I'm heading over to Buffalo next week, so the girlfriend can do some shopping, and I can indulge in my love affair with beer. I plan on stopping in at either Premier Gourmet or Consumer's Beverages, I'm not quite sure yet. So any friendly advice anyone could offer considering my destination of choice would be great. But the real question i want to ask is where should we go for dinner? Last time I was in Buffalo I went to Cole's and that placing was fracking amazing, I was almost tempted to start looking for jobs in Kenmore, buffalo, just to live nearby. However, this time I am going to be in the Walden Galleria area or the Transit road area and I was hoping there was an equally good place to eat. If anyone has any tips please feel free to either PM me or post them here. I would love to hear what you guys have to say. By the way, I've gone to the Pizza Plant's website and unless their is a reason they don't mention, such as a bottle selection, I'm not really interested in going there to dinner.
Cheers,
Ken.
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Introducing Light Mode! If you would like a Bar Towel social experience that isn't the traditional blue, you can now select Light Mode. Go to the User Control Panel and then Board Preferences, and select "Day Drinking" (Light Mode) from the My Board Style drop-down menu. You can always switch back to "Night Drinking" (Dark Mode). Enjoy!
Planning a trip to Buffalo
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grub
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not that i know of. i've crossed the border in windsor many times with growlers, and i've even told them i had growlers before. i usually claim it as a sixpack to avoid confusion.sstackho wrote:There aren't any silly rules regarding bringing growlers back over the border, are there? e.g. I know there are some rules regarding flying with alcohol that isn't in their original sealed container...
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Ale's What Cures Ya
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Ale's What Cures Ya
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- Location: The Thirsty Dog
Just got back home about an hour ago. Picked up a ton of great stuff, lots of beers that have been at the top of my "Must Try" list for a long time, such as Sam Adams Triple Bock (the great soy sauce debate!), Bear Republic Hop Rod Rye, DFH Immort Ale, Sam Adams Hallertau Imperial, and Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin. Not to mention my usual assortment of Stone, Southern Tier, including a new offering from them, Raspberry Porter and Great Lakes. Definitely looking to try some of the new GL Commodore Perry IPA!
Also got the growler filled with Great Lakes Prohibition Pils, enjoying a glass of it right now, a very well crafted pilsener, biscuity, floral, finishes with a nice (not bitter) hop punch with a toasted grain taste.
Also got the growler filled with Great Lakes Prohibition Pils, enjoying a glass of it right now, a very well crafted pilsener, biscuity, floral, finishes with a nice (not bitter) hop punch with a toasted grain taste.
Check those best-before dates at Consumers Beverages!
After convincing the wife to sacrifice (via drinking) one of the 4 bottles of wine we received at Christmas (which would have taken up all of our import limits), we squeezed in a visit at the Transit Road location of Consumers just before they closed.
Thought I'd give myself a Christmas treat with a 6-pack of Stone Ruination - at $18+tax for a 6-pack!
Looked for an expiration date, but couldn't find it on the bottles or case.
Until I got home. (It's screened onto the lower part of the bottle.) Enjoy by June 2007!
Haven't tried it yet, so not sure how the taste is affected. I'm guessing the hops will have mellowed.
Oh well, I still have 8 months to quaff the Victory Weizenbock.
(Like I needed to buy more beer. I have waaaaay too much beer in my basement at the moment. Yet I keep buying more?)
After convincing the wife to sacrifice (via drinking) one of the 4 bottles of wine we received at Christmas (which would have taken up all of our import limits), we squeezed in a visit at the Transit Road location of Consumers just before they closed.
Thought I'd give myself a Christmas treat with a 6-pack of Stone Ruination - at $18+tax for a 6-pack!
Looked for an expiration date, but couldn't find it on the bottles or case. Until I got home. (It's screened onto the lower part of the bottle.) Enjoy by June 2007!
Haven't tried it yet, so not sure how the taste is affected. I'm guessing the hops will have mellowed. Oh well, I still have 8 months to quaff the Victory Weizenbock.
(Like I needed to buy more beer. I have waaaaay too much beer in my basement at the moment. Yet I keep buying more?)
