Fun for Foodies: Four Bites of Buffalo

I met this writer when he was 17 and nobody else wanted to publish his column. He now writes a Substack that would make any city envious + there's more to Buffalo than chicken wings and snowstorms.

Buffalo, N.Y., residents dig out after a “historic and catastrophic blizzard,” which happen regularly (and nearly everyone survives). Jeffrey T. Barnes / AP.

Dear Friend and Reader:

I’m here to recommend a Substack out of Buffalo. It’s about restaurants you’ll probably never eat in because you live in Mozambique and do business in Bimini. However the topic is of interest to many — food and its preparation — and good writing of any kind does not grow on trees.

I have a history in Buffalo, and part of that involves starting a magazine called Generation in 1984. The summer right before we went into print, a young guy stopped into my office with a column called “Bitter Twisted at UB.” No other publication wanted it, though it was perfect for what I was planning — punk-rock journalism with wry, misfit humor. It evolved into a kind of campus-based science fiction meets Gonzo series of essays.

Andrew Galarneau would succeed me as the magazine’s second editor in chief, and his Bitter Twisted column went on to win five student Pulitzers — first-place awards in the Columbia Scholastic Journalism Competition. And naturally (or fortunately) he chose a career as a newspaperman. Generation remained in print for 29 years.

From the archives in the Planet Waves office. I’ve always been like this.

This led to his becoming the longtime food editor/columnist for the Buffalo News, and now he is doing an expanded version of his column on Substack, called Four Bites. Every time I click on a new one, I think gee, I had no idea. That town has come a long way. But it’s the ethos of the writing that I am sharing with you.

I’m constantly pitching ideas to my old protégé (including for features about topics like food sensitivities), and he recently wrote back: My goal is to get feet into the door to these places. (Look for such a gluten-related YouTube from me soon.)

With its weather, Buffalo needs interesting things to do indoors during the winter. So maybe that’s why there are so many great restaurants there. Not every town has this.

My errand today is to introduce you to what could be and maybe should be an international phenomenon, but is locally focused. I know personally how much talent and experience Andrew brings to this column, so it can’t just spring up anywhere. (I’ve long wanted to do something similar in Kingston, but my duties as your astrologer and virus scandal bureau chief prevent that.)

Buffalo is famous for its chicken wings, a thing that started in the 1960s and was documented by Calvin Trillin (whom I had no idea was a food writer), and dusted off by Andrew. Here is a little about the lesser-known angle, John Young’s mumbo edition, now in revival (as opposed to the Anchor Bar/Frank’s Red Hot Sauce edition).

Two related samples:

Sunday News: John Young's mumbo returns, to Buffalo and world acclaim

Sunday News: Original Buffalo wing king’s sauce, 60 years in the making, now for sale

And here’s one more, somewhat randomly chosen, which I thought was excellent:

Demystifying Waxlight, the Beard restaurant with a $7 shot-and-a-beer

And one other:

Try free Vietnamese holiday treats at Pham's Kitchen Tet celebration

And there you have it.

Thanks for reading and bye for now.

With love,