Buffalo Rising Online

On any given weekday, you may have to wait 10 minutes or so for your order at Chris’ Sandwich Co. (if you didn’t have the foresight to call it in), but if you can put aside the lack of elbow room and the friendly but hurried staff, the delay is rather entertaining. The menu board is a good read, huge and full of tantalizing descriptions: “…garnished w/ toasted pine nuts and our homemade creamy basil vinaigrette dressing…” “…sirloin topped w/ sautéed spinach…” or “…melted Fontinella cheese and Jamaican Jerk seasoning…”. The only difficulty is that once you’ve placed your order, you stand there reading the board, wondering if you’ve ordered too hastily or if it’s too late to ask them to throw a cup of the homemade chicken soup in.

If you’re with a companion, or even just a newspaper, step to the left through the small door and you ca…

Standing at the corner of Elmwood and Breckenridge, Dolci bakery springs from the curb, emitting tantalizing scents. Once inside the door, you encounter not only display cases filled with sumptuous treats, but also an air of calm, content happiness. Kevin and Melissa Gardner, along with partner David Simpson, have re-invented this little village bakery. The sweets are sweet, but so is the love that is poured into every cookie, pastry and cake. Brittany Kirkley, the woman that handles the front counter, always has a beaming smile for her customers, and loves her job so much that she has occasionally asked to come in and work on her days off (for free!)

The recent addition of artisan bread maker Josh Willett only increases the value of Dolci to its surrounding neighborhood. Josh has a passion (much like the rest of the staff) for the traditions and principles of authenticity …

You wonder if Rhode Island Street will ever actually become a restaurant destination neighborhood. Left Bank has reigned over the block just off Richmond and Prime 490 is a quality addition to an area which has yet to reach critical mass. Prime 490 offers a more modern comfort food/steakhouse menu with an extensive daily specials list. It also offers one of the best wine lists in the city. Jen Moogensen and Christian DiFiglia opened 490 about a year ago and have recently added Jim Hanson (formerly of Nektar) as chef. The space is welcoming as you enter the bar area and becomes ambient and richly lit as you proceed into the dining room; a smart design as you can eat removed from the bar hustle. The bar seating is ample making this a great choice for the casual diner as well.

The steak is excellent, and the NY strip you get on Monday tastes just as great as the one you get…

Green beer has its audience, but for those too young or too old to enjoy its novelty, the green bagel is happy to take its place.

After you pile all of the blankets, chairs, kids and thermoses into the car to head down to the parade this afternoon, make a quick stop at Bagel Jay’s for a jewel-toned bagel or two. Though their color has been compromised, the flavor and texture of Buffalo’s best bagels have not. Bagel Jay’s bagels are always the perfect balance of tender and chewy, soft and tough.

Every year around St. Pat’s they begin baking up the green ones. Though they call the flavor plain, they are really anything but. Today is the last time this year that you’ll be able to invoke giggles from your brood with a bagel of green, so swing by and pick up half a dozen. Bagel Jay’s has two locations to serve you. One is in Williamsville; the other is located a co…

Breakfast on the go is an issue for many folks. People seem to arrive at work earlier and earlier, making a healthy breakfast at home an unlikely event. Unfortunately, there are few places downtown where a non-McMuffin-y thing can be obtained.

That’s where Spot’s downtown location comes in. Breakfast is available for those who wish to dine in or take their meal with them. Big bowls of homemade granola (with optional yogurt) are stacked on top of the oh-so tempting dessert case. The “Mike Sandwich” isn’t a bad choice either, available on croissant, wrap or bagel, it is comprised of 2 eggs, provolone, ham and cream cheese.

On my recent visit I selected the breakfast wrap, filled with scrambled eggs, provolone, mild salsa and your choice of ham or bacon. I chose bacon (I’m not a fan of “American” ham), and my order took about 10 minutes to prepare. We all…

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 …

I imagine that very few Americans dislike ice cream, though I have no study to prove that. I will also hazard a guess that most of us enjoy ice cream in a variety of forms and flavors. One of my very favorites is a good milkshake. I’m also a huge fan of dabbling in retro flavors, curious about the diets of the characters in my favorite books, even more so in the things my grandparents speak of with a sense of nostalgia. This line of thinking sent me on the hunt for a chocolate malted milkshake. But I didn’t have to look far- where else could I be sure to find a classic 50’s offering but the Lake Effect Diner?

I’ve been here a number of times- the pancakes are really delicious. Sergio the manager and resident soda jerk swore there wasn’t a secret ingredient, but I respectfully refuse to believe him. The Lake Effect is an old dining car (circa 1955) that has been …

In February's issue of BRM we ran a story featuring a gumbo recipe from Buffalo restaurant Prime 490. Though Mardi Gras has ended, the ability to enjoy a bowl of gumbo will remain as long as our winter season does. Stop by Spar's European Sausage for a little andouille and mix up a pot at home.

