Chew On This	by Peter Koch

Sake Café

(photo: Rose Mattrey)

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, this week’s column is sort of like a potluck with no rules. You never know what your guests might show up with—could be mouth-watering desserts or blood pudding and Twinkie weiner sandwiches. In other words, there’s no rhyme or reason to it all, but you can bet it’s about food.

Sake Café (8222 Transit Rd, Williamsville, 689-2888) opened just in time for hungry shoppers out in plazaland, offering Asian fusion cuisine. The foods of Japan, Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam are melded together here, spanning the range from sake and sushi to pho and pad thai. One of the restaurant’s co-owners, Ken, told AV that the sushi chef has experience in numerous kitchens in New York City, Boston and New Jersey, but wanted to bring his eye for presentation to the WNY market. Sake Café is open seven days a week for lunch and dinner.

Bel Cibo

(photo: Rose Mattrey)

On the same day that Sake opened, Elmwood Ave. welcomed a new family style Italian-American restaurant. Bel Cibo (929 Elmwood Ave., 883-1841), which means “beautiful food,” is the second joint venture between Marty Palame and Buck Kaber, the two fellows who’ve been successfully running Mode Urban Bistro for the past year. Bel Cibo is a moderately priced restaurant, with nothing ringing in over $15. That, according to Palame, is one of the strengths that will make it succeed—unlike Sofra Turkish Cuisine, the ElmwoodSoda Bar and countless other establishments that have failed in that space. Add to that CIA graduate chef Louis Zanghi in the kitchen working with fresh ingredients. Bel Cibo offers an express lunch—a full salad bar with two soups and a choice of four entrées—for midday diners with an eye for value ($8.95). Or you can add the bottomless soup and salad to a dinner entrée for $3.95. The restaurant just got its liquor license and, according to Palame, will begin serving alcohol immediately. Bel Cibo is open six days a week for lunch and dinner, except for Sunday, when brunch and dinner is the order of the day.

BRIEFLY

The Broadway Market (999 Broadway, 893-0705) is celebrating its own version of Black Friday (or perhaps “anti-Black Friday” is more apt, given its focus on local food and community spirit) in the two days following Thanksgiving. The Broadway Market Christmas Food Fair is from 8am to 5pm Friday and Saturday, and hopes to build on the market’s long-running Easter traditions. As always, ethnic delicacies, holiday decorations, seasonal sweets and distinctive, often locally-made gifts are available. Live musicians, including City Fiddle and St. Luke’s Voices of Mercy, will entertain market goers and promote the holiday spirit.

Chateau Buffalo (1209 Hertel Ave., 873-0074) is launching its own wine label, “Nouveau Buffalo,” just in time for the local gift-giving season. Made in Buffalo from grapes harvested in the Finger Lakes, Nouveau Buffalo is a young, fruity wine that complements, of all things, turkey. That’s either a heck of a coincidence or really good planning on the part of Chateau owner Carl Schmitter, especially given that the wine is a limited offering that’s sure to run out soon.

If you’d like us to pass along your food news, please call us at 881-6604, or email us at editorial@artvoice.com (with “chew on this” in the subject heading).