Wednesday - Dinner out at O'Connells

We always try to go out for a fancy dinner when my folks are in town and have been making the rounds here in Buffalo. We've found some wonderful places (and some not so wonderful), but we'd heard a lot of buzz about O'Connell's from foodie sources and have been excited to try it. The welcome we received from Kevin O'Connell senior inclined me to love the place right away - welcoming, friendly, and totally at ease. This is a man I'd like to know forever and I exchanged about three sentences with him! What an opening! The menu at O'Connell's is seven courses for $40. Yes, you read that correctly. Seven courses $40. The first course is fixed (a truffle soup this week), but you get two or three choices for the rest. The food was nearly flawless, inventive, and interesting. We had very few criticisms (and they were minor) and I kept declaring each dish "my new favorite". We had a WONDERFUL time. That said, this is WAY too much food. We took seven small boxes home and I felt way too full even with that. We didn't learn if the ala carte menu (served at the bar) is available in the dining room, but I hope to go that route next time. And there will be a next time, even if I have to tell them to skip ahlf my courses and I'll pay for them anyway :)