Did you know that a Buffalo NY company is North America’s, and possibly the world’s, leading distributor of bar foot rails? A year ago, the night of the Buffalo Rising holiday party, I met the founder of KegWorks – David Rivers. It took me a year, but I finally made the time to visit KegWorks on Military Road. Fortunately, David was available to answer a few questions that I had regarding the nature of his business. Had I just walked around, snapped a few pictures, taken some notes and written a short piece on this fascinating business, I would be…
Author: Jim Kupczyk
When Salvatore “Sal” Buscaglia opened the doors to Snooty Fox Lounge on Delaware Avenue, almost 10 years ago, his desire was to create a chic, cozy Enoteca-style restaurant lounge. By creating a Buddha Bar vibe with an emphasized on “chill out” Ibiza style music, he felt that professionals would frequent the establishment after a long day at the office. I find it hard to believe that it has already been 9 years since I first visited Snooty Fox. At the time, I wrote an article highlighting the menu for BRO. Looking back, I remember that Sal infused the same passion into his food as he did…
One of my favorite Buffalo restaurants is turning two years old. Well, actually two years in a new space. Saigon Café has been a staple in Buffalo since 2002. I had a chance to catch up with Manh Le (owner) on Wednesday and ask him a few questions about his Buffalo journey. I asked Le what it means to turn two. He stated, “It really means a lot, we had many challenges with the renovation of the building and have spent a ton of energy updating our menu over the last two years, it’s nice to see everything coming together”.…
Whenever I think of Thanksgiving in Buffalo, two images come to mind – The Turkey Trot and the World’s Largest Disco. Host Dave Pietrowski and his team are at it again. The Buffalo Convention Center will host 7000 cool cats and house New York State’s largest dance floor for the 23rd consecutive year. Voted “The Greatest Event on Earth” by Festivals.com, this groovy event is a must for anyone who loves an amazing well-run party. As of today there are still a handful of tickets left (the VIP Party sold out in 3 hours way back in August), but it…
I finally had a chance to pop into 727 on Elmwood. What I thought was going to be a quick visit for lunch ended up being an extended and very memorable experience. Originally I was planning on going solo, but thought I would extend an invitation to ‘queenseyes’, who readily accepted. Little did I know that he had asked a friend to accompany him. In typical Buffalo fashion, another friend saw us chatting at the bar, and opted to join in on the fun. I found it funny that I went from eating with Ariel (727’s friendly bartender – inset)…
Appreciative, extraordinary, gratitude, incredible, spirit, surprising. These are just some of the words the director and actors used during a get together Friday afternoon to discuss their experience in Buffalo while shooting the movie “Marshall”. Mayor Byron Brown, in a funny gesture, led an oath to make the cast honorary citizens of Buffalo with a duty to come back and film other projects in the Queen City. He introduced Reginald Hudlin, the director, who exclaimed, “The thing that we discovered that we are so appreciative of is the incredible friendly open arm spirit of EVERY single person we’ve met here…
It’s not that unusual for me to spend a couple of fun-filled hours at Kuni’s, enjoying the food and the atmosphere at a restaurant that has become a longstanding tradition for many people in Buffalo. That was the case this past Wednesday, when I joined up with a friend to sit at the bar and partake in some sake, sushi and hard to find Japanese whiskey. As we were sipping our after meal spirits, Kuniyuki ‘Kuni’ Sato (the owner) walked up to greet us – something that you don’t see everyday. After engaging in some small talk about the formidable whisky…
In 2002 Maria Provenzano, Founder of The Foxy Diamondz dance troop, began to explore an innovative idea that would enhance the concept of the movie “Coyote Ugly”. By taking the art of dance to the people, Maria has been able to redefine the role of dance in Buffalo, by giving her dancers the opportunity to be flexible when it comes to the types of shows they perform. Being so nimble has allowed the dancers to flourish in settings that range from specialty events to festivals. Maria’s love for fashion and the entertainment business eventually led to her involvement in various…
In Buffalo, there are the brilliant front patios that everyone can see for miles around, such as Cecelia’s, Larkin Filling Station, Pearl Street and [coming] Black Swan (formerly Cozumel). Then there are the hidden gems, such as La Tee Da, Coco’s, Left Bank, Tappo (elevated), Fat Bob’s, Phoenix, Cantina Loco and Resurgence (beer garden). After scouting around, I have come to find one of my new favorites in Blue Monk. Everyone pretty much knows that the front patio of Blue Monk is constantly packed with craft beer loving aficionados, but there’s an even better outdoor beer garden style romping ground…
After four months of intense restoration, Ulrich’s Tavern has opened its doors. Local entrepreneur and developer Tom Eoannou closed on the building back in February and signed Salvatore G. Buscaglia (owner of Snooty Fox) to a longterm lease as the sole proprietor. Before opening the doors, “Sal” brought on industry pro Angelo Canna Jr. as the General Manager. Upon a recent visit it was apparent that the team has unleashed a grand slam in the heart of the Medical Campus. I had pretty high expectations after seeing Sal transform 445 Delaware Avenue into Snooty Fox, but had no idea he would…