Buffalo Rising Online

Todd Schoepflin

Last month, when I asked readers to list five places they couldn’t live without, several folks mentioned Amy’s Place. A few of them specifically recommended the Margie Meal. So it was with great anticipation that I recently made my first visit to this very cool establishment. Why it took me so long to try this place, I’ll never know. Suffice to say that I’m already looking forward to my next meal there.

I liked the vibe right away when I noticed a sign on the wall that said “Be nice or leave.” Well said. Then I got fixated on the “art” displayed on the walls, which are some very interesting drawings (presumably by customers) on placemats. I wanted to give it a try, but being unable to draw even a stick figure, I passed.

Taking a cue from BRO readers, I ordered the Margie Meal, an enormous combination of char-broiled chicken, fajita fries, tomatoes, garlic sprea…

Madelyn Feldman

A muse is intended to inspire, and this restaurant certainly will encourage one's own imagination. Playful dishes blur the suggested lines between modern and classic, sweet and savory, and the even the line between food and art.

A beautiful complement to one of our city’s greatest treasures, Muse at the Albright-Knox, is a perfect start or end to a day of stirring your senses. Sophisticated and subtle, the ambience of Muse’s space fits the Albright well--modern yet inviting. The restaurant overlooks the Sculpture Garden, with additional seating outside. The walls are decorated with a rotating exhibit to enjoy during a Muse visit. We were lucky enough to view a series of Claes Oldenburg’s lithographs, Text from Book Entitled Notes, based on sketches from a book he carried at all times. Quirky and imaginative, these images are studies of a special perspective …

Michael Franco

On a recent summer afternoon I had the pleasure of meeting with one of Buffalo’s leading chefs, Jennifer Boye. My visit with Jennifer took place in the Fireside Salon of The Mansion on Delaware Avenue where she is currently the Executive Chef for special events.

During our conversation I learned that Chef Boye, who is Buffalo born and raised, began her career in 1997. After graduating from the Erie Community Collage Culinary Arts Department she started working for one of her instructors and mentors, Chef Mark Wright. At the time, Chef Wright was the Executive Chef at The Transit Valley Country Club and he was insightful in knowing that Chef Boye had great potential so he was quick to hire her as part of his team in charge of baking and pantry.

In January of 2002, Chef Boye accepted the position of Executive Chef at Fiddleheads Restaurant on Allen Street, where she became kno…

Kate Sorice

The Elmwood Market is a newcomer to the Elmwood Village scene but it's making a great impression. It is a quaint market that packs a big lunch, they have a great deli and grill section that will make you want to grab something fresh and delicious before heading off to the beach, the park or back to work. You can grab pita, hummus and stuffed olives for a Mediterranean picnic or some yogurt, fruit and a wide variety of sandwich fixings for a family-friendly lunch. There have beer, organic soda, iced tea and so much more to quench your thirst.

If you have a minute, order one of Elmwood Markets many sandwiches or wraps.

You can choose from a fresh, spicy chicken wrap with Frank’s hot sauce or a Veggie wrap, which includes sautéed mushrooms, onion…

Sandy Starks

Buffalo Rising’s Sunday Suppers, in association with Slow Food Buffalo, hopes to encourage readers to share a simple one-dish meal with family and friends featuring the bounty of area producers. This month’s recipe will allow you to impress your guests with a refreshing meal, with minimal effort and clean up.

Restaurants come and go in this city, but a few manage to stay alive because of their commitment to serving up freshly prepared food and combining it with prompt, friendly service and comforting ambiance. The Bijou Grill in the theater district of downtown Buffalo has been doing that for 18 years. And Chef Michael Greco has been the maestro of that kitchen for 16 of those18 years.

Owner Bea Militello and Chef Michael Greco make the magic work at the Bijou. Their commitment to support local producers and their community, while creating a varied menu with some standar…

Vincent Rondinelli

There is a small block on Franklin Street that separates the Theater District from Allentown from Chippewa. It acts as a gateway, a buffer zone, an unclaimed frontier. As I walk down this cantle of land, few buildings catch my eye. There are some parking lots, Darcy McGee’s, and a small but pronounced brownstone. As I approach the well-appointed building, the drapes dressing the front columns tell me I have arrived at an alluring, progressive Italian restaurant. Duo bridges the gap, not only between some of Buffalo’s favorite neighborhoods, but also its sophisticated and familiar pallets.

As I entered Duo I ran into the executive chef of the establishment, Martin Damilowicz. We talked about the ever-evolving menu of the restaurant and updates in product quality. “The first thing we did when we got here was get rid of all the canned fruit juice,” Martin laughed, …

Shannon McCabe

Meet Lou - the most experienced bartender in Buffalo. Lou works at Filippo's Ristorante Italiano on Hertel Avenue, but has been bartending in Buffalo since 1950.

"When downtown was downtown!" said Lou, who bartended at several bars in the heart of the city back in the day.

Although Lou is a fan of serving up drinks, he is not a big fan of the new trend in bars - flavored vodkas. Lou prefers to make more old-fashioned drinks such as Manhattans and martinis (the original recipe), but admits that people rarely drink those anymore.

"But they still drink wine," says Lou.

Although times have changed, Lou's favorite thing about bartending has not; it's all about the people.

"First you mix people, then you mix drinks," he chuckled.

Lou plies his trade--mixing drinks and talking to people--on Hertel these days. If you're lucky he'll tell you some good sto…

Madelyn Feldman

Being in the Bay area and Northern California for the last 2 years, I can see my already beloved Buffalo with new eyes. More importantly, after studying culinary arts and working within the field, I can taste the city with a new palate. I have had the fortunate opportunity to get my first bite of Buffalo at the new Tabree restaurant on Elmwood. My guest and I had the privilege to indulge in an amazing tasting menu off of their abbreviated menu during the soft opening.

Tabree is the fusion of the extensive culinary background of Bryan Bryndle and the tasteful artistic energy of his partner, Tara DeJoseph. Bryndle, who studied at the French Culinary Institute, and has a resume that would impress, with such notable positions as the maitre d' at The Four Seasons Restaurant for six years, captain of the Gotham Bar and Grill, service director of Pastis. He was also inducted into …

Kate Sorice

There were so many exciting changes this year at the Taste of Buffalo, I was anxious to listen to the bands, watch the cooking demos and taste all of the wonderful food. I had so much fun on Saturday that I went back the next day; the turnout for both days was pretty incredible. The heat and threat of rain didn’t seem to deter anyone from attending the Taste. I saw many people who either watched the cooking demos (to get away from the crowds) for a while or sought shelter on a nice cool patch of grass while eating. Visitors seemed to be in good spirits.

I arrived Saturday morning around noon and crowds were steadily pouring in. I mapped out all of the food I wanted to try, but I have to admit that I didn’t get to everything. My day started with the chilled seafood cocktail from Fiamma. Hands down one of my favorite dishes at The Taste. I went for seconds and couldn’t get…