7/30/2000 Janice Okun of the Buffalo News gave 2½*
to Orazio's. They are in
Clarence at 9415 Main St. 759-8888
Mark Strassel from Buffalo Beat gave Blue Moon Cafe
3* for Food and
Atmosphere and 3½* for Wine & Beer and Service.
7/25/2000 This week's Restaurant Report.
7/23/2000 Janice Okun of the Buffalo News gave Steel
Drums - a restaurant that
specializes in Authentic West Indies eats - 3*. They are located at
572 Hertel Ave. 876-5009
7/17/2000 This week's Restaurant Report.
7/16/2000 Janice Okun of the Buffalo News went Marie's
Seafood Restaurant in
St. Catharines, Ont. 905-934-1677. They are famous for their lobster
dinners.
It's located at 1 Lock St. She gave it 3*
7/14/2000 Started on Wednesday -- Sorrento Cheese - Italian
Festival in North Buffalo
Great Italian food!!!! On Hertel Ave. between Delaware and Colvin - runs
through
Sunday.
Canal
Fest starts this Sunday and runs through the week. Along the
historic
Erie Canal between the Cities of Tonawanda and North Tonawanda.
7/10/2000 This week's Restaurant Report.
7/9/2000 Janice Okun wrote about The Dog
Bar and gave it 3*. The Dog Bar is
Located on Rt. 240 in West Falls - 652-5550
Joe
George wrote about Parsley in his "food for thought" column in Artvoice.
He also gives three recipes using this wonderful herb.
Also in Artvoice this week, is a review of the Brownstone
Bistro written by
former chef Kevin Carey. Brownstone Bistro is on 297 Franklin St. just
north of
Chippewa. 842-6800. (There are some great coupons for the Brownstone
in Artvoice on the page facing the article.)
Night.Life's
Ron Mendez visited Desiderio's, 414 Pearl St. in
Downtown Buffalo 855-2085
Buffalo Beat's food critic Mark Strassel went to Amy's
Place,
3234 Main St. 832-6666. He gave the food 3½*,
Service 4* and Atmos. 3½*
There is an article in this month's The Buffalo Gazette about Caffee's
Jazz Club and Restaurant on Main St. near Fillmore
Buffalo Beer Festival will be held on August 12 at
Dunn Tire Park!
According to Paul Madsen from Boy's Night Out "...the show will
be
more craft beer (microbrew) oriented than past shows, .."
7/3/2000 Janice Okun of the Buffalo News gave 2½*
to Mississippi Mudd's - that
popular eating etablishment along the Niagara River. It's located at 313
Niagara St. in the city of Tonawanda 694-0787
Reminder - TASTE OF BUFFALO is next weekend!!
6/2/2000 I was given a copy of a great newspaper for beer makers
called
Great
Lakes Brewing News. It's just filled with news about brewing your own
and
about brew pubs! They are online at http://www.brewingnews.com
I've made my own beer a few times - it's not hard, a lot of fun and the
taste is great!
I wish I had time to make my own all the time.
5/15/2000 News from Chef John Telaak - He's "blending" his Personal
Chef Service with
"Not Quite Catering Service." He explains," What I do is prepare food for
the
client in their kitchen to be heated & served later that evening. The
client chooses
what they would like to serve..I shop, cook & get it ready to heat.
All the client
does is follow my simple reheating (or cooking) instructions and Voila..
instant
dinner party. This service is for people who love to entertain, but just
don't have
the time or patience to do it all."
He can be reached at http://www.bcity.com/chefjt
Sounds like a great idea to us!
5/10/2000 If you are ever in the mood for great dining on the "mighty"
Niagara River, check
out the Grand Lady. The Grand Lady is stationed at the Holiday Inn on Grand
Island and is offering dinner cruises. Their web site is http://www.grandlady.com.
5/1/2000 Easter Blendings
Picture it - Easter dinner at The Old Orchard Inn
(2095 Blakeley Corners Rd,
East Aurora -652-4664) in lovely surroundings. We had a great table (maybe
due
to very early reservations) in the bay window area, facing the gazebo
and pond.
While being entertained by ducks and every kind of bird outside, inside
we happily
munched on a very nice complimentary relish tray and dip and wonderful
glazed
cinnamon rolls. We had a choice of garden or Caesar salad, both were good
but we
can never understand why anchovies can't be offered with a Caesar Salad!
