezi’s menu is seasonal. What I describe below is from their winter menu.

Appetizers

The first section of the menu is starters. They include: a bread basket, a charcuterie board, a couple of salads, and chicken wings. Those were grouped together. Additional starters are: Foie Gras Meatballs, Mushroom Carpaccio, Truffle Mac an d Cheese, Pan Seared Scallops, and Lollipop Lamb Chops. It’s not clear why these are separated from the others. I had to verify with the waitress that they are in fact starters, and I overheard others asking the same question. The layout of this section of the menu is confusing.

My companion and I ordered one starter: Brussels Sprout Bruschetta. This is similar to a tomato bruschetta, but with Brussels Sprouts instead of tomato (which were out of season). I liked it well enough, but missed the tang that tomatoes normally give the dish. Something stronger is needed to contrast with the cheese (which was stracciatella). The cheese is very creamy, which I liked. It could have used a little more salt, though. A good attempt, but this bruschetta needs a little more work.

Entrees

Entrees include Swordfish, Whole Roasted Half Duck, White Bolognese, Grezi Smash Burger, and a Cornish Game Hen. The entrees all come with sides, but additional sides can be purchased. These include Truffle Paramesan Fries, Whipped Yukon Potatoes, Wild Mushroom Risotto, and Sweet Chili Brussels Sprouts.

I chose the Grilled 12 oz NY Strip. It is served with the whipped Yukon potato, asparagus, a sherry cream sauce, and a dollop of butter. I ordered the steak rare, and it came out perfect. The steak is marinated in Espresso, which gives the crust a unique taste. A great dish. The steak had enough flavor that I did not need the butter at all. I also liked the sides. The mashed potatoes were rich and creamy, while the asparagus were grilled until just tender.  

My companion had the Pork Milanese, which is a brined and breaded bone in pork chop. It is served over an herbed polenta and topped with green tomatoes and arugula. I had a small taste and it was delicious. The pork chop was juicy and tender. It was also huge! Big enough for two meals.

Desserts

Grezi’s has a small number of desserts. I neglected to make note of all of them, but they included a Creme Brule and a White Chocolate Mousse cake. I had narrowed my choice to two: Carrot Cake or Mascaporeos. The latter is an Oreo inspired dish made with chocolate cookies and a mascarpone cheese based filling. I asked our waitress for help and she, without hesitation, recommended the carrot cake. And that is what I ordered.

But this is no ordinary carrot cake. Grezi’s version is centered on a ginger flavored cream cheese ice cream . The ice cream is surrounded by the carrot cake. Nuts are sprinkled on top. The presentation is fantastic and so is the taste. The ice cream is rich and creamy and the cake is moist. A well made dessert.

Beer and Cocktails

Grezi has a good sized beer and cocktail menu. There are 10 beers on draft and 8 additional varieties in cans. The draft beers are all craft from mostly the eastern United States. Local Buffalo brews are from Big Ditch Brewing Company and Thin Man Brewery. Also on draft is Guinness Stout. The cans include local favorites such as Labatts and Molson Canadian and old standbys such as Miller Light. The New York based breweries Ellicottville Brewing Co and Captain Lawrence are also represented.

There are 8 signature cocktails plus 5 non-alcoholic “zero proof” cocktails. The signature cocktails have names like The Agave Club (tequila and aperol), Where My Rosemary Goes (gin based), Apri-cought in the Act (rum based), a Mezcal based drink called Oaxacan Smash, and an Apples to Oranges Sangria. I had a Sage You’re Sorry, which is a gin based drink with sage, blood orange, chocolate bitters, and whipped egg whites. While it does not have a strong sage tasted, I enjoyed it very much. My companion did not have one of the signature cocktails, but did order an Old Fashioned.

Atmosphere

Like Loughrans before it, Grezi has a bar in the front and a restaurant in the back. However, the bar was practically empty while the restaurant was packed. This reflects the key difference: Grezi is a fine dining restaurant, not a local neighborhood bar. The owners are trying to mix the two concepts, as they do have a large screen for watching games and is open late. Still, it seems to me to be more of a special occasion place than a spot to hang out with friends. Perhaps the ambience is different during a game.

The food is high quality and the menu has many innovative dishes. The service is excellent as well. We were promptly seated and were given plenty of time to review the menu. The waitress was also very helpful. Since the food is made fresh it took awhile for our order to come out, but the service is otherwise prompt. Overall, I was happy with the dining experience at Grezi’s.