Just a FYI, there are new border requirements coming. The article at http://www.buffalonews.com/home/story/259279.html will expire in a few days, so I'll post the text here:
If you cross the Peace Bridge this week and don’t provide a birth certificate and driver’s license, you are getting a written warning.
Next week, if you fail to comply, you’ll get another warning.
That’s how the process of educating local citizens will proceed for the foreseeable future as customs and border officers enforce stricter guidelines on travelers re-entering the United States from cross-border trips.
“If you want to throw the tearsheets in the back seat, that’s fine,” said Supervisory Officer Kevin A. Corsaro of the Buffalo field office of U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
But keep it up, and you might be pulled over for a more thorough inspection. That option is always on the table, and it could take a couple of minutes or significantly longer, depending on how backed up bridge traffic is.
Enforcement of the tougher requirements to prove citizenship and identity weren’t supposed to begin until next Thursday, but U.S. officials decided to get a jump on the extra work and start this week.
“We have started handing out those documents early, just as educational. We wanted to get a little ahead of the game. It doesn’t start until next week, but we’re just trying to prepare travelers,” Corsaro said. The education period will be
in place until at least June 2009. What happens after that for those who fail to provide the proper paperwork is yet to determined, according to Corsaro.
And Canadians also will have to provide the extra paperwork when coming here.
But the truth is that U.S. officers and their Canadian counterparts have been requiring more than a simple oral declaration of citizenship for years at the region’s four international crossings, especially after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
It’s all part of the federal law Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, known as WHTI, to better secure the northern border and provide closer scrutiny of travel to Mexico, Bermuda and the Caribbean, which, in the past, has not faced the same stringent guidelines as more distant overseas travel.
As a result, Buffalo Niagara region residents have raised many questions about what will be needed to make hassle-free cross-border trips now that U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff has officially required the paperwork.
Here are some of the answers to those concerns:
Q. Will anyone be refused admittance or arrested for failing to have proper documentation when returning to the United States? A. The short answer is no.
U.S. citizens lacking proper paperwork will receive a brief explanation of what is needed to be compliant with the law, along with the tearsheet now being distributed.
“You will not be refused entry,” Corsaro said Wednesday, describing this new era of travel as an educational period that will continue until at least June 2009, when the government hopes to have a few standard forms of identification in place — in addition to the passport.
Q. What types of documents are needed?
A. Proof of citizenship, such a birth certificate and government- issued photo identification for anyone older than 19. Q. What about children?
A. Children 18 and younger will need proof of citizenship, but no photo ID. If they are traveling without parents, their temporary guardian will need a signed letter granting permission to travel from the mother or father.
Q. Does the birth certificate need to be an original or certified copy with the raised seal of the municipality?
A. No, it can be a photocopy. Q. Who issues birth certificates?
A. The vital statistics office in the municipality where the individual was born.
Q. What kind of government- issued photo identification is acceptable?
A. A driver’s license is the most typical form used, but for those who do not drive, there are other official types of photo identification, such as a collegeidentification card or military ID card. Nondriver’s license photo ID can also be obtained at Department of Motor Vehicles branches. “Keep in mind we’ll still be talking to every traveler,” Corsaro said.
Q. Is there a single document that fulfills the increased paperwork requirement?
A. Yes, a passport. That includes a photograph and establishes citizenship. In the spring, passport cards, about the size of a bank card, will be available at a cheaper price than the larger regular passport. The cost of the passport card is $20 for those who already own a passport and $45 for those who don’t.
Q. What about enhanced New York State driver’s licenses?
A. They, too, will be acceptable as a single document to prove citizenship and identity. The state plans to begin making them available, possibly by next summer, at a yet-to-be-determined higher price than the regular driver’s license.
Q. What about the fast pass known as NEXUS?
A. That also performs double duty to prove citizenship and identification.
Q. With the increased paperwork, will there be longer waits at the international spans connecting the United States and Canada?
A. Border officials say no. “Most people already are prepared to present documents,” Corsaro said, adding that his officers are mindful of the need to keep trade and tourism flowing.
