The Merry Shelley on Hertel Avenue in Buffalo’s North Park neighborhood is perhaps one of the city’s most intriguing bars. It is an eclectic space that pays homage to its namesake, the famed 18th-century English author Mary Shelley, best known for her iconic gothic novel, Frankenstein.

While I came to Pinoy Boi expecting an authentic taste of the Philippines, I also found a small taste of home. Inspecting the menu board, smelling the aromas, and placing my order at the counter brought me to a familiar place, and eating a generous plate of charred, tender and buttery, smoky, and flavorful pork Sisig, a helping of sticky rice, an over-hard fried egg, and two crispy, savory, and seasoned Lumpia pieces served with a side of a fresh sweet chili sauce brought me gratitude.

Misuta Chow’s is a Japanese-style bar and restaurant that describes itself as a funky gastropub offering rice bowls, ramen, various Japanese street foods, and arcade games. That seems like the optimal description. What truly separates Misuta Chow’s as a bar is its ambiance and inclusive vibes.

In celebration of the 2025 Erie Canal Bicentennial, Flotsam! River Circus, a troupe featuring acrobats, musicians, choreographers, trapeze artists, and puppeteers from around the world, is rolling on the Erie Canal from Buffalo to New York City.

Visiting Lucky Day Whiskey Bar in Buffalo, New York, is a warm experience. The bar is in a walkable area to many other great bars in downtown. At Lucky Day Whiskey Bar, you’ll find a true Buffalo experience, from the vibes of the crowd, the politeness of the staff, and the vibrant music playing in the bar on the right night.

Impressively, the Buffalo AKG Art Museum features modern artists and historical works of impressionists, post-impressionists, neo-impressionists, abstract, and surrealist art pieces. The style and era of art in the galleries gradually shift as you move through the museum, but you can find some famous works from names like Picasso, Monet, Matisse, Dalí, Degas, and Warhol.

Southern Junction, on Connecticut Street in Buffalo, New York, combines the flavors and spices of Kerala, a state on India’s Malabar Coast, with the smokehouse flavors of a Texas barbecue joint. This amalgam of flavors produces some of the best barbecue this side of the Mississippi, and that is no joke!