Latest news with #Buffalo
CNN
2 hours ago
- Lifestyle
- CNN
Buffalo, New York is a welcoming blend of cool and old school
Buffalo, New York (CNN) — 'Go Bills!' is the standard exchange here. I quickly surmised that there's only one acceptable reply when someone says to you, 'Go Bills!' And that's, 'Go Bills!' 'It's more than just a rallying cry during football season, it's become a kind of regional shorthand for pride, camaraderie and shared identity,' explained Shawn St. John, age 31, who I met in a Buffalo bar. 'You'll typically hear it used as a farewell, or a salutation.' A visit to Buffalo feels like being in a play about a small town where everyone knows each other, and they bond over the local sports team. Only, it's a reality, and it's the Empire State's biggest city outside the New York City area, and the local team is in the NFL. Apparently, none of this has gone to their heads. Buffalo is an instantly charming blend of big and small, of cool and old school. Its restaurants and bars range from foodie and fancy to messy (see: Buffalo chicken wings) and quirky. It has an art museum with works by the Old Masters and also a soda fountain attached to a still-working chocolate factory. And it's just a short drive out of town to skiing, Canada and the largest waterfall (by volume) in North America. It's also friendly and surprisingly youthful. 'Lucky Day,' said the young man sitting next to me on the 90-minute flight from New York City, when I asked him where I should go while I was in town. He followed that bar recommendation by sharing his favorite places for Buffalo wings, which prompted an eavesdropping young couple in the row behind us to share their favorites. Then others weighed in on what became a good-natured debate among them as we disembarked. (Contenders tossed around included Cole's, Gabriel's Gate, Doc Sullivan's and Anchor Bar, which makes claim to being the origin of the fried, spicy wings). Prev Next Those 30-something passengers represented a surprising demographic distinction for this city mainly known for its long winters, spicy chicken wings and proximity to one of the most popular honeymoon destinations in the country. Nearly 38% of the population is under age 24, and the median is 34 years old. By contrast, the median age for New York City is 38 and for the whole state, it's 40. As Buffalo approaches its bicentennial in another seven years, young people not long out of college are moving here like it's the hot new destination, or staying after they graduate from one of its several colleges. The attraction includes affordability, access to nature, and the growing food and drink scene — all of which benefit visitors, too. Not bad for a town that emerged originally as the terminus of industrial traffic along the Erie Canal in the early 1800s. After checking into the affordable luxury of the Curtiss Hotel downtown, I searched for the location of Lucky Day and it was two blocks away. 'Must be my Lucky Day,' I said to myself and walked there through the compact center of the city. Downtown is marked by the inspiring beauty of Art Deco, Beaux-Arts and other classical design styles. The magazine Architectural Digest even named Buffalo one of the 23 Top Places to Travel in 2023. A light rail train smoothly beeps through it. Giant posters in the stately, gold-domed M&T Bank building read, 'Billieve.' Lucky Day Whiskey Bar lives up to the potable half of its name with warmly illuminated bottles that stretch from bar to ceiling. The whole space looks the part, with its wood paneling, fancy gold-infused wallpaper on one side, and urban exposed brick on the other. A taxidermied, not-so-lucky buffalo head looks out over the bonhomie. Beyond the encyclopedic whiskey menu, the bar's excellent beer selections include Kilkenny's nitro-infused Irish ale, from the old country, and a local lager from Woodcock Brothers Brewery. The bartenders, in their spiffy vests and hipster facial hair, shake hands and chat with the customers they know by name. 'Your regular or something new tonight?' they ask from behind the beautiful, dark wood bar. Sitting there, I introduced myself to Shawn and his significant other, Krystina Lucas, 32. He manages a local cannabis dispensary and she's a grade-school teacher. If one conversation with a random local on the plane landed me at Lucky Day, another one at Lucky Day should net me more, I reasoned. They enthusiastically gave me a long list of places to eat, drink and shop to get a feel for their evolving city, particularly its nightlife and culinary scene. Krystina recommended the four-story Pearl Street Grill & Brewery located downtown by the water, where I had a Peanut Butter Vibes lager at a bar with views of giant, gleaming beer tanks. Don't knock it till you try it. But if that's outside your comfort zone, the Sabre's Edge is an award-winning double IPA. And you can enjoy it in the large first-floor bar, which was recently renovated. There's also a swanky wine lounge in the Black Rock neighborhood called Waxlight Bar à Vin that opened in 2019 in the revitalized Chandler Street factory building, part of a trend of breathing new life into old industrial spaces. Waxlight was a 2023 James Beard Award semifinalist. The Curtiss Hotel has a rooftop bar and a circular first floor one that slowly revolves. But I was on the elevator when I was reminded of what really led me to pick the hotel in the first place. An elevator button labeled 'Hot Springs' leads guests to an enormous, outdoor hot tub with powerful jets — an effective last stop before sleep. Buffalo is famous for its eponymous wings, of course, but there's also local pride for a meal-of-a-sandwich called a beef on weck (translation: roast beef on a kümmelweck roll). Ask 10 people in Buffalo the best place to go for wings and/or a weck and you'll get 10 different answers, and then have fun figuring out your own answer. Two local chains to also add to your Buffalo classics bingo card are Ted's Hot Dogs and Anderson's Frozen Custard. But newer spots such as Lucky Day, which opened in 2017, are expanding beyond Buffalo's traditional menu offerings. Lucky Day's signature mac & cheese is served in a cast-iron cauldron with an inspired Goldfish cracker-crumble crust, alongside a hearty salad made with brussels sprout leaves. For a different milieu only a few blocks away, Misuta Chow's specializes in Japanese street food, such as tasty sesame noodles, miso-spiced deviled eggs and ramen. Faux roofs and real lanterns inside give the place the feel of a Tokyo alleyway. Above the bar is a cartoon version of Bill Murray from 'Lost in Translation,' pitching a Japanese whisky. 