Chao Li

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• Commented on Tastings Cafe in the Burchfield
  Natalie you're so awesome. Keep it up!...
• Posted A Quest for Fried Chicken to Buffalo Rising
  Today, we're going to talk about fried chicken. I love fried chicken with mac and cheese, corn, sweet potatoes, cornbread-- and the list goes on. When I'm craving fried chicken, I normally turn to one of three places-- Freddy J's BBQ, Fat Bob's Smokehouse, and Shango. Freddy J's BBQ is my favorite fried chicken joint for lunch. For under ten dollars, the meal comes with a chicken leg with 2 sides and a salad. I love the seasoning and marinade on the chicken. I also love the fact that it's cooked for a couple of hours in the oven and then battered...
• Commented on Freddy J's BBQ
  I ate great food... The end. You are making waaaaaay too big of a deal out of this whole thing. :-) loosen up! Eat some good food! I got a new camera did you notice?...
• Commented on Freddy J's BBQ
  Freddy said that mostly gets his chicken from mike's tropical market. The mention of the buying locally is not to anger bhorvath but to provide readers with some more information. Some people who prefer farm raised chickens or organic chickens...
• Posted Freddy J's BBQ to Buffalo Rising
  I'm on a journey to find the best fried chicken in Buffalo. While I'm still making the rounds, I think Freddy J's BBQ on Massachusetts deserves its own mention. My friend Rasheeda and I stopped by for lunch the other day; the place is very small but it's perfect for Freddy's vision of a family restaurant.    We sat down at the kitchen counter, where Freddy laid out placemats and wine glasses for our sodas.  As we talked, he picked various vegetables out of a bowl on the counter and started cutting them for our salads and our meal. He...
• Posted "Island Heat" Fundraiser for AIDS Family Services to Buffalo Rising
  This Saturday, March 27 from 6pm-10pm AIDS Family Services will be hosting its 16th annual fundraising gala in the Porterview Room at D'Youville College.  AIDS Family Services offers services and counseling that promote the well-being of the mind, spirit and body. In addition to that, they also offer educational programs for the community in terms of dispelling the myths surrounding HIV/AIDS, a food pantry, and emergency assistance programs for persons living with HIV/AIDS. The theme of this year's fundraiser is "Island Heat," and it will feature Caribbean Extravaganza Steel Drum Band with WIVB's Jericka Duncan as the emcee of the evening. Activities...
• Commented on BR on WBFO: Christa Returns, Flying Bison Stays
  I think I give way more money to PRI. This year I might do a little more NPR though......
• Posted Papaya to Buffalo Rising
  Papaya Restaurant has always been a favorite of mine.  The decor is ultra modern and very romantic for a date.  Because Papaya is an Asian fusion restaurant, it's a great litmus test for how daring your date is in terms of food. The Asian flavors are unique, but they're gentle enough for a less daring eater. Typically, Asian fusion is just an excuse for not making something right.  Papaya, however, is the good kind of fusion in that it combines fun ideas with traditional flavors. The curry flavors are distinctive but light in comparison to a Thai restaurant. The main...
• Commented on Arrowhead: Meet the Winemaker
  hands down my fav local wine....
• Posted First Annual Buffalo Wine Festival to Buffalo Rising
  The first Annual Buffalo Wine Festival is this Saturday. The festival will be split into two different sessions-- 1pm-4pm and 6pm-9pm. There will be more than 35 regional wineries in attendance. Local restaurants and some craft businesses will also be attending. Peter Veto, one of the organizers of the Buffalo Wine Festival is looking forward to this event and what it means for our local wineries. "The Buffalo area has a lot to offer and what a perfect city to do this event. We are bringing the best New York area wineries, their wines and couple that with local Buffalo restaurants...
• Posted Day 4: Prime 490 to Buffalo Rising
  I always try to make a stop at Prime 490 during Local Restaurant Week. They always have such fresh meat and vegetables.  Their restaurant week menu is always full of delicious choices, including an assortment of seafood, house-made pasta, red meat and chicken dishes.  For the entree, I ordered the Pan Seared Salmon.  I'm a late bloomer when it comes to my love for seafood. I guess I've never had a great salmon dish-- until now.  Sous Chef M. Strom promised me that the fish is fresh every day.  You can really taste the difference.  The salmon is served with...
• Commented on Day 3: Trattoria Aroma
  it doesnt have meat in it but i don't know if there's chicken broth as base or something...
