Well.
It's the end of November. We've all glutted ourselves with a fantastic Thanksgiving feast, enjoyed the company of friends and family, and are looking forward to doing it all again with more fanfare in hopefully cozier and even cheerier Yuletide season that is headed our way.
Or, if you're like me, you miss the sun, dread the grey days full of snow, and wish you could hibernate until the next equinox.
either way, Season's Greetings.
i'm sure my absence has been a bit conspicuous, and to tell the truth i feel a bit guilty about that. this blog started with a pop of promotion by local food bloggers, buffalospree.com, and even a mention by the buffalo news, only to have me leave you in the dark in these darkening days of oncoming winter. my apologies.
that said, its been all i can do to wake up with enough time to watch the sun peter out, or find much worthwhile for which to leave the house, which sadly means the gossip is flowing like molasses. Or at least my part in promoting it, anyway. that isn't to say a few things haven't crossed my radar.
TRUFFLE DINNERS - what i heard - Awhile back i wrote a blurb about the dueling truffle dinners, one led by Bistro Europa's Steven Gedra, with the help of Mike Andrejewski held at SeaBar, and the other, a Dinner With Danger Event at Torches. The politics of the dueling dinners was the focus of the write-up, and while dates have long passed, the drama still resounds. the Gedra/Andrejewski truffle dinner went off with more than a few hitches, as i understand it, but to great success nonetheless. with the aid of Chefs James Roberts (Park Country Club) and Bruce Wieszala (Carmelo's) the Europa/SeaBar crew, et. al. turned out what i hear to be a masterpiece of a dining event.
the Dinner With Danger Truffle Dinner Event at Torches, scheduled within a day of the Europa/SeaBar offering, in fact did not go off as planned. while i don't have specific details, sources seem to suggest that the event was pulled by Chef J.J. Richert himself, so as to avoid the appearance that the Torches truffle dinner was a direct and personal challenge leveled at Gedra and associates. Sources indicate, however, that a private truffle feast was held quietly at Torches with around a dozen or so guests and was neither advertised nor open to the public.
BRAINSTORMING CHEF - what was seen - Chef Tutu Inthalasy of Hucklebuckets seems to hope to be opening a new restaurant at some point in the future. if you're in the industry and you don't know his cooking, you know his name; and if you don't know his name, you're sure to know his face. Whether the restaurant is closer to concept or reality at this stage in the game, i truly couldn't say, but he was recently sighted at Vera by an industry contact of mine collecting "distinctive looking bottles for glassware." you're guess is as good as mine. Hucklebottles, perhaps? all joking aside, i'd be interested to see what comes of Tutu's endeavors...
ANYBODY GOT A COUPLE MILLION? - what they say - i've heard it from several sources, but i don't think a "for sale" sign's been hung, yet. Nick Kotrides (Toro, Faherty's, Empire Grill) seems to be looking to get out of the restaurant business. at least as far as Elmwood avenue is concerned. Apparently Nick has been toying with the idea of selling both Faherty's and Toro (no word on whether or not he'd like to keep Empire, on Hertel). the catch is that they both come as a package -- splitting up the ownership is impossible, especially considering that the two locations seem to share a basement. the figure Mr. Kotrides seems to have in his head is a cool $2 million, so if any of you investors out there are looking for an easy cash cow, the Toro/Faherty's duo might just be up your alley. Just do me a favor and don't clean house, they've got some of my favorite people working there.
that's all for now.
stay tuned, i hope not to be out of touch so long during this dreadfully delightful season. I'm hoping to have a "whatever happened to...?" article up down the road, not to mention some cool buffalo culture and dining projects in the works as well.
till next time.
Showing posts with label Dinner With Danger. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dinner With Danger. Show all posts
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Sunday, October 23, 2011
the Rumor's Mill, #2
hello, readers.
there seem to be more of you now since the last time i've posted, and for that i have to give credit to the twitter plugs from both BuffaloEats and BuffaloDotCom, and an interview with BuffaloSpree.com.
i hope i can both validate and sustain the interest.
onto some news:
Cantina Loco - why isn't this place open yet? the projected opening was supposed to be in September was it not? a quick trip to the Allen Street Bar and Grill last night shows that future Loco manager Drew Love is still working in his current position as bartender. One contact of mine speculates that the hold up is possibly due to the contractors and their poorly paced outfitting of the kitchen's ventilation equipment. Another source tells me Cantina Loco's delay in opening is due to the even more poorly paced process it takes to get that little slip of paper from the State Liquor Authority. Is there any Buffalo restaurant that's opened in the last two years that these guys haven't screwed over?