'For a relaxing time, it's Suntory time!' Instead, I ordered a pink, crunchy sugar-bottomed Hello Kitty cocktail with my meal. I happened to arrive on 'Family Feud Night' and was recruited by two friends sitting next to me at the bar to be on their team. In the middle of the game, the bartender carried around a large golden Buddha for contestants to tap on the head for luck. 'It's a tradition,' he explained to me, the only newcomer. One of my teammates, Garrion Sirman, never left Buffalo after graduating college, citing the appeal of its big city vibes and 'mix of affordable and cool shit.' The converted Chandler Street factory is made up of two adjoining red-brick warehouses in the Black Rock neighborhood north of downtown. The buildings are home to the kitchens for multiple culinary start-ups, and in addition to the Waxlight, two other anchor tenants are the popular Crenshaw's Chicken and Waffles and a mushroom farm. Yes, farm. Flat #12 Mushrooms sells mushroom varieties as well as mushroom-infused products such as coffee and cream cheese. But they are growing the goods in the back. The Chandler Street developer has plans for an outdoor swim club with a bar and poolside restaurant, according to the National Trust for Historic Preservation. If chocolate is more your kind of souvenir, head to the 98-year-old Parkside Candy, a landmark-of-a-shop, lined with ornate ceiling trim and glass display cases full of handcrafted chocolates, located just north of Delaware Park. A visit is a portal back in time, maybe to the early 1940s – the time period in the 1984 Oscar-nominated film, 'The Natural,' whose diner scenes were filmed at Parkside. My server, wearing a throw-back uniform of black apron and red bowtie, served me a grilled cheese and a glass bowl of ice cream while I sat next to a beautiful, solid walnut wood soda fountain. When I asked if she knew about Parkside's big-screen moment, she told me she had been an extra in the 40-year-old Robert Redford film. The factory where the chocolate is made is next door. Walking into the Talking Leaves…Books, I was greeted by The White Stripes on the speakers, which set the tone for an enjoyable browse, as do shelf categories such as 'Belles Lettres' (for poetry and miscellaneous literary subjects), and the laidback but helpful staff. I bought a quirky postcard and wrote to a friend from the inviting Caffe Aroma next door while enjoying an expertly executed cappuccino. Aroma is Buffalo's longest-running locally-owned coffee shop. North of downtown, on the edge of Delaware Park, the world-class Buffalo AKG Art Museum has the usual suspects when it comes to great artists, including Rothko, de Kooning, Pollock, Lichtenstein, Warhol and Picasso. But a hands-on space for adults and kids allows you to create your own sculpture with the classy medium of black-and-white-only Legos. After a massive expansion, the 160-year-old art institution, formerly known as the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, reopened as this modern museum in 2023. Another master's artistry is on display and open to tours at Frank Lloyd Wright's Martin House, located about two miles east of the museum on the other side of the park. The cantilever design is considered one of the architect's greatest works; Wright himself described the Prairie-style home as a 'domestic symphony.' The Wright house is just off Delaware Park, the crown jewel of the city's system of parks and designed by another genius: Frederick Law Olmsted, of Central Park fame. Delaware Park is flanked by lovely Edwardian-style homes and contains statues from the Pan-American Exposition of 1901. Back in the heart of downtown Buffalo, the Canalside park benefited from a recent $300 million waterfront revitalization and hosts hundreds of waterside concerts and events every year. It has a huge ice rink in the winter. And it's also the launch pad for river cruises or kayak rentals on Lake Erie. Like Flagstaff, Arizona's proximity to the Grand Canyon, Buffalo could mistakenly be overlooked as the last stop before visiting Niagara Falls, just a half hour's drive north on Interstate 190. There's a city bus from downtown to the Falls for only $2. Beautiful if touristy, Niagara Falls make for a memorable day trip from Buffalo. Unlike the Falls, however, you need more than just a few hours in the city to soak in all it has to offer. There's a small (39 runs), inexpensive ski resort with a long season about 45 minutes south of Buffalo called Kissing Bridge. It was acquired at the end of last year, and investment in the resort and in off-season activities, such as additional mountain biking and hiking, are planned. Then there's Canada. The small town of Fort Erie, Ontario, lies just across the Niagara River, accessible by the Peace Bridge – and your passport. From there, it's only a couple more hours to Toronto, with the Canadian side of Niagara Falls as a stop along the way. Toronto is a fitting sister city to Buffalo; they share a reputation as low-key cool. I made one last stop before heading to the airport. One of the Buffalo wings destinations debated on the plane was Betty's, and I was eager to try its vegetarian version made with seitan (but missing none of the hot, tangy messiness). I got a lunch serving, to-go, for the midday flight back to New York. After I arrived at the airport rental car drop-off, the young man behind the counter thanked me when I handed him the keys. As I turned away, something felt missing in the exchange. 'Go Bills!' I initiated for the first and only time, then started to walk away. 'Go Bills!' the rental car attendant called back, grinning.
