If you've been craving some fresh produce and you've been missing the downtown farmers' market, don't worry because Thursday marks the opening of the market's 29th year. That's pretty incredible if you think about the fact that the seasonal event is approaching its 30-year anniversary. You can head down to Main Street between Court and Church Streets any Tuesday or Thursday from 8am to 2:30pm (through October 27th).

Also, speaking of longevity, the 42nd Annual M&T free concert and event series started today featuring The Reminders. The concerts begin at 12pm at One M&T Plaza

By Thea Hassan:

Looking for some urban-grown organic produce?  Head down to the Massachusetts Avenue Project's urban farm at 389 Massachusetts Avenue.

They will be hosting a farm market every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. You can pick up seedlings for your own garden while you're down there.

Seedlings include:

collard greens
eggplant
habanero pepper
jalapeno pepper
thai basil
lemon grass
watermelon
vietnamese hot pepper
cilantro
pak choi
slicing tomatoes
cherry tomatoes
mustard

¡Yo quiero good Mexican food! 

I do, I want it, the real Mexican stuff that makes your mouth water just thinking about it.  The fresh cilantro, the spices, the roasted meats, those real tortillas, I want it bad!  If you have found yourself wishing the same thing, wanting inexpensive authentic Mexican food that's easily available in the city, your wish is about to come true.
           
Scheduled to open at the end of this month Mike Andrzejewski, owner of Seabar, and Kyle Mackiewicz (yep, two Polish guys)

When first walking in to Bambino Bar and Kitchen, you might think you are dressed too casually. But upon sitting down for a drink and getting comfortable, you realize that the place is fairly casual; it just has a classy attitude.

Bambino Bar and Kitchen (see background), located on Franklin Street where Duo used to call home, offers a fantastic night out for anyone who wants to hang downtown. It's perfect for a date or a family night out.

Owner Noel Morreale, who also owns Fiamma restaurant

By Thea Hassan:

The 9th annual Taste of Diversity opened to thunder and lightening this year (Saturday), but festival throwers and goers attended nonetheless, for the most part.

The Taste of Diversity offers samples of various ethnic cuisine, in honor of the diversity of Buffalo, particularly the West Side.  Thunderstorms and rain put a damper on the festival, causing some vendors to leave, and the performance stage to be shut down due to lightening. Performers left after getting wet.

"We can't give up," said a volunteer I was speaking with regarding

There's a new café in town, though not one that you can readily track down. Why? Because it's on wheels, which gives this mobile café the ability to seek out those who thirst for coffees, teas, gourmet hot chocolate espresso drinks and iced mochaccinos. It's called Rolling Joe Café*, and its owner Rich Spears has struck up an agreement with Olmsted Parks to deliver a variety of hot and cold drinks to a clientele that might not expect to encounter a café in a non-commercial district. That's kinda the beauty of the operation - when I first encountered the coffee camper I noticed a bunch of prospective

Tucked away amongst the industrial parks and railroad tracks making up Broadway Street just inside the Cheektowaga border, sits The English Pork Pie Company, literally the best British shop in the world. The small but growing company has made quite a name for itself, making authentic British and European meat pies. Customers range from British expats living in Buffalo to TV crews working in California, to Australians looking for authentic meat pies.  The three year operation has achieved quite a lot in a short time, thanks to the hard work and long hours put-in by husband and wife owners Damian

We've all heard of the horrors of cannibalization. We've had nightmares about getting chowed down by the king of the jungle or a great white shark - think Jaws or The Veldt. Ceramicist Lisa Lomando has created a series of life-size sculptures that depict what it would be like if the dinner tables were turned and man was considered a tasty morsel to be served for a meal. "She has been working on this for the past 2 years.  PETA has also been advertising for her as well.  Her installation includes animals that sit life size at a table eating human parts."

With all of the controversy

Dolci was, at one time not long ago, synonymous with Elmwood Avenue. Then owner David Simpson picked up his baking supplies and headed west for Grant Street. A few weeks ago David decided that maybe it was time to sell the business and move on with life - maybe head in another direction? Then he heard that the Delish space was coming up for grabs and he decided to jump on what he considered an awesome opportunity. To land a location in such close proximity to The Co-op, with loads and loads of space, possibly outfitted with cooking equipment... how could he pass all of that up?

When

By Green Options Buffalo:

In our series, 30 Days of Bicycle Benefits, you will be introduced to 30 new businesses that will offer you great discounts for riding your bike and wearing your helmet. Thirty businesses that want to say, "Thank you," for choosing not to drive your car.

