Here’s what is happening on the Buffalo-area food scene
Roseland’s Atlas, at 490 Rhode Island St., opened for takeout Oct. 25 while construction on the bar and dining rooms continues inside.
Joed Viera photos, Buffalo News
The grand Victorian building on the corner of Rhode Island and Chenango streets has been a slew of restaurants since 1928. The longest-running one was Romanello’s Roseland Restaurant, which served Italian cuisine for 77 years. Providence Social, known for its cocktails and brunch, was the most recent restaurant until it closed in 2018.
The 490 Rhode Island St. building has been vacant for six years, until Roseland’s Atlas opened Oct. 25. Or, more accurately, when Roseland’s Atlas kind of opened.
Roseland’s Atlas is open only for takeout, which can be ordered online or by calling 716-500-7673. Customers pick up their orders directly from the kitchen, at the back door facing the Chenango Street parking lot. You can’t go inside the restaurant yet, as the dining room and bar remain under construction.
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It will continue to operate on a takeout-only basis until the end of November, when chef Michael Giuliano Deganis expects the bar to open. The full restaurant, which includes a bar and a couple of dining rooms, should be completely open by New Year’s, Deganis said. Glimpse construction progress through the windows as you pick up dinner.
“What we wanted to do is just kind of introduce ourselves to the public with some of the Italian food, homey-style takeout,” Deganis said. “We noticed that there’s quite a bit of redundancy in the takeout game. It feels like everyone’s kind of doing the same thing, so we’re trying to create our own lane and make healthy food that you feel good after eating.”
Chef Michael Giuliano Deganis tops off his pasta and meatballs with cheese at Roseland’s Atlas.
Joed Viera, Buffalo News
The takeout menu includes a handful of options in each category: salads, sides, sandwiches, pasta, entrees and desserts. Prices range from $15 for an anchovy-topped Caesar salad to $19 for a densely packed porchetta sandwich. Fettucini packed with local Flat 12 mushrooms costs $20. An eggplant parmesan dinner, which comes with a side and garden salad ($25), pays homage to one of Romanello’s Roseland Restaurant’s signature dishes. (The restaurant’s name is also a tribute to the former restaurant.)
While the opening takeout menu skews Italian, the full-service menu will be more diverse, according to Deganis.
“It’s going to more of an international kind of cuisine, where we’re highlighting different regions of the world,” Deganis said.
Roseland’s Atlas is open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Thursday through Monday for takeout.
Restaurant news
You may recognize baker Anastasia Nikolaeva’s baguettes, rolls and vegan keks from Overwinter Coffee or farmers markets. Nikolaeva is now opening her own bakery and coffee shop, Anastasia’s Artisan Bread, and holding a soft opening from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 6 at 236 Zimmerman St., North Tonawanda. It will be open from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday.
After holding farmers markets throughout the summer and fall, Farmcraft Brewery (567 Route 20A, Strykersville) is ready to officially open its doors for a grand opening Nov. 6. Surrounded by farmland, the 11,000-square-foot, barn-style brewery has a two-floor taproom and a beer production facility. It will be a brewery, flower farm and event center.
Luxor Steak & Lobster (3199 Main St.) has permanently closed. The city of Buffalo ordered its closure in May, following a fatal shooting outside the business. Luxor Steak & Lobster filed a petition to reopen in June, then posted on Facebook Oct. 26 that it was closing permanently.
Sanborn-based Tortuga Sandwich Shop, known for its affordable Latin American street food, is opening a second location closer to Buffalo. Tortuga Sandwich Shop signed a lease at 3189 Delaware Ave., Kenmore, which was most recently Greek on the Street. Owner Andrew Smiedala blends classic American fare, such as burgers, with the flavors of Argentina, Bolivia, Mexico, Peru and Spain.
Food events
Plato Dale Farm (5401 Curriers Road, Arcade) is inviting the public to spend a day on the farm for its Fall Frolic from 12:30 to 6 p.m. Nov. 3. The day will begin with a farm history talk, followed by farm tours, children’s activities and an apple cider pressing demonstration. The farm will serve a “bounty” of food, from soups and sides to main courses, which will include vegetarian and vegan options, for dinner at 3 p.m., set to a backdrop of music. Tickets are $60. Children 12 and under are free.
Fans of deviled eggs won’t want to miss Buffalo Deviled Egg-stravaganza, the “first and only event dedicated to the celebration of the deviled egg.” From 5 to 9 p.m. Nov. 2 at Electric City (433 Pearl St.), sample deviled eggs from both restaurants and home cooks. Vote for your favorite eggs in several categories, including best tasting, most creative and “best not-an-egg,” which could be anything from a dumpling to a meringue that looks like, but certainly won’t taste like, a deviled egg. Tickets range from $20 for children to $45 for general admission, which includes food from Southern Junction, to $65 for added access to an open bar, and $120 for a VIP experience. There will also be live music.
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Have an idea for an upcoming column? Please send tips and questions to fbond@buffnews.com.
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Dining and Cooking