Dining

If you're like me and you're always looking for the next great place to enjoy Sunday brunch, you should know that Juniper just added brunch to its repertoire. I was lucky enough to enjoy the restaurant's initial offering earlier today - I have been waiting ever since they opened to try it out, mainly because the dining areas are perfectly designed for brunch-style eating. Any place that has such dramatic lofted windows with an eastern exposure already has an advantage over the competition.

Then you throw in the culinary skills of Roo Buckley and Kate Elliott and it's an automatic slam-dunk. We used to be devotees of Roo's Sunday brunches at Coda, and we're very disappointed when that routine was cut short. Now it's the best of both worlds - delicious food in a sunny, warm and social atmosphere. Throw in bottomless mimosas for $10 and Sundays are...

There's a new tenant moving into the vacant Sahara Grill at the corner of Elmwood and Bidwell. I'm glad to see that corner get another business so soon considering it is such a hi-profile location on the street. Zetti's Pizza and Pasta has branded the location with signs, signaling their intentions to open.

At one point there was an other pizza place in the building - Just Pizza, but they eventually relocated down to the corner of Elmwood and Summer. The interior of this building is set up perfectly for a pizza joint, and if they do it right, should become a hot sit down destination. Initially I had been hoping to get a Pizza Plant set up there (wishful thinking), though Zetti's fans are extremely excited about landing the business in the city.

"Best pizza in town. Hands down. Real New Yorkers making real pizza!  Two...

Yes, this is a fund-raiser.

But it's also a deal.

After all, a Valentine's dinner for $25 is, in and of itself, a deal.

But a three course meal?  With drinks?  And entertainment?  And it raises money for a church that is generously striving to make a difference in our neighborhood?  And free child care is included?  If it sounds like a no-brainer, you need to be at "A Romantic Valentine" on Saturday, February 13th, at Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church.

I'm always looking for new places to try lunch in downtown Buffalo. When I fist heard that Risa's was opening at 285 Delaware, I was excited for three reasons. First, Risa's was a reputable Hertel establishment that still commands an immediate following. Second, the Uniland building is a great infill addition to the already beautiful Delaware Avenue streetscape, but unless you are one of the 400 workers inside the building there is not a reason to walk inside. And third... now that there is a culinary destination inside (it officially opened today), maybe we'll start to see the empty commercial spaces that front Delaware Avenue leased out.

I stopped into Risa's this past Friday to check out some of the advancements made to the space, which is situated towards the back of the building on the first floor. The dining area is extremely bright and cheery due to...

While banking on Grant Street yesterday I happened to take a look across the street at Shakti Yoga's new diggs. As I was examining the building, another nearby business caught my eye - Somali Star. The Somali Star originally opened where the seasonal Cuchifrito Hut is now located, but it was a short-lived operation partially due to the awkward nature of the stand-like structure. Now Somali Star is enjoying the benefits that come along with their new space.

The exterior of the building is nothing to write home about... especially the top half of the facade that looks like a concrete bunker. But the lower commercial facade has undergone considerable improvement (although there are already a couple tags on either side of the front door). When I walked inside I was quite floored with the unassuming size of the interior. There were a couple of two-tops to the...

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.

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 first heard about this place when I was working at a local Thai restaurant that offered...