Even in
a visit to a couple of Italian restaurants recently - not and anchovy to
be had! (Tip:
have your Caesar Salad at home - recipe follows) The entrees were very
good. The
special of roast leg of lamb was done perfectly. It may have been even
more tender
than the filet of tenderloin which was very good in it's own right. Three
of us had the
chicken fricassee which is always perfect! There was so much tender Kosher
chicken
that you almost forget about the biscuits and those biscuits are the last
thing you
would want to forget about. How do they make them? We've made biscuits
using
recipes that call for buttermilk or lard or ice water or etc. etc. They
are good but
they are nothing like Old Orchard's biscuits. I'm wondering if maybe the
answer is
in a recent article in Gourmet magazine. The article claims biscuits must
be made
with White Lily Flower produced in Tennessee. The article claims the flour
is now
available in specialty stores "north of the Mason-Dixon line" and if it
is, we'll find it!
Stay tuned. Anyway back to the dinner. A
bowl of diced beets and a bowl of diced
squash were passed around the table and disappeared quickly, even though
they
were hardly needed with the excellent home-made cranberry sauce served
with the
chicken. That sauce could be eaten alone - it was that good!
Two desserts were passed around. The Inn's famous lemon cloud, meringue
puff topped with lemon sauce and whipped cream and a delicious manilla
custard with
rum sauce. The custard was much heavier than a creme bruleé custard
but very tasty.
What a great place this is. Not only is the staff friendly, but so are
the other
customers. And walking the grounds after a great meal makes it perfect.
We'd love to
go back in autumn to see the trees and browse the gift shop.
Now, back to the Caesar Salad. This recipe is perfect for those of us who
fear
undercooked eggs and for those of you who don't care to see large strips
of
anchovies on your salad.
Caesar Salad (4 people)
1 bag of Romaine hearts (please splurge and get rid of the
lower half of the stems -
buy more lettuce to make up the difference if necessary) washed in cold
water
and dried. Tear in bite size pieces.
½ c. fresh grated Parmesan cheese
1 ½ - 2 cups home made croutons ( cut four ½ in. thick
slices of French or
Sourdough bread into cubes. Melt ¼ cup butter in skillet. Remove
from
heat and stir in ¼ teaspoon garlic power and ¼ teaspoon Italian
seasoning.
Stir in bread cubes to coat well. Spread cubes on cookie sheet and bake
in 350º oven about 15 minutes, stirring every five minutes till golden
and crisp.
Dressing - In a salad bowl, whisk together 2 large garlic cloves (minced
or pressed)
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, ½ teaspoon Franks hot sauce, 2 teaspoons
red wine vinegar and 1 can anchovies minced. SLOWLY whisk in ½ cup
olive oil until thick. Season with fresh ground pepper. Add lettuce and
toss.
Add croutons and Parmesan cheese.
4/22//2000 In April 14th's GUSTO Janice Okun gave 3* to Scooge's
Supper Club at
2878 Delaware Ave. 873-3163 Scooge's is at the location where Fallettas
used to be. It sounds great! We are looking forward to trying it!
4/16/2000 In preparation for the upcoming Kentucky Derby, I have
reprinted a great
recipe that first appeared in Aug. of 98 Food News and now is permanently
located on the Recipe Page:
A True Authentic Southern Mint Julep
Many thanks to my nephew's wife, who's father has
researched this topic for many years. (Yes - he's from the
South!)
"A true southern julep requires julep cups, which are
about 6 oz and made of sterling silver. My father found
some at an antique sale long ago, and they frost up like no
other metal or glass. The cups must be chilled and then filled
with crushed ice, then refrozen, so that when you have them
ready to drink, a thick frost covers the whole cup. Strictly a
summer drink, taken outdoors. First you crush the mint
leaves in a bowl with Jack Daniels, one shot per person.
One healthy sprig per one or two people works best.
Let that steep for 20 minutes, then strain the mint leaves out.
Add a little sugar to the bourbon mixture, to taste, but
not too sweet. About 1 teaspoon each person max. is my
taste. Divide the mixture between the glasses and add
water to the top. Garnish with a sprig of mint and enjoy.
I hope you try it! This is the most authentic recipe he
has found, after much research."
4/16/2000 Just read that the St. James at 1531 Military will soon
be open for breakfast!
4/14/2000 It's that time year to check out the Broadway
Market!
4/12/2000 There is a new restaurant and bar opening in the downtown
area called,
Center
City Cafe. The are holding interviews 4/13 from 10 AM to 7 PM
639-8337
4/11/2000 For those of you who are a personal chef or are thinking
of becoming one, there
is a web site called United States Personal Chef Association
http://www.uspca.com
They had a listing of three Personal Chefs in the WNY area:
Finest Personal Chef Service
Ellen Zelasko
Cheektowaga, NY 14225
Ellen-Zelasko.NY.emm@uspca.com
http://www.uspca.com/members/Ellen-Zelasko.html
Approximate Distance: 5 miles
The Traveling Gourmet
Tanya Suchyna
Willimsville, NY 14221
Tanya-Suchyna.NY.emm@uspca.com
http://www.uspca.com/members/Tanya-Suchyna.html
Approximate Distance: 8 miles
Personal Cuisine
Maria Deckert
Clarence, NY 14031
Maria-Deckert.NY.emm@uspca.com
http://www.uspca.com/members/Maria-Deckert.html
Approximate Distance: 13 miles
4/8/2000 Welcome to blendings (formerly- Daily Taste)
Let's blend some old, some new and some good news!