CNN
2 hours ago
- Lifestyle
- CNN
Buffalo, New York is a welcoming blend of cool and old school
Buffalo, New York (CNN) — 'Go Bills!' is the standard exchange here. I quickly surmised that there's only one acceptable reply when someone says to you, 'Go Bills!' And that's, 'Go Bills!' 'It's more than just a rallying cry during football season, it's become a kind of regional shorthand for pride, camaraderie and shared identity,' explained Shawn St. John, age 31, who I met in a Buffalo bar. 'You'll typically hear it used as a farewell, or a salutation.' A visit to Buffalo feels like being in a play about a small town where everyone knows each other, and they bond over the local sports team. Only, it's a reality, and it's the Empire State's biggest city outside the New York City area, and the local team is in the NFL. Apparently, none of this has gone to their heads. Buffalo is an instantly charming blend of big and small, of cool and old school. Its restaurants and bars range from foodie and fancy to messy (see: Buffalo chicken wings) and quirky. It has an art museum with works by the Old Masters and also a soda fountain attached to a still-working chocolate factory. And it's just a short drive out of town to skiing, Canada and the largest waterfall (by volume) in North America. It's also friendly and surprisingly youthful. 'Lucky Day,' said the young man sitting next to me on the 90-minute flight from New York City, when I asked him where I should go while I was in town. He followed that bar recommendation by sharing his favorite places for Buffalo wings, which prompted an eavesdropping young couple in the row behind us to share their favorites. Then others weighed in on what became a good-natured debate among them as we disembarked. (Contenders tossed around included Cole's, Gabriel's Gate, Doc Sullivan's and Anchor Bar, which makes claim to being the origin of the fried, spicy wings). Prev Next Those 30-something passengers represented a surprising demographic distinction for this city mainly known for its long winters, spicy chicken wings and proximity to one of the most popular honeymoon destinations in the country. Nearly 38% of the population is under age 24, and the median is 34 years old. By contrast, the median age for New York City is 38 and for the whole state, it's 40. As Buffalo approaches its bicentennial in another seven years, young people not long out of college are moving here like it's the hot new destination, or staying after they graduate from one of its several colleges. The attraction includes affordability, access to nature, and the growing food and drink scene — all of which benefit visitors, too. Not bad for a town that emerged originally as the terminus of industrial traffic along the Erie Canal in the early 1800s. After checking into the affordable luxury of the Curtiss Hotel downtown, I searched for the location of Lucky Day and it was two blocks away. 'Must be my Lucky Day,' I said to myself and walked there through the compact center of the city. Downtown is marked by the inspiring beauty of Art Deco, Beaux-Arts and other classical design styles. The magazine Architectural Digest even named Buffalo one of the 23 Top Places to Travel in 2023. A light rail train smoothly beeps through it. Giant posters in the stately, gold-domed M&T Bank building read, 'Billieve.' Lucky Day Whiskey Bar lives up to the potable half of its name with warmly illuminated bottles that stretch from bar to ceiling. The whole space looks the part, with its wood paneling, fancy gold-infused wallpaper on one side, and urban exposed brick on the other. A taxidermied, not-so-lucky buffalo head looks out over the bonhomie. Beyond the encyclopedic whiskey menu, the bar's excellent beer selections include Kilkenny's nitro-infused Irish ale, from the old country, and a local lager from Woodcock Brothers Brewery. The bartenders, in their spiffy vests and hipster facial hair, shake hands and chat with the customers they know by name. 'Your regular or something new tonight?' they ask from behind the beautiful, dark wood bar. Sitting there, I introduced myself to Shawn and his significant other, Krystina Lucas, 32. He manages a local cannabis dispensary and she's a grade-school teacher. If one conversation with a random local on the plane landed me at Lucky Day, another one at Lucky Day should net me more, I reasoned. They enthusiastically gave me a long list of places to eat, drink and shop to get a feel for their evolving city, particularly its nightlife and culinary scene. Krystina recommended the four-story Pearl Street Grill & Brewery located downtown by the water, where I had a Peanut Butter Vibes lager at a bar with views of giant, gleaming beer tanks. Don't knock it till you try it. But if that's outside your comfort zone, the Sabre's Edge is an award-winning double IPA. And you can enjoy it in the large first-floor bar, which was recently renovated. There's also a swanky wine lounge in the Black Rock neighborhood called Waxlight Bar à Vin that opened in 2019 in the revitalized Chandler Street factory building, part of a trend of breathing new life into old industrial spaces. Waxlight was a 2023 James Beard Award semifinalist. The Curtiss Hotel has a rooftop bar and a circular first floor one that slowly revolves. But I was on the elevator when I was reminded of what really led me to pick the hotel in the first place. An elevator button labeled 'Hot Springs' leads guests to an enormous, outdoor hot tub with powerful jets — an effective last stop before sleep. Buffalo is famous for its eponymous wings, of course, but there's also local pride for a meal-of-a-sandwich called a beef on weck (translation: roast beef on a kümmelweck roll). Ask 10 people in Buffalo the best place to go for wings and/or a weck and you'll get 10 different answers, and then have fun figuring out your own answer. Two local chains to also add to your Buffalo classics bingo card are Ted's Hot Dogs and Anderson's Frozen Custard. But newer spots such as Lucky Day, which opened in 2017, are expanding beyond Buffalo's traditional menu offerings. Lucky Day's signature mac & cheese is served in a cast-iron cauldron with an inspired Goldfish cracker-crumble crust, alongside a hearty salad made with brussels sprout leaves. For a different milieu only a few blocks away, Misuta Chow's specializes in Japanese street food, such as tasty sesame noodles, miso-spiced deviled eggs and ramen. Faux roofs and real lanterns inside give the place the feel of a Tokyo alleyway. Above the bar is a cartoon version of Bill Murray from 'Lost in Translation,' pitching a Japanese whisky. 