Buffalo Rising Online

Dec 21st 2007, 9:15am By Christa Glennie Seychew

Recently we asked YUM readers to join us at Nektar for a few cocktails. It was fun to meet the people we hear from on the site so often. We talked about food and Buffalo, architecture and the nature of blogging. Reader MikeLibra and I must have chatted for close to an hour. We both love Chef Mike Symon, cooking and Buffalo's restaurant scene, so we immediately felt a sense of kinship.

We determined that lunch was in order, and the decision to make the trip to O'Connell's American Bistro on Kenmore Avenue, usually a bit of a lunchtime hike for me from my Cobblestone District office, sealed the deal.

As I'm sure you're aware, Chef O'Connell recently remodeled his establishment and his menu. In the last few weeks it seems that every area website, magazine and newspaper has written about O'Connell's facelift-- a sign that what he's doing is new and exciting. His choice to offer bistro fare has caused quite a commotion. I've heard fierce debates between restaurant industry types about whether or not Buffalo is really ready for what he's doing, while on the other side gourmands are audibly basking in the glory of finding an eatery that offers cuisine of this nature.

MikeLibra and I arrived hungry and eager to check out the prix fixe lunch menu. The three course menu allows for a starter, entree and dessert, all for a measly $15. If you'd like to skip dessert, it'll run you $12. Each of the courses are served in what I'd call "French-sized” proportions, but there's no doubt that after three courses you'll depart the bistro sated.

After being seated by our waiter, we dove into the menu. Unfortunately we didn't stay there long, as our conversation sort of took over the dining experience. This might exasperate some waiters, but ours was patient and did not rush us as we took more than a reasonable amount of time to order our meal.

A charcuterie plate made its way to our table. Cornichons, mustard, a sweet fruit sauce that I was talking too much to try (how unprofessional!), crusty bread and two different types of duck pate provided a more than pleasant start to our experience.

After the pate, MikeLibra and I were both in the mood for a crisp salad. We certainly weren't taking advantage of the more refined first courses offered, but we both chose to order the Caesar, dressed lovingly and served with housemade croutons. Other choices included smoked salmon with egg, pan roasted clams with soffrito and a caprese salad made with heirloom tomato.

Delicate and tasty beef tartare tops the entree portion of the menu. I've had Chef O'Connell's tartare on a few occasions and have enjoyed it every time. Classic steak frites, pasta carbonara, a burger made of Angus and crab cakes are also found here; all approachable, seasonally appropriate and well-executed. If you were accompanied by a trepidatious diner, they would certainly find something agreeable about one or more of these offerings.

MikeLibra ordered Scallops St. Jacques and was kind enough to let me taste them. Supple and perfectly cooked, swimming in just the perfect amount of sauce, the scallops were a delight. I ordered the lamb chops, though the truffled mac and cheese was tempting. Having had Chef's lamb before, I knew that it would be prepared perfectly, and it was. The menu stated that the lamb was served seated on butter beans, but it instead arrived with soft and flavorful roasted potatoes.

Our waiter brought dessert, a perfect crème brulee and warm ginger cake with pear. Both were very good, we even ordered a ginger cake to go.

For those of you who missed my previous post, Chef Roo Buckley is in the kitchen at O'Connell's just until Christmas. Roo has been a very casual acquaintance of mine for the last decade or so, but I have become more friendly with him since I spent time interviewing him for a piece on his restaurant, The Coda, when I first started writing for Buffalo Rising. Roo was nice enough to come from the kitchen and sit with MikeLibra and me for awhile. We talked about his upcoming ventures (more on that in the future), O'Connell's, Buffalo restaurants and a few other foodie things. Mike and I enjoyed ourselves tremendously.

All in all, it was a lovely experience and I intend to visit again. If I I could get there and back from my Downtown office in an hour, I think I'd dine there a few times a week.

The following is a snippet from an email MikeLibra sent me after the meal, reflecting on all that we had had to eat.

The charcuterie plate was delicious, and a nice surprise. Our salad had a fresh tartness from a squeeze of fresh lemon. Your lamb was tender and moist, and the potato onion ragu just set it off. My scallops were perfectly seared, with a sweet brine flavor of the sea, and the light buttery chive sauce. Warm pear gingerbread cake, and Chef Roo's visit made for a most enjoyable lunch and afternoon.

O'Connell's American Bistro
981 Kenmore Avenue, Buffalo 14217
716.877.8788