Twentysomething in Buffalo

Eats and Treats on the West Coast

San Francisco
Originally uploaded by LilyGoo

Earlier this summer, I posted about wanting to go on a post-graduation trip, and finally, I've figured out the details. In less than a week, I'll be embarking on a week-long San Francisco/Seattle combo trip, and I'm pretty excited. Having visited San Fran before, I can easily say I'm a lover of the West Coast. I can't wait to see the piers, the parks and of course, the cable cars. But the thing I'm most looking forward to? The food.

I'm convinced that in another life, I'd be the 800-pound woman they had to pull from her house because of her love of food. Luckily, I got a different metabolism, and I'm eternally grateful. As I get ready for my trip, I've included the top three restaurants/cafes that I intend to stop at, and I'd appreciate any suggestions on places I've missed and must see. Because a lot of my investigative restaurant work has been done via the Internet and not by actual tastings, I'd also appreciate input on any places you think are completely overrated and that I should skip entirely.

San Fran:

Boudin Bakery - A bit cliche, I know, but the city is known for its sourdough and I couldn't stop by without grabbing a baguette to walk around with while I explore the pier.

Dottie's True Blue Cafe - A legend among both tourists and city dwellers, Dottie's is one of the best breakfast places on the bay. The line is long, but the wait is worth it - the cinnamon pancakes draw people from all points in Union Square.

Sears Fine Food - The food is great, but the ambiance is part of the experience. It's a family owned San Fran staple, and it attracts all types of people, making for a fun people-watching experience, too.

Seattle:

Salumi - I'm really looking forward to trying this place, partially because it has a royal culinary bloodline behind it; chef Mario Batali's father owns and runs the place.

5 Spot - This could be a disaster or a great time, because I found this place purely from searching online. The element that intrigues me? The menu features samples from several regions around the U.S. : Southwestern, New England, Pacific Northwest, South of the Mason Dixon etc. This appeals to my varied tastes, but I'm always a little wary of places that don't specialize in one particular cuisine.

Ray's Boathouse (or some place similar) - Because of the obvious location, I'd love to visit a fine dining restaurant that serves fresh catches of the day. I'm not a huge seafood person, but I'm willing to be a little adventurous, and Grilled Southeast Alaskan Halibut definitely sounds outside of my comfort zone.

--- Molly Hirschbeck

A family that eats sushi together ....

Recently, my older brother discovered a love for sushi. The tasty Japanese rolls (we have yet to graduate to more adventurous choices) caught his attention when a friend brought Philadelphia rolls to a bonfire in our back yard. The cream cheese sounded less scary than the raw salmon, I guess.

Fast forward a few weeks when I took my dad to Wasabi for his first taste of sushi. Granted, he did get one with meat in it (Wasabi has both a beef and a chicken hand roll), but he also tried the gateway Philadelphia roll.

Last night, my brother chose Wasabi as our destination for his birthday dinner and it was mom's turn to try sushi for the first time. Though she made a few faces at first and refused to put an entire roll in her mouth at one time (it is considered rude in Japan to take bites, I've read, and also you miss all the flavors!), but she ate both her shrimp tempura roll and, you guess it, Philadelphia roll. She liked it, too.

Me? I branched out and tried the Wasabi Lobster roll. Though it proved to be far more food than I thought, it was delicious and has enticed me to move on to more exotic choices.

Reflecting on my family's new fascination with the stuff, I realize how trendy sushi has become with Japanese restaurants popping up all over and not just in Buffalo.

Are you up for raw fish? If so, what am I missing and just have to order?

-- Kristen Rajczak

Dinner Parties for Dummies

So, recently my friends and I have tried to embrace being young, single, and in our mid-20s by throwing a weekly dinner party.

I hosted the second one last night and it definitely had its up and downs.

I threw the party at a friend's house because I felt like there would be too many distractions at my own.

The problem with this friend group, which consists of about nine people, is that everyone has different taste buds and two of those attending are vegetarians. Being the enormous meat eater that I am, it threw me for a loop. So to be safe, my original menu was healthy: salmon on top of a rice mixture of some sort.

Then the complaints started rolling in. Some didn't know if they liked the fish, others wanted chicken (which I think is too bland), and others were all for it. I thought it was extremely rude for everyone to be so unappreciative. One of my friends even suggested that I ask everyone to pitch in some money, which I was NOT about to do.

Regardless, it was time for a new menu that would make everyone happy. So, I opted for linguine with two types of vodka sauce, one with sausage and mushrooms and another without the meat (to appease the vegetarians).