The Eights Bistro - 10% off food and 20% off Rusty Chain
 
The Eights Bistro is a perfect slice of Buffalo culture, and it's got a classy interior with finely crafted woodwork to compliment its smart layout. In one room is the bar with a great selection of beer (including

One of these days I'm going to hire a private detective to follow Steve 'The Clam Guy' Meli around town - just so I can track where he sets up his clam stand each summer. Originally, he started on the West Side, then landed on Elmwood, headed to Hertel and is now on his way to the Erie Basin Marina. If there was ever a perfect location for Steve, it would have to be on the waterfront. Can it be that Steve has finally arrived home?

For those of you who know Steve, then you know that he's the guy with the magic touch when it comes to shellfish, crab legs, and everything in-between.

In our series, 30 Days of Bicycle Benefits, you will be introduced to 30 new businesses that will offer you great discounts for riding your bike and wearing your helmet. Thirty businesses that want to say, "Thank you," for choosing not to drive your car.

Five Points Bakery - 10% off all Bread

It's amazing that food, something so elemental to our daily life has grown into a system (so often) distant from our communities. Five Points Bakery is working on that. Their philosophy is simple: buying from local farmers and producing products locally is healthier and more sustainable

By now we have all seen how successful food trucks can be. The ability to go where the hungry masses are is a restaurant's dream. As food trucks become more and more popular, mobile restaurateurs continue to deliver the 'next best' culinary offering. I guess you could call it survival of the fittest... or the evolution of the food truck. If we take a look back, this trend most likely started with people selling bagged peanuts at the corner. Then came the hot dog carts and ice cream trucks. These types of mobile meals and desserts reigned supreme for years before today's food trucks came onto the

If there was ever a sign that Chippewa was growing up, it may be the upcoming conversion of SoHo from nightclub into gourmet burger bar. Proprietor's Jay Manno and Frank Parisi have been thinking long and hard about the transformation - a move that will see the complete remodel of the operation's first floor into a 70 seat (including patio), family friendly, concept burger joint. "When we first opened SoHo we originally intended on featuring a food concept," Jay told me. "It was called SoHo Bar and Grill. The bar business took off and we never looked back. Now I've got a kid... and another one

When Noel Morreale first opened up Fiamma Steak House on Hertel Avenue, he pretty much nailed it. With his guidance, the restaurant has become a popular North Buffalo establishment and remains a dynamic culinary institution on the street. Now Noel is setting his sights on a restaurant in downtown Buffalo - the former Duo location will soon be home to Bambino Bar and Kitchen. Noel is looking to attract the business crowd during the day, while appealing to a 'hip' crowd at night. After all, when Duo was open it was one of the swankier restaurant settings in the city.

One glance

Where to take an out-of-towner for dinner during his first visit to the city of Buffalo? The answer came to me quickly - The Left Bank, a mid-sized bistro with excellent food tucked away on Rhode Island Street, was an obvious choice.   Not only does this restaurant hold a well-deserved reputation for having some of the best food in the city, but it also radiates a rustic old-world charm that is sure to impress even a big-city visitor.

The moment you walk into the bar-area of the restaurant you feel a sense of comforting warmth.  Exposed red brick walls, rich mahogany tones,

If you ever intend on opening an Italian restaurant in North Buffalo, then you better be prepared to take on some serious competition. After all, some of the best Italian restaurants have set up shop in and around Hertel, and more are always on the way. When I first heard that Andriaccio's North was opening in the former Filippo's location, I was happy to see the space being occupied, but at the same time I wondered if the owners could cut the mustard in the city's Land of Italian. After speaking to Co-owner Debbie Andriaccio for just a couple of minutes, not only was I assured that the restaurant

Easter Season is well underway at the Broadway Market and they will be keeping the fun going this afternoon with the Third Annual Peep Eating Contest.  

The contest will start at 1 p.m. and will last for 60 seconds, with whoever eats the most of these marshmallow peeps being crowned champion.  The contest is free to participate in, but they ask that interested individuals sign up by logging into www.broadwaymarket.org and filling out the online form. One can also register at the Broadway Market Information Table today starting at 9 a.m.

After just two weeks of preparing for its newest location, Chow Chocolat opened its doors on Elmwood Avenue this morning bright and early (see back story). Coffee lovers will delight in knowing that the chocolate-inspired cafe opens at 7am and closes at 10pm, offering early risers a chance to get up and get their caffeine fix... and those getting out of work late a chance to pick up treats for their honeys on the way home. Co-owner Scott Wisz told me that he is anticipating a crowd that likes to sample the

On Tuesday, April 26, all you will need to do your part in helping end the AIDS epidemic is your fork, knife and an appetite.

AIDS Community Services of Western New York will be hosting their ninth year of "Dining Out For Life," which brings local restaurants on board to raise money to help them continue to provide multiple services and programs to families coping with AIDS/HIV in WNY.  Ninety restaurants in the region will be participating by donating at least 25% of their profits that day.  

"If you