'For a relaxing time, it's Suntory time!' Instead, I ordered a pink, crunchy sugar-bottomed Hello Kitty cocktail with my meal. I happened to arrive on 'Family Feud Night' and was recruited by two friends sitting next to me at the bar to be on their team. In the middle of the game, the bartender carried around a large golden Buddha for contestants to tap on the head for luck. 'It's a tradition,' he explained to me, the only newcomer. One of my teammates, Garrion Sirman, never left Buffalo after graduating college, citing the appeal of its big city vibes and 'mix of affordable and cool shit.' The converted Chandler Street factory is made up of two adjoining red-brick warehouses in the Black Rock neighborhood north of downtown. The buildings are home to the kitchens for multiple culinary start-ups, and in addition to the Waxlight, two other anchor tenants are the popular Crenshaw's Chicken and Waffles and a mushroom farm. Yes, farm. Flat #12 Mushrooms sells mushroom varieties as well as mushroom-infused products such as coffee and cream cheese. But they are growing the goods in the back. The Chandler Street developer has plans for an outdoor swim club with a bar and poolside restaurant, according to the National Trust for Historic Preservation. If chocolate is more your kind of souvenir, head to the 98-year-old Parkside Candy, a landmark-of-a-shop, lined with ornate ceiling trim and glass display cases full of handcrafted chocolates, located just north of Delaware Park. A visit is a portal back in time, maybe to the early 1940s – the time period in the 1984 Oscar-nominated film, 'The Natural,' whose diner scenes were filmed at Parkside. My server, wearing a throw-back uniform of black apron and red bowtie, served me a grilled cheese and a glass bowl of ice cream while I sat next to a beautiful, solid walnut wood soda fountain. When I asked if she knew about Parkside's big-screen moment, she told me she had been an extra in the 40-year-old Robert Redford film. The factory where the chocolate is made is next door. Walking into the Talking Leaves…Books, I was greeted by The White Stripes on the speakers, which set the tone for an enjoyable browse, as do shelf categories such as 'Belles Lettres' (for poetry and miscellaneous literary subjects), and the laidback but helpful staff. I bought a quirky postcard and wrote to a friend from the inviting Caffe Aroma next door while enjoying an expertly executed cappuccino. Aroma is Buffalo's longest-running locally-owned coffee shop. North of downtown, on the edge of Delaware Park, the world-class Buffalo AKG Art Museum has the usual suspects when it comes to great artists, including Rothko, de Kooning, Pollock, Lichtenstein, Warhol and Picasso. But a hands-on space for adults and kids allows you to create your own sculpture with the classy medium of black-and-white-only Legos. After a massive expansion, the 160-year-old art institution, formerly known as the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, reopened as this modern museum in 2023. Another master's artistry is on display and open to tours at Frank Lloyd Wright's Martin House, located about two miles east of the museum on the other side of the park. The cantilever design is considered one of the architect's greatest works; Wright himself described the Prairie-style home as a 'domestic symphony.' The Wright house is just off Delaware Park, the crown jewel of the city's system of parks and designed by another genius: Frederick Law Olmsted, of Central Park fame. Delaware Park is flanked by lovely Edwardian-style homes and contains statues from the Pan-American Exposition of 1901. Back in the heart of downtown Buffalo, the Canalside park benefited from a recent $300 million waterfront revitalization and hosts hundreds of waterside concerts and events every year. It has a huge ice rink in the winter. And it's also the launch pad for river cruises or kayak rentals on Lake Erie. Like Flagstaff, Arizona's proximity to the Grand Canyon, Buffalo could mistakenly be overlooked as the last stop before visiting Niagara Falls, just a half hour's drive north on Interstate 190. There's a city bus from downtown to the Falls for only $2. Beautiful if touristy, Niagara Falls make for a memorable day trip from Buffalo. Unlike the Falls, however, you need more than just a few hours in the city to soak in all it has to offer. There's a small (39 runs), inexpensive ski resort with a long season about 45 minutes south of Buffalo called Kissing Bridge. It was acquired at the end of last year, and investment in the resort and in off-season activities, such as additional mountain biking and hiking, are planned. Then there's Canada. The small town of Fort Erie, Ontario, lies just across the Niagara River, accessible by the Peace Bridge – and your passport. From there, it's only a couple more hours to Toronto, with the Canadian side of Niagara Falls as a stop along the way. Toronto is a fitting sister city to Buffalo; they share a reputation as low-key cool. I made one last stop before heading to the airport. One of the Buffalo wings destinations debated on the plane was Betty's, and I was eager to try its vegetarian version made with seitan (but missing none of the hot, tangy messiness). I got a lunch serving, to-go, for the midday flight back to New York. After I arrived at the airport rental car drop-off, the young man behind the counter thanked me when I handed him the keys. As I turned away, something felt missing in the exchange. 'Go Bills!' I initiated for the first and only time, then started to walk away. 'Go Bills!' the rental car attendant called back, grinning.
