Buffalo Rising Online

I hate to say it, but my family and I order pizza two or three times a month. On nights when things are hectic, the cupboards are bare, or I'm just too stinkin' tired to cook dinner, we pick up the phone and order a hot, steaming, melty pie. Covered in cheese, brown and chewy in some places and soft and warm in others, often a pizza is not just a solution but a little boxed gift.

Having lived in the same neighborhood for close to a decade, I've pretty much scouted out my delivery options. There are two pizza joints that I regularly ring, one supplies it fast and cheap and while the other is more expensive and offers quality I believe to be unsurpassed in the city. They each fulfill a different need for me, and I'm very glad to have…

January 27, 2007 will be the 30th Anniversary of the infamous Blizzard of 1977. The local convivium, or chapter, of Slow Food USA will be hosting its first annual Snow Food Buffalo event at Kleinhan's Music Hall to commemorate the event Buffalonians still talk about.

The evening will begin at 6:00pm with a buffet dinner at Henry's, the classic dining establishment located in the lower level of Kleinhan's Music Hall. The dinner will consist of seasonal, regional fare, perfect for a cold snowy night in Buffalo. Slow Food Buffalo has worked with Buffalo's own Oliver's Restaurant, Management Company of Henry's, to create a menu that will take away any chills we might be experiencing. A selection of salads, entr/(c)es and a fabulous dessert display wi…

I've only been to Joe's Deli a couple of times, though during both visits I really enjoyed the food. Yesterday was a rather chilly day so I figured I would try out one of their soups. I went for the potato leek soup that was served piping hot. The creamy soup was full of minced veggies and chunks of potatoes and had a spicy kick to it. The large side of exquisitely marbled rye bread was super fluffy and soaked up the soup perfectly.

For my meal I opted for the Rachael Ann, which consisted of sliced turkey breast, Swiss Loraine, coleslaw (or sauerkraut if you want), with Russian dressing on marble rye. I just could not get enough of that bread. The sandwich (served warm) melted in my mouth and was so big that I ended up taking home half of it. Se…

We all know (and love) that Delish! offers sweets to die for and cooking classes on most weeknights. Lucky for us, they also stock a good selection of gourmet grocery items. On my recent visit I was shown a sundry of treats, things that I hadn't really taken stock of on my previous bakery-oriented visits. A few of the items are even produced by Delish!. For example, there are cute little tins containing a noteworthy blend of herbs and spices. Called "Butt Rub", this mixture is ideal for slow roasting and grilling. High quality olive oil and balsamic vinegar are also bottled by Delish! and are very affordable.

A wonderful selection of jams and spreads line the shelves. Perhaps one of the most tempting items is Clearbrook Farms fruit tart fillings. …

Dressed in his trademark hand-dyed chef's coat and apron, Chef Roo of The Coda restaurant is an eloquent and intriguing figure. A graduate of the French Culinary Institute, Chef Roo is a globe trekker ,Aei a passion manifest in his culinary sensibilities, which he characterizes as, "Country global cuisine with an emphasis on French technique."

This month, YUM! asks Chef Roo to share his thoughts on a chef's life, eating in Buffalo, and his worldly inspirations.

Wine enthusiasts won't be disappointed with the choices they are offered when gazing over the wine list at Shango. This spot has managed to put together a selection of wines by the glass and bottle that will undoubtedly stimulate a long conversation at the table. Varietals and regions abound making it easy to try something that you may have never had before - sylvaner, muscadet, gruner veltliner, vermentino among the whites; chinon, minervois, vaqueryas among the reds along with all of the more common grapes and regions of the world. Upon a recent visit I discovered 9 whites and 10 reds by the glass as well as 14 half bottles to choose from. With all this in mind, have no fear of a ten-page bottle list and separate table of contents. The list…

Oliver’s has operated as a highly successful fine dining establishment since 1936. Oliver’s is a classic and refined restaurant, perfect for grandparents and parents—especially when celebrating. But don’t only think of Oliver’s as your grandmother’s favorite restaurant. It ought to be one of yours as well.