• Commented on Day 3: Trattoria Aroma
  none of those places are on my list this time around. although, i do love the brunch at Shango...
• Posted Day 3: Trattoria Aroma to Buffalo Rising
  Trattoria Aroma is a great supporter of our local products.  My friend Amy and I stopped in at the Bryant location for dinner last night and ordered a bunch of stuff to share.  We had the Local Restaurant Week 3-course special, a pizza from their wood oven and the bolognese. I also have better pictures for y'all. For our 3 course meal we chose the bruschetta, the risotto, and the pork chops.  The bruschetta had a nice smokey flavor.  The carbonara risotto had peas in it and it's a great vegetarian choice. That's one of the nice things about the special...
• Posted Day 2: Sea Bar to Buffalo Rising
  I always try to make a trip to Sea Bar during Local Restaurant Week.  Their $20.10 special is a SeaBar Surfboard of the chef's picks.  I love this because everything they pick is so fresh and there's a lot of food for a great price.  The surfboard includes Sashimi, Nigiri Pieces, Maki Roll, Hand Roll, and Sesame Soba Noodles.  I normally don't eat sashimi anywhere else in Buffalo.  Maybe it's because last time I was there, the owner, Mike Andrzejewski, pointed at my fish and said that was alive at 3 PM today. Now that's fresh! I also recommend the...
• Commented on Day 1: Lombardos
  the photos do not do the food justice. thank you for your feedback. It's always so dark in restaurants and by the 3rd picture people are looking at me and I'm so hungry that i just want to dig right...
• Posted Day 1: Lombardos to Buffalo Rising
  To kick off Local Restaurant Week, I decided to visit Lombardo's on Hertel.  The place was packed with happy guests.  I was welcomed by the warm smile of Mr. Lombardo himself.  He personally checked in our coats and showed us to our seats.   The special this week is a 2 course meal for $20.10.  I decide to add the shrimp and crab cocktail on top of it.  The featured wine is the locally made Arrowhead Red.  It's a delicious mix of a couple of different reds with a perfume-like aroma.  I was ecstatic because ever since Eric Genau over...
• Posted Oh Sweet Nektar! to Buffalo Rising
  The amount of food I eat during the winter could be mistaken for pre-hibernation prep work.  That's why it was a good thing that my boyfriend and I recently found ourselves at Nektar on Elmwood Avenue. Owner Stavros Malliaris was very gracious and he came out and made some recommendations.  It turned out that we were familiar with Stavros from his other establishment (next door)-- Ambrosia.  The decor of the restaurant is very modern with simple colors and concepts.  Even though it was hard to take photos in the darker setting, the place felt very comfortable... very nice for a date....
• Posted Prep Your Appetite for Local Restaurant Week to Buffalo Rising
  Local Restaurant Week in Buffalo is my favorite time of the year.  Buffalo is such a great place for foodies and Local Restaurant Week is an awesome way to celebrate our local produce and restaurants that support local farms and wineries.  Next week, we will be celebrating again.  This time around, there are 42 new participants.  Next week, from March 8th to the 14th, 170 participating restaurants will be offering specials for $20.10 that celebrate the theme: Our Restaurants. Our Culture. According to Peter Longo, the WNY Chapter Past-President of the New York State Restaurant Association, "WNY Local Restaurant Week, in...
• Commented on Gluten-Free?
  Thanks for the suggestions! keep them coming...
• Posted Gluten-Free? to Buffalo Rising
  I confess, I don't normally have to watch what I eat.  The world is my oyster.  I have no food allergies, no cholesterol problems, and I relieve my guilt by working out twice a week.  When my best friend Nicole found out that she is allergic to wheat - and that she had to start following a gluten-free diet - going out for food with her became difficult.  This year, she spent her first Valentine's Day as a gluten-free woman.  When her boyfriend Frank asked me to recommend a place with a gluten-free menu for Valentine's Day, I was stumped....
• Posted Bangkok Tokyo on Hertel: Thai and Sushi to Buffalo Rising
  We've been hearing good things about the Bangkok Tokyo Bistro that opened this last  December in the former spot Pangea occupied, so Elena, Bella and I decided to check it out.  Having spent my late-teens working at a local Thai restaurant, I can't say that I crave Thai on a regular basis anymore due to over-saturation.  Bangkok Tokyo, however, might change that for me. Bangkok Tokyo is a family project. Owners Eric Phothirath and Noy Luangrath are husband and wife, and they've recruited their nephew Jimmy to help with the eatery (and some of the English).  The couple recently moved here...
