You know how sometimes you have a conversation with someone and come away with the impression that things are good, and everything is as it should be? After I spoke with the Cichocki Brothers at Camellia Foods, a 3rd generation Polish Sausage and Ham producer in Buffalo, I came away knowing that at the center of everything they do is Family Tradition—as it should be. The Cichocki brothers, Peter, Patrick and Eric, are at the helm of their Grandfather Edmund’s business that he started nearly 75 years ago. Edmund Cichocki, Sr. was a Polish immigrant with butcher’s skills, and he…
Author: Chef Bill Metzgar
Fugitive Pieces centers on the character of Jakob Beer, a child orphaned in Poland during World War II. Struck with panic and trauma, he seems doomed to suffer the rest of his life with the horror he witnessed as a child. The viewer is drawn into three places during the movie: Poland, Greece, and Canada. Jakob is brought to a Greek island by Athos, a kind man who finds him in Poland while doing work as an archaeologist. Athos takes Jakob in and treats him like a son. They eventually move to Canada when Athos is offered a job there.…
Buffalo’s taverns seem to have a remarkable ability to survive through even the harshest of times. Populations shrink and grow, economies weaken and strengthen, and through it all the taverns continue to persevere. It wouldn’t be much of a surprise if, upon closer inspection, it was revealed that the establishments adapted to the changes around them by catering to different crowds or reconstructing their menu. In many cases, however, the bars just “keep on keepin’ on” the same way they always have. As a result, we have a diverse collection of bars that function as a sort of time capsule…