Jay Berent enjoys a cup of coffee from behind the counter at Cream & Sugar Cafe. Berent will contribute a weekly food column, entitled "Fork in the Road" to East Niagara Post starting March 14. (HEATHER N. GRIMMER / ENP PHOTOGRAPHER)

ENP STAFF REPORTS
news@eastniagarapost.com

---

East Niagara Post will unveil a new food column — "Fork in the Road" — a week from today as Lockport resident Jay Berent will take on the challenge of eating his way through East Niagara.

Berent's first column will compare a dish from a popular Main Street, Lockport eatery with a similar dish from a chain restaurant on Transit Road. Future columns compare two taco salads from different Transit Road WNY-based Mexican restaurants, and a downtown restaurant's fish sandwich with that of a much larger restaurant chain. While his column is likely to stick to that "compare and contrast" style, the world — or at least East Niagara — will be his oyster.

He says he's on a quest to find the perfect cheeseburger.
Berent was a nominee in for best writer in the Artvoice "Best of Buffalo" competition. He is a writer for Visions Comics who has written a few independent films that have appeared in various film festivals.

His love of food knows no geographic limit. "I once saw a Sonic commercial and said 'that's it, I can't take it anymore! I'm finding the closest Sonic and I'm getting a burger and tots today,' " Bérent said. "Six hours later I was in Columbus, Ohio enjoying a tasty burger. Now that they're coming to Western New York, I foresee myself getting fat ... er."

"I like long walks on the beach, movies and cliches," he joked. "I randomly mail jokes to Laffy Taffy. They've never responded."

A Niagara County native, Berent left the area for work "down South" — only to return like so many do. He lives in Lockport with his wife, Amy, who he calls "an amazing make-up and special effects artist. She's done makeup art for Max Brooks (World War Z),  George Loros (Sopranos), and a plethora of weddings and magazine shoots. She occasionally joins me on my culinary adventures."

"Fork in the Road" will debut March 14.

---

For instant access to East Niagara Post's YouTube videos, social media feeds and more, 

download the new ENP Mobile app for Android.