Buffalo Rising Online

Regular readers know that not only was Nektar recently featured in YUM for their fantastic Sunday brunch, but that their Sous Chef, William Ponholzer, won the most recent installment of BR's Chefs Challenge. If that isn't enticing enough, a quick scan of the menu below certainly will be.

Available on Valentine's Day only, this special menu encapsulates much of what makes Nektar so special. The clean, modern lines of the interior complement the precise and contemporary dishes on the menu. Approachable enough for the novice gourmet yet thoughtful enough for those that are in the know, it looks to us like Nektar should top your list of Valentine's day destinations.

Soup Tomato Bisque…

As we mentioned in yesterday's V-Day Guide post, we have decided to help you sort out your plans for a romantic Valentine's Day with our YUM V-Day Guide. Each day, through the 14th, YUM will feature the Valentine's Day menu and other special offers from a city restaurant.

Today we'd like to tell you about the extensive menu that Prime 490 has developed for Valentine's Day. If you've never been to Prime, let me tell you that its interior is beautiful and modern, and the wine list is top notch.

Prime 490's prix fixe take on Valentine's will be *offered at their restaurant Wednesday, February 13 through Friday, February 15. At only $35 per person, it's not only a great deal, but you'll feel good about splurging on a great bottle of wine.

The menu will include one choice from each portion of the menu.

Soup or Salad

The week before the new year, we here at Buffalo Rising were surprised by the number of phone calls and emails we received from people looking for something fun to do on New Year's Eve. When that's the kind of information our readers are looking for, well, we do what we can to provide it.

To that end, we have decided to help you sort out your plans for a romantic Valentine's Day with our YUM V-Day Guide. Each day, through the 14th, YUM will feature the Valentines Day menu and other special offers from a city restaurant.

First up is Duo, Franklin Street's newest (and possibly most chic) restaurant. On February 14, 15 and 16 they'll offer guests a special prix fixe menu. $75 per couple is the price, unless you'd like to have an endless supply of champagne throughout the evening--for that you'll pay only an extra $25 per couple. A special dessert menu will al…

Looking to enjoy Fat Tuesday with a little style? Then head to Shango, one of Buffalo's best restaurants. They specialize in fine New Orleans-style cuisine every day (and a killer brunch), but on Mardi Gras they really know how to throw a great party, with beads and merriment galore!

Tonight guests will enjoy music from Mumbo Gumbo (7PM -11PM), special pricing on Louisiana's favorite beer (Abita), Sake Hurricanes and the option to order off of their regular (and delicious) menu or the special Fat Tuesday prix fixe menu ($25 per person). And don't forget they have an award winning wine list (Wine Spectator) and one of Buffalo's best beer selections.

If you've never been to Shango …

Tomorrow is Fat Tuesday, a chance to party and indulge before the beginning of Lent. Collectively, Allentown really does this event right. All of the bars and restaurants participate; games and contests are held, and the street comes to life (despite the chilly weather) with a full-fledged Mardi Gras parade.

Located in the heart of Allentown, across from the Old Pink and steps away from Nietzsche's, Lagniappes is going all out. This Cajun restaurant offers up killer New Orleans style food year round from its cozy little kitchen, but for Fat Tuesday they're going over the top by cooking up a Louisiana favorite--alligator! Check out this story written by John La Scala for more information.

If you're a little more reserved but would still like to celebrate Fat Tuesday, Lagniappes'…

Ah Caesar, I hail thee.

It’s true; I do appreciate a good Caesar salad. So yesterday, while I was running errands on Elmwood Avenue, I ducked into Brodo for my favorite Caesar salad and a flight of soups.

Once seated, I ordered a nice glass of MacMurray Pinot Noir ($8). Along with the wine, my server, Dan, brought fresh Italian bread and a ramekin of Brodo’s famed herb filled dipping oil. A delight in itself, it’s a great way to get your appetite ready for what is to follow.

The word “brodo” is Italian for broth, which is the base for the fresh, housemade soups at Brodo. Each day the soup offerings change, but their signature soup is available every day, and for good reason. This flavorful broth based soup is filled with a generous portion of Italian sausage, pasta and diced tomatoes. Each day there are four or more soups to choose from, but for me, the way …

I came across an article a few months ago, published in 1980 by one of my favorite authors, Calvin Trillin of The New Yorker. While not exclusively a food writer, Trillin has a passion for food and it reads loud and clear in many of his pieces. The article, entitled "An Attempt to Compile a Short History of the Buffalo Chicken Wing" documented Trillin’s trip to Buffalo and his subsequent rounds around our fair city to find which chicken wing reigns supreme.

