front: Pan roasted Atlantic salmon with fennel and roasted tomato salad and a lemon balsamic reduction and parsley oil. back: Seared sea scallops with frisse, shitake mushrooms, crispy bacon, and creamed corn sauce.

(photo: Rose Mattrey)

For many years I was fortunate to live not far from a Four Seasons Restaurant.

No, I’m not referring to the chichi New York City icon. I’m referring to the local chain that was Buffalo’s precursor to Denny’s. I lived near the Four Seasons at Harlem Road and Kensington Avenue, where you could always count on great ice-cream sundaes, fantastic patty melts and a Friday “fish fry” featuring processed, frozen seafood in the shape of a triangle. You’ve heard of the triangle fish, haven’t you?

My Four Seasons passed from the scene, a victim of corporate greed—and the “wisdom” of the Town of Amherst Planning Board—that decided Snyder really needed three national drugstore chains within one block of each other. The former Four Seasons on Niagara Falls Boulevard is now a pancake house. The site at Sheridan Drive and Sweet Home Road in Amherst is no longer with us.

I do, however, have good news about the fate of the Four Seasons on Maple Road. After spending some time in limbo as a sports-themed establishment, it has been reincarnated as a handsome restaurant with great food by three men who are in-the-know in the world of Buffalo restaurants.

The restaurant takes its name from its address: 800 Maple. Real pedigree there when you consider Buffalo’s best known “800” on West Ferry Street. The lineage also comes with its three owners—Henry Gorino, Chuck Mauro and John Tronolone—who are the owners of Siena at Main Street and Harlem Road in Snyder. Gorino also is the owner of Oliver’s.

Charlie Mallia, formerly at Siena, is the chef at 800 Maple. Brad Backstrom, previously at Oliver’s, is sous chef.

800 Maple opened at the end of August. Its fare is American cuisine, where the emphasis is more on “American” than “cuisine.” “Comfort food” is not quite right to describe the fare, but it will help you understand what 800 Maple is all about. The menu can be pricey, but the food is very good.

One item that captured my imagination immediately during a visit last week was the “New England chowder sauce” served along with little neck clams with the roasted halibut dinner ($27.95). There are a lot of sauces out there—traditional and nouveau—but this was the first time I’ve seen a clam chowder sauce.

Since we were determined to sample some of 800 Maple’s entrees cooked on its wood-fire grill, we knew we wouldn’t be having the halibut. But the unusual sauce beckoned and we ordered an evening appetizer, three broiled jumbo sea scallops served with said creamy chowder sauce and topped with crispy bacon ($11.95). What a great combo—an original American take on the classic coquilles St. Jacques.

We also selected another opener that was a winner—pan-roasted steamed mussels prepared in vermouth and served with cannellini beans and cavolo nero, a Tuscan kale ($11.95). There were a couple dozen mussels, the broth was perfect for dunking the house-made bread, which came in a basket along with sundried-tomato rolls and addictive bread sticks topped with salt and caraway and sesame seeds. We asked for a second serving of those breadsticks.

Beef Ribeye grilled with rosemary and served with crispy potato croquette

(photo: Rose Mattrey)

Other appetizers included an evening special, baked Maryland crab cake served with an herb remoulade ($9.95), as well as skillet-seared yellow fin tuna with spun cucumber salad, crispy rock shrimp, warm sesame oil and scallion cream ($12.95), lobster fritters with a Cajun remoulade and lemon frisee salad ($10.95), and fried calamari and banana pepper rings served with a roasted red pepper aioli ($9.95).

There are several salads on the menu, including a “crab house Caesar” featuring Romaine lettuce, anchovy dressing and a Maryland crab cake ($9.95). My salad selection was a crisp and tasty combo featuring a wedge of iceberg lettuce, slices of tomato, applewood bacon and a creamy bleu cheese ranch dressing ($7.95). The guest raved about his winter pear salad, featuring a beautifully presented poached pear, Belgian endive, crispy prosciutto, Gorgonzola cheese and a walnut vinaigrette ($7.95).

When it came to entrees, the guest chose well with two thick, eight-ounce lamb chops grilled over wood and finished with confetti of eggplant, roasted pepper and goat cheese ($27.95). The chops arrived medium rare instead of rare as ordered, but that didn’t stop him from proclaiming, “This is the way lamb chops should be served.”

I opted for the wood-grilled boneless turkey breast fillets topped with apple-cherry chutney and served with wild rice ($18.95). The marinated turkey meat was tasty and juicy—two adjectives you usually don’t resort to describe turkey meat. I would order it again.

Also evening specials were a pan-seared and roasted half rack of Australian lamb with a port wine and mint demi glace ($32.95), pan-seared wild striped bass served with a fennel and roasted tomato salad and finished with aged balsamic vinegar ($26.95) and a spit-roasted BBQ chicken with “Brad’s famous sauce” ($15.95).

Entrees on the regular menu include pan-seared Atlantic salmon with a spicy black bean, chipotle and scallion corn relish ($21.95); linguini di mare featuring lobster meat, shrimp, scallops and mussels in a plum tomato broth ($24.95); slow-cooked prime rib prepared on the wood-fired rotisserie ($23.95 for 12 ounces, $32.95 for 20 ounces); and slow-roasted barbecued baby back ribs finished on the grill with 800 barbecue sauce ($21.95).

Interested in sides? Choices include asparagus with olive oil and lemon ($5.95), macaroni and cheese ($5.95) and the latter’s upscale cousin: lobster macaroni and cheese ($9.95).

Desserts are prepared in-house by Debbie Hartman, previously at Siena and Oliver’s. We selected two winners at $6 each: key lime pie with raspberry pomegranate sauce and yummy warm pineapple upside down cake with vanilla ice cream and toasted hazelnuts.

The bar, according to the bar menu, opens at 4pm daily with drink specials and complimentary hors d’oeuvres on Friday. The bar menu, featuring items such as a cheeseburger with fries ($8.95), “bonfire nachos” ($9.95) and a prime rib sandwich ($13.95), is available at all times. Reservations for dinner are recommended. There are no barriers for those who are physically challenged.