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The Menus & The Music
By Ann Blask
Although the romantic days of the supper club, when diners leaned against plush banquettes while listening to big bands and crooning vocalists may be lost in a nostalgic haze, only to be seen in Doris Day movies, there are still a few spots around Western New York where musical entertainment is part of the dining ambiance. We looked at two recently-opened fine dining restaurants that offer more than menus.
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The Sphere's oval bar area
Photo by Jim Bush.
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SPHERE
A multi-venue complex, Sphere is a restaurant/nightclub/cabaret/
theater in the heart of Buffalo’s entertainment district. For history buffs and seniors, it’s also the site of the old Towne Casino, that years ago showcased many top stars of the fifties and sixties.
The big oval bar is still there, now dressed with swags of red and purple fabric, for a more updated and glitzy look. And the original theater/lounge, which has been expanded, now serves as theater and nightclub. After a stage performance, the tables are cleared, the high-tech, colored strobe lights kick in, and it becomes a tri-level dance floor until 4:00 a.m.
“It’s not unusual to have 2000 people dancing and having a good time on a Saturday night,” says owner Joe Guagliardo.
The Actors Lounge, adjacent to the bar, is a bit more intimate, with cabaret tables for drinks and snacks, and a small stage, often used for comedy acts.
With all the activity, make sure you don’t miss the restaurant. Top billing here goes to Chef Elaina Maria Lima, whose experience spans the globe. Born in Brazil, Lima worked in Hong Kong, France, and Italy, before coming to Buffalo. Her travels and her talents are reflected in the menu.
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Dessert at the Sphere.
Photo by Jim Bush.
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From appetizers to desserts, you’ll find a mix of international cuisine. Favorite starters include Brazilian Crab Stuffed Scallop Shells, Grilled Polenta with Chorizo Sausage and Fontina Cheese. Among the salads, the most tempting is Grilled Scallops, served with baby greens, strawberries, oranges, red onion, and toasted almonds.
Main courses include various pasta dishes, along with a wide variety of meat and seafood. Some of the crowd-pleasers are Beef or Chicken Cannelloni on a bed of Spinach with Four Cheese Sauce, and Mahi-Mahi Moquecca, a Brazilian treat, prepared with clams, lime, red pepper, and coconut sauce.
Even the Sphere Steak gets special treatment, served with three sauces on the side for dipping.
The desserts are strictly Italian, with Chocolate Truffle Mousse and Coppa Tiramisu, imported from Italy, as well as Italian ice creams.
The dinner music is usually jazz. You can linger and listen, or put on your dancing shoes and move to the nightclub and party until dawn.
SPHERE ENTERTAINMENT COMPLEX
681 Main Street
Buffalo, 852-3900
Dinner: Wed. - Sat. from
4:30 - 10 p.m.
Mahi-Mahi Moquecca
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Mahi-Mahi Moquecca at the Sphere
Photo by Jim Bush.
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INGREDIENTS:
10 oz. Mahi-Mahi
half tomato, diced small
quarter onion, diced small
quarter green pepper, diced small
1 tablespoon each of parsley,
scallion, cilantro, mixed together
one third can of coconut milk
(8 oz. can)
1 clove garlic, mashed
1tablespoon of dende oil
1 tablespoon of olive oil
salt and malagueta pepper
5 clams, 5 mussels, 5 shrimp
PREPARATION:
In a medium saucepan, sauté garlic and onion with olive oil for one minute. Add dende oil and green pepper. Cook until softened. Stir in coconut milk, add clams, mussels, and shrimp. Add salt, malagueta pepper, parsley, scallion, and cilantro. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring constantly.
In a frying pan, cook fish on both sides with olive oil and add to the sauce. Cook for five minutes and serve immediately with white rice.
O RESTAURANT & LOUNGE
I was a bit skeptical about a restaurant with a one letter name, in fact, a lone vowel. But my apprehension disappeared with the first look. Instead of wondering about that mysterious “O,” I couldn’t stop saying, “Oh, Wow.”
The first thing to catch my eye was the dining room: Dramatic, yet simple, with dark blue walls, crisp white linens, black chairs, and stylish, focused lighting. Frosted glass windows add a measure of privacy, a small, attractive Sushi bar adds a bit of excitement, and two hanging rice-paper O-rings, that look like giant slinkys, add a touch of whimsy.
