Christa, Congratulations on a great run at BR. Reading your work is always a pleasure. We our looking forward to your participation as one of our Celebrity Judges for the Rediscover Amherst Street XI Festival, tommorrow. The "Best Pie in Black Rock Contest" is a neighbor favorite, and we can't wait to see you. I know you will enjoy the event.
Christa, I've always really loved your work on BRO. The Farmer's at the Bidwell Market can't stop talking about how great the events there have gone this spring/summer and it's all thanks to you! Good luck in your next venture and keep in touch.
Christa,
Thanks for all your terrific articles and for the energy you bring to your endeavors. Good luck on your next adventure.
Feed Your Soul !!
rgds,
Wait! Does this mean our date at 888 is off? :) Best of luck Christa, you'll be missed. :(
Nice movie quote, (and I like the logo choice on for Feed Your Soul Buffalo)
Christa, this page won't be the same without you. You managed to bring us exciting articles every day in a city where there isn't always a new development on the culinary horizon 24-7. You put a positive spin on every restaurant and event you covered, and I'm sure that not only helped the businesses receiving the attention, but also encouraged many of us to try restaurants we've driven buy hundreds of times without stopping. You showed us new and exciting ingredients, made them less intimidating, and gave us interesting recipes and a constant stream of ideas to keep our dinner plans fresh. Thank you for the inspiration and best of luck in your next endeavor.
NOOOOOO. WHY?? This is tragic.
In the name of the best part of BRO, here is a list of community action ideas to keep Christa in our lives: 1) Create 100 different user names and post long-winded pro-Christa diatribes on every new BRO post. Let’s hope they aren’t censored for being off topic. 2) YUM fan hunger strike. 3) Better idea – YUM fan food fest, where we don’t STOP eating until Christa is back. 4) Community protest/sit-in in front of Buffalo Rising (thereby also supporting the “cobblestone district”) 5) Protest door-to-door at all of Buffalo’s restaurants/bars (read: pub crawl) while wearing “Christa masks”. Creepy? Maybe. Hilarious? Yes. Effective? Only one way to find out. 6) Set up a table offering free stress tests in Lafayette Square. But really be trying to convert people to Christa-worship. Also, make copies of Christa’s posts and distribute them to strangers walking by. 7) Create a new magazine called “Buffalo Rising a little less because Christa is gone”. It would be filled with articles about how BR is tragically deflated without Christa and how great Christa is. Citizen journalists welcome. 8) Purchase ad time on a giant billboard on the I-90 and post Christa’s face with the words “Christa, you’re the inspiration.” Seek sponsorship from the band Chicago.
Who’s with me???
First the Livery Stable and Now Christa. Damn me for getting out of bed this morning.
YUM might be my favorite part of BRO. Thank you Christa. Good Job and Good Luck!
Christa,
You have left an indelible impression not only on the city, but also on many individuals’ lives. You’ve accomplished what’s never been done in Buffalo before. Thank you for raising the bar; we are all benefiting.
And thank you for your unflagging guidance and teaching. I have learned so much from you about journalism, the culinary world and professionalism. I am incredibly lucky to have such a phenomenal person as a mentor. You inspire me on many different levels.
Thanks and Love, Courtney
Christa,
You have left an indelible impression not only on the city, but also on many individuals’ lives. You’ve accomplished what’s never been done in Buffalo before. Thank you for raising the bar; we are all benefiting.
And thank you for your unflagging guidance and teaching. I have learned so much from you about journalism, the culinary world and professionalism. I am incredibly lucky to have such a phenomenal person as a mentor. You inspire me on many different levels.
Thanks and Love, Courtney
Christa, I did enjoy your articles (and the fact you contributed to the discussion following the article).
Perhaps we could have enjoyed them into the future if you had included more phrases like, "...after doing a rad 50-50, I stopped by Hutch's...", "...before doing some goofy-foot crooked grind with a backside McTwist, me and my buds enjoyed a brilliant smoked salmon appetizer, with a wonderful creme fraiche suace from Fiddle Heads...".
Maybe that doesn't flow too well, anyways, you'll be missed, good luck.
Unfortunate news, indeed...at least for us. What did you say you were going on to do?? Did I miss that? Bummer, I thought you were going to be my gateway back to Buffalo. Ugh. Now what? Maybe we can meet up at Sample next time I'm in town with a full degustation menu followed by an ample amount of limoncello?
Oh nooo - I'm with you, Foodismylife. Christa, you are one of my all-time favorite food writers. And you're a nice person to boot. I am so sad, but was recently informed It's Not All About Me. You can imagine my confusion - but this tops everything. I'll conclude by sending you a heartfelt thank you, Christa.
So sad....Easily my favorite part of BRO...Thanks for making it engaging and worth while reading. Best of luck in all you do - wherever it is will be lucky to have you!
By far, the most heartfelt and eloquently written farewell I have ever read. Of course, coming from you Christa, I would expect nothing less. Your contributions to the YUM channel are the best part of BRO, the least controversial and will be the most missed by readers. I have enjoyed every single story posted by you whether it is about eggs, chocolate, the farmer's market or a new restaurant. I have also become addicted to Spar's European Sausage and Shango because of you (thank you!!!).
Foodismylife - I am with you for every "Christa" idea :) When do I start?
Christa - sending you a thousand warm wishes for whatever the future may bring to you! Enjoy your summer off!
