On a stretch of highway in the town of Tonawanda, just north of the city of Buffalo, three dining spots that serve some of America’s tastiest regional food specialties greet passing motorists. Within a few hundred feet, visitors can feast on charcoal broiled Sahlen’s hot dogs, Mineo & Sapio sausage, beef on weck sandwiches, creamy frozen custard, and Paula’s famous peanut sticks. No exploration of classic Buffalo fare is complete without a stop at this stretch of Sheridan Drive between Belmont and Ashford Avenues, a spot one local wit dubbed “the holy trinity of Buffalo calories.” Here’s ..read more

Kristen Cronyn, owner of Meet & Eat Charcuterie / Photo: WNY Photos (Facebook) The art of charcuterie has become such a trend that there are cookbooks, classes, and guides on how to create a piece of edible art for your next party, event, or girls night. A good charcuterie board has a little sweet, a little salty, a variety of cheeses and meats, and a range of spreads and accoutrements. Food art isn’t everyone’s forte, but Kristen Cronyn is here to help the Buffalo community become board masters. It all started a few years ago… “I was an executive at M&T for 10 years. Three years ago ..read more

Are you a food enthusiast always on the lookout for new culinary experiences? Or maybe you simply enjoy indulging in delicious meals while supporting a worthy cause? If so, the Western New York (WNY) Culinary Passport is your ticket to culinary exploration and community giving.  The WNY Culinary Passport isn’t just any discount booklet; it’s a gateway to savoring delectable dishes while contributing to the growth and education of aspiring chefs in the Western New York region. The passport allows diners to visit participating restaurants and enjoy discounts of $10 or more on their meals. W ..read more

As our location on the planet gets ready for the afternoon solar eclipse, the places with good views of the sky have organized a sunny range of celebrations and parties. The array of options includes seats in the football stadium at Buffalo State University, at the minor league ballpark, in the waterfront’s new Terminal B gathering venue, at the naval ship park and on the Richardson Olmsted Campus lawn of the old asylum off Elmwood Avenue. Monday, April 8 approaches and as gatherings in and around Buffalo organize and proliferate, the people behind the scenes have been adding joyful ingredient ..read more

“Luminous.” “Moving.” “Sublime.” Accolades for Buffalo’s reimagined art museum and campus came in with sparkle, like the gallery’s sheer glass walls that serve as giant windows to the new world inside: a three-story invitation to come explore. Worth every penny! The building itself is a true work of art,” wrote a Trip Advisor reviewer who flew in from North Carolina to see the $195 million expansion and renovation of the former Albright-Knox Art Gallery.  After a three-and-a-half-year construction closure, the modern and contemporary art collection that one critic calls a “national treas ..read more

Staring at the sun is never a good idea. Its retina-burning radiation can leave a permanent dark spot in vision. Basic instinct usually keeps people from doing it. The exception: An eclipse! The extraordinary marvel of seeing the moon approach and cover the sun, as will happen in the Buffalo sky on the afternoon of April 8, entices people to look up without protection, said Andrew Reynolds, a University at Buffalo clinical associate ophthalmology professor. “Eclipses are this very rare thing, where for three minutes we’re tempted to look at the sun,” said Reynolds, who is also a pediatric oph ..read more

GObike Buffalo founder and executive director Justin Booth builds community via bicycles. He’s often seen around town riding his bicycle (“A GT hybrid with a 3-speed internal with a coaster brake”) or working in a downtown coffee shop. GObike, founded in 2008, is headquartered at 313 Broadway where it operates a dedicated retail space selling used and new bikes. GObike also operates a Community Workshop in a former Police precinct building in North Buffalo. Twelve full-time staff, plus part-time consultants, oversee programming: bike master plans for adding miles of bike lanes in Buffalo and ..read more

From her office high in the Seneca One tower in downtown Buffalo Katie Campos has a bird’s eye view of the massive construction project she’s charged with overseeing – the transformation of the 110-acre lakeside parcel once known as LaSalle Park into a state-of-the-art greenspace that will be called Ralph Wilson Park when it opens in 2025. Campos is the Ralph Wilson Park Conservancy’s first executive director, a position she appears to have been destined to take on. Growing up in the Elmwood Village, she spent much of her childhood going to LaSalle Park to play soccer and for other outings ..read more

As president and owner of WUFO and Vision Multimedia Group since 2013, Sheila Brown broadcasts – via AM and FM – a range of programming serving Buffalo’s African American community. The station showcases local DJ’s, “Soulful Sundays” with different ministries, and what Brown calls, “a blend of R&B and your favorite throwbacks.” She began her WUFO career as “an entry level salesperson at 21 years old,” before becoming sales manager, only leaving when the ownership at that time hired a general manager “who ran the station differently and I knew it was time to leave.” Brown also runs a museu ..read more

The family business — Rigidized Metals Corporation — brought Rick Smith back to Buffalo in 2000. “Engineered metal surfaces,” a sophisticated embossing technique, is how the Rigidized website describes their wares that have applications in architectural, industrial, and transportation projects. Since taking over Rigidized, Smith has added sculpture to that list, collaborating with local and international sculptors working in metals. An interest in the arts – Smith is also a musician – found fuller expression when Smith purchased four grain elevators and a 27 acre parcel adjacent to Rigidized ..read more