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FeedTuesday Tidbits for 11/1/11
This week’s column should be rightly called Tuesday Feast, rather than Tuesday Tidbits, due to the sheer volume of info I’d like to share with you. I’ll try to keep my natural inclination to convey every nuance of each item to a minimum. If you have news you’d like us to consider for this column, please submit it to foodeditor@buffalospree.com.
TEDxBuffalo video released: Two local foodies worth listening to
You've probably already heard that TEDxBuffalo was a smashing success by all accounts, especially when you consider the fact that the volunteer staff (led by Spree’s own Kevin Purdy) pulled themselves up by their bootstraps after their former leader snuck out of town with barely a word to her team and supporters.
The event was written about in many other forums; so if you are interested in information about all of the speakers the best version of that story isn't here. Here at Tuesday Tidbits we’d just like to draw your attention to the two uber-foodies who spoke at the conference, Ethan Cox of the promising Community Beer Works and farmer/yogurt wizard Patrick Lango of White Cow Dairy.
If you missed the conference, here's the video of our two favs:
Ethan Cox of Community Beer Works
Patrick Lango of White Cow Dairy
Keep on Truckin’
Last week the Common Council had yet another public hearing on the food truck issue. It should have been titled the Red Herring Hearing as it was held to hear the concerns of people who should have cared enough about the issue to show up at the previous meeting. (How is it possible that so many business owners in Buffalo don't read the paper?) Again the brick and mortar establishments let their lawyer do all the talking, which was minimal and unenlightening, at best.
It seems that side of the table has yet to offer a single coherent compromise or counter proposal regarding the truck legislation originally proposed by the Councli Member Golombek in July. (It was at that meeting that the B&Ms first rose to their feet and caused a ruckus after a year of food truck negotiations with the City.) So the food trucks, which have had enough of combative and non-productive meetings with the B&Ms, have moved on by submitting their side’s proposed legislation in hopes that it will move things forward. Today is the day the council will address their proposal. It was supposed to be the day that the team of B&Ms and food trucks would deliver their mutually developed legislation to the Council, but that’s just not going to happen. For those of you who missed last Tuesday’s Red Herring Hearing, the most provocative part came at the end when Christina Walsh of the Institute of Justice (who came to Buffalo on the Institute’s dime) spoke about the issue by noting that asking the government to control competition was patently unconstitutional (which appeared to baffle several of the B&M peeps) and that her organization had been successful in litigation versus several cities in the U.S. where local government had felt it was their duty to provide protection against competition to area B&Ms. She also addressed the misnomer that food trucks have any kind of advantage over B&Ms.
Today is the day the Council needs to put this issue to rest. Well, at least for a year, since the proposed legislation offers a “sunset” clause calling for a review and adjustment of the policy just a short year from now.
UPDATE: According to the Buffalo News, at the meeting held on Tuesday, Nov. 1, the B&M's (finally) proposed legislation that asks for special zones where the trucks cannot vend at all (Elmwood and Hertel, surprise!), a 100' non-vending zone between a truck and a restaurant's perimeter (the trucks are asking for 100' from the front door of a restaurant in any direction), and a 100' no truck zone between a food truck and any hot dog/pizza cart vendor. Both trucks propose that a 500' buffer zone exist between trucks and festivals/special events, unless the truck applies and is approved for the individual event's special event vending permit. Golombeck expects to have a final proposal for the Council to vote on by the end of the month. The B&M's proposal is laughable, in my opinion. I think the 5,000 people who signed the pro-truck petition should give $10 each to a Kickstarter campaign so that we can set Lloyd up with a B&M lease on the corner of Elmwood & Bidwell and see how long it takes for the taco kings to prove that it's their food and service the B&Ms should be scared of—not their tires.
Buffalo’s chefs can blow your mind (if you let them)
Pigman Steven Gedra’s Nose-to-Tail feast is scheduled for this Sunday. A full menu wil to appear on Bistro Europa’s website later today. If you have yet to be converted to the chef’s inspired use of the what might be the country’s best pork (yeah, I said it), you’d best book a rezzie asap. There’s really nothing quite like this event. Stay tuned for the porcine party details on Europa's website at www.europabuffalo.com/special-events
As if a full hog degustation weren’t enough for one week, Chef Mike Andrzejewksi has just released the menu for the twelve-course “Luxury & Excess” truffle dinner taking place at Sea Bar on November 13. He and Chef Steven Gedra have partnered up again, importing a ridiculous amount of fresh white truffles from Italy in order to shower guests with the marvelous fungi. There are still a handful of seats left. The price is $195 per person (including wine and gratuity). See the enticing menu below—it’s an event no self-respecting foodie should miss.
Absinthe cocktails & truffled croustade
Carpaccio of kobe beef, truffle crisps
Nantucket bay scallops, truffle puree
Truffle bread pudding, langoustine cream
Truffled bomba rice en pappillotte
Egg raviolo in truffled brodo
Black tie scallops “Daniel Boulud”
Pancakes & truffles
Dover sole with truffle custard
Alaskan crab and truffle
Truffled quail and foie gras roulade
Blanquette of veal, truffle cream
Truffle roast suckling pig porchetta
Dessert by Ellen Gedra
~followed by port and frozen truffle white chocolate air~
Cheers!
Congratulations to Mark Sciortino, owner of Marco’s on Niagara and founder of the Marco’s Deli franchise. Today marks the restaurant's 23rd anniversary, and there’s no way to view his commitment to his neighborhood with anything but admiration.
Last, but not least....
Tune in for a re-cap of Epic's cheesy dinner tomorrow!