• Posted Local Director Jason Aupperle Talks about Bravo Sierra to Buffalo Rising
  Bravo Sierra premieres on Saturday, February 13th, at the Market Arcade Theater. Buffalo writer/director Jason Aupperle's sophmore film is, according to him, "A political satire masquerading in the clothes of an action adventure comedy."  Set in fictitious Shitholistan, a rebel leader battles the imperial forces of the Unite States, Canada and the UN for control of the country's money-rich sod fields. The cast includes Kent Weber as the rebel leader,  Kristin Gilmet from Global Villiage Idiots,  Dave Gilmet, and the writer/director himself, Jason Aupperle. Anxious for the premiere, Aupperle talks briefly about the making of the film: "On the night...
• Posted A Cookbook by One of Our Own to Buffalo Rising
  Laura Anhalt is not your typical cooking diva.  Laura's job at the Red Cross takes up 40 hours of her week.  Every Friday for the past 6 years, Laura taught cooking out of her own gourmet kitchen.  "My co-workers used to ask me what real Mexican food was like. So I said 'Let me show you.'" Little would she know, these magical words launched a side career for Laura that eventually led her to her own cooking book and a line of sauces. Laura came here 9 years ago from Mexican City, Mexico.  She barely has an accent other than...
• Posted Cold Day Remedy: Pho, Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup to Buffalo Rising
  Today, I'm going to share a secret dive with you that's very close to my heart and stomach. This is a hole-in-the-wall Vietnamese place that has the best Pho in Buffalo. This place is called '99 Fast Food Restaurant.  They don't do Sesame Chicken, or fried rice.  Their menu has no pictures and their take-out menu is the same one they use in the restaurant.  The food here is good, but people know to come here for the house special, the "Pho 99" menu.   Pho, is a Vietnamese beef noodle soup.  The word is pronounced 'F-uh' not 'Foo.'  I...
• Posted No Pants Subway Ride 2010 (Buffalo Edition) to Buffalo Rising
  After hanging out at the University Subway station for a while, I was beginning to think that no one was going to show up for the pants-free ride.  As my friend and I were about to leave, we were approached by an 'agent.'  This is what the people in the New York improvisational group, "Improv Everywhere" call themselves.   "Are you guys here for the..." he paused "...pants thing?"  We nodded but informed him that our pants were staying on. He wasn't happy about our pants, but when we offered up our purses for the storage of his pants, he...
• Commented on Vizzi's: Home of the 1/2 Pound Monster Burger
  ok elena, grab your bib and lets head to sterling place! (i do hear good things about that place)...
• Posted NYS Chefs Get Ready to Slice, Dice and Spice to Buffalo Rising
  On October 19th, nine chefs from the Finger Lakes and Buffalo area will each be paired with a a team of amateur foodies to compete in an Iron Chef-style cook off.  The Slice, Dice and Spice event will be held at the New York Wine and Culinary Center in Canandaigua, NY.  Each team will create a meal with a "Market Basket" of ingredients and also a secret ingredient.  This event, hosted by the Finger Lakes Visitors Connection group, is a celebration of the 2009 harvest and a showcase of the culinary and agricultural assets of the region. All the ingredients will...
• Posted Local Restaurant Week: Prime 490 to Buffalo Rising
  Prime 490 has a great selection of specials for Local Restaurant Week.  This place is one of my favorite places to get a nice steak. The quality of food here is always consistent. Chef Leonard Mordino and Sous Chef Mike Strom never fail to impress by putting out simple dishes with complex flavors. I had the Grilled Pork Tenderloin served with Basmati rice and sauteed greens, finished with a candied green apple cider glaze. The presentation was beautiful.  The pork was perfectly cooked (as always) and I just love that the rice soaks up the flavors of the pork and the glaze....
• Posted E.B. Green's Steakhouse to Buffalo Rising
  I kicked off my unbridled food fest, otherwise known as "Local Restaurant Week" at Sea Bar, followed by E.B. Green's Steakhouse.  At E. B. Green's, I had the Roasted Duck with Grand Marnier sauce. A house salad made with field greens, garlic infused olive oil, blue cheese crumbles, glazed walnuts and mandarine oranges was a simple but magical fusion of flavors.  I'm normally the "don't fluff it up and bring out the main course" type of a girl, but this salad was better than your average house salad.  The presentation of the duck was very appealing.  Having grown up in Beijin, where...