CNN
2 hours ago
- Lifestyle
- CNN
Buffalo, New York is a welcoming blend of cool and old school
Buffalo, New York (CNN) — 'Go Bills!' is the standard exchange here. I quickly surmised that there's only one acceptable reply when someone says to you, 'Go Bills!' And that's, 'Go Bills!' 'It's more than just a rallying cry during football season, it's become a kind of regional shorthand for pride, camaraderie and shared identity,' explained Shawn St. John, age 31, who I met in a Buffalo bar. 'You'll typically hear it used as a farewell, or a salutation.' A visit to Buffalo feels like being in a play about a small town where everyone knows each other, and they bond over the local sports team. Only, it's a reality, and it's the Empire State's biggest city outside the New York City area, and the local team is in the NFL. Apparently, none of this has gone to their heads. Buffalo is an instantly charming blend of big and small, of cool and old school. Its restaurants and bars range from foodie and fancy to messy (see: Buffalo chicken wings) and quirky. It has an art museum with works by the Old Masters and also a soda fountain attached to a still-working chocolate factory. And it's just a short drive out of town to skiing, Canada and the largest waterfall (by volume) in North America. It's also friendly and surprisingly youthful. 'Lucky Day,' said the young man sitting next to me on the 90-minute flight from New York City, when I asked him where I should go while I was in town. He followed that bar recommendation by sharing his favorite places for Buffalo wings, which prompted an eavesdropping young couple in the row behind us to share their favorites. Then others weighed in on what became a good-natured debate among them as we disembarked. (Contenders tossed around included Cole's, Gabriel's Gate, Doc Sullivan's and Anchor Bar, which makes claim to being the origin of the fried, spicy wings). Prev Next Those 30-something passengers represented a surprising demographic distinction for this city mainly known for its long winters, spicy chicken wings and proximity to one of the most popular honeymoon destinations in the country. Nearly 38% of the population is under age 24, and the median is 34 years old. By contrast, the median age for New York City is 38 and for the whole state, it's 40. As Buffalo approaches its bicentennial in another seven years, young people not long out of college are moving here like it's the hot new destination, or staying after they graduate from one of its several colleges. The attraction includes affordability, access to nature, and the growing food and drink scene — all of which benefit visitors, too. Not bad for a town that emerged originally as the terminus of industrial traffic along the Erie Canal in the early 1800s. After checking into the affordable luxury of the Curtiss Hotel downtown, I searched for the location of Lucky Day and it was two blocks away. 'Must be my Lucky Day,' I said to myself and walked there through the compact center of the city. Downtown is marked by the inspiring beauty of Art Deco, Beaux-Arts and other classical design styles. The magazine Architectural Digest even named Buffalo one of the 23 Top Places to Travel in 2023. A light rail train smoothly beeps through it. Giant posters in the stately, gold-domed M&T Bank building read, 'Billieve.' Lucky Day Whiskey Bar lives up to the potable half of its name with warmly illuminated bottles that stretch from bar to ceiling. The whole space looks the part, with its wood paneling, fancy gold-infused wallpaper on one side, and urban exposed brick on the other. A taxidermied, not-so-lucky buffalo head looks out over the bonhomie. Beyond the encyclopedic whiskey menu, the bar's excellent beer selections include Kilkenny's nitro-infused Irish ale, from the old country, and a local lager from Woodcock Brothers Brewery. The bartenders, in their spiffy vests and hipster facial hair, shake hands and chat with the customers they know by name. 'Your regular or something new tonight?' they ask from behind the beautiful, dark wood bar. Sitting there, I introduced myself to Shawn and his significant other, Krystina Lucas, 32. He manages a local cannabis dispensary and she's a grade-school teacher. If one conversation with a random local on the plane landed me at Lucky Day, another one at Lucky Day should net me more, I reasoned. They enthusiastically gave me a long list of places to eat, drink and shop to get a feel for their evolving city, particularly its nightlife and culinary scene. Krystina recommended the four-story Pearl Street Grill & Brewery located downtown by the water, where I had a Peanut Butter Vibes lager at a bar with views of giant, gleaming beer tanks. Don't knock it till you try it. But if that's outside your comfort zone, the Sabre's Edge is an award-winning double IPA. And you can enjoy it in the large first-floor bar, which was recently renovated. There's also a swanky wine lounge in the Black Rock neighborhood called Waxlight Bar à Vin that opened in 2019 in the revitalized Chandler Street factory building, part of a trend of breathing new life into old industrial spaces. Waxlight was a 2023 James Beard Award semifinalist. The Curtiss Hotel has a rooftop bar and a circular first floor one that slowly revolves. But I was on the elevator when I was reminded of what really led me to pick the hotel in the first place. An elevator button labeled 'Hot Springs' leads guests to an enormous, outdoor hot tub with powerful jets — an effective last stop before sleep. Buffalo is famous for its eponymous wings, of course, but there's also local pride for a meal-of-a-sandwich called a beef on weck (translation: roast beef on a kümmelweck roll). Ask 10 people in Buffalo the best place to go for wings and/or a weck and you'll get 10 different answers, and then have fun figuring out your own answer. Two local chains to also add to your Buffalo classics bingo card are Ted's Hot Dogs and Anderson's Frozen Custard. But newer spots such as Lucky Day, which opened in 2017, are expanding beyond Buffalo's traditional menu offerings. Lucky Day's signature mac & cheese is served in a cast-iron cauldron with an inspired Goldfish cracker-crumble crust, alongside a hearty salad made with brussels sprout leaves. For a different milieu only a few blocks away, Misuta Chow's specializes in Japanese street food, such as tasty sesame noodles, miso-spiced deviled eggs and ramen. Faux roofs and real lanterns inside give the place the feel of a Tokyo alleyway. Above the bar is a cartoon version of Bill Murray from 'Lost in Translation,' pitching a Japanese whisky. 