********************************************** update *****************************************************
Mike Andrzejewski (proprietor, Cantina Loco, SeaBar) was kind enough to give us an update on Cantina Loco's delays"
"Hola- Cantina Loco..You are on the right track, Alot of Building ,Construction,Electrical,Plumbing etc ended up being done, as well as refrigeration etc. Kitchen exhaust contractors actually did a great job even though they had to go up 5 stories with the vent. Liqour license is still working and was as much our mistakes as NY>. Take Out will be available soon , then followed by Dining/Bar. Kitchen is practicing at Seabar so were getting closer..... Mike A"
Lagniappes (French Quarter Cafe)/Lucky Dogs - while some of this has been discussed already over twitter, between myself and BuffaloEats, it is ground worth retreading. Its been some time since either of these establishments have had lights on. After a question about whether or not I had any idea if the close was permanent, I checked it out with a former employee of the French Quarter Cafe. My contact said that the close was intended to be temporary -- a "vacation" -- and that Chef Chris Silverstein was looking for a financial partner to help keep the establishments afloat. the request for bar help at the French Quarter was brought to my attention by several friends, but my contact made a point to tell me that the liquor license has been coming "next week" for about six months. The SLA strikes again, eh? None the less, Lagniappe's most recent status updates seem to confirm that they have secured a beer and wine license, and the lights in both establishments should be back on very soon. Hopefully this will turn things around for French Quarter and Lucky Dogs
Truffle Dinners - has anybody noticed there are two of these going down in November? Sunday, November 13th SeaBar is hosting a Truffle Dinner event thrown by Chef Steven Gedra and the folks at Bistro Europa. November 14th, Dinner with Danger is promoting a Truffle Dinner to be held at Torches -- undercutting the ticket price of the Europa/SeaBar dinner by $50. It seems clear this signifies a parting of ways between Bistro Europa and Michael 'Danger' Bernhardt, who had partnered up for the Truffle Dinner last year, but the cause for the falling out is unclear. Murmurs suggest the folks at Europa disagreed with the promoter, over the parameters of his promotional duties and privileges. The conflict seems as much about personalities as it is about demands, but it seems certain that Europa and company are done with Danger. Rumor suggests there is no love lost between Europa and Torches, which makes the latter's partnership with Danger in a Truffle Dinner intended to rival, in every sense of the word, Bistro Europa, seem antagonistic at best.
Rue Franklin - I received a tip off from a contact that the Rue had been sold by its owners, Joel and DeeDee Lippes, and that they had been spotted dining at an Elmwood restaurant with the new buyers. As my contact seemed to have quite a bit of information, including figures about the sale, I decided on a whim to see if that information could offer me any leverage in a conversation with anyone at the Rue, so I went to the source. At the time of the discussion between myself and long time Rue Franklin Chef, Corey Kley, the Rue had been operating under his ownership for about ten days. Chef Kley was quick to insist that Joel and DeeDee are not retiring, but moving on from restaurant work to follow other pursuits. They will, however, function as consultants to the restaurant and its new ownership. Chef Kley intends for very little change in the establishment -- the staff, decor, and direction of the menu will be retained in much the same fashion as it has under its former ownership. While Chef Kley refused to talk numbers, my contact claimed that the Rue, building and business, was for sale at an estimated 2.5 million, and that the figure for the business alone hovered around $500,000. Chef Kley did confirm that the ownership of the building itself remains with the Lippes. Whether or not the contents of the wine cellar is included in the estimated sale price is unclear, but it has been rumored to be appraised at around $40,000 in and of itself.
all right folks.
that's all for now.
thanks for reading. stay tuned for some upcoming features -- i'm hoping to make a "whatever happened to" post soon, and...i may or may not have a surprise up my sleeve, i should know in a few days.