Aside from a lack of enough pots and pans, everything went smoothly. I tried to do a wine tasting, but by the end of the night my girlfriends were getting antsy looking for the $13 boxed wine and weren't really paying attention to the flavors of the various bottles - as long as their glasses were full. Well, can't win them all.

Even though there were no serious hazards, you could tell I still had my training wheels on. I'm planning on hosting another one soon but want to spice it up a bit more and get a little creative.

Any ideas? Themes? Menu item?

--- Kelly Boquard

The chicken dance

So I do not want to cultivate the notion that I typically go out on Monday nights, but I will admit to doing so the last two weeks. It was not without reward. I stumbled upon this amazing concept: Free Chiavetta's chicken at the Old Pink.

Being a Southtowns native from Springville, this discovery is nothing short of astonishing. Having a part of where I am from in a bar just down the road from me is a notion I have no trouble getting behind. And did I mention, it is free.

Now I am also aware the Century Grill provides free bacon to its patrons on Saturday nights. Another fascinating concept.

Given that it took me 25 years to unearth the Old Pink/Chiavetta's phenomenon, I am surely in the dark on some other unique bar offerings (aside from standard fare) out there. Fill me in. And does this whole idea enthrall anyone else like it does me?

---Geoff Nason

Consumer's dilemma

Feeling fortunate to be back in Buffalo in my 20s, I make an effort to buy locally whenever I can. Aside from the satisfaction of pumping money into the local economy, I suppose I would like to think that the local product is a better one than something from a generic company.

Of course, the drawback is that buying local often costs more. The same goes for buying organic.

I would like to think that when I am in my 30s, without a cloud of debt hanging over my head (hopefully), I will buy local/organic at will. But as a twentysomething, it is hard to justify always doing so.

For now, I do what I can. I have done my best to drink bars out of Flying Bison. Places like Fleet Feet and Record Theatre regularly get my business. I have been meaning to look into joining the Lexington Co-op, but have not gotten around to doing so.

There are surely plenty of other ways I can "go local." Any suggestions?

And what about you: Do you find it tough to buy local or is it a financial sacrifice you are always willing to make?

---Geoff Nason

How do you become truly healthy?

I've always been lucky to have an extremely fast metabolism. That said, I've also dealt with some health issues that have made gaining and maintaining a healthy weight somewhat hard. In our world of "Biggest Loser" and "Celebrity Fit Club," where people obsess over shedding pounds, fitting into skinny jeans and sharing diet secrets, I've felt like kind of an outsider because these things just don't interest me.

I've realized why I dislike talk of diets and ridiculous gym workouts: they suggest that something is wrong, that you can't live life without strict limitations, careful calorie counting and constant weigh-ins. I don't really buy into substituting meals with protein shakes, or taking a cocktail of vitamins in place of breakfast. (Part of this mindset is probably because I have fallen in love with the art of cooking, and I cringe at those who deny themselves a truly good meal because it was pan-seared in - gasp - olive oil.) I do realize that some people have health restrictions that need special nutritional attention, and I respect their need to cater to those needs.  To all others caught up in the egg-white-only, no carb craze, I'm lost.

All things aside, I'm getting older, and I realize the importance of simply eating healthy. Not for vanity reasons, not for a catty competition with girlfriends. But because I've come to understand that what I eat can really improve (or really hurt)  my physical health. Instead of thinking, "What would taste good right now?" I'm trying to get myself to think "What would give me the most energy right now?" Instead of sticking to comfort foods, I'm trying to branch out and incorporate more veggies into my meals and substitute fruits as desserts, if only because they actually make me feel less sluggish than a slice of double chocolate fudge cake. It's a change ... but I'm not looking for any immediate results. No size double zero jeans, just an increase in alertness, energy and overall health.

As someone who grew up shopping at Tops, I'm a bit lost as to where to shop for really fresh produce and great health food. I know Wegman's is known for its great produce, but are there any local Buffalo markets I should be aware of come spring and summer?

-- Molly Hirschbeck

Wine Connoisseur Needed!

    For every phase in life, it seems people become focused on some kind of beverage.

When you're in your younger kindergarten days, you're sipping apple or orange juice during snack time. As you move up to middle and high school, Gatorade or vitamin  water become necessities in refueling after a tough sports game.

College brings about the introduction of kegs, hard liquor and the names of too many mixed drinks to remember.

Now that I've moved on to my next life stage, I've decided that I want wine to become my drink of choice. It's sophisticated, it's classy and after wandering around in Premier Gourmet long enough, I've discovered that there are so many vineyards and choices that I'm bound to find something I can enjoy.