By far, the most heartfelt and eloquently written farewell I have ever read. Of course, coming from you Christa, I would expect nothing less. Your contributions to the YUM channel are the best part of BRO, the least controversial and will be the most missed by readers. I have enjoyed every single story posted by you whether it is about eggs, chocolate, the farmer's market or a new restaurant. I have also become addicted to Spar's European Sausage and Shango because of you (thank you!!!).
Foodismylife - I am with you for every "Christa" idea :) When do I start?
Christa - sending you a thousand warm wishes for whatever the future may bring to you! Enjoy your summer off!
Christa,
I am ever grateful to Adam (and Paula's Texas donuts) for allowing us to connect first as fellow food aficionados (that debate over the word "foodie" never did get resolved, did it?!) and then as friends.
In addition to your many star qualities, enumerated above in detail and seconded wholeheartedly by me, I want to thank you for being a writer's writer. I was proud to post alongside someone with such amazing writing chops (yes, pun intended- c'mon, how could I resist?)
Oh, I will miss you on Buffalo Rising.
So sad. For us at least. I hope your future is full of fantastic adventures, and the tastiest of morsels.
I haven't been reading or commenting on Buffalo Rising so much the past few months, and now I know why... Your tapering absence.
I am a relatively recent transplant to Buffalo, and your stories and reviews pointed me in more than a few good directions. For that, I am forever grateful. It will be sad if the "YUM" channel just devolves into a burger/wing/cheap pasta, amateurishly written, advertorial review site. Your love of food and new flavors, and the memories they invoke was evident in your writing, and it was a pleasure to read your articles.
As a kitchen worker burnout/casualty, who nearly had a breakdown circa Y2K after 12 years working in some seriously Rambo-like kitchens, you actually inspired me a bit to return to one of my earlier and greater joys, and start cooking for real again. For the love of it, and not just the necessity. Just for family and friends this time, but hey, that is what is most important anyways. So for that, I thank you.
Perhaps we will one day share warm fresh made cheese and Ice cold beer in "LNM's" new backyard (looking forward to it Lauren if you're reading this). Or break bread at one of our summer potlucks.
So for a last time, this is what I made tonight.
-A rustic fresh tomato sauce (diced beefsteaks, garlic, hot pepper, oregano, Nicoise olives) -Sundried tomato grilled polenta (sized to about a deck of cards for some elevation). -Topped with a filet of grilled Halibut (a 3 hour, fresh oregano, lemon, garlic, and a'lovier marinade) Slightly crusted exterior, near pudding like interior. -Oregano sprig garnish. And some very crusty pain de campagne to sop up the spiced juices
Simple, striking, clean, and healthy. It was utterly sublime.
I know, I know, It's a few months til tomato season, but with the salmonella scare, there was actually an abundance of nice, ripe, decently flavored, hydroponiccally grown, Canadian types available. (I know, sacrilege, but what are you gonna do? They were so red and pretty.)
Hopefully halibut will be available in August/September when the local tomatoes are peaking. I should have it perfected by then. I'm thinking there still might be a place for some sardines in it, w/o getting too putanesca-y.
OK, best of luck to you and yours Christa, and Bon Appetite.
How sad! I loved reading your posts. Best of luck in your future endeavors Christa.
What will I read bro for in the future?
Maybe ecb should try and cover a food review. (Laughing on the inside.)
We'll follow you Christa, wherever you go. See you at the White Cow Dairy stand on Saturdays, and hopefully, for a couple of meals in Buffalo this year.
Thanks.
Thank you everyone for all of the nice comments left here and the flurry of personal emails I received over the weekend. I am deeply touched by all of your kind words and encouragement—it all makes leaving BR that much harder.
Let’s address a few things:
Willie1- Thank you for inviting me to be a judge, it was a nice time, the pies were good, and I had another excuse to visit your improving and adorable neighborhood.
Justin- Thank you so much for the thoughts you expressed here and in the personal email you sent me. I do have to point out though that the folks at the market and Jo’El Drajem of Blossom Hill Pork were the ones behind the chef demos. I just helped. Good to see you on Saturday, btw!
WCPerspective- I will hear no such thing. 888 and you? I’m there. You say when…
Salamooch- Although we’ve never met I’ve enjoyed our few emails back and forth. Buffalo needs more chefs like you, chefs with big city restaurant experience and a passion for modern food of high quality. I do hope you consider returning one day. Don’t be a stranger, and next time you're in town, email me. I’m a sucker for SAMPLE and would love to have a killer cocktail or superbly composed bite with you. Really.
Foodismylife- Well, it’s mine too, and I appreciate your humor and sensibilities. Thank you for your dedication as a reader and the good laugh.
For the few YUM writers that left comments here, I owe you a huge thank you for helping to build YUM into what it was, a powerful, motivating address in cyberspace that helped change people’s perceptions of food and our city. I never realized the impact we had on people, but since announcing my departure I have been surprised by an outpouring of support from the community. You writers were an inspiration and the support that you lent YUM with your efforts, passion and skill was remarkable. Let’s have another picnic this summer—this time without the rain!
For the many of you that left a message here that I don’t know personally and am unable to identify—Metropolis, chaikac, Hoss, Foodismylife, GEMonster, benfranklin, scooter, bc71. Thank you. Thank you for reading YUM, caring about food—specifically food in Buffalo—and lending us your ear. Thank you for the kind comments and good wishes you left here.
My future is wide open; we’ll see where life takes me. I’ll let you know if it’s a trip we can all go on together.
Bests, c
Hey there Christa, You will be missed, best of luck you you. You're not leaving the area, are you?
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