caio caio
-DR
there seem to be more of you now since the last time i've posted, and for that i have to give credit to the twitter plugs from both BuffaloEats and BuffaloDotCom, and an interview with BuffaloSpree.com.
i hope i can both validate and sustain the interest.
onto some news:
Cantina Loco - why isn't this place open yet? the projected opening was supposed to be in September was it not? a quick trip to the Allen Street Bar and Grill last night shows that future Loco manager Drew Love is still working in his current position as bartender. One contact of mine speculates that the hold up is possibly due to the contractors and their poorly paced outfitting of the kitchen's ventilation equipment. Another source tells me Cantina Loco's delay in opening is due to the even more poorly paced process it takes to get that little slip of paper from the State Liquor Authority. Is there any Buffalo restaurant that's opened in the last two years that these guys haven't screwed over?
********************************************** update *****************************************************
Mike Andrzejewski (proprietor, Cantina Loco, SeaBar) was kind enough to give us an update on Cantina Loco's delays"
"Hola- Cantina Loco..You are on the right track, Alot of Building ,Construction,Electrical,Plumbing etc ended up being done, as well as refrigeration etc. Kitchen exhaust contractors actually did a great job even though they had to go up 5 stories with the vent. Liqour license is still working and was as much our mistakes as NY>. Take Out will be available soon , then followed by Dining/Bar. Kitchen is practicing at Seabar so were getting closer..... Mike A"
Lagniappes (French Quarter Cafe)/Lucky Dogs - while some of this has been discussed already over twitter, between myself and BuffaloEats, it is ground worth retreading. Its been some time since either of these establishments have had lights on. After a question about whether or not I had any idea if the close was permanent, I checked it out with a former employee of the French Quarter Cafe. My contact said that the close was intended to be temporary -- a "vacation" -- and that Chef Chris Silverstein was looking for a financial partner to help keep the establishments afloat. the request for bar help at the French Quarter was brought to my attention by several friends, but my contact made a point to tell me that the liquor license has been coming "next week" for about six months. The SLA strikes again, eh? None the less, Lagniappe's most recent status updates seem to confirm that they have secured a beer and wine license, and the lights in both establishments should be back on very soon. Hopefully this will turn things around for French Quarter and Lucky Dogs
Truffle Dinners - has anybody noticed there are two of these going down in November? Sunday, November 13th SeaBar is hosting a Truffle Dinner event thrown by Chef Steven Gedra and the folks at Bistro Europa. November 14th, Dinner with Danger is promoting a Truffle Dinner to be held at Torches -- undercutting the ticket price of the Europa/SeaBar dinner by $50. It seems clear this signifies a parting of ways between Bistro Europa and Michael 'Danger' Bernhardt, who had partnered up for the Truffle Dinner last year, but the cause for the falling out is unclear. Murmurs suggest the folks at Europa disagreed with the promoter, over the parameters of his promotional duties and privileges. The conflict seems as much about personalities as it is about demands, but it seems certain that Europa and company are done with Danger. Rumor suggests there is no love lost between Europa and Torches, which makes the latter's partnership with Danger in a Truffle Dinner intended to rival, in every sense of the word, Bistro Europa, seem antagonistic at best.
Rue Franklin - I received a tip off from a contact that the Rue had been sold by its owners, Joel and DeeDee Lippes, and that they had been spotted dining at an Elmwood restaurant with the new buyers. As my contact seemed to have quite a bit of information, including figures about the sale, I decided on a whim to see if that information could offer me any leverage in a conversation with anyone at the Rue, so I went to the source. At the time of the discussion between myself and long time Rue Franklin Chef, Corey Kley, the Rue had been operating under his ownership for about ten days. Chef Kley was quick to insist that Joel and DeeDee are not retiring, but moving on from restaurant work to follow other pursuits. They will, however, function as consultants to the restaurant and its new ownership. Chef Kley intends for very little change in the establishment -- the staff, decor, and direction of the menu will be retained in much the same fashion as it has under its former ownership. While Chef Kley refused to talk numbers, my contact claimed that the Rue, building and business, was for sale at an estimated 2.5 million, and that the figure for the business alone hovered around $500,000. Chef Kley did confirm that the ownership of the building itself remains with the Lippes. Whether or not the contents of the wine cellar is included in the estimated sale price is unclear, but it has been rumored to be appraised at around $40,000 in and of itself.
