Buffalo Rising Online

Christa Glennie Seychew

Buffalo has never seen an event like The Zen of Sushi. Held at The Executive Performance Center with seatings on both Thursday, May 1 and Friday, May 2, The Zen of Sushi is an in-depth look a the world of sushi. It will be my pleasure, in the ambiance of the stunning Executive Performance Center, to take you on an entertaining tour through the history of sushi, its customs and components. We'll look at the traditions that govern this vastly popular cuisine, suggest some tips for the ordering and enjoyment of sushi, and we'll examine its role in America's current food culture.

This event will be a relaxed and enjoyable evening full of interesting facts about sushi culture. Even better, it will be accompanied by a fantastic, multi-course Japanese meal prepared by Johnson & Wales graduate and nutritionis…

Summer Flaherty

Here is a fundraiser put on by The American Culinary Federation of Greater Buffalo with a title alone that makes certain that you will be eating well. A Taste of Culinary will allow you to sample food and drink from various local chefs and establishments. There will also be a Premier Chef Auction, during which bids will be taken in hopes of winning a top Buffalo chef for one night. Chefs will make arrangements with the winners to come to their home and cook for their guests or family. In addition, A Taste of Culinary attendees will have an opportunity to win raffle prizes and a 50/50 split.

For those interested in pursuing a culinary career, there will be information about the many culinary programs available in our region. Guests will also enjoy live music and ice carving demonstrations.

In the past the ACF has hosted a very popular

Christa Glennie Seychew

Though the term ‘Chippewa’ conjures only drunken baseball-capped frat boys and flavored-martini-swilling girls for most, a portion of this district is evolving. The neighborhood, stretching the length of Delaware from Allen to Niagara Square, has begun to see new life, catering to a more mature (and moneyed) crowd. The Hampton Inn that stands at the corner of Delaware and Elmwood maintains an occupancy rate of about 92%, beating its competitors by nearly a third. Guests fill area restaurants and bars, particularly those that reside on the Inn’s ground floor: Salsarita’s, The Chocolate Bar, and Papaya.

In 2005, owners Tri Lam, Tai Truong and Manh Lee opened Papaya, downtown Buffalo’s first and only Asian-in…

Christa Glennie Seychew

It seems that many pre-conceived notions about the appreciation of wine have been dashed against the proverbial rocks.

The established and well-respected Lodi International Wine Awards have taken a decade-old scientific study under advisement and are changing the way in which they judge and ultimately award wines. Drs. Michael O’Mahony and Rie Ishi, UC Davis and Tim Hanni, MW have developed a theory (based on initial studies by taste pioneer, Dr. Linda Bartoshuk) in which they pose the idea that the types of wine a person enjoys can be determined by two factors, one of whic…

Courtney Bajdas

Right off the bat I’d like to state that this post is not designed to be controversial. Given the ruffled feathers of the last egg article posted on Buffalo Rising, I feel compelled to state my intentions up front.

Blossom Hill Farm, known mostly for its pork, also raises other animals naturally and humanely. They breed lowline angus beef, lamb and chicken. And with chickens, come eggs (pauses, looks around tentatively). Last year’s Adopt-A-Chicken program was so successful they sold out. This year, young Madelyn Rose, the Drajem family's eldest, will be heading the program; which is far more responsibility than the chore of dusting I was assigned to at age 7.

The Adopt-A-Chicken program is essentially a subscription. You pay up front and in…

Christa Glennie Seychew

Spring is in the air! It’s time for Sunday Suppers, brought to you in coordination with Slow Food Buffalo, in order to provide you with easy and delicious ways to feed yourself, your family or your friends by offering recipes from local chefs, utilizing local ingredients.

This month, Sunday Suppers will reflect the soon-to-arrive plethora of vegetable garden delights with a nutritious and delicious recipe from Trudy Stern of tru-teas on Elmwood. There, the Grain Bowl graces the daily menu, a dish that combines quality ingredients in a simple way that nourishes both the body and the soul.

Trudy’s Grain Bowl is chock full of ingredients that can be easily found at the Lexington Co-op, located directly across the street from her adorable little shop. If you haven’t visited tru-teas before (located in The Neighborhood Collective), you probably don’t realize that they offer…

Sarah Kuziomko

As a lifelong member of PETA—People Eating Tasty Animals—I was surprised to meet my first real vegan (vee-gun) a few years back. Well I’ll be, I thought, A girl who sustains life on lettuce and tofu. But as we often are about the unknown, I was wrong. Several meals and an incredible friendship later, she has shown me that not only can vegan food be nutritious, but also downright delicious.

Veganism is a way of life. Some people choose to be vegans because of the health benefits, but more often than not it is based in love and respect for animals and the environment. While vegetarians avoid fleshy meats, vegans avoid all animal products even including leather, fur, wool and anything tested on animals. In the culinary world this means saying goodbye to eggs, butter, milk and cheese. Wit…

Christa Glennie Seychew

You can never really tell what’s going to be a hit here on BRO.

A few weeks ago, when I posted a story about a locally made video that was attempting to lure Anthony Bourdain to Buffalo, I certainly never expected it to incite such controversy (and over 100 comments). Some of our more popular posts are a little more subtle. Take for example this story of Mom & Pop’s Natural Foods from last October; a small post about a small store trying to do the right thing for the University Heights neighborhood. With only a handful of comments, you would think it was just an ordinary post, but it isn’t. About a month ago I noticed that the video that accompanies it, a slideshow of the shop’s offerings, has been viewed from start…

Christa Glennie Seychew

Spring is most certainly here. BoomDays takes place tonight and tomorrow, marking not only the end of our notoriously chilly weather, but also the re-opening of Buffalo's most recent edition to the city's waterfront scene. This year the event takes place up and down the river, with happenings at both the Lasalle and Youngstown Yacht Clubs in Niagara County, but here in Buffalo we'll be celebrating at the relatively new Dug's Dive.

Catering to the entire family with good food, fireworks, cannons and live music, tonight's gathering is sure to be a good time. Dug's Dive's primo location at the Small Slip Harbor made it an ideal choice for this year's event. “We are excited to be a part of this,” owner Tucker Curtin said. “[BoomDays…