This week Buffalo Rising is counting down the “Most Read” articles in the areas of Real Estate + Development, Bars + Restaurants, Arts + Culture, and Social Media. We hope this series helps reacquaint our readers with all the awesome new and evolving businesses in WNY.
Did you catch these the first-time around?
Leave us a note below and add any additional stories that caught your attention.
12. Jacks Corner Café – A Slice of The Island Life in Buffalo
Published March 9, 2022
When Leah Alles and Joseph Diaz Aleman first opened their dream café (and side cart) on a Caribbean island named Vieques (off Puerto Rico’s eastern coast), they never could have imagined what was in store for them. First it was a hurricane, and then it was the pandemic. Their business, Rising Roost, was one of the only café offerings of the island of 7000 people. Their business was almost completely tourist-driven, which all but dried up after the two tragic occurrences….read more
11. The Blueberry Treehouse Farm’s New Treehouse Café
Published July 12, 2022
You might expect to find a treehouse café in Bali, Malaysia, or Costa Rica, but surprisingly, there is a sublime Treehouse Café retreat right in our own backyard.
This past Thursday, The Blueberry Treehouse Farm and Buffalo Treehouse cut the ribbon on the farm’s Treehouse Café. Already the the talk of the town, the Treehouse Café is capturing the imaginations of people throughout the region, who are scrambling to get a glimpse of the treetop spectacle in West Falls, NY….read more
10. Crazy Good Eatz – Artisan Soup Restaurant
Published August 10, 2022
Shetice Jackson has been a chef her entire life. She cooked throughout high school, and then she attended Emerson Vocational High School for Culinary Arts, where she graduated first in her class. From there, she graduated from The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. Her experience includes being a sous chef for a number of restaurants, working for Emeril Lagasse at the MGM Grand Hotel, and earning her bachelor’s degree in Hospitality and Tourism Management from SUNY Buffalo State. She also did an 8-year stint as chef-instructor of Campus House – a teaching laboratory – on the grounds of SUNY Buffalo State….read more
9. Streetlight Brasserie
Published August 31, 2022
The former Oshun restaurant (5 E Huron Street) is getting a drastic makeover, as it transitions to Streetlight Brasserie. To that end, owner Danny Lettieri (co-owner of Savoy in Allentown) has retained the builder-designer services of Brian Wilcox (Wilcox Design Division of RP Oak Hill Building Company) to create a dramatic new look for the restaurant, which will feature seating cubbies, 32’ of butcher block counters for a new bakery area, a custom Champagne and whiskey display, a Chuck Tingley mural, and greenery galore. Lettieri has embarked upon the project with partners Nina Lettieri, Cari Lettieri, and Matt Milano….read more
8. The opening of Bidwell – “A different kind of restaurant in Buffalo, NY”
Published January 18, 2022
Bidwell is the brainchild of Matt and Courtney Gunther, who initially came up with the idea for a 12-seater restaurant in Buffalo when they were living in NYC (see back story). At the time, they were experimenting with a dinner club concept in their apartment, which proved to be a big hit with their friends and acquaintances. So much so, that they decided to run with a similar concept upon moving/returning to Buffalo. Instead of an apartment however, they opted to build out a swank restaurant at 242 Allen Street….read more
7. Taisho Bistro opens on Hertel
Published August 2, 2022
Taisho Bistro has opened its third location on Hertel Avenue. It’s the largest restaurant out of all three, occupying the building that was once Mac’s, and Empire Grill before that. This newest Taisho Bistro is more reminiscent of the Sheridan Drive location, in that it has a full liquor license. The Rochester location serves beer and wine….read more
6. Parivaar, on Elmwood
Published July 21, 2022
The former Acropolis Restaurant building on Elmwood Avenue is under new ownership, and has a new tenant. Priya Rathod will be opening an Indian cuisine restaurant that will be unlike other Indian establishment in the area. Indian food lovers are readily aware that local restaurants specializing in Indian cuisine embrace dining experiences that are primarily based on family-style seating and buffets, with little attention payed to decor and ambiance. That’s fine for people who are looking to simply eat tradition Indian meals, but for those who have been hoping for more of a “big city” Indian dining and drinking experience, Parivaar will be that place….read more
5. Nowhere Lounge
Published May 31, 2022
Buffalo was once home to plenty of classic lounges. You know, the cozy ones with padded bar rails, chock full of colorful character. While there may be one or two that remain, most have drifted away, shuttered, demolished, revamped, or burned to the ground.
As a sign of respect for the lounges of yesteryear, Jason and Julie Wood are in the process of opening Nowhere Lounge at 3115 Delaware Avenue in Kenmore. I met up with Jason, who told me that this labor of love will be the culmination of all of his bartending accomplishments over the years. From starting as a bar-back runner and then manager at Vera, to helping to run the show at Misuta Chow’s, Jason has worked at some of the hottest establishments in Buffalo, alongside some of the best drink slingers in the business….read more
4. Buffalo Kitchen Club Opens to Lively Fanfare
Published October 14, 2022
The long-awaited opening of The Buffalo Kitchen Club has finally arrived. This past Saturday, Raelean McGee, her husband Shawn, and brother-in-law Stanley Booker, opened the doors to the establishment that is a culmination of their careers in the restaurant industry, and their love of “feel-good Buffalo food.”…read more
3. See You at Blue Cave
Published September 21, 2022
One of the many reasons that I love the Buffalo is the plethora of mom & pop style restaurants. I tend to gravitate towards the humble, ethnic-oriented restaurants, some of which are found off the beaten path.
In other words, “authentic – a slice of Buffalo life.”
I was recently exploring downtown by bike, with a friend, when we decided to make a final stop at a relatively new Italian eatery called Blue Cave. The restaurant occupies the former Casa Azul – the blue “shipping container” building – on Genesee Street, just around the corner from the Theater District….read more
2. Ulrich’s Tavern – Buffalo’s Oldest Bar is Back in Business
Published March 24, 2022
Buffalo’s oldest bar has reopened.
Ulrich’s’ owner/operator Salvatore “Sal” Buscaglia says that he is excited to get back to the business of running the circa 1868 pub in a limited capacity to start. “I wanted to get the doors open in time for St. Patrick’s Day,” he told me. “We’re starting off with a different dish each week – this week is chili. It’s more about serving bar food and drinks at the moment, while we see how things go. As we get busier, we can introduce more days and hours, and different menu items. I’m in the process of seeing what types of food will be popular here. In the meantime, it was important to open up the bar, for our customers who have been missing us.”…read more
1. Raising the Bar, with High Violet Cocktail Lounge
Published March 31, 2022
Usually, when walking into a new business, I pretty much know what to anticipate. With High Violet, I was caught off-guard.
Last week, I paid a visit to this hidden-away cocktail lounge, which is located down a freshly-laid cobblestone alleyway situated along Elmwood Avenue. Even the idea that a mysterious new alleyway had appeared next to Bureau (made to measure men’s clothing) was enough to intrigue me per the possibilities that lay ahead. But once inside, any preconceived notions that I might have had were quickly washed away, as I found myself standing in what looked to be a completely foreign, decadent European setting that was unlike anything that I had ever come across in Buffalo….read more
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