Students looking for some delicious Italian cuisine and are tired of Pinzone's or Sal's but cannot afford upscale Buffalo Italian restaurants need look no further than My Tomato Pie, a casual restaurant with an extensive, but inexpensive, menu.
My Tomato Pie, located at 3085 Sheridan Dr., offers prime Italian dishes like chicken marsala, eggplant parmesan, and tomato cream penne. But the menu does not end there - My Tomato Pie also offers pitas, sandwiches, and wraps.
While the large selection of dishes might cause students to take some extra time deciding what to order, the restaurant's creative and expansive list of pizzas only adds to the indecision. The imaginative toppings include basil pesto, hot banana peppers, tomato salsa, and more. The best part of these dishes, however, is the price. Nearly every meal is under $10, and a large pizza only goes as high as $14.75.
My Tomato Pie also offers its patrons the option to make their own pizza with toppings like turkey, kalamata olives, and roasted vegetables. The restaurant also offers a selection of seven different cheeses to add to their pizza. And if pizza is not a favorite, patrons can choose to put these same toppings and cheeses in a calzone.
"It reminds me of the pizza I'm used to getting at home on Long Island. Not to knock the pizza up in Buffalo, but not many places have the kinds of gourmet slices this place has. Goat cheese pizza is a rarity up here," said Robin Jackelow, a sophomore double majoring in psychology and English.
Although My Tomato Pie offers many sausage and meatball dishes, vegetarian pizzas and calzones make up a decent portion of the menu, as do desserts like key-lime pie, apple crisp, a hot fudge sundae, peanut butter pie, and others.
Patrons of My Tomato Pie might be surprised by the restaurant's classy d?(c)cor. Although the prices are surprisingly low, the restaurant is elegant, yet casual. Owner of My Tomato Pie, Anthony Scioli, calls his restaurant "casual Italian dining."
The black carpet and tables go well with the red lights and colorful walls. This design makes My Tomato Pie an appropriate place for either a family night out or a group of students going out to dinner.
Scioli recommends arriving early on Friday and Saturday nights, as the restaurant does not take reservations. According to Scioli, there is sometimes up to a half hour wait on weekends.
My Tomato Pie will be celebrating its five-year anniversary next May and according to Scioli, the restaurant will be expanding.
"We're plan on opening a few more. We're also thinking of putting in a 50-person banquet room and a bar area," he said. "Right now, we have beer and wine, but we want to offer a full selection of liquor. Not so much for a bar scene, but for cocktails and things like that."
Although My Tomato Pie is not looking for the bar crowd common at Main Street bars, Scioli said many UB students eat at his restaurant.
"We get a lot of UB students. We get a lot of sororities in here. I think it's because of our salads. We give huge salads," he said.
My Tomato Pie offers a 15 percent discount to UB students with valid identification.
My Tomato Pie's full menu is available at http://www.mytomatopiebuffalo.com. The Web site includes a full menu and a 360-degree camera of the restaurant.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
