I first had dinner at Daniela and have been lucky enough to return for lunch and most recently, brunch. The menu stays the same from daytime to evening, but for brunch, there are five specials offered in addition to the full menu.
Advertisement
I’ll dive into brunch first and then tell you how delicious everything else I’ve had at Daniela is as well. Since I haven’t had enough of Daniela’s Pinsas Romanas (probably never will), and myself as well as my company were in the mood to carb-load on our brunch visit, we chose the smoked salmon pinsa, the carbonara pinsa, and the ricotta pancakes with banana and honeycomb butter. Other offerings included a crab cake benedict, a deconstructed taco, and a baked french toast.
Advertisement
The smoked salmon pinsa was a favorite, boasting the perfect balance of savory smoked salmon, salty capers, and a silky creme fraiche atop the pinsa with fresh parsley sprinkled sparingly. The carbonara pinsa was a bacon lover’s (it me) dream, with a generous portion of bacon on each square, with the cheese and egg mixed together for that carbonara pasta-style mixture as the base substitute. Imagine dissecting your favorite bacon/egg/cheese breakfast sandwich and putting it on top of the lightest, crunchiest pizza crust you’ve ever had the pleasure of putting in your mouth. The ricotta pancakes left nothing to be desired, each bite offering a fluffy pancake paired with fresh banana and a tangy, sweet syrup with decadent pieces of honeycomb to round out the range of flavors and textures in the dish.
On other visits to Daniela, I’ve had the ‘nduja & melanzane pinsa, the capricciosa pinsa, the orrechiette alle cime di rapi, the penne al pesto, and the famed caramelized onion dip (or at least it should be famed). The pastas are always al dente and sauced as you’d hope – not too much, not too little. The careful topping of the pinsas and pastas has proven to be almost OCD-like, with each bite revealing a little bit of each ingredient. As a person that has a love for attention-to-detail, I am so appreciative of the beauty and precise nature of the cuisine at Daniela.
So what does Daniela do wrong, you may be asking? I have yet to find out! I can tell you this, though – finish any meal at Daniela with a pistachio gelato and your craving for a foodie trip to Italy will be satiated, at least for a couple weeks.
Advertisement
daniela.
Location: 387 Forest Ave, Buffalo, NY 14213
Hours: Tuesday – Thursday 11am – 8pm, Friday & Saturday 11am – 10pm, brunch served 11am – 3pm on Saturdays
Website: danielacatering.com
Booze: Y
Patio: N
Author: AdrianneSalmon
Adrianne is the face behind the @buffalobrunch Instagram and she's enthusiastic about the up-and-coming food and drink scene in Buffalo. When she's not brunching or writing about it you can find her behind the pine at Ballyhoo. Adrianne enjoys yoga, cycling, and snowboarding to work off all of the Bloody Marys and pancakes.