It's an entertaining article but it’s pretty dated, so I thought I'd make it my winter's work to update it. This will include sampling wings at all the old classics, as well as the newcomers. But I cannot just rus…

It’s fish fry season. I don’t know when the season officially begins. I just know that when winter rolls around and its 20 degrees and windy, I start eating fish fries. If you’re like me, you’re always looking to find new venues that offer a solid fish fry.

K Gallagher’s, situated in the heart of Allentown, belongs on your list of places to try. During a recent visit I enjoyed a fish fry, priced reasonably at $8.95. The portion size was generous and was accompanied by delicious french fries.

Joining me for lunch was my wife and our 3-month-old son, who quickly fell asleep to the pleasant jazz music playing in the background. My wife, who was impressed with the French Onion soup ($3) and the Buffalo Style Chicken Finger Wrap ($7.95), made an interesting observation: every item on the menu is less than $10. The menu offers a variety of wraps, sandwiches, and …

I love brunch. I must not be the only one because Buffalo's restaurants are bustling on Sundays, especially on sunny ones like the one we had yesterday. Reservations are a must when it comes to Left Bank's mid-day offering. On our visit the seats were full by noon, and the sounds from the quiet chatter of guests and clinking of glassware were warmed by the soft music from the trio in the corner.

Left Bank's dining room was beautifully lit, as the sun's rays bounced off of the pristine heaps of snow on the sidewalk and into the restaurant through its many large plate glass windows. The exposed brick walls, architectural elements, fresh flowers and wall art all added to our cozy dining experience. The menu is simple and reasonably priced. The offerings change every week, but it's extensive enough that you're always sure to find something that strikes your fancy.

Among the…

I’m almost afraid to write this article. I'm afraid that people will find out how good the mac & cheese is at Colter Bay Grill and it will be sold out every day before I get there. Colter Bay was an unlikely stop for me on the lunch scene; I’d been there many times to watch a hockey game and drink some beer, but never to eat.

The menu is surprisingly extensive. Starters feature the usual choices: wings, quesadillas, potato skins, nachos. The salads are generous in portion. The sandwich selection offers fantastic flavor combinations as with the Yellowstone--sliced turkey breast, avocado, jack cheese, and tomato--served with dill spread or mayo. The woman next to me was eating the John Colter made of roast beef with green peppers, mushrooms, onions, tomato and provolone, all grilled together. My choice was the Thursday lunch special--a turkey Reuben. The turkey was t…

I must admit that it's been about a decade since I had dinner at Cozumel. I've frequented the bar plenty of times; with a huge selection of beers on tap and a killer outdoor patio, it's no surprise that it's one of the city's most popular drinking spots. I'd been given a gift certificate for Christmas, so we packed the kids into the car and headed down for some warm and spicy Mexican-American fare on a cold and snowy weeknight.

Cozumel's menu includes all of the usual suspects: Tacos, quesadillas, burritos, fajitas, nachos and entrees featuring the likes of steak, chicken and fish fill the extensive menu. We opted to try the Avocado Cake appetizer offered as a special. Soft guacamole and jack cheese was encrusted with crumbly cashews and served with a zesty, creamy sauce. The combination was good, rich and very, very filling. The cakes, recommended to us by our very frien…

When the well-known and loved Just Pasta closed its doors after more than a decade of good food and great service, it shocked many. Within a few years, two successive restaurateurs took their turns trying to reinvigorate the space, but it seems that operating under the name Just Pasta, a choice both businesses made, was more of a curse than a passing of the torch.

When its current owners arrived, the neighborhood breathed a sigh of relief. Fears that the restaurant would stand empty were quelled. Not only would the new owners open the restaurant with a different name, they also had more than a decade of restaurant experience under their belts. Dave Cosentino and Jerry Clementi already owned and operated one of Elmwood’s anchor establishments, Caffe Aroma on Bidwell, along with the successful trio on Main Street in Williamsville of Caffe Aroma (now Sea Bar), Trattoria Aroma an…

One of Allentown's newest restaurants, Lagniappes (pronounced lan-yaps), may be tiny, but the flavors of its predominately New Orleans-inspired menu are big, bold and...well, beautiful. Buffalo Rising contributor Courtney Bajdas told you about cousins Chris and Don Silverstein's spicy venture when they first opened their doors last summer, click here for details.

I had stopped in for a bowl of knee-weakening gumbo on a couple of occasions, but hadn't yet sampled anything from the rest of the menu. The day after Christmas I spotted their “open” sign while driving through Allentown on my way home from the office. It stood out in the quiet and bleak landscape of a city; especially inviting to me after having been holed-up indoors after the long holiday weekend. Lagniappes' hot …