It’s ‘Golden Hour’ all weekend at Taste of Buffalo

Fortunately for sweet tooths at the 40th annual Taste of Buffalo, Golden Hour Treats & Things – an East Side dessert shop making its festival debut – will have a much longer moment to bask in the spotlight.

Golden Hour won the Buffalo News Gusto Critic’s Choice Award for its Desert Glow crepe, a made-to-order delicacy that tempted customers by the scent of batter cooking on the griddle.

The Gusto award was one of 18 doled out at the two-day festival, which continues from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday in Niagara Square and north to Delaware Avenue’s intersection with Chippewa Street. Venus Restaurant’s Greek fries were named Best Overall Item by a pool of more than 50 judges.

Inti Mohamed, one of four Black women who own Golden Hour, answered questions quickly as teammates took orders, drizzled sauces on crepes and topped smoothies with fresh fruit. 

“We’re not known yet – we’re just realizing that now,” said Mohamed, whose business opened at 735 Sycamore St., a few blocks from the Broadway Market, during the pandemic in 2021. “People are excited to see us here.”

Mohamed described the winning dessert as a blend of cultures: It’s prepared similar to a French crepe but features elements that connect with her family’s Somali background. 

“We have a different ladle we use at home that gives it a different texture where it’s not too thin, so it’s not all gone in one bite,” she said. 

Biscoff, the Belgian cookie present as a topping in crumble and butter forms, is uncommon in…