all right folks.
that's all for now.
thanks for reading. stay tuned for some upcoming features -- i'm hoping to make a "whatever happened to" post soon, and...i may or may not have a surprise up my sleeve, i should know in a few days.
caio caio
-DR
Monday, October 3, 2011
the Rumor's Mill
being in the service industry, i come by all sorts of information, but it isn't always viable. it's sometimes hard to tell the difference between something that's really happening, and what a business owner wants you to think is happening. for all the uncertainty in the restaurant business, you don't often catch restaurant owners using words like "maybe," "hopefully," or "if." when i hear news and it doesn't pan out, i think of that line that Samuel L. Jackson has in Pulp Fiction when explaining how TV pilots work: "some of 'em get picked up, and become shows. some of 'em become nothin."
apply that sentiment to the following rumors -- some of them will pan out. some of them become nothing.
The Eights -- Over the last couple months, the owner was in talks with Kevin O'Connell, Jr., chef at O'Connell's restaurant and son of the local TV personality, to sell him the establishment. The impression of a former co-worker of mine after a visit was that if the Eights had been for sale, the Nussbaumer faction had no idea, and it appears the deal was intended to be a behind-the-scenes transaction. Since then, the bottom has apparently dropped out of the deal -- but whether the Eights is "for sale" is unclear.
NoNoo Ramen -- Just announced this week on their Facebook page that they'll be opening the last week of October, although their full liquor license is not expected to kick in for a couple months yet. In the meantime Van Every's apparently keeping busy in the kitchen at Vera...speaking of....
Vera -- "pre-prohibition era" cocktails? that's nothing. word on the street is that they're about to lay down their own barrel aged cocktails -- a manhattan, and a negroni. this is the sort of thing they do in real cities -- thanks for bringing a bit of cutting edge to buffalo, gentlemen.
The Whole Hog -- Is the City of Buffalo too hard on foodtruckers? I don't think anyone would agree more than Kathleed Haggerty, especially after having gotten the boot from the Bidwell Farmer's Market on Saturday. Could that be why she's been thinking of selling The Whole Hog to Merge's Kate Elliot? who knows. but rumor has it that Kate is looking to put a food truck on the road come spring, and she's been in talks with Chef Haggerty herself.
Michael "Danger" Bernhardt -- "Danger's" got a new project in the works. all the evidence suggests a possible foodie website or a...Buffalo Food Blog? we're all waiting with baited breath...
apply that sentiment to the following rumors -- some of them will pan out. some of them become nothing.
The Eights -- Over the last couple months, the owner was in talks with Kevin O'Connell, Jr., chef at O'Connell's restaurant and son of the local TV personality, to sell him the establishment. The impression of a former co-worker of mine after a visit was that if the Eights had been for sale, the Nussbaumer faction had no idea, and it appears the deal was intended to be a behind-the-scenes transaction. Since then, the bottom has apparently dropped out of the deal -- but whether the Eights is "for sale" is unclear.
NoNoo Ramen -- Just announced this week on their Facebook page that they'll be opening the last week of October, although their full liquor license is not expected to kick in for a couple months yet. In the meantime Van Every's apparently keeping busy in the kitchen at Vera...speaking of....
Vera -- "pre-prohibition era" cocktails? that's nothing. word on the street is that they're about to lay down their own barrel aged cocktails -- a manhattan, and a negroni. this is the sort of thing they do in real cities -- thanks for bringing a bit of cutting edge to buffalo, gentlemen.
The Whole Hog -- Is the City of Buffalo too hard on foodtruckers? I don't think anyone would agree more than Kathleed Haggerty, especially after having gotten the boot from the Bidwell Farmer's Market on Saturday. Could that be why she's been thinking of selling The Whole Hog to Merge's Kate Elliot? who knows. but rumor has it that Kate is looking to put a food truck on the road come spring, and she's been in talks with Chef Haggerty herself.
Michael "Danger" Bernhardt -- "Danger's" got a new project in the works. all the evidence suggests a possible foodie website or a...Buffalo Food Blog? we're all waiting with baited breath...
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