by Nathan Maniscalco

Feb. 12, 2019

In the city of Batavia, it would be hard to drive down the streets and not notice all of the local diners and restaurants that make Batavia so unique and individual. I had the opportunity to visit a few local eateries and enjoy some of the great food and drinks Batavia has to offer.
If you’re looking for something new and refined, I suggest Yume Asian Bistro; located on Veterans Memorial Dr., This authentic Asian restaurant offers great ethnic dishes and drinks. They have a signature ginger dressing which makes any salad taste absolutely delicious and savory. With that I also had the Red Box Curry which is a Hibachi dish that comes with your choice of chicken, beef, or shrimp; it’s served with cooked vegetables, brown or white rice and Shumai. Now if you have never had Shumai before, it is a traditional Chinese steamed dumpling that consists of pork-and-mushrooms and is very tasty. Yume also offers a number of different Sushi Rolls and Hibachi choices.

If I am being honest, my favorite dish I had was the Tempura Ice Cream and Cheese Cake (yes, I ordered both of them) it was fantastic, they were basically deep fried desserts served with whipped cream and chocolate sauce. The crunchy-hot shell combined with the cool-sweet middle makes your mouth water just by looking at it.
Besides the exquisite food, the restaurant itself is very presentable and professional, it has high ceilings, decorated very nicely, and has a fullbar. Ontop of all that, a meal plus a drink costs under $20.
The next place I visited was The Coffee Press, which is located right next to Bourbon & Burger on Jackson St. It’s a new coffee shop that has been booming with business ever since it opened a few months ago, they have their muffins delivered fresh everyday from Bergen and have a variety of different meals including, the Guardian which is a grilled chicken Panini with avocado, bacon, tomatoes, Havarti cheese, and southwest ranch dressing, this was also the one I had the chance to try and it smelled and looked toasty and delicious. The cheese really melts in your mouth and the dressing is unique and tangy, a must try if you ever go there. I did not have a chance to try all of their drink selections, but I did you a cup of Frozen Spiced Chai which was gratifying and I had their Chocolate Banana Smoothie which, above all else, was my favorite drink at the Coffee Press. It was literally amazing, the banana was fresh and the chocolate was nice and cold and thick and if i had more money I would have gotten another.
Aside from their great meals and drinks, the atmosphere of the place is very cozy and Victorian-Style feeling between the black and brick walls and the nice low hanging lights. The shop also has a wall lined from top to bottom of old typewriters which is a little unusual but it’s unique and definitely adds character to the place, a must stop if you have the time for a coffee run.
My final destination was the Pok-A-Dot; a well known Diner to the locals and a very quaint establishment. Located on Ellicott St., the Pok-A-Dot offers a nice sapid feel that makes you want to keep coming back. I suggest ordering their famous Beef-On-Weck with a side order of fries with gravy. Yes, gravy; it may sound unusual but their fries and gravy is very rich and tasteful and leaves you wanting more. I ordered a burger which was a nice typical juicy, mouthwatering burger which anyone can appreciate, I also had a cup of Hot Chocolate which was very rich and delightful. The best part about the Pok-A-Dot is, everything on the menu is at a very affordable price, it’s a perfect place to hangout with friends, bring a date, or even bring the whole family. One little downside is that they only accept cash there, but you can order two meals for under $20 and still have cash left over for the tip.
Batavia is such a great place to explore and try new things so I hope this inspired you (or, at least made you hungry) to go out there and try some new foods and create great memories with friends, because I know I did.