The old - We haven't been to Swiss Chalet since it was operating on Main
Street, downtown. In other words, many, many years ago. Recently, we
went for dinner at the Boulevard location. We found the chicken is still
excellent and the side dish of the month, cheese and mac., was very good.
However, we were unable to season our food due to the thick, barbecue
sauced finger prints on the salt and pepper shakers. This is a big turn-off.
If they can't keep the shakers clean, at least use the salt and pepper
packets - please.
The new - Thanks to a recommendation, we went to Cafe GarAngelo
recently. The restaurant is located on Hertel Ave. (between Colvin and
Starin). The room and atmosphere reminded us a lot of the original San
Marco on Elmwood in Kenmore but, much larger. The food is down to
earth, a lot of it we've made at home. The stuffed artichoke and the
carpaccio plate were both good. The Italian Wedding soup was very good,
chock full of veggies with a delicious fresh flavor. Of course all Italian
Wedding soups could use more of those tender mini meatballs! Two
specials, Italian fish and a Seafood Medley were ample and good but
easily made at home. A real treat was the complimentary gargonzola
bread, worth ordering even if you had to pay for it. We split a piece of
cassata cake that could use more ricotta filling and a little less whipped
cream. A great place to go when you don't feel like cooking.
The good - The following recipe is from Joe George of Artvoice. We
tried it recently and it was great. We ate the first half warm, right from
the oven. The other half was a day old and devoured dipped in warm
spaghetti sauce.
Four-Onion Focaccia
1 package active dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1cup lukewarm water
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flower
2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 large yellow onion, sliced thin
1 large red onion, sliced thin
1 large shallot, sliced thin
4 scallions, sliced thin,.
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons freshly
grated. Parmesan
Combine the yeast, sugar and water in the bowl of
an electric mixer and allow it to rest for 15 minutes, or until the mixture
is foamy. Add the flour, 1 teaspoon of the salt and 3 tablespoons of the
oil. With the dough hook attachment knead the dough for 8 minutes, or alternately,
knead the dough for 10 minutes by hand on a floured surface. Form the dough
into a ball and transfer it to a lightly oiled bowl; turn the dough over
to coat it with the oil. Cover the dough with a damp cloth or plastic wrap
and let it rise for 1-1/2 hours, or until it is doubled in bulk. Roll the
dough out to fit a 10 x 15 inch pan, or 14 inch round pizza pan; cover
the dough loosely and let it rise for I hour, or until it is almost double
in bulk.
Preheat an oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. In
a large bowl combine the remaining 1 tablespoons oil with the yellow onion,
red onion, shallot, scallions chopped rosemary, black pep- per and remaining
teaspoon of salt. Sprinkle the onion mixture evenly across the dough and
top with the Parmesan cheese. Bake the focaccia in the preheated oven for
35 to 45 min- utes, or until it is golden brown. Let the focaccia cool
for a few minutes before slicing; serve it warm or at room tem perature.
Also under "good news" we
came across the above mentiond Joe George
in an Artvoice ad. It reads as follows:
COOKING
A MOVABLE FEAST Group or
Private cooking instruction. For
info call Joe George or vist his
w e b s i t
e
www.localnet.com/~jgeorge
We'd
love to try it in the near future but if anyone beats us to it,
please let us know and we'll print the details.
Sounds like a good time.
Any
recipes, restaurants reviews, remarks or tid-bits about food
you'd like to share? Send them to us and w'll blend them right in.
3/19/2000 On 3/10 Janice Okun gave 3* to Urban Spot. 765 Elmwood Ave. 885-9348
On 3/7/2000 janice gave 3* to Coyote Cafe at 36 Main St. in Hamburg. 649-1837
3/5/2000 If you are in the downtown area and are looking for
deli food, check out
Chef's
Deli. It's at 547 Elmwood Ave. (716)883-6645.
"They have the biggest subs and rye sandwiches in town!"
Chef's is also listed in the Specialty Shops section and in the downtown
restaurant
listings.
