tuesday december 2nd 2008
Sea Bar-City
Madelyn Feldman
It's great to see stylish, hip, new restaurants pop up downtown such as Sea Bar on Ellicott Street, which specializes in contemporary Japanese food. A clean ultra-modern space, Sea Bar’s dining room is quaint and inviting. The sleek sushi bar has counter seating and the wet bar, with beer, sake, and wine, has at least 10 sakes to choose from on any given night. We were happy to try a Sojitio, a sake mojito, which had the right amount of mint without too much sweetness.
Sea Bar has tacked City onto its name as a way to differentiate it from Sea Bar-Williamsville, the other restaurant currently owned and run by the husband and wife team of Michael and Sherri Andrzejewski, formerly owners of the now defunct and highly missed Tsunami Restaurant. Sea Bar-City just opened its doors this Fourth of July weekend, almost exactly 2 years from the opening of their Williamsville restaurant. Michael is the head chef, but Sherri does much of the cooking as well.
User Options
Alison Zero
With a new album hot off the press, this Buffalo folkie chats with Buffalo Rising about the traditional music of New York State, song collecting, and how quitting his day job was among the best things he’s ever done.
AZ: How did folk music, especially historic folk music, become the focus of your career?
DR: Gosh, good question. I wonder that myself sometimes. As I look back, it’s been a long, gradual, even logical progression to this point, but one that I could never have forecast.
The folk music that I am currently so interested in is a whole lot different from most people’s notions of folk music. I’m never even sure what to call this stuff, but I think the term “traditional music” might get close, or “regional heritage music”. It’s the music that ordinary people – nonperformers – used to entertain themselves with here in our region in the days b…
buffalorising
At an after school program recently, some kids were doing homework, some were on computers and some were in the gym. But a small group of fourth-graders were designing and building boats out of household products- plastic cups, construction paper, and tape. They had been building and modifying their boats throughout the week, trying a few different design and construction plans. Now they were ready to race them across a tub of water, using a fan to power them across. After dealing with a slight buoyancy and balance problem in the beginning, the kids quickly turned their boats into racing machines.
At another program, kids and adults were collecting insects with sweep nets and creating habitats. And at yet another they were testing chemical reactions. All of these kids were involved in Science Firstha…
buffalorising
Larry Griffis III is a well-known Buffalo figure whose experience with steel is not only his passion, but his birthright. Some may know of his father’s sculpture park in East Otto, NY, founded in the 60s, but his son has taken up the torch and is now a world-renowned sculptor. What started with the father has continued with the son. Griffis' work is starting to appear in spots in Buffalo and now, to see one of his works, you need look no further than Forest Lawn Chapel.
Some of you may have read this story in the Buffalo News, but for those who haven’t, Griffis will forever be known as a s…
buffalorising
Though they only began in 2002, the 18-person Vocalis Chamber Choir have already made a name for themselves. Vocalis’ first CD was praised by the Buffalo News, is played regularly on WNED-FM, and they perform regularly through WNY, Toronto, and Pittsburgh. Their 2008-2009 season, which only includes eight or nine performances in WNY, will begin at Karpeles Manuscript Museum with their holiday concert dubbed, “Christmas at the Karpeles.”
This Saturday, December 6th, at 8PM, Vocalis will perform an intimate evening of choral music to celebrate the holiday season. A selection of traditional Christmas carols as well as seasonal music from early and contemporary composers, has been chosen to make their holiday concert a special one. Composers like Tomas Luis de Victoria, Alfonso X de Castille, Lajos Bardos, Kenneth Leighton, John Tayener, Gustav Holst, and John Rutter will all …
monday december 1st 2008
So Long Elmwood, Hello University District
queenseyes
Ever since the Falafel Bar opened on Allen Street, it was only a matter of time before the Elmwood location was no longer for this world. I spoke to owner, Oded Rauvenpoor, who told me that the decision to close came when he was at a crossroads. He found himself happy with his Allentown diggs, but began eying another part of the city for the Elmwood restaurant. In the end, Oded decided that he wanted to try his hand in the University District (3476 Main Street). I guess there was no real need to keep two places open that served a similar customer base - the University District will certainly deliver an untapped clientele. Plus, the U-South spot will cater to UB, the city and the suburbs. Oded is anticipating late-night foot traffic from the university when he opens in February.
The new Falafel Bar w…
Green Options Buffalo
BRO submission by Christian Schmidt of Green Options Buffalo:
Now that it has passed, the question is how does the “Bicycle Commuter Tax Act” affect me as an employer or employee on a daily basis.
During a time where healthy, environmentally sustainable and community friendly transportation options are more and more looked at as an effective way to encourage energy efficiency, to improve public health, to prevent congestion, to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions and to improve community livability and safety, this is an essential step for encouraging bicycle use.
Beginning on January 1, 2009 employers will be able to use $20 a month or $240 a year to provide bicycle commuting to and from work as well as other related services to all its employees. The Bicycle Commuter Tax Act will enable businesses as well as industries in the private, public and non-profit sect…
al-alo (aka al labruna)
Celebrating the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural Site’s Victorian Christmas - Away from Home:
As the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural Site completes their restoration work, they’ll be continuing with their annual Victorian Christmas traditions at offsite locations throughout the region.
So why not try a new way to celebrate the holiday with friends? Friday December 5th, the T.R. Site will be hosting a Wine and Beer sampling at the Central Library. This year, Fables Café will be providing the hors d’oeuvres and there will be libations provided by Flying Bison and Hertel Parker Liquor.
If dinner and dancing are what you are after, you can take your favorite partner over to Fanny’s Restaurant for an opportunity to sho…
BlueDevil
This morning, Barack Obama officially announced Senator Hillary Clinton will be nominated to serve as Secretary of State in the new administration. Assuming Senator Clinton is approved by the Senate for the cabinet position, Governor Paterson will appoint someone to fill her seat.
And so the speculation has begun.
Some of the potential appointees include Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez, Congresswoman Nita Lowey, Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, Caroline Kennedy, Congressman Brian Higgins and, believe it or not, Mayor Byron Brown.
There hasn't been a US Senator from Western New York for decades, though apparently Governor Paterson is sympathetic to this absence. When asked about appointing an 'Upstate' pol, Paterson responde…
BRO Reader Submission
By: Brandon Schlia
Perhaps you're familiar with public broadcasting and its noble intentions for communal enrichment through music. Or perhaps you just thought about Wayne's World and instead wondered why he wore such a devastatingly tight t-shirt. But if you look you'll see the wealth of opportunity provided for by a national airwave designated specifically for our local ambitions. Buffalo's favorite daughter, Ani DiFranco, is a prime example of broadcast worthy television with a member-supported local endorsement.
Today at 8 PM, WNED will broadcast "Live at Babeville," a concert filmed in Buffalo last year. It celebrated the grand opening of DiFranco's first venue …