'For a relaxing time, it's Suntory time!' Instead, I ordered a pink, crunchy sugar-bottomed Hello Kitty cocktail with my meal. I happened to arrive on 'Family Feud Night' and was recruited by two friends sitting next to me at the bar to be on their team. In the middle of the game, the bartender carried around a large golden Buddha for contestants to tap on the head for luck. 'It's a tradition,' he explained to me, the only newcomer. One of my teammates, Garrion Sirman, never left Buffalo after graduating college, citing the appeal of its big city vibes and 'mix of affordable and cool shit.' The converted Chandler Street factory is made up of two adjoining red-brick warehouses in the Black Rock neighborhood north of downtown. The buildings are home to the kitchens for multiple culinary start-ups, and in addition to the Waxlight, two other anchor tenants are the popular Crenshaw's Chicken and Waffles and a mushroom farm. Yes, farm. Flat #12 Mushrooms sells mushroom varieties as well as mushroom-infused products such as coffee and cream cheese. But they are growing the goods in the back. The Chandler Street developer has plans for an outdoor swim club with a bar and poolside restaurant, according to the National Trust for Historic Preservation. If chocolate is more your kind of souvenir, head to the 98-year-old Parkside Candy, a landmark-of-a-shop, lined with ornate ceiling trim and glass display cases full of handcrafted chocolates, located just north of Delaware Park. A visit is a portal back in time, maybe to the early 1940s – the time period in the 1984 Oscar-nominated film, 'The Natural,' whose diner scenes were filmed at Parkside. My server, wearing a throw-back uniform of black apron and red bowtie, served me a grilled cheese and a glass bowl of ice cream while I sat next to a beautiful, solid walnut wood soda fountain. When I asked if she knew about Parkside's big-screen moment, she told me she had been an extra in the 40-year-old Robert Redford film. The factory where the chocolate is made is next door. Walking into the Talking Leaves…Books, I was greeted by The White Stripes on the speakers, which set the tone for an enjoyable browse, as do shelf categories such as 'Belles Lettres' (for poetry and miscellaneous literary subjects), and the laidback but helpful staff. I bought a quirky postcard and wrote to a friend from the inviting Caffe Aroma next door while enjoying an expertly executed cappuccino. Aroma is Buffalo's longest-running locally-owned coffee shop. North of downtown, on the edge of Delaware Park, the world-class Buffalo AKG Art Museum has the usual suspects when it comes to great artists, including Rothko, de Kooning, Pollock, Lichtenstein, Warhol and Picasso. But a hands-on space for adults and kids allows you to create your own sculpture with the classy medium of black-and-white-only Legos. After a massive expansion, the 160-year-old art institution, formerly known as the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, reopened as this modern museum in 2023. Another master's artistry is on display and open to tours at Frank Lloyd Wright's Martin House, located about two miles east of the museum on the other side of the park. The cantilever design is considered one of the architect's greatest works; Wright himself described the Prairie-style home as a 'domestic symphony.' The Wright house is just off Delaware Park, the crown jewel of the city's system of parks and designed by another genius: Frederick Law Olmsted, of Central Park fame. Delaware Park is flanked by lovely Edwardian-style homes and contains statues from the Pan-American Exposition of 1901. Back in the heart of downtown Buffalo, the Canalside park benefited from a recent $300 million waterfront revitalization and hosts hundreds of waterside concerts and events every year. It has a huge ice rink in the winter. And it's also the launch pad for river cruises or kayak rentals on Lake Erie. Like Flagstaff, Arizona's proximity to the Grand Canyon, Buffalo could mistakenly be overlooked as the last stop before visiting Niagara Falls, just a half hour's drive north on Interstate 190. There's a city bus from downtown to the Falls for only $2. Beautiful if touristy, Niagara Falls make for a memorable day trip from Buffalo. Unlike the Falls, however, you need more than just a few hours in the city to soak in all it has to offer. There's a small (39 runs), inexpensive ski resort with a long season about 45 minutes south of Buffalo called Kissing Bridge. It was acquired at the end of last year, and investment in the resort and in off-season activities, such as additional mountain biking and hiking, are planned. Then there's Canada. The small town of Fort Erie, Ontario, lies just across the Niagara River, accessible by the Peace Bridge – and your passport. From there, it's only a couple more hours to Toronto, with the Canadian side of Niagara Falls as a stop along the way. Toronto is a fitting sister city to Buffalo; they share a reputation as low-key cool. I made one last stop before heading to the airport. One of the Buffalo wings destinations debated on the plane was Betty's, and I was eager to try its vegetarian version made with seitan (but missing none of the hot, tangy messiness). I got a lunch serving, to-go, for the midday flight back to New York. After I arrived at the airport rental car drop-off, the young man behind the counter thanked me when I handed him the keys. As I turned away, something felt missing in the exchange. 'Go Bills!' I initiated for the first and only time, then started to walk away. 'Go Bills!' the rental car attendant called back, grinning.