Q. What about individuals who already are required to present a U.S. visa to enter the United States?
A. Those requirements will remain in effect and will not be altered by the ongoing changes.
lmichel@buffnews.com
If you cross the Peace Bridge this week and don’t provide a birth certificate and driver’s license, you are getting a written warning.
Next week, if you fail to comply, you’ll get another warning.
That’s how the process of educating local citizens will proceed for the foreseeable future as customs and border officers enforce stricter guidelines on travelers re-entering the United States from cross-border trips.
“If you want to throw the tearsheets in the back seat, that’s fine,” said Supervisory Officer Kevin A. Corsaro of the Buffalo field office of U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
But keep it up, and you might be pulled over for a more thorough inspection. That option is always on the table, and it could take a couple of minutes or significantly longer, depending on how backed up bridge traffic is.
Enforcement of the tougher requirements to prove citizenship and identity weren’t supposed to begin until next Thursday, but U.S. officials decided to get a jump on the extra work and start this week.
“We have started handing out those documents early, just as educational. We wanted to get a little ahead of the game. It doesn’t start until next week, but we’re just trying to prepare travelers,” Corsaro said. The education period will be
in place until at least June 2009. What happens after that for those who fail to provide the proper paperwork is yet to determined, according to Corsaro.
And Canadians also will have to provide the extra paperwork when coming here.
But the truth is that U.S. officers and their Canadian counterparts have been requiring more than a simple oral declaration of citizenship for years at the region’s four international crossings, especially after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
It’s all part of the federal law Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, known as WHTI, to better secure the northern border and provide closer scrutiny of travel to Mexico, Bermuda and the Caribbean, which, in the past, has not faced the same stringent guidelines as more distant overseas travel.
As a result, Buffalo Niagara region residents have raised many questions about what will be needed to make hassle-free cross-border trips now that U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff has officially required the paperwork.
Here are some of the answers to those concerns:
Q. Will anyone be refused admittance or arrested for failing to have proper documentation when returning to the United States? A. The short answer is no.
U.S. citizens lacking proper paperwork will receive a brief explanation of what is needed to be compliant with the law, along with the tearsheet now being distributed.
“You will not be refused entry,” Corsaro said Wednesday, describing this new era of travel as an educational period that will continue until at least June 2009, when the government hopes to have a few standard forms of identification in place — in addition to the passport.
Q. What types of documents are needed?
A. Proof of citizenship, such a birth certificate and government- issued photo identification for anyone older than 19. Q. What about children?
A. Children 18 and younger will need proof of citizenship, but no photo ID. If they are traveling without parents, their temporary guardian will need a signed letter granting permission to travel from the mother or father.
Q. Does the birth certificate need to be an original or certified copy with the raised seal of the municipality?
A. No, it can be a photocopy. Q. Who issues birth certificates?
A. The vital statistics office in the municipality where the individual was born.
Q. What kind of government- issued photo identification is acceptable?
A. A driver’s license is the most typical form used, but for those who do not drive, there are other official types of photo identification, such as a collegeidentification card or military ID card. Nondriver’s license photo ID can also be obtained at Department of Motor Vehicles branches. “Keep in mind we’ll still be talking to every traveler,” Corsaro said.
Q. Is there a single document that fulfills the increased paperwork requirement?
A. Yes, a passport. That includes a photograph and establishes citizenship. In the spring, passport cards, about the size of a bank card, will be available at a cheaper price than the larger regular passport. The cost of the passport card is $20 for those who already own a passport and $45 for those who don’t.
Q. What about enhanced New York State driver’s licenses?
A. They, too, will be acceptable as a single document to prove citizenship and identity. The state plans to begin making them available, possibly by next summer, at a yet-to-be-determined higher price than the regular driver’s license.
Q. What about the fast pass known as NEXUS?
A. That also performs double duty to prove citizenship and identification.
Q. With the increased paperwork, will there be longer waits at the international spans connecting the United States and Canada?
A. Border officials say no. “Most people already are prepared to present documents,” Corsaro said, adding that his officers are mindful of the need to keep trade and tourism flowing.
