Buffalo Rising Online

There is a small block on Franklin Street that separates the Theater District from Allentown from Chippewa. It acts as a gateway, a buffer zone, an unclaimed frontier. As I walk down this cantle of land, few buildings catch my eye. There are some parking lots, Darcy McGee’s, and a small but pronounced brownstone. As I approach the well-appointed building, the drapes dressing the front columns tell me I have arrived at an alluring, progressive Italian restaurant. Duo bridges the gap, not only between some of Buffalo’s favorite neighborhoods, but also its sophisticated and familiar pallets.

As I entered Duo I ran into the executive chef of the establishment, Martin Damilowicz. We talked about the ever-evolving menu of the restaurant and updates in product quality. “The first thing we did when we got here was get rid of all the canned fruit juice,” Martin laughed, motioning to the bar. "We emphasize quality at every corner." He suggested I start the night off with one of …