New York Times
3 hours ago
- Health
- New York Times
How NHL combine participants prep for their ‘biggest job interview': Wingate, weighted chin-ups, more
On June 7, at Buffalo's LECOM Harborcenter, Asher Barnett, Will Belle, Kristian Epperson, Sam Laurila, Will Moore and Charlie Trethewey will pull on their tank tops and shorts and jump as high as they can. The teenagers will have an audience: NHL general managers and their hockey operations cabinets. Advertisement 'You've got every scout in the NHL and every GM in the NHL watching you,' Joe Meloni, head strength coach at the U.S. National Team Development Program, said of the annual NHL Scouting Combine. 'They're literally picking you apart with their eyes.' It's why, for a four-week block, Meloni trained the six former U.S. NTDP players at GVN Performance, the Plymouth, Mich. gym inside USA Hockey Arena. The combine is their final opportunity to display their speed, power, strength, agility, willpower and professionalism to prospective employers before the 2025 NHL Draft. 'The NHL combine,' Boston Bruins director of performance Kevin Neeld said, 'is part of the biggest job interview these players will go through in their lives.' Practicing for the combine, then, is non-negotiable. NHL teams have been watching these six U.S. NTDP players closely for the past two seasons. All six have secured NCAA commitments. They have aspirations beyond college hockey. To complete their draft profiles of players like those Meloni is training, NHL teams use combine results to complement their on-ice viewings. Every year, players cycle through 10 off-ice physical tests that capture who they are as teenagers and how they could grow into NHL veterans. The NFL Scouting Combine features college football players on the cusp of becoming professionals. As such, a participant who blows up stopwatches in Indianapolis could hear his name called sooner at the NFL Draft. In comparison, an NHL combine performance does not usually influence when a player is selected. It is an early snapshot of data that will be accumulated for years, in most cases, before NHL entry. The intelligence teams gather during interviews preceding testing is just as important, if not more so. The primary value is for teams to initiate an informational foundation. Once a club drafts a player, it adds more data at post-draft development camps, preseason testing and year-end physicals throughout the player's career, all with the intent of maximizing performance. Advertisement 'There's not a ton there that's predictive of future NHL success. We recognize that,' Neeld said. 'But I look at it more as: What information would you want to know about a player that you're about to make an investment in?' NHL performance coaches will be eyes up at Harborcenter instead of staring at their laptops at home. They will monitor technique and body language. A player who stumbles through the 5-10-5 shuttle (five yards one way, 10 in the other, five back in the initial direction) could be signaling compromised commitment. 'When a player looks wildly unfamiliar with everything they're about to go through, that warrants some follow-up questioning from our scouts and front office of, 'Is this a potential reflection of the player's attitude?'' Neeld said. 'It may not be. But it's worth looking into that area a little bit to see, 'How much does this player care?' 'Are they going to be a player that certainly fits into the culture that's in this organization?' 'There's an expectation that you compete hard, you're a good teammate and you're part of a group that's working together to pursue the goal of winning a championship. If you have guys that don't care enough to at least go through a practice round of combine testing, that may be a red flag.' Force plates, timing devices and metabolic masks gather data at the combine down to the hundredths of seconds and inches. So for Meloni, mimicry is critical. It would not have helped, in other words, if he'd had the players do squats to prepare for the combine's no-arm-swing force plate jump, even if the same muscles are used. 'We have a saying here: Training is testing, and testing is training. That's exactly what you're going to get tested on,' Meloni said. 'To me, it doesn't really make sense to do anything different. That's going to be the same pathway you're going to have to do at the combine. So let's just do that. You want to make it reflect what you're going to actually be asked to do as much as possible.' Advertisement Barnett, Moore and Trethewey played their final game on May 3 in Frisco, Texas at the World U18 Championships. Team USA won 4-3 over Slovakia to take bronze. After a week off, they reconvened at U.S. NTDP headquarters. They were rested but not deconditioned. Meloni's job was to reintegrate them to a specific band of training emphasizing the combine's primary outputs: speed and power. Meloni began his charges' days at 7:30 a.m. After warming up, the players trained for approximately one hour. During the NTDP season, Meloni's workouts targeted objectives such as strength and endurance to get his players through the grind. For his combine sessions, because speed and power were the two pursuits, Meloni devised narrower training windows. Meloni operates under a principle initiated by Illinois track coach Tony Holler: feed the cats. The philosophy emphasizes purposeful training, good health and positivity. The athletes should not train more than necessary. 'If somebody's a cat, they don't really need a lot of work to change things,' Meloni said. 'It's more along the lines of just giving them a small dose and making sure not to overcook the steak, so to say. The best thing for training these qualities is being fresh and feeling good.' Meloni was not necessarily pursuing significant adaptations during the four-week session. Technical mastery, however, was required. A player will perform better on the bench press, for example, with the right form. Each day, Meloni ran his players through several of the tests. Mondays following weekends off were optimal for the players, who were at their freshest, to test their legs with the standing long jump and the three jumps (vertical with arm swing, no arm swing, squat start) using force plates. These are not straightforward movements. Practicing mechanics occupied each session. By the end of the program, Meloni expected the players' technical abilities to be down cold. Advertisement Other days were designed similarly to practice specific tests. They were not always identical. One chin-up session mimicked the combine test: maximum reps before failure. Meloni also incorporated strength-focused chin-up days. For example, he loaded the players up with 20 or 30 extra pounds. When they removed the weights, standard chin-ups felt easier. After each session, players consumed recovery shakes. Some stayed around the gym for stretching and treatment. Post-training fueling was mandatory. 