I LOVE Buffets, Do You? [OPINION]

Full disclosure: I, like many of you, love Chinese food. I further confess to loving buffets, so when you combine Chinese food and buffets together, you are speaking my language. Buffets are great because you get to sample stuff and you don't have to wait for your food to be prepared.

All of this making America great again stuff has resulted in a surge of activity at the Berdon Plaza in Fairhaven, and the former K-Mart Plaza just across the way. As a result, we've seen long-empty storefronts become home to Ocean State Job Lot, Big Lots, Tractor Supply Company, Dorothy Cox Chocolates, and coming soon the new Festiva Chinese Buffet!

Dorothy Cox (TSM Photo)

Festiva Buffet is scheduled to open within weeks at the site of the former Peking Chinese Buffet, which closed several years ago when we weren't making America so great. I have missed it. With the recent closing of the New York China Buffet on Ashley Boulevard, a once Chinese Buffet-rich area was down to only one the Peking Garden Buffet in Dartmouth.

New York China Buffet (TSM Photo)

Bring on the competition!

Not only do I love Chinese buffets, but I love buffets in general, and lament that I must travel far and wide to find buffets that cater to my other food interests. My favorite by far is the Season's Buffet at Mohegan Sun, but that's a long drive. I also love the Sunday afternoon buffet at India on Hope Street in Providence.

India (TSM Photo)

This is New Bedford. Why don't we have a good Portuguese buffet, or a seafood buffet? There is so much free commercial space in the North End (especially on Ashley Boulevard), perhaps some of our more inspired local chefs might want to think about addressing a need.

I, for one, am happy that Festiva Buffet is about to happen. Anyone else love buffets? What kind of buffet would you love to see open around these parts?

Barry Richard is the host of The Barry Richard Show on 1420 WBSM New Bedford. He can be heard weekdays from noon to 3 p.m. Contact him at barry@wbsm.com and follow him on Twitter @BarryJRichard58. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.