Vera Pizzeria

Vera Pizzeria on a Saturday night is tight and loud and hoppin. A crowd kept flowing up to the bar in waves, calling out orders to Kerry and Jon who shook their steel tins so fast, spitting out drinks with names like Blood and Sand and the Bullet Train and Hanky Panky.


Jessica kept the rest of the house in order, keeping a sharp eye on the flow of tables and the bar and the front door.

I started out the night with the cracked pepper creamy parm pistachio salad and paired it with Jon's recommendation of a Pink Lady. On the overhead, playing in black and white with the sound off was Breakfast at Tiffany's. The salad was a great blend and the dressing was flavorful and thankfully didn't drown the mix of lettuces. I especially liked the crisp red onion.

A handful of other staff moved fast between the kitchen's large service window and the tables, moving plates and clearing empties with lighting speed efficiency.





I then went on to order dinner. I paired the Caprese pizza with a Bare Knuckled Boxer. The drink was outstanding with it's four year whiskey and house made almond syrup and sugared strawberries.

The pizza was simple with roma tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and a Balsamic reduction, but very well made and delicious. The German silent film of 1927, Metropolis started up and the crowd at the bar started to slow down.


Then I wound down the night with a slab of salted caramel cake which came with a shot of Fernet Bianca and I paired it with a glass of Hot Rum and Cider.











Which was the perfect way to end my visit at Vera since it was bitterly cold out. The whole evening was a wonderful escape and I highly recommend stopping by for drinks and more.

The IN Crowd

Christa Glennie Seychew of Feed Your Soul and the Sea Bar presented the first of a series of events. Held in the contemporary main room at Sea Bar, IN is an industry night like no other. Open to the general public, but ideally focused on creating a fun opportunity to eat, drink and hang out with restaurant people, IN will feature free tastings, special guest appearances, and friendly competitions. 

Held on the first and third Monday of every month, last night, July 23rd, was the first. The whole series will take place at the Sea Bar at 475 Ellicott Street in Downtown Buffalo, from 9 to midnight.

To celebrate the launch of the IN event series, Buffalo's cocktail kings styled beverages using classic and modern techniques to showcase Buffalo's growing mixology scene.

Here you can see Drew Love, Bar Manager at Cantina Loco, crafting his El Otra Mundo. Del Maguey Vida, Cynar, fresh lime juice, orange and grapefruit bitters shaken and then garnished with truffle sea salt foam and grilled grapefruit.

Guests sampled drinks featuring rum, cognac, mezcal, and whiskey crafted by expert barkeeps Cameron Rector and Jon Karel of Vera, Tony Rials of Mike A at Hotel Lafayette, Chef James Roberts of Park Country Club, and Drew Love of Cantina Loco.

This is James Roberts, Park Country Club's Executive Chef, using nitrogen to create his cocktail Caipirinha Brasilaira. A blend of sugar cane and key lime force-infused Brazilian Cachaca sorbet, house-made caramelized sugar can soda and finger lime caviar.

Christine Sismondo, author of "America Walks into a Bar: A Spirited History of Taverns and Saloons, Speakeasies and Grog Shops" and "Mondo Cocktail" came from Toronto to join in on the festivities. 

Light snacks were provided by Sea Bar's Chef/Owner Mike Andrzejewski and Chefs JJ and Kevin Richert from their brand new BBQ, Smoke on the Water.

Lloyd showed up around 11 o'clock and offered their stellar tacos to balance out the evening's offerings.

Tony Rials, Bartender at Mike A at Hotel Lafayette, created a smooth blended cognac. The drink included hazelnut washed cognac, toasted apricot pit cognac, Amaro Bassano, hazelnut bitters with a piece of hazelnut glass (candy) with red sea salt.

Lake Effect Ice Cream dished out their limited edition ice cream, Honey Pot. Taking inspiration from a Vera cocktail of the same name, Honey Pot is a blend of bourbon, sweet vermouth, fresh lemon, bitters and Fiegel Apiary's honey.

Giveaways were provided by KegWorks, a Buffalo gem when it comes to booze and booze making gear.

The last cocktail of the evening came courtesy of Jon Karel, Bar Manager at Vera. He offered up a modern spin on a traditional sailer's drink. The North Star is a mix of Rittenhouse Rye, simple syrup, fresh lemon juice, egg white, absinthe with cinnamon, Angostura bitters and a star anise garnish.

Christa told Jon about my egg allergy and he had one prepped just for me. Hands down, best drink of the night!

This was an excellent event, I connected with a number of people that I knew online but hadn't met in person yet and networked with others who were interested in SOLE of Buffalo. I look forward to going to the next one on August 6th, where the focus with be on olives and their oils, and a fine selection of freshly sliced prosciutto and bread baked just for the event will be offered.

Thank you to all who worked to pull off this extra special first event!