Buffalo Rising Online

Todd Schoepflin

This just in: Buffalo has a lot of great coffee houses. Actually, that’s an obvious statement and not news to anyone. We all know that Buffalo offers many fun places to grab a coffee. I wonder what makes a person prefer some places more than others. My favorite coffee house happens to be Café Allegro. I always feel at home there. Maybe it’s the cozy chairs that remind me of past apartments, or it might be the general laid-back atmosphere. Whatever the reason, I find it the perfect place to get away from the hustle and bustle of daily life.

There are many concoctions from which to choose. I like The Shorty–espresso, white chocolate, caramel syrup, and vanilla syrup—priced reasonably at $3 for 16 ounces. A few weeks ago I enjoyed one along with a piece of raspberry pie. Life was good with my sweet treats and some time for people-watching. A young woman seated n…

Christa Glennie Seychew

A little while ago I posted a story about a local musician vying for the attention of Anthony Bourdain's Travel Channel television series, “No Reservations”. For those of you who missed that story, here's the link, but we can sum it up by saying that Buffalo, thanks to Mr. Starr's fine work and the votes of many BR readers, came in among the top four finalists.

Though Buffalo and Mr. Starr didn't win the contest, producers of Mr. Bourdain's program were pleased with all of the finalists and have promised to include them in some way in an upcoming program. But most of you know that, since once Mr. Starr secured Buffalo's seat amongst the most serious contenders, major media outlets in the area picked the story up.

Christa Glennie Seychew

Most of Buffalo's fine dining restaurants change their menu two to four times a year in order to take advantage of the season's best produce and to provide their clientele with weather-appropriate dishes. You may love a good braised short rib, but it may not be suited to an evening's meal in the full heat of August. A wise chef moves forward with proteins, produce and preparations that reflect the season. The best way for a chef to do this is to purchase goods grown and raised by area farmers.

But buying local isn't as easy as it seems if you're a chef in Buffalo.

Once upon a time, Buffalo chefs would rise at dawn and head down to the bustling Clinton Bailey Wholesale Market to buy fresh produce from an array of local farmers. In recent years, the market has seen resurgence, but not to the point of being the hub of Buffalo…

Francisco Baiocchi

Live in any city long enough, and it’s easy to become cynical. Buffalo’s awkward transition from an industrial giant of the 1950’s has hit East Side neighborhoods hard.

But if you love this place, as Stan Smith does, you know that true Buffalonians aren’t cynics. The true members of this community are the tenacious and scrappy lot with the courage to open businesses and add value to their neighborhoods. Stan is the owner of Ssssmokin’ BBQ, a small stakeout on Box Avenue. He truly believes in the future of Buffalo, and with tears in his eyes, he doesn’t mind telling you so.

Since opening his restaurant last year, right in the heart of Buffalo’s checkered lower East side, Ssssmokin’ BBQ has quickly become a neighborhood favorite, as well as an inspiring case study in the entrepreneurial spirit. Stan is owner, head cook, and the sole employee of Ssssmokin’ BBQ,…

Christa Glennie Seychew

That sentiment truly reflects the news of Choco-Logo's upcoming event, “A Toast to Moms”. To celebrate Mother's Day, on Saturday, May 10th, Choco-Logo will be offering a factory tour replete with a wine and chocolate tasting. If you're at all familiar with their fantastic line of products, you know what a great time this is going to be! Anyone can come, though you have to be 21 to imbibe. Even better--it's free! Tours are set for various times during the day (between 1 – 4 PM), so call and make your reservations today.

While we're talking about Choco-Logo, let me tell you about their new truffle. A creation made with Cinco de Mayo and Mother's Day in mind, but perfect for any occasion, it's the Strawberry Margarita Truffle. This morning I was able to taste a sample, and it was delicious. I found it to be very well-balanced, and the sea salt sprinkled on the top was…

Christa Glennie Seychew

So many restaurants fall when it comes to the dessert menu. If they don't have a qualified in-house pastry person, and have not wisely brokered a deal with a top-quality local bakery, the dessert menu can often be the low point of the meal, trumped only by the offering of thin, poor quality coffee.

It seems to me that a large number of Buffalo restaurants have settled for offering dense, overly sweet, tasteless, mass-produced desserts. Certainly the shelf life of a fresh dessert is limited and restaurants have found that thawing out a piece of carrot cake or cheesecake manufactured four states away is an easier and more affordable option than made-from-scratch sweets. Perhaps we should expect an entire course to be sidelined in the lesser restaurants for whom thawing is an actual technique, but I am shocked by the number of pricey restaurants that serve such dreck.

Earlier t…

Christa Glennie Seychew

It's been awhile since I've posted a “Kitchen Sink” story, but now is most certainly the time. The onset of spring in Buffalo always brings not only the green, green burst of new leaves to our many tree-lined streets, but also the arrival of a slew of new restaurants--or at least it seems that way.

Over on the City Channel, queenseyes has told you of restaurants developing all over town, including Tabree (see here and here), chow chocolate (here and here) and The Wine Thief

BlueDevil

When you ask people to name the world's biggest problem, the answer is universal - picking what to eat for lunch every day. It's a painful, time-wasting, productivity-killing conversation that seems to only surface the same 5 options. Indeed, by the time you finally agree on a location, your hunger has been replaced by a stomach full of bitterness.

Well, the world changes today.

A new site - www.buffalolunchrandomizer.com - has just launched. The site, which is still in beta, contains 108 WNY lunch options, which are ranked by the site creators based on overall dining experience. The site includes all kinds of restaurants, from the Malamute to Mythos, from Wasabi to Chuck E. Cheese.

As a result of the quality ranking, some restaurants appear more than others, as the smart lunch algorithm feeds you higher quality lunch…