I made this Skinny Pad Thai using No Oodles, zero calorie shirataki noodles, I found at Wegmans and a pad thai sauce recipe I found on http://www.blogilates.com/blog/2011/05/17/0-calorie-noodles-pad-thai/. After adding fried egg, shrimp, scallions, cilantro, and a lime wedge this meal was complete. This entire dish was only 350 calories and completely filling!
On Thursday, February 13th Dan and I kicked off our Valentine’s Day weekend by trying out a new “Modern Japanese Cuisine” restaurant on Elmwood called SATO. One of Dan’s good friends AJ works as a server/bartender/manager there and was very eager to show us what SATO has to offer. Dan, being the lovely boyfriend he is, decided to take me for dinner there even though my love for Japanese cuisine far exceeds his moderate tolerance for it.
SATO’s location previously housed O3 Organic Cafe, which has another location in Williamsville. When you walk into SATO you will notice similarities between how O3 looked, but I think a Japanese restaurant muck better suits the multi-level space. Upon entering guests will find the bar to their right which is stocked with a plethora of sake bottles to choose from. The bar also features a few draft lines and a generous wine selection available in bottles and by the glass.
The dining room can be found at the top of a small staircase leading up from the bar. The restaurant is small, but in traditional Japanese style features many tables set for two in an intimate setting. The dining room also has three tables that will accommodate four guests each.
AJ greeted our table promptly and suggested we start with a sake flight to begin our evening. The flight is very affordable and a great option for those who would like to try sake before committing to a glass. Each flight consists of three different sakes.
The first sake (at the bottom of the picture) was Koshi No Seki (Junmai Ginjo). The menu described it as “Subtle aroma of lemon pops. Refreshing entering, and well-balanced sweetness and acidity come in with a hint of bitterness. In after taste, refreshing nose of citrus fruits leads to the calm finish, with the lingering of Umami.”. This sake was served cold and tasted just like a lemon drop martini!
The middle sake, which I have yet to find out which brand it was, was my personal favorite. The sake tasted like honey when it sat in the front of my mouth, but as soon as it began to travel down my throat it stung like Sriracha! It had such an interesting complexity of flavors that I really enjoyed!
The last sake we tried was Kagatobi Yamahai (Junmai Extra Dry). The menu stated “Extra dry with a full body and sharp finish. Brewed in the traditional Yamahai method. Drink cold or warm.”. We were served this sake warm and it resembled a smooth tea with hints of honey. I would really enjoy this sake as dessert.
For an appetizer we ordered the Pork Gyoza Dumplings. These homemade pan-fried dumplings are made with ginger and garlic and served with dipping sauce. It was a nice change to be able to taste fresh homemade dumplings! these were executed flawlessly and the perfect start to our meal. Our only complaint was that we wish we had ordered more!
For Dan’s entree he decided to order the daily soup which was a Pork and Tofu Egg Drop and the Kara Age Chicken. The soup was good, but lacked a little salt. We had no problem seasoning it ourselves though as it was then delicious.
The Kara Age Chicken is Japanese-style fried free-range, all-natural chicken thigh which has been marinated in a soy/ginger sauce. Dan really enjoyed this dish and had mentioned ordering several orders of it during our next visit.
When I saw the Chirashi Zushi on SATO’s menu I instantly knew this entree was the perfect choice for me. When there’s sashimi involved I’m there! This dish layered salmon, tuna, tamago egg, radishes, snap peas, cucumbers, and roe over a bed of sushi rice garnished with micro greens. I’ll explain this dish this way: I had it less than a week ago and have craved it everyday since. I have a feeling I will be visiting SATO frequently just to order this again and again.
Unfortunately we were too full between the food and sake to order dessert, but the Coconut Honey Rice Pudding is at the top of my list to try next time we dine at SATO. I am looking forward to seeing what SATO evolves into and have no doubt it will become a staple in my restaurant selections.
SATO has so much more than this post mentioned and it can all be found on their website and Facebook page.
Website: http://www.satobuffalo.com
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/satobuffalo
As seen on The Lodge’s exclusive Valentine’s Day menu.
Saturday, February 15th visit:
The signature lime green Lloyd’s taco truck parked on Elmwood ave for Saturday brunch.
Chorizo Mac & Cheese with a crunchy panko topping.
Braised pork taco with cabbage, mild sauce, cheese, cilantro, and a lime wedge.
This weekend I decided to make the most of my limited free time and visit my parents in Fairport. We decided to try out a new recipe my mom had found in a magazine and was dying to try. This Moroccan Mussel & Fish Stew is fantastic!
We started by prepping all of our ingredients which included garlic, onion, cilantro, red peppers, yellow peppers, and diced tomatoes.
We then marinated our chopped fish in line juice, salt, and pepper while we sautéed our prepped ingredients in a large stock pot with fresh chopped cilantro.
Once the vegetables were cooked, the next step was to add the chopped fish in an even layer over the vegetables. We then poured one can of coconut milk and lots of fresh lime juice evenly across the pot and layered the mussels on the very top.
The stew should stay on low heat for about five to ten minutes or whenever all the mussels have opened. A side of crusty bread is the perfect accompaniment to this hearty meal.
We were all blown away at how easy and delicious this dish was to make! The broth is the perfect balance of cream and citrus. I highly recommend this dish for all seafood lovers!
The is the perfect portion of all different food groups to start off my day right! My “box” contained four mini organic whole wheat waffles, raspberry preserves, almond butter, sharp cheddar cheese, almonds, a hard boiled egg, and a green tea packet.
