At the AKG Art Museum, dinner and a movie has become its own art form.

As the movie Julie & Julia played on a large screen last night, servers fanned out across Cornelia, the museum’s restaurant, delivering dishes echoing on-screen beats. The movie follows Julie Powell through her mission to cook every recipe in Julia Child’s legendary cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking. 

As both Julie and Julia marveled onscreen at sole meuniere, servers fanned out to deliver warm samples. We all enjoyed the delicate fish in browned butter sauce together.

Eight dishes punctuated the movie, masterminded by Stephanie Balk, chef de cuisine of Cornelia, the AKG restaurant. 

Like poached quail egg with asparagus. Piping-hot lobster Thermidor in rich broiled cheese sauce. Boeuf bourguignon. Duck en croute. Then a butter cookie for a sweet finale.

Dan Christmann of Cuvee Imports paired seven wines with the courses. French, of course, focusing on small organic producers in Alsace, the Loire Valley, and Beaujolais.

Three more editions of AKG Dinner and a Movie are scheduled, said Cornelia general manager Jessica Arends. Menus for each film are currently being developed.

Feb. 28: Five Year Engagement

March 19: The Menu

April 9: Ratatouille

Tickets are $95, $125 with wine pairings.

A $35 children’s ticket will be offered for Ratatouille. Get tickets here.

REVIEW: Against all odds, Bistro 93 has flown its pirate’s flag in the bucolic hamlet of Akron for nearly a decade. Jennifer Carlsen and William Smith’s dedication to Caribbean flavors have made Bistro 93 an oasis for flavor-seekers. At Bistro 93, you can get the cheeseburger, with cheddar, bacon, and an over-easy egg. Or for the same $12, you can get the Island Burger, with mango, pineapple, and goat cheese. (Later this week, for patrons.)

Vietnam 101 : Check out the preview video for “Huy’s Vietnam 101,” the video series exploring Vietnam’s landscapes, food, history, and culture, based on my week-long 2024 trip wherein former student Huy Duc Pham teaches myself and my partner Jen Regan his Vietnam. 

FREE FOOD WRITING SEMINAR: Did you know that you (yes, you) can use your words, photos, and videos to help restaurants you love survive?

2026 has all the ingredients to be the worst year for family-owned restaurants since the Great Depression. Every cost on the spreadsheet is going up, while customers are staying home in droves. On the information front, getting the attention of potential new customers has never been harder.

On Feb. 21, at the Orchard Park Public Library, I’ll show you how to help the places you want to keep. Social media is remarkably effective at getting the word out about great things, and on social media, the coin of the realm is a real person with an authentic opinion. Carefully considered words and images can actually move the needle for small businesses struggling to survive.

I’ll teach you how to do that at my mini-seminar on food writing, photography, and effective social media. I’ve been teaching journalism at the University at Buffalo since 2000.

Afterwards, I’d be happy to sign copies of my first book, What to eat in Buffalo 2026. It’s a pocket paperback with color photos, spotlighting 175 locally-owned restaurants, bakeries, and food stores making a difference, for $13.99. (Also available at fourbites.net/shop).

ASK THE CRITIC: 

Q: What do you guys think are some of the best halal restaurants here? 

– u/beanarang, r/Buffalo

A: There are many new entrants in the category, and I haven’t tried them all. That said, Almandi (Yemeni), Alibaba Kebab (Indian), Buffalo Tikka House (Bangladeshi), and Nellai Banana Leaf (Chettinad) are my favorites.

More reading from Michael Chelus of Nittany Epicurean:

• Mr. Galarneau wrote about what he called a “minor miracle of Italian-American excellence” at one of my favorite places – The Dove [Four Bites]
• Andrew also urged us to patronize our locally-owned restaurants, support community-based businesses and to invest in farmers [Four Bites]
• Brett wrote about Hānai Hawaiian BBQ [Step Out Buffalo]
• Brett also wrote about Horn of Africa Habesha Restaurant on Hertel [Step Out Buffalo]
• There are delicious Halal Chinese and Bangladeshi dishes to be had at Ahar Restaurant in Buffalo’s Broadway-Fillmore neighborhood [Step Out Buffalo]
• Newell wrote about Concord (a wine bar) coming from the owners of Amabel Provisions [Buffalo Rising]
• Brian gave us a list of ten non-alcoholic offerings from local breweries like Big Ditch, Ellicottville Brewing and more [Buffalo Beer League]
• There are many Bills-themed beers you can enjoy on gameday from local breweries like Thin Man, Belt Line and more [Buffalo Beer Leauge]
• Brian’s Buffalo Beer Buzz told us about a special beer, bourbon and wine tasting at the Tonawanda Winterfest, a beer pairing dinner – Tap & Trap – at Brazen Brewing and more [Buffalo Beer League]
• Francesca wrote about Blue Eyed Baker’s second location in Hamburg [Buffalo News]
• Francesca also added five more restaurants to her list of the best in WNY including Black Iron Bystro, Carmelo’s and more [Buffalo News]
• Francesca’s Best Bites of 2025 featured barbecue wings from Kelly’s Korner, Carrot from Restaurant Pearl Morissette, the Maine lobster roll from Olcott Lobster Co., and more [Buffalo News]

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