SATO

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

 

Mike A’s at The Lafayette

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.

Monday Industry Night

Monday nights at Canvas@1206 on Hertel Ave is a great way to try out a new restaurant in Buffalo with affordable prices.

Since I have previously devoted a post about Canvas@1206, I will keep this nice and brief.

On Monday nights the restaurant is closed for dinner service, but the owner will serve you up $5 appetizers from the kitchen to go with the fantastic drink specials. All glasses of wine as well as the specialty martinis are $5 and they also feature $3 beers. You really can’t pass up this deal!

This visit we decided to try the flash fried calamari with a Thai chili sauce. This calamari was honestly one of the best I have had. Calamari is a very easy food to overcook, but the owner prepared the dish flawlessly.

AJ, the bartender who hosts Industry Nights on Mondays, was very excited to make us some new drink ideas he had concocted.

The first drink we tried was named ‘The Baroness’ which consisted of Pristine vodka, St. Germaine elderflower liqueur, fresh squeezed lemon juice, blackberry purée, and a mint leaf. This drink was sweet for sure, but still pleasantly balanced.

AJ mixed up a melon flavored drink for Dan called the Waterloo. The drink consisted of Pristine vodka, aperol, house made simple syrup, and muddled lemon and cantaloupe. Dan loved this drink! The muddled melon complimented the aperol and vodka wonderfully making this a great summer cocktail.Make sure you check out this relaxing spot and let AJ and the owner satisfy your taste buds with refreshing cocktails and cuisine!

Left Bank

Dan and I dined at one of our favorite restaurants last night called Left bank, located right around the corner from our apartment. It’s a dangerous thing being within walking distance of a semi-expensive delicious restaurant.

The timeline of service was not the fastest, but fortunately we were looking to have a relaxing slow-paced night. Left Bank is a New American cuisine restaurant and so far there has not been a dish we tasted that we have not praised.

We were seated on the outdoor patio which has eight tables, tiki torches, a vine covered brick wall, and flowers all around. We started our dining experience with wine. Dan chose the house Cabernet and I sipped on Riesling.

The server assistant brought us crusty Italian bread with a sundries tomato infused olive oil.

The menu is the most challenging part of dining at Left Bank because everything sounds so good!

For our appetizer we choose the Fondue for Two which is warm Gorgonzola cheese fondue served with beef tenderloin, focaccia points, portobello fries, and asparagus spears. This dish was out of this world delicious. The Gorgonzola was tangy and creamy and paired perfectly with the selection of dippers. What blew us away with this dish was the beef tenderloin. It was perfectly cooked and so tender. On top of taste the appearance was beautiful. For his entree Dan chose the 14oz New York strip steak from the evening’s feature menu. The steak was accompanied by carrots, broccolini, chèvre (goat cheese) mashed potatoes, and sautéed mushrooms and onions.

I chose the Carrot Papardella which was tossed with lobster, shrimp, and crabmeat served in a shellfish-brandy cream, with julienned vegetables, arugula, and tarragon. This dish was by far our favorite of the night. The cream sauce was perfectly paired with the al dente homemade carrot papardella.

We enjoyed our relaxing night together and suggest Left Bank to all of our friends!

Canvas

We decided to visit a friend bar tending at Canvas tonight on Hertel Ave.

View of the bar.

Summer feature menu.

Mangotini.

Tropical Vacation.

Bikinitini.

Crab cakes with a tomato hollandaise and bacon bread crumbs.

Canvas has been open since January 2013 and is open for dinner Tuesday through Saturday.

Prawn Basil Risotto

A bed of risotto with pine nuts and peas topped with lightly sautéed zucchini and grilled shrimp with crispy breadcrumbs. A light lemon cream sauce is plated alongside the risotto. This dish is Mike A’s creation from Tappo Restaurant in downtown Buffalo.

Vera Pizzeria

Dan and I finally went to Vera Pizzeria last week after living one street over since April. I had walked past numerous times and even stood outside to order food from Black Market Food Truck late at night, but last week was my first time inside.

The restaurant is not very big with a small bar and roughly ten tables for dinner. Each employee was dressed in casual wear which gave the impression that it would be a fun place to dine at. The menu is one-sided and features oven baked pizzas and plates to share.

We began with cocktails from their unique mixologist menu. Dan chose the Red Wedding (spiced rum, Campari, orgeat syrup, dry curaçao, and fresh squeezed lime juice). His choice was refreshing and packed a punch. I chose the Gazpacho (dry gin, fresh lemon juice, St. Germaine, Sriracha hot sauce, and crushed cucumber). I loved my drink! Although it was too spicy for Dan I thought the kick from the Sriracha was perfectly cooled by the clean taste of crushed cucumbers.

For our appetizer we started with the Nickel City Meat and Cheese Plate. Prosciutto, Sopressata, Olive Loaf, salami, Brie, gruyere, sharp cheddar, and asiago cheese were laid across the plate accompanied by some grilled baguette sliced rubbed with olive oil.

Dan chose the Margherita Pizza for his entree. Mozzarella was melted across the sea of red sauce and fresh basil sprinkled the pie.

I chose the Spiced Pork Rillettes as my second course. My plate was lined with a colorful and aromatic spread of grilled house made ciabatta slices topped with pork confit, apricot mustard, cornichons, and orange rosemary pickled red onions. This dish was absolutely amazing. My mouth waters now thinking about it. Anyone interested in trying out Vera must order this dish. You will not be disappointed.

The only regret I have about Vera Pizzeria is that we just stumbled upon the gem last week! From the Prohibition style decorations, creative cocktails, and local ingredients to the old liquor bottles that water is served from, this place is one of our new favorites and we cannot wait to try more of what Vera has to offer

Ying and Yang

Thai White and Purple Coconut Sticky Rice with Custard and Mango from Saks Thai Cuisine in Fairport, NY.