buffaBLOG: Well we might as well start with food. First, tell us how you became involved in Buffalo Eats. What is it about food/restaurants that makes you want to write about them? What is your favorite food/restaurant in Buffalo?
Don Burtless: I started Buffalo Eats in February of 2009, but I'm not sure exactly when I came up with the idea. It really started out as a way for me to keep track of restaurants that I went to and somehow it just started to get more and more traffic. Before I started Buffalo Eats, I was a really picky eater. I was the guy who would order chicken fingers at every restaurant. Thankfully, my best friend Mike introduced me to Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations and something about that show made me want to try all different types of food.
The writing aspect is always something I've been interested in. I actually loved writing music reviews in high school and college, but I never really pursued it. I guess I've just become obsessed with food (Food Network/Cooking Channel are constantly on in my house) and I actually get really excited when I find a new restaurant to share with Buffalo-ians. It makes it really easy to write about it. I've been to about 200 restaurants in the last 2 years and I don't think I could pick a favorite. My favorite cuisine right now would have to be Vietnamese (I encourage everyone to try a bowl of Pho during winter) or Mediterranean/Greek (I love souvlaki/gyros/shwarmas).
The writing aspect is always something I've been interested in. I actually loved writing music reviews in high school and college, but I never really pursued it. I guess I've just become obsessed with food (Food Network/Cooking Channel are constantly on in my house) and I actually get really excited when I find a new restaurant to share with Buffalo-ians. It makes it really easy to write about it. I've been to about 200 restaurants in the last 2 years and I don't think I could pick a favorite. My favorite cuisine right now would have to be Vietnamese (I encourage everyone to try a bowl of Pho during winter) or Mediterranean/Greek (I love souvlaki/gyros/shwarmas).
BB: Tell us about the first album you bought.
DB: The first album I ever bought with my own money was the Smashing Pumpkin's Melancholy and the Infinite Sadness when I was around 12. I had other CD's (actually a lot of CD singles for some reason) but that was the first album that I went out of my way to buy myself. I was absolutely obsessed with "Zero" and when my cousin would stay over we'd try to stay up late to see the music video on