I wanted to know who the designer was. Surely it must be a well-known decorator who specializes in big-city chic. Not quite. The décor is the imaginative design of owners Scott Weinstein, who handles the business and music part of the restaurant, and partner, David Jun, Head Chef, who focuses his talents on edible art—the kind you see on the menu.
The goal of this talented duo, explains Weinstein, was to “Create a destination and people will come.” They succeeded, and people are coming in numbers for the food as well as the entertainment.
Though the menu features many Asian specialties, they refer to the food as “World Cuisine,” rather than “Asian.”
Besides the wide variety of Sushi entrées, made to order, you’ll find Steak/Frites, Citrus Steamed Sea Bass, Stufffed Quail, and Crispy Duck on the Dinner menu. One of their signature entrées is Lobster Udon, with chunks of freshly cooked lobster and shiitake mushrooms. Burgers, sandwiches, and wraps are key features of the Lunch and Late Night menus. A big seller is the Soft Shell Crab Wrap, with roasted red pepper, caramelized onion, spinach, and creole mayonnaise.
For an appetizer or light meal, the Maki Rolls are a hit, particularly the University Crunch, made with tempura flakes, tobiko, cucumber, scallion, spicy mayo, and crab. Another winner is Love, a marriage of spicy shrimp tempura, cucumber, tuna, and avocado.
The bar/lounge, a separate area, adjacent to the dining room, has a few small tables, a dance floor, and small stage area. They feature live music on weekends. Friday is usually Latin Jazz, Saturday the David Kane Quartet Jazz Band until eleven o’clock, followed by Soul music by the UESTET Band until 4:00 a.m. On Wednesday nights the music is managed by a DJ, and some nights, they even have a dance instructor.
If you need a bit of refreshment after all that dancing, there are gourmet martinis and a menu of other interesting drinks, such as Crazy Clown, a mix of sake, amaretto, pineapple, orange, cranberry, and lime.
If you’re still curious about the name, “O,” Weinstein explained it’s a Zen symbol that can be interpreted two ways: Nothingness or Everything.
The translation in this case, is definitely “Everything.”
O Restaurant & Lounge
3047 Sheridan Dr., Amherst
332-4656
Lunch: Mon.-Fri. 11:30 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Dinner: Mon.-Thur. 5 p.m. - 10 p.m.
Friday-Saturday: 5 p.m. - 11 p.m.
Lounge: Mon.-Sat. until 4a.m.
Lobster Udon
INGREDIENTS:
1 lobster*
1 lb. fresh shiitake mushrooms,
cleaned and stemmed, julienne
1 bunch scallions, chopped fine
one half tablespoon Sambal
(chili paste)
1 half quart Spicy Cream Base**
salt and pepper
fresh lemon juice
1 thinly cut cucumber
half pound cooked Udon Noodles***
*Lobster
Boil lobster (one to one and a half pounds) for 10-12 minutes. Chill and set aside. Pull meat from shell, keeping whole if possible.
Set aside.
**Spicy Cream Base
INGREDIENTS:
4 large basil leaves
2 sprigs thyme
4 cloves of garlic
half of a red onion, chopped
1 cup white wine
salt and pepper
half teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 quart heavy cream
Add basil, thyme, garlic, onion, and red pepper to a large sauce pan. Sauté until onions and garlic are browned. Add white wine and reduce heat. Add cream, salt, and pepper and reduce heat to warm.
***Udon noodles
INGREDIENTS:
Cook noodles at a low boil in unsalted water for 8-11 minutes, until tender. Drain and set aside. Noodles may stick. Run through cold water to separate.
PREPARATION:
In a large skillet, add butter/oil and sautée julienned shiitake mushrooms. Add 6-8 ounces of Spicy Cream Base. Add chili paste and salt and pepper to taste. Squeeze in juice from a half lemon. Add lobster meat, warmed noodles, and toss until thoroughly coated. Garnish with scallions, cucumbers, and slices of lemon.
Serves two.
Ann Blask is a freelance writer and partner of Visions Travel in Orchard Park.
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