Buffalo Rising Online

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 remode…

...utters a grand word, which awakens erotic and gastronomic ideas." Jean Antheleme Brillat-Savarin, The Physiology of Taste, 1825

Once upon a time, there was a restaurant called Tsunami that served the most amazing popcorn the world has ever seen. After a lot of begging, one of their former employees finally revealed the secret, the popcorn was tossed with…..truffle salt! I almost fell out of my seat when I heard this. I had been experimenting with truffle oil since the restaurant closed, but could never truly replicate the flavor. I adore truffles. Imagine, one little piece of fungus, growing in the dirt in France. Along comes a farmer with his 300-pound pig. Pigs sniffs truffle (although dogs can be trained to do this, as well). Pig finds truffle. Pig starts digging for truffle. Pig really wants to eat the truffle. Now imagine trying to w…

We're winding down to the top three chefs in BR's Chef's Challenge: White Cow's Yogurt. The third place winner is Chef Kevin O'Connell of O'Connell's on Kenmore Avenue.

He loved our product of choice, White Cow Dairy's Plain Yogurt, and recognized the quality of it from the moment he twisted the lid off of one of the little glass jars. What he wasn't happy about was how many tries it took for him to end up with a dish he was content with. He had initially planned to use it in gnocchi, but the texture was too loose and the gnocchi dough didn't quite achieve the structure necessary to survive the shaping and cooking process.

Chef ultimately decided to prepare a protein and side dish for us, using the yogurt in three distinct fashions. The dish consisted of perfectly (and I mean perfectly) pre…

At least that's what Chef/Owner JJ Richert told me when I called him last week. I was calling to verify the name of the upcoming, and obviously very competitive, barbecue throw down taking place on August 12th. The battle between Chef Kevin O'Connell of O'Connell's Hourglass and Chefs JJ and Kevin Richert of Torches is sure to be heated as the grills themselves as each compete for the title of, well, maybe we can call it Kenmore Avenue BBQ Master.

“Blood in the streets,” was uber-barbecuer Richert's reaction, a wry and friendly guy. We talked about the event, the food, and how much fun it would be- the kind of conversation I've come to expect from the very entertaining Richert.

It was a far cry, though no less satisfying, from O'Connell's response to Richert's joke. “Sure it's going to be fun, and people are really going to enjoy themselves. But my main goal is for…

O’Connell’s Hourglass will be the scene of an elegant cookout, one of the latest rages, recently featured on Top Chef (though I know Chef did not take his inspiration from the popular TV program). The gourmet picnic will offer our city’s foodies a chance to enjoy some fantastic interpretations of classic summer dishes.

The “cookout” will feature the following menu: New England Crab & Clam Bake ∙ Dry-rubbed Montana Ribeye w/herb butter ∙ Huckleberry Chipotle basted Berkshire Pork Loins ∙ Split Alaskan King Crab Legs ∙ 18-hour Smoked Pork Shoulder with Creole mustard slaw ∙ Steamed Carolina Clams w/sausage, herbs and white wine ∙ Steamed Canadian Wild Mussels w/ baby potatoes and mustard greens ∙ Chef O'Connell’s famous Maine Lobster "mac ‘n’ che…

O’Connell’s Hourglass has recently received the horribly incorrect moniker of “most expensive restaurant in Buffalo”. I can assure you that that is not and has never been the case. To further illustrate that point, I’d like to point out the new spring menu, chock full of appetizers, bar food and serious entrees.

Last Friday, I happened to arrive during Happy Hour. We were impressed to find not only $3 drafts of Flying Bison and Hoegaarden, but also a pretty stellar spread of free eats. Being Good Friday, the offerings were decidedly meatless. I helped myself to a bowl of steaming crawfish gumbo, cheese tortellini with a creamy sauce and mussels, clams and shrimp in a classic broth/wine/diced tomato format. These “utensil required” options were accompanied by crispy crostini with bruschetta (an especially good one) or olive tapenade. All of the food was delic…

I think I may have died and gone to heaven- I’m sure you’ll feel the same once you get to the end of this post.

Kevin O’Connell, Jr., chef and owner of O’Connell’s Hourglass, will be offering thirty very, very fortunate guests the opportunity to partake in a remarkable feast. A mere glance at the menu is enough to deliver a shiver of ecstasy through the spine of any dedicated gourmand.

Monday, April 9th, O’Connell will host a Grand Cellar Dinner at his lovely restaurant. Lauded for its fantastic wine cellar, it is no surprise that the selection offered at the event will be stellar. One would be remiss to pass up the chance to sample each of these remarkable wines in conjunction with the phenomonal menu.

I haven’t a single doubt that this rare (and sure-to-be remarkable) event will fill up within the next two weeks. If you are interested in attending I …