Chef Roo Makes a Move (and some mayonnaise)
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Chef Roo Buckley, owner and chef of the former (sniff, sniff) Coda restaurant, has decided to spend the next few months in the kitchen at Kevin O'Connell, Jr.'s newly renovated restaurant, O'Connell's American Bistro.
O'Connell and Buckley have been friends for years, and I know that both of them are looking forward to working together. Recently when I spoke with Chef Roo, he took a moment to tell me that he was impressed with much of what he had recently observed in the kitchen of the bistro--sauces and stocks being made from scratch and classic French techniques and preparations being used; not something you find in most kitchens these days. With Chef Roo on the line and Chef O'Connell at the helm, you can be sure that this recently re-worked restaurant will be preparing good, honest food throughout the chilly season.
Before The Coda closed its doors last spring, we spent some time with Chef Roo in his small kitchen, taping a series on culinary basics. Shortly after that we ran a piece featuring Chef Roo's recipe and techniques for preparing a simple quiche dough, a video that was watched in its entirety by over 80 viewers within a few days of its appearance on BRO.
Today we're happy to show you a clip of Chef Roo preparing a horseradish mayonnaise from scratch (of course), ideal for serving with beef. In this video, you'll not only learn how to make mayonnaise, but also how to repair it if it “breaks”, the most common foible in the preparation of this mother sauce.
O'Connell's American Bistro
981 Kenmore Avenue, Buffalo 14213
716.877.8788
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Comment Options
Elbowgrease
Hooray! Chef Roo is back. So sad to hear about the Coda but I will visit O'Connell's for sure!
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Jefferson
According to the Coda's website, the restaurant plans to open in January. True or false?
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ChristaSeychew
Jefferson-
That note on their website is announcing their reopening last winter. They used to close between Christmas and February and travel- usually to Israel where Roo's wife is from. The website hasn't been updated since they closed their doors permanently, which was in May or June of last year. Sorry!
Chef Roo has been known to comment on the site, I'm sure if you check back we'll see him pop up on this post sooner or later.
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salamooch
No offense......BUT, I gotta comment on this. HE BROKE IT AND YOU USED THE VIDEO???!!! WTF? Ugh. Depressing. Also, no vinegar? No lemon juice? And what's up with that jacket? Why's it brown? COME ON.
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al-alo
and those wall tiles, ugh, who chose that color!?! and the pepper mill is weak as well! i swear, you people have no standards.
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Chefman
I can't sit back and read about how WE ("YOU PEOPLE"), have no standards. salamooch... your right he broke the sauce AND FIXED IT...that was the whole point of the video. al-alo... the wall tiles...come on do you eat the wall tiles??
I wish this blog was about the food we cook and the tireless hours we spend trying to make the public somewhat happy.
FYI jacket color ...PURPLE!!!
PS welcome Chef Roo you are a great addition to my restaurant!!!!
Kevin O'Connell, Jr.
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ChristaSeychew
Did either of you ever eat at The Coda? Do you have any idea what this chef was single-handedly trying to accomplish here in our city? I don't think so or you wouldn't be making such absurd comments.
The chef's jackets are hand dyed black- it's a Roo thing. Since it is likely that most home cooks would/will break at least their first mayonnaise, it seemed to me that watching a chef demonstrate how to repair one was the best service this video could provide.
And al-alo, since you very recently began writing for us and even offered up a YUM article last week, I would suggest that you avoid making statements about "our" standards, unless you meant that as one of your often amusing tongue-in-cheek comments....
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ChefRoo
Salamooch and Al-alo, I did not own the restaurant, therefore, I don't get to choose the choice of tiles in the kitchen, I did paint the rest of the walls in the service area a soothing french blue. The peppermill is a peugeot. Google that. When Christa was filming this, I broke the emulsion. We figured that it would be common enough that if I didn't address it, there would be a large group of people who would be discouraged when they tried it at home, and the end product came out looking like grits and motor oil. Rather than starting over, she and I decided to show how to fix the problem. I didn't want to make a MagicOfTelevision product, where the ingredients go into something, and miraculously appear from beneath the counter.
I am a working chef, no matter which kitchen I am in, I made the move to black chef coats a number of years ago, and have found that the material used in black coats is quite often too coarse for use on the hot line. When making a table visit, I don't like to have great rivulets of sweat pouring down my face. I hand-dye white cotton coats, and sometimes they come out almost like a batik print. In the lighting in the kitchen, the camera picked up the wrong color tint. I am sorry if it offended your sensibilities. My clients in the rest of the country seem to like the effect.
The purpose of these videos was to share knowledge; if I don't share the possibility of mistakes, and how to fix them, then anyone who attempts this technique will spend hours adding egg yolks and oil and whirring away and end up throwing out the broken slop that results from the emulsion not setting.
The website will be updated soon, I promise, I have been busy closing the loose ends of The Coda, and have some great photos from the final menus to share. We are going to maintain the website as a blog, and the name may find use in a new project that is in the works.
It is my great honor to work with Kevin, and I thank him for allowing me to get back to the fires.
Roo Buckley
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buffalocat
Wow...isn't it amazing that Chef Roo was able to pull off fabulous meals despite those kitchen tiles and unfortunately colored coat!! Maybe rather than stating "you people have no standards", the poster can consider where his/her priorities are placed?
I ate a Coda three times last spring, and each time I (along with my dining companions) was thoroughly impressed by the innovative and delicious food. Even the offerings that sounded slightly bizarre on the menu (I mentioned my hesitation at ordering the Bananas Foster Stuffed Pork Loin in another posting...) turned out to be spectacular. It was always an adventure to dine at Coda, and I'm so disappointed it's gone, because I've told my out-of-town friends all about it and I know they're expecting some outstanding food when they visit! But I guess now we'll be heading to Kenmore Ave.
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al-alo
ok ok - did everyone s sarcasm detector break down? did anybody really think i was serious? cmon now. tile? pepper mill? really?
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al-alo
im almost embaressed that anybody would really think that poorly of me. i never have said anything with malace here.
i just thought i would be pointing out how nonesensical the post prior to mine was without resorting to a personal attack. pepper mill? nobody could see that one? A PEPPERMILL?
maybe a sarcasm detector would be a really useful invention.
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salamooch
Hey. I'm not trying to diss Roo (too much) and I never ate at his restaurant but hey, when you make that much of a sauce--make it by hand, feel it, control it, understand it. Sure technology is great, but at least use a VitaMix.....I don't know whats up with the jacket, it just looked mad dirty. I'm not hating...just callin it how I see it.
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priesznyieywski
Im in agreeing with the pepper mill and walls, so you were rite to speak your mind, but now your bullied and ascared to say what you want so people will like you. Plus who the hell make a there own mayo anymore when theres good stuff coming out of a glass jar. Do you churn the butters to/
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al-alo
JEEEPERS - I WAS KIDDING! Prof. Frink, where are you!?!
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ChristaSeychew
priesznyieywski,
Please tell me that we have fallen prey to your seamless cynicism as we did with al-alo.
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al-alo
rather than just plain cyinicisnm, i think im more of stone faced sarcasm, with just an ever so small touch of cynicism, only for flavor.
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ChristaSeychew
You're right, al. My mistake ;)
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Jefferson
al-alo - not everyone appreciates sarcasm. And if you don't know someone it's difficult to make the distinction between sarcasm and snideness.
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vgs
Hey Priesznyieywski - you should try cooking for real, its fun. If you think any self rspecting chef or good home cook would consider a jared mayo or salad dressing think again.
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eliz
I'd like to have seen tighter shots of the preparation--they did eventualy come but there should have been more. No sarcasm, just a small criticism!
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