Buffalo, New York

: See Buffalo for other places with this name.

Culture

Food

Residents and expatriates alike speak the praises of the Buffalo area's cuisine, which is a unique conglomeration of Irish, Polish, Greek and American influences. Beef on Weck, Sahlen's hot dogs, Pierogi, and Haddock Fish Fries are among the local treats. Teressa Bellissimo, the chef/owner of the city's Anchor Bar, first prepared the now-widespread Buffalo chicken wings there on October 3,1964. Buffalo pizza is also of unique design; perhaps due to Buffalo's being geographically located roughly halfway between New York City and Chicago, Illinois, the pizza made here is likewise about halfway between thin-crust New York style and deep-dish Chicago style. Several websites exist that will ship Buffalo pizza (and other local foods) anywhere in the country; most notably, https://www.buffalofoods.com

Related Topics:
Irish - Polish - Greek - American - Teressa Bellissimo - Buffalo chicken wings - October 3 - 1964 - New York City - Chicago, Illinois - New York

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Buffalo also boasts a several specialty grocery stores in old ethnic neighborhoods and is home to an eclectic collection of cafes and restaurants that serve more cosmopolitan faire.

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Buffalo is home to several well-known food products companies. Whipped topping, similar to Cool Whip, was invented in Buffalo in 1945 by Robert E. Rich, Sr. The food company that produced this first whipped topping, Rich Products Corporation, is today a major employer in Buffalo. General Mills was organized in Buffalo, and Gold Medal brand flour, Wheaties, Bisquick, Betty Crocker mixes and Cheerios are produced there. Freezer Queen Foods, a well-known producer of frozen food dinners, also operates from the Buffalo waterfront.

Related Topics:
Cool Whip - 1945 - Rich Products Corporation - Betty Crocker - Cheerios

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Art

Buffalo is home to over 50 private and public art galleries, most notably the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, home to an world-class collection of Modern art. The local art scene is also serviced by the Burchfield-Penney art gallery, Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center, and countless small galleries and studios. Two street festivals - the Allentown Arts Festival and the Elmwood Festival of the Arts - bring thousands of people to the city to browse and purchase original artwork.

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Nightlife

Last call is 4 am in Buffalo, and several distinct and thriving nightlife districts have grown around clusters of bars and nightclubs in the City. The most visible nightlife district is the "Chip Strip," the stretch of Chippewa between Main St. and S. Elmwood Ave., home to high-energy dance clubs, crowded bars, trendy coffehouses, sex shops and restaurants. A 20-minute walk to the North will put you in bohemian Allentown, where the bars are as numerous but the atmosphere is a bit more relaxed.

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Famous Entertainers

Buffalo has a thriving theater and music scene that has spawned several national acts worth noting. Famous historical musicians of note include Jazz saxophonist Grover Washington Jr., seminal 1940s harmonic group the Modernaires, singer-songwriter Willie Nile, and songwriters Harold Arlen and Jack Yellen. (Arlen didn't care much for his home town; he once quipped that "to commit suicide in Buffalo would be redundant.") Popular modern musicians from Buffalo include funk singer Rick James, bassist Billy Sheehan (of Mr. Big and Talas fame), folk singer/songwriter Ani DiFranco, and The Goo Goo Dolls (colloquially known as "The Goos"). Musical theatre director and choreographer Michael Bennett is also from Buffalo, as is Vincent Gallo, who cast a jaundiced eye on the city and its sports obsession in his film Buffalo 66.

Related Topics:
Rick James - Ani DiFranco - The Goo Goo Dolls - Vincent Gallo - Buffalo 66

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Television news hosts Tim Russert and Wolf Blitzer were raised in the greater Buffalo area, as were Howdy Doody host Buffalo Bob Smith and political satirist Mark Russell. Several prominent actors and actresses also hail from the Buffalo area, including James Whitmore, Gary Sinise, Christine Baranski, Chad Michael Murray, Wendie Malick, Nick Bakay and both John Schuck and Amanda Blake, both of whom were graduates of nearby Amherst High School. Noted TV writers Tom Fontana and David Milch also hail from the Buffalo area. Lucille Ball hails from nearby Jamestown.

Related Topics:
Tim Russert - Wolf Blitzer - Buffalo Bob Smith - Mark Russell - James Whitmore - Gary Sinise - Christine Baranski - Chad Michael Murray - Wendie Malick - Nick Bakay - John Schuck - Amanda Blake - Tom Fontana - David Milch - Lucille Ball - Jamestown

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Several well known authors hail from the Buffalo area, including Paul Horgan, Joyce Carol Oates, Taylor Caldwell, and playwrights Ruben Santiago-Hudson ("Lackawanna Blues") and A.R. Gurney (The Dining Room and Love Letters).

Related Topics:
Paul Horgan - Joyce Carol Oates - Taylor Caldwell - Ruben Santiago-Hudson - A.R. Gurney

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Mark Twain lived in Buffalo as a part-owner and managing editor of The Buffalo Express from 1869 to 1871. While not technically a Buffalonian, he's remembered by his readers for his time in Buffalo due to his stories "A Day at Niagara Falls" and "The Diaries of Adam and Eve", the latter being a humorous play on the nearby town of Eden.

Related Topics:
Mark Twain - 1869 - 1871

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Other writers who lived in Buffalo included Leslie Fiedler, John Barth and Nobel laureate J.M. Coetzee.

Related Topics:
Leslie Fiedler - John Barth - J.M. Coetzee

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In addition, Charles Burchfield, among the most important water color painters, lived in Buffalo for many years.

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Buffalo's best-known athlete is probably Hall of Fame lefty Warren Spahn.

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Points of interest

• Erie Canal
• Martin House
• McKinley Monument
• Niagara Falls
• USS Little Rock (CG-4) in Buffalo Naval and Servicemen's Park