Daniela — Restaurant in Buffalo

There is a lot of chatter about this place. I always hear that someone stopped in so I have been eager to try it. Upon entering, it's nothing of what I expected. When you hear Italian food, you often expect the traditional table cloths and traditional furniture. Rather, Daniela's is extremely modern. We are seated and served by Caleb & Tori. I ordered the Pomodoro e Crema linguine, house-made sauce, cream & parmigiana. 17 - and I asked for penne (which the menu stated $1.00 up charge for penne or spaghetti) - as I was ordering I also realized that the waiter was not holding a notebook. He was taking the order by memory. I also asked if the chicken was breaded and he said no. I'm not a fan of grilled chicken but it's not an option for me to eat a plate of carbs & their only other option is tenderloin. The waiter said something about pork jowls that was also in the lasanga? But I really just wish that they served chicken cutlets or meatballs. Furthermore, I receive my dish and it's not penne. It's linguine. I didn't bother to complain because pasta is pasta. It tastes the same but with a vodka sauce I was excited for penne. My friend got the lasagna which he enjoyed. We only drank ice water and that hit the spot on a hot day like today. The bread served with the meal was an interesting choice. I tried a bite of the crust and a bite of the middle and it was good. Just a carb heavy dish. We asked the waitress if the pasta is homemade and she said no, but the sauce, bread and pizza dough were. Although the pasta is not homemade, it was cooked perfectly. I'm curious to hear the reason for the dollar upcharge for penne or spaghetti if you are not hand making your pasta. The chicken was okay, I tasted a lemon flavor on it. I didn't try anything else on the menu. We spend $30-$40 per person. Thanks...

I have been here multiple times. Consistently good pasta, flatbread pizza and Italian dessert. Always a good place for when I'm craving good Italian food! We have never had a dish we didn't like but never felt compelled to leave a review.

That is until I recently had their squid ink pasta with sea bass (special menu) and it was so good, I had to rave about it!

So, the first time I had squid ink pasta was in Spain and I didn't think any other restaurant could make a better squid ink pasta. But kudos to Daniela because it brought back wonderful memories from that trip as I took each bite of my squid ink pasta. I loved it so much, I wanted to go back the next day!

I wish this pasta on their regular menu because I'm already missing it! But I am now convinced to try their special menu instead of our usual staple.

For those who are newer to Daniela,

The Ahi-tuna appetizer is a staple for us.

Can't go wrong with any of the flatbread but my personal favorite is the spicy salami spread.

Their pasta is great! We have tried all of them and loved them all. The lasagna is also very good. My partner's favorite. He gets that dish often.

Their beef sandwich is amazing. Only had it twice but both times it was tender and juicy.

We typically have affogato and tiramisu for dessert.

Can't go wrong with this place. It does get crowded so we usually go during off-peak hours like 5 pm or 3 pm. It gets loud in the restaurant too so I like it when there aren't too many...

TAKE OUT: Placed a good size order for 4 of us. Carmalized Onion Dip, if you can get past the unappetizing appearance the flavor is sweet and yummy. Just don’t look at it while you scoop. Margherita pizza, great! Orecchiette needed salt. Penne Melanzane, amazing! Carbonara, barely any in the box. All bread was forgotten. That being said, great set up for take out. Tipped $15, a bit disappointed. LUNCH-dine in: Cute space! Service was ok, would’ve loved a refill on coffee…same for water, had to ask for water…twice. Penne Melanzane, amazing again! Enjoyed having the bread to pick up that creamy sauce this time! Portobello and roasted pepper panini was also great! The pickled green beans look nice on the plate, but that’s about it. Flight of gelato, YUM! Meanwhile, for over an hour, quite possibly the owner, sat at the opposite side of the small restaurant having what seemed like a phone meeting on speaker phone! I lost my train of thought 3 times because I was so distracted by their conversation and complete lack of respect for those choosing to dine there! There’s no designated parking, this is a warning for all you suburbanites who like to complain about parking. Also, they are handicap accessible! This is great! However, salt on the ramp would be smart considering it was freezing, dusted with snow, and the sun doesn’t hit it. All that being said, I’m torn if I will dine here or get take out again. I really hope your experience is...