A local note

Well, two local notes, actually:

:: If you attempt heading out on a Saturday during “Maple Syrup Season” in Western New York, or even for the upcoming “Official Maple Weekend”, leave early and budget lots of time to wait for a table at your pancake breakfast location. When we arrived at the one we selected the other day (stupidly, the one that was also featured in a big-ass article in the Buffalo News travel section last Sunday), we were informed — at 11:30 a.m. — that a party that had arrived at 10:00 a.m. hadn’t even been seated yet.

:: Charlie’s Diner in East Aurora is a nice joint: clean and homey with good food (at least on the basis of the breakfast items we ordered). It’s a “greasy spoon” type of eatery, with sugar on the table in one of those jars as opposed to packets and a bar of counter-stool seating in the front and tables in the back. The place was just about full when we arrived and had become busy enough for a wait when we left, and still, our food was served within fifteen minutes of our order being placed. For a family outing, you probably can’t beat going there for breakfast and then to Vidler’s to let your kids spend their allowance.