Janice Okun gave Kahunaville 2*. Kahunaville is at the Galleria - 681-2000
2/26/2000 Janice Okun of the Buffalo News visited Niagara
Falls, NY. Her attraction
there - Fortuna's. Fortuna's is a family owned restaurant
at 827 19th. Street
282-2252. She rated it 3*.
Helen Russell of Buffalo Beat went to Historic Lewiston to review
a restaurant
called Apple Granny's. She gave it 2* for Cuisine,
Atmosphere and Service.
Apple Granny's is at 433 Center St. in Lewiston. 754-2028
2/25/2000 Chef Joe George has sent a recipe
for Shrimp, Sausage and Okra Gumbo.
It sounded so good we just had to try it out. It was fantastic!
Chef Joe George has his own web site "Joe's
Cyber-Kitchen".
It has a lot of really useful info. Be sure to check it out.
2/19/2000 Janice Okun rated Shogun 2½*
in GUSTO yesterday.
This Japanese restaurant is located at 7590 Transit Rd. in
Williamsville. 631-8899
Artvoice's
"foodforthought" columnist Chef Joe George wrote a
great
article about Gumbo , titled Gumbo Ya-Ya.
2/11/00 The Eagle House in Williamsville
was visited by the Buffalo News food editor
and restaurant reviewer Janice Okun. She gave it 2½*. The Eagle
House
has been here since 1827! It is located in the heart of Williamsville at
5578 Main St. 632-7669. It's just a short drive for anyone staying at the
Sheraton, Marriott or any of the hotels on Transit Rd near Main.
Meghann
Drury - restaurant reviewer of the Canisius Griffin
- found the food
at Kahunaville to be "unsatisfactory". Click on Meghann's name to read
why.
2/6/2000 Janice Okun form the
Buffalo News gave Daffodils
only 2½*.
Daffodils is at 930 Maple Rd. in Williamsville. 688-5413
Helen Russell from Buffalo Beat went to Mulligan's
Brick Bar in Allentown.
She gave it 3½* for Cuisine and Service and 2½* for Atmosphere.
Mulligans is at 229 Allen St. 881-0545. It's only a short walk to the
newly restored Allendale Theatre - [Theatre of Youth ] , and according
to Helen it's great for dinner, lunch, after theatre and also has live
blues on
Wednesday night.
Chef
Joe George wrote an excellent article about the peanut for ARTVOICE
this
week. Be sure to pick up a copy.
1/31/2000 Mark your calandars - the Taste
of Buffalo this year is July 8th & 9th
There is a poster contest fo this event! Send your entry by 5p.m. March
3 to
Taste of Buffalo, 512 Woodstock Ave. Town of Tonawanda 14150
Winner will be announced April 24th.
You can now order foods made in Buffalo on-line by going to the
Buffalofoods.com
web site!
1/30/2000 Janice Okun visited the newly opened Empire
Brewing Company.
They are at 623 Main St. in the Theater District. 840-2337
The Empire Brewing Company is a microbrewery restaurant. She gave
it 2½*
Helen Russell from Buffalo Beat went to Boston Hotel's Steak
& Crabhouse.
She gave it 2½* for Cuisine, Atmosphere and Service
1/28/2000 If you have read articles about Personal Chefs and wondered
if there are any in the
Western NY area, you will be pleased to know that the answer is YES!!
John
Telaak is his name and he has just started his own web site:
http://www.bcity.com/chefjt
His e-mail address is CHEFJT@webtv.net .
Someone wrote to me about Chiavetta's, but I lost the message. Please write
back
if it's not too late. The only internet source I found was at Buffalofoods.com.
We have been using their BBQ sauce for years. It's excellent!
We are only guessing - but it may start with apple cider vinegar, ground
pepper,
perhaps garlic, and the rest is a family secret. Their BBQ Chicken is really
a big seller in this area and has helped greatly with MANY local fund raisers
every year.
1/23/00 Janice Okun gave a full 4* to Twenty-One.
Twenty-One is in the Casino Niagara
in Niagara Falls, Ont. 888-946-3255 If you like steak and you won
big at the
Casino - it sounds like the place for you.
Last week Janice gave 3* to Elma's Log Cabin located
at 2090 Bowen Rd.
652-5099
1/8/2000 Warmest greetings for the New Year !!!!
Last Friday 1/7/00 janice Okun revisited the Audubon Roomat
the University Inn
2401 N. Forest Road and gave it 3* 636-7500.
The Falletta's that used to be on Delaware in Kenmore
has move to
8255 Clarence Center Rd in Clarence - 741 7406 Janice gave them 3* on Dec
30th.
On Dec. 23 Janice reported that Campagna Euro Grille
should be given a
conditional 3* (because they are new). They are at 166 Franklin St.
856-4849