March's issue will be stacked in shops around town in just a day or so- we hope you like it as much as we do.

Gumbo with Prime 490

The name “gumbo” is a derivation of the Bantu word for okra (kingombo). A take on traditional West African soups generally served over mashed yams, gumbo developed its current characteristics after slaves brought it to the New World. Over time the dish evolved, and techniques and ingredients began to reflect the influence of other ethnic groups including the French, Spanish and Native Americans.

There are four keys to creating succe…

Starting March 1st, 15-year-old guest sous chef, Harry Lipsitz will be teaching a cooking class for just for kids at Delish.

Harry will be showing kids how to prepare good, nutritious meals using stuff that some grown-ups may not normally like--such as Hamburger Helper.

The first in a series of four, these classes will take place on the first Thursday of every month through June.

Scheduled Classes:

-BBQ Chicken Pizza -Chinese Beef Stir-Fry -Stuffed Shells with Sausage and Cheese -“Hamburger Helper” variations

802 Elmwood Avenue Buffalo, NY 14222 716.881.2022 Call for times and reservations. (No dogs allowed! The picture is meant to get your attention.)

If you're like me, you appreciate a good burrito. And if you're like me, and have lived in close vicinity to a Chipotle, you curse them for the franchise restrictions that have kept them out of the Northeast. Well, I never thought I'd say this but... Chipotle be damned! No one needs that much grease, or (though they've recently been freed) that association with McDonald's Corporation.

Buffalo's got its own new fresh-mex fast-casual dining option in locally grown Ava Cado's, which feels better on both on the stomach and the conscience. Ava Cado's has been serving up fresh tacos and burritos for a few months now to hungry students out of its location in University Plaza. I discovered it not too long ago and I must say it's a wonderful place to stop and grab a filling, healthy and delicious quick bite.

It's modeled after Chipotle which, if you've never been, means you order y…

Tru-teas offers a veritable encyclopedia of teas and tea accoutrements. It is also a very nice place to meet with friends for lunch or a nosh. As a part of The Neighborhood Collective, a visit also provides guests with the opportunity to peruse a variety of local wares displayed in the spaces operated by Annie Adams, Michael Morgulis, and New Buffalo Graphics. The collective also houses a number of other businesses including a spa, art studio and two galleries.

If you call ahead, Tru-teas offers a very nice English High Tea complete with pastries and savory small bites. But, most of the daily menu is Asian inspired.

On my recent visit a close friend and I enjoyed a quad of appetizers. Steamed vegetable dumplings, a crisp spring roll, traditional Nori rolls and Inari (tofu pockets stuffed with sweet sushi rice) graced the plate. As you can see, it was a very appealing pr…

The Coda restaurant, nestled behind Kleinhans, offers its lucky patrons a new menu every week. Better yet, it is always an example of fresh, innovative, well-executed cookery. This week they’ve announced that guests will be able to purchase bottles of wine at a 25% discount on Thursday evenings. If that isn’t motivation to get out and visit one of the city’s finest restaurants, I don’t know what is.

For your perusal, I’ve provided a preview of just a few items that will be offered on the menu this week (always a good read) as well as a copy of the Chef’s Reserve wine list. The entire wine list and the menu can be found on their beautiful website www.the-coda.com.

A small sampling of items from the current menu:

Soup: Crème D’Asperges – Accents of Mint and Parmesan Salad: Belg…

Sommelier Michael DePue presents an intimate and educational wine class for neophytes, connoisseurs and those that fall in between. Every other Wednesday, featured wines are paired with complementary dishes. This week (the 21st) offers a class entitled “California’s Rhone Rangers”. Reservations for this limited seating event can be made by contacting Bacchus.

February 21st, 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM, Cost: $30 Bacchus Wine Bar & Restaurant, 54 W Chippewa 716.854.9463 www.ultimaterestaurants.com

Tuesday brings us Mardi Gras, also known as Fat Tuesday, what many perceive as the only holiday besides St. Patrick's Day to celebrate -- well, celebrating. Masks, costumes, parades, and of course beads are traditions of the season, and Buffalo will be partying in style along with the rest of the nation, in time to the brassy heartbeat of New Orleans.

Mardi Gras is, despite appearances, a religious holiday. It's the culimation of the Carnival Season in New Orleans in effect since the Feast of Epiphany, or Twelfth Night -- January 6 -- and continues until the midnight of Fat Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday being the beginning of Lent, the season of fasting and repentence, an old joke used to be that Mardi Gras gave you something to repent for. Last notes: the traditional colors are purple (symbolic of justice), green (symbolic of faith) and gold (symbolic of…