Come stop in at The Lodge located at 79 W Chippewa Street in downtown Buffalo and be sure to try this amazing dessert! I highly recommend ending your meal with our Panna Cotta made in house daily!
Before stopping in to the restaurant, check out our virtual tour and menu online by clicking here: The Lodge Buffalo.
I recently started working at a new restaurant called The Lodge in downtown Buffalo. For New Year’s Eve we had an exclusive ticketed event that was a success! Since New Year’s is a special occasion, our Chef pulled out all the stops and presented our guests with an amazing 5-course gourmet dinner.
We just launched our new menu this week and I will be posting pictures of some of the dishes shortly, but for now I will leave you with some photos and descriptions from the New Year’s Eve menu.
Enjoy!
First Course option: Foie Gras Torchon with Cocoa Balsamic Glaze & Pickled Apples
First Course option: Scallop Sashimi with Bruleed Grapefruit & Black Olive Oil
First Course option: Beet and Mango Salad with Shaved Manchego, Aged Sherry, Local Honey, & Sesame Seeds
Second Course option: House Made Duck Prosciutto with Canary Melon, Red Pepper Mostarda, & Candied Walnuts
Main Course option: Pan Seared Arctic Char with Pickled Figs, Mustard Greens, & Sauce Soubise
Main Course option: Faux Filet of Organic Grass Fed Beef with Glace of Winter Vegetables, Potato “Donuts,” & Sauce Bordelaise
I am a sucker for charcuterie and cheese boards. If they’re on a menu I will order it! Unfortunately though this can become an expensive habit. This realization led me to creating a cheese board of my own one night at home in my boldest attempt to not hand my hard earned money over to yet another dining out experience.
I laid all of my “materials” out on my awesome wood cutting board Dan got me for Christmas last year and stood back pretty impressed at my spread. For a cheap fix this will do!
Well, here I am, attempting to resuscitate my food blog after five long neglected months. The way I see it this blog was started as a way for me to dive head first into my obsession with food and I did just that. Now needless to say, I am having some serious foodie blog withdrawals.
In order to do this blog justice after leaving it far off on the back burner, I must again begin to bombard this space with all of my favorite cuisine experiences. So bear with me as I have a LOT of catching up to do! The next few (possibly more than just a few) posts will be from dining experiences throughout the past five months, but I promise they will make your taste buds salivate once again! So here we go!
Let’s begin the revival of ‘The Hardy Meal: A Foodie’s Passion Through Photos and Perspective”
Back in September, Dan and I chose to celebrate our Four Year Anniversary and his 24th Birthday by dining at one of Buffalo’s most acclaimed restaurants, Mike A’s at The Lafayette. The restaurant is tucked into the lobby of The Lafayette Hotel located at 391 Washington Street in downtown Buffalo.
Upon entering the restaurant, we were greeted by a friendly maître d who promptly whisked us to our table. Our server was beyond knowledgeable. She impressed us with stories of the farms where Mike A sources his prime meat from down to the vast vintages of wine the sommelier stocked the wine list with.
After long pondering over the menu we ordered and began our culinary excursion.
We began with fresh baked bread accompanied with a pad of creamy butter sprinkled with Pink Himalayan Salt. Pink Himalayan Salt contains 84 minerals and is unprocessed “raw” salt. It is hand-mined from salt caves that were formed hundreds of millions of years ago. Talk about an upgrade from plain old butter!
Next we were presented with Chef’s amuse-bouche of the evening. Amuse-bouche is a French expression that literally translates to “mouth amuser”. It is intended to be a showcase of the Chef’s culinary artistry and is offered before the meal begins to excite the diners for what’s to come. Our amuse-bouche consisted of a cream of corn whipped mousse topped with smoked salmon and drizzled with aged balsamic glaze. It was one of the most delicious mouthfuls of food I have ever tasted. What a perfect way to start our meal!
For our first course we split our attention across two salivating dishes. First was the Hudson Valley Foie Gras which our server appropriately nicknamed as “the best peanut butter and jelly you will ever have.” The foie was seared perfectly and accompanied with concentrated plums (aka the jelly) and almond butter (similar to peanut butter). The “bread” of this dish was light and airy, the perfect accompaniment to the rich saltiness of the foie. It definitely was the best “peanut butter and jelly” to ever reach my mouth!
We also ordered the Roast Marrow Bones with Parsley Gremolata, Sea Salt, Pickles, and Grilled Bread. Bone marrow is such a misconceived cuisine! Though the appearance may be daunting to most, it is a delicacy that I personally will always order whenever possibly. Mike A’s Roast bone Marrow is my favorite preparation hands down. It’s THAT good. If you can only order one item off his menu order the bone marrow. I promise you will not be let down.
For my main dish I ordered the Lobster Pasta with Chive Noodles, Herbed Marscapone Cream, Asparagus, and Peas. the picture doesn’t do justice to how beautiful and herbaceous this dish was! The marscapone cream gave such a light counter balance to the abundance of herbs and soft texture of lobster claw meat.
Now for the finale of this post and our dining experience at Mike A’s…Dan ordered the Dry Aged Strip Steak accompanied with sautéed button musrooms, pomme puree, and grilled asparagus. To this day he has yet to taste another steak just as juicy and delicious. 
The service and food is amazing at Mike A’s. I highly recommend a visit to Mike A’s for any occasion. There’s a reason they are so highly acclaimed in Buffalo. Any culinary visitor to the restaurant will leave not only satisfied, but truly impressed.
The Hardy Meal: A Foodie's Passion Through Photos and Perspective 