Q. What about individuals who already are required to present a U.S. visa to enter the United States?
A. Those requirements will remain in effect and will not be altered by the ongoing changes.
lmichel@buffnews.com
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Jan Primus
- Posts: 321
- Joined: Sun May 15, 2005 8:57 am
Yep, Canadian citizens are going to need to provide the extra info.Jan Primus wrote:Thanks for the 411 Rudolf...this seems aimed at US citizens re-entering the USA. As a Canadian citizen, is a drivers license and proof of citizenship enough? My passport just expired in Dec and haven't gotten around to getting another.
The article says: "And Canadians also will have to provide the extra paperwork when coming here. "
I have no idea about expired passports. Sorry. If/when I see more info on this I'll certainly post in this thread.
-rudy
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grub
- Seasoned Drinker
- Posts: 1403
- Joined: Fri Sep 15, 2006 3:16 pm
- Location: Biergötter Homebrew Club, Brantford
- Contact:
a few words of advice for anybody looking to get/renew their passport. you can now fill out all the paperwork online and just print out a sheet for your guarantor to sign. then when you go to the passport office they already have everything in the computer. when i did this last winter i walked into the (full) passport office and was given a number for a second line, not the standard one that everyone was waiting on. within about 30 seconds my number was called. since everything was already in the computer, it took about 2 minutes to verify everything, pay the fee, and leave. i was honestly in and out in under 5 min. i believe i had my new passport two weeks later.Jan Primus wrote:My passport just expired in Dec and haven't gotten around to getting another.
if you can, avoid the big passport offices. i made the short drive up to the whitby office (since it's actually closer than driving downtown from markham), which might have helped with the speed. still, that priority line is pretty damn sweet.
they've also loosened the requirements to be a guarantor. anybody who has a valid 5 year passport (or even one that has been expired for less than a year) can do it. also makes things easier.
An expired passport is not valid ID for crossing a border because it is expired (ie no longer valid), in fact, many countries won't accept a passport during its final 6 months of validity in case you don't leave before it expires (many work/visitor visas are a standard 6 month permission).rudolf wrote:Yep, Canadian citizens are going to need to provide the extra info.Jan Primus wrote:Thanks for the 411 Rudolf...this seems aimed at US citizens re-entering the USA. As a Canadian citizen, is a drivers license and proof of citizenship enough? My passport just expired in Dec and haven't gotten around to getting another.
The article says: "And Canadians also will have to provide the extra paperwork when coming here. "
I have no idea about expired passports. Sorry. If/when I see more info on this I'll certainly post in this thread.
-rudy
For a land crossing, you require at a minimum a Drivers License or similar Photo ID (note an Ontario Photo Health Card is not Valid ID) and a birth certificate.
For an air arrival, you must have a passport now.
For more (Click Air/Land/Sea Buttons at bottom for more specific details):
http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/whti-ivho/20 ... 9-eng.html
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US - Passports accepted right up until the expiry date if you're Canadian. At land border crossings, Canadians can use a birth certificate with a drivers license (realistically, even if Canadian passport is expired, they'll still accept it at land crossings unless you're in a scenario that it actually needs to be stamped - in which case, it MUST be unexpired)
UK and most of Western Europe - 3 month validity
UK and most of Western Europe - 3 month validity
Last edited by crawler on Thu Jan 24, 2008 2:11 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Can anyone tell me WHY THIS IS SO? I can't tell you just how annoying that is. It has my picture. It has my birthday. It's an officially issued government card. WHAT THE HELL IS THE PROBLEM WITH IT!!??!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!Duct Tape wrote:
(note an Ontario Photo Health Card is not Valid ID)
And please don't give me the lame old explanation that, "it divulges too much personal information".....I use to laugh when I heard that. All it has that a driver's license doesn't is your address. Oh dear lord no, not your address! And your official health-card number too! Geez, that's more than I ever wanted to know about you! That's disgusting!
I've heard that if you present your health card along with your birth certificate (the small card, not the big scroll thing), you legally can't be refused. Something about those two pieces of ID being what you present to get your driver's license or something.