Occupying a small plot on Delaware Avenue, Oliver's exterior, though simple and streamlined, does not successfully convey the stunning ode to refinement and understatement that is its climate, cuisine and décor. The interior is subdued and elegant. Beautiful booths allow for privacy and room to move—luxuries sadly missing in many of our city’s fine dining establishments. The white linen is pristine, and fresh-cut flowers adorn the tables. The bar is original, though it’s been cut from a full oval to a horseshoe to allow for more seating. The layout of the …

Staples of Allentown is now open. Located at the corner of Allen and Wadsworth, Staples is a chill looking hangout that has a ton of atmosphere. In around a month's time, the establishment will begin to serve a wide array of foods. I spoke with bartender Jean Claude, who told me to expect some sort of tapas fare, along with some BBQ. Then he kinda let the cat out of the bag. He mentioned that Sammy from Everything Special might have something to do with the cuisine... If that's true, then these guys might have a goldmine on their hands.

The Sammy thing is yet to be officially confirmed, but one thing for certain is that there will be some sort of a deli hut featured inside with smoked meats - the hut is already in place, and get this: The gu…

Highbrow, lowbrow, fast and slow, today's Americans eat food from all over the cultural food scale everyday. When in history has your average urban dweller easily jumped from brioche for breakfast, a hotdog from a street vendor at lunch and a big plate of sushi for dinner?

Buffalo has always had a good grasp of ethnically influenced blue collar cuisine, and in the last fifteen years the variety of gourmet and eclectic eateries in our city has increased a thousandfold.

As I stated in December's issue of Buffalo Rising Magazine, our staffers and contributing foodies are anything but food snobs. We eat at and feature restaurants that fall within all of the our country's ethnic and economic categories.

When I told my BRM editor that I was going to write a pos…

If you're looking for food from Central Europe the Slavic Bazzar is the place to go. The shelves are lined with cookies, crackers, jams, sauces, spices and other treats from places like Poland, the Ukraine, Croatia, and Bosnia. The bank of freezers holds salmon, desserts and the Slavic Bazzar's fabulous pierogi. The deli counter is loaded with European meat products shipped in fresh from Chicago. Visitors can also partake in a quick, delicious and inexpensive meal. Located on the corner of William and Bailey, this lovely little shop has been open for just over a year. On my recent visit, I met with Walter, the proprietor. His successful pierogi business brought him here to Buffalo. His pierogi are sold all over the United States. He m…

Today was the first time that I had the opportunity to visit Europa for lunch. I was excited to see what the menu looked like because I was already sold on the dinner options. What I found was that the lunch items were very similar to the dinner options (at least to me). And that was a good thing. We were told that the tomato soup was a must have, so we ordered that. I was psyched to see that a risotto dish that I had tried the other night was on the lunch menu because I followed up with a big bowl.

When we first arrived to the bistro (noon) we were the only people in the place. One hour later there was not a table to be found. Obviously the word w…

There's only one place for kabob in Buffalo, and that's the Buffalo Kabob House (BKH). After seeing a few comments come through on Buffalo Rising we decided that it was time to pay BKH a visit. We chose an absolutely rainy, miserable evening for our first visit, which was not a bad thing because when I think about Middle Eastern food I think warmth. I think about spices, and open flame... and that's when my stomach starts to grumble. As you can see from the photo above, BKH is a small family run operation that was started because of the passion of two people, Shahram and his wife Mary. Their passion lies in their love of food and a deep desire to own a business.

The idea for BKH took root last year when Shahram and Mary, both seasoned profess…

As YUM! editor for Buffalo Rising Magazine, I thought it would be fun to do a feature on all of the great Buffalo restaurants that serve dinner on Christmas.

I made a million phone calls, asked everyone I knew, and even posted a piece asking BRO readers to fill us in on the fine establishments where they,Aeove had Christmas dinner. Here's what we discovered.

There are a number of really great Asian restaurants open on Christmas, but I was looking for places where guests could have classic Christmas fare.

Many of the bar/restaurants that have been mentioned to me used to be open on the holiday but have found it best to keep their bars open and their kitchens closed.

It seems that only a select number of …

Mmmm....Stonewall Kitchen. For those of you unfamiliar with their products, Stonewall Kitchen produces a specialty gourmet line. In the Buffalo area their goods are carried by only a few shops. Pancake and biscuit mixes, preserves, chutneys, sauces for ice cream, dressings, mustards, oils and vinegars are just a few of the products that make up their inventory.

I personally love their preserves and marmalades. They are all made of the freshest of ingredients, and some of the more eclectic varieties are a real treat for the palate. I enjoy them spread on a warm Le Metro bread (Damson plum jam, pink grapefruit marmalade), as a major component in an appetizer (red pepper jelly, roasted onion garlic jam) or as a s…