'Thankfully, there's a Chipotle about 10 minutes away,' Meloni said with a laugh. 'That gets quite a bit of volume from us.' Of all the combine tests, Neeld likes the Wingate: a full-gas bike ride that measures anaerobic power in watts per kilogram. 'They're on a bike, which is a low-skill movement,' Neeld said. 'So you get a really clear picture of what their engine looks like.' Meloni knows this. His players practiced the Wingate every week. By the conclusion of the program, their performance was expected to peak. 'The goal isn't to make anyone puke,' Meloni said, referring to how some combine participants push themselves to sickness. 'But we do our best to build up to it. The first week, we're doing a little more sub-maximal style of training. The last two weeks before they leave, we just do the test one or two days a week.' For teams evaluating results, the Wingate can be a helpful data point in projecting a player's ceiling. This is the exercise 32 organizations are attempting to master: identifying teenagers with the most potential to grow into NHL contributors. 'You're trying to get an idea of where this player is right now on their developmental pathway,' Neeld said. 'To the extent that it's possible, to look at their frame and their build and try to get an understanding of maybe where they could get to.' Advertisement One of Meloni's objectives was to improve performance during the four-week block. Practicing technique and executing repetitions cannot help but produce adaptations. 'You definitely see change over a four-week period,' Meloni said. 'Maybe it's not reasonable if you broad jump 100 (inches) that you're going to jump 120. But we could add six to eight inches in four weeks, for sure.' But the primary purpose of combine preparation is to show dedication. Players will be competing, just like they do on the ice. 'You're not showing up to the combine and having anything be foreign to you,' Meloni said. 'You know what's expected of you. You know the technicalities of the test. You know how many attempts you have. We give them a dosage before they get there so they don't get on the bike and freeze up.' (Photo of now-Buffalo Sabres prospect Brodie Ziemer on the Wingate at the 2024 combine: Ben Ludeman / Getty Images)
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Kekalainen's Hiring Another Sign Sabres GM's Time Could Be Nearing An End
When the Buffalo Sabres announced Friday that former Columbus Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen was joining the team as a special advisor to GM Kevyn Adams, a couple things became clear: firstly, it showed Kekalainen will be a highly-valued voice in the organization; but more importantly, it showed that Adams is more on the clock than ever -- and that Adams may have just hired the man who will succeed him if things don't go well for the team. To be sure, Kekalainen did some admirable work running the Blue Jackets from 2013-2024. Under his stewardship, Columbus won a playoff round in successive seasons from 2018-2020, and he helped navigate the team through some difficult situations, on and off the ice. So you can see why he was appealing to the Sabres as they try to end 14 years of futility in simply getting into the Stanley Cup playoffs, let alone winning a round or two. And we've said for a while now that Buffalo needed another veteran voice in their front office. So it's hard to see Kekalainen's hiring as anything other than a positive. Advertisement Was Kekalainen perfect as Columbus' GM? Of course not, but show us a perfect GM and we'll show you a GM who's in their first day on the job. But while we're sure Kekalainen knows his place in Buffalo's power pyramid, he's got to know, deep down, that he might be called into action to run the show if Adams' blueprint for success goes up in flames yet again. And in a way, that's a good thing; if Adams is dismissed, the ideal successor for him will need to have a certain degree of familiarity with the franchise. That process begins now for Kekalainen. This is why the early days of the coming season will be crucial for Adams and Kekalainen. If Buffalo plummets down the Atlantic Division standings early on, Adams will be gone, and Kekalainen's early impressions of the roster and depth chart will have a serious influence on the decisions he makes, either as an interim GM or as the full-time GM. When they talk about the value of a good first impression, this is the type of situation they're referring to, because Kekalainen has no allegiance right now to any Sabres players. And that's also a good thing for him coming into the organization. A team that's been unable to control its destiny shouldn't have many sacred cows, if any. So when Kekalainen gets settled into his new role, he's going to need to approach things in a cold-blooded manner. Here's Why Oilers' Clutch Player Needs To Be A Free-Agent Target For Sabres Here's Why Oilers' Clutch Player Needs To Be A Free-Agent Target For Sabres In their current playoff push, the Advertisement Edmonton Oilers have received contributions from throughout the lineup. But one player -- albeit a currently-injured player -- is someone the Buffalo Sabres ought to be targeting when he becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer. Okay, okay, we're getting a bit ahead of ourselves. To be fair, there's a universe in which the Sabres get off to a strong start, Adams keeps his job, and Kekalainen maybe gets another GM job with a different team. But this hiring sure feels like the table is being set for Kekalainen to eventually come in as Buffalo's main hockey ops executive. And Adams would probably not be telling the truth if he tried to argue he's now under more pressure to produce than at any point in his time running the Sabres. Like coaches, NHL GMs are hired to eventually be fired. The pro hockey world is a zero-sum industry, and if solid results aren't there for Adams and the Sabres, Buffalo's ownership is going to demand a different voice as the place where the buck ultimately stops. Is that guaranteed to be Kekalainen? No, no it isn't. But he's a well-liked executive who is going to be an asset for the Sabres as they chart another course back to respectability. He's got a clean slate as he begins this journey, but before too long, he could be ultimately responsible for the direction of the team. Indeed, by this time next year -- or potentially, in a worst-case scenario for the Sabres, much sooner than that -- Kekalainen could be the guy who becomes The Guy.