The problem is, I'm having trouble getting past the taste. I've narrowed down my options a bit; I know I definitely like red wine over white, and I find myself enjoying Merlot over Cabernet.

When it comes right down to it though, the only wine I've fallen in love with is my boyfriend's grandpa's homemade wine. For years now, he's been making gallons of his own red and white wine so that he can later give them out to family and friends as a treat. With an almost grape-juicy flavor, the wine is so sweet and not dry at all - my perfect combination- and I can easily drink it with dinner or just have a glass by itself.

I'm going to further investigate the wine-making process in the coming weeks, but until then, any suggestions on how to go about choosing a type on the shelf?

-- Molly Hirschbeck

Cooking 101?

The best part about coming home from school is enjoying my mom's cooking. At school, the convenience of having a meal plan that seems to be "free" does little to motivate my culinary aspirations. Mix in a busy class schedule, a part-time internship and cross-country practices, and the chances of me standing in a kitchen go from slim to none, unless you're counting the two minutes it takes to toast bread in the morning.

When I'm at home from school though, it's back to easy living - until my mom chimes in: How do you expect someone to marry a woman who can't cook?" Of course she's joking and I'd like to say this is when I come up with a one-liner counter-attack about feminism and modern views of women in the workplace, but the truth is that no matter if you're male or female, you should still know the difference between baking soda and baking powder. Just because a woman OR a man works a full-time job does not mean that she/he should be excused from knowing how to put a decent meal on the table. In other words, I need help.

It would be comforting to know that when I decide to invite a guest or two over for dinner, I can put together some sort of dish that won't be laughed at. Doesn't have to be fancy, just a simple meal that would make me more "suitable for marriage," as my mother would say. Does anyone have any easy recipe suggestions for a rookie in the kitchen? Molly I know you can help me out here...

- Lauren Mariacher

Buffalo's Best Fish Fry?

I'm nowhere near the kind of seafood fanatic that my boyfriend is- ahi tuna, crab, lobster, shrimp, salmon - he loves it all, while I prefer to limit myself to land animals. Unless, of course, we're talking about a good, hearty fish fry.

For years now, I've felt like the little old lady with the blueish-gray beehive looking for early bird fish fry specials, but I can't help it. I love the crunchy, juicy fish and french fries combo, coleslaw and all, and from what I've heard, Buffalo has some great ones. I'm up for anything - traditional, beer battered, Italian style, but right now I'm clueless as to where to go, or better yet, how to make a good fish dinner at home.

Any suggestions for the best fish fry in the city?

- Molly Hirschbeck

Iron Chef...Attempt #1

I love the Food Network.

Whether it’s an “Iron Chef” marathon, a Bobby Flay barbecue, or a half hour with Giada and her Parmigiano Reggiano, I can watch that channel for hours. And I know I’m not alone. A couple of years ago, I would have felt out of place if I mentioned my love for instructional cooking shows, but these days friends and even strangers seem to brighten when I express my love for Mario Batali or even the obsessive deep fryer Paula Deen. (I’m still uncertain as to whether my male friends tune in to Giada for her skills as a chef, or her commitment to wearing revealing shirts. Probably half and half.)

Last summer I discovered a new appetizer that few local restaurants serve: arancini. I first fell in love with the breaded rice balls at Torches on Kenmore Ave; shortly after they removed them from their menu, and I was forced to search other local restaurants for these tasty Italian eats. I finally found them at the Taste of Buffalo as one of the dishes served by Filippo's Ristorante on Hertel Ave. For only $8, you get two giant arancini filled with peas and topped with a delicious marina sauce-quite the bargain.

Unfortunately, as an almost college grad on a budget, I can’t open my wallet every time I have a craving. To satisfy my appetite and preserve my bank account, I finally decided to don my chef hat and put my Food Network lessons to use. After sifting through several recipes, (Food Network and Cooks are great recipe search engines, especially for beginners who don’t know a spatula from a slotted spoon), I finally found a simple enough one I could tackle on Colavita. A pack of ground beef, a box of rice, a sprinkle of parmesan, and a whole lot of olive oil later, I wound up with these:

OK, I'll be the first to admit that I'm not the best picture-taker, but I swear they taste ten times better than this photo makes them look. I'd like to think I made Chef Batali proud.

What dishes do local restaurants serve that you could eat every day? Have you ever tried to recreate them? What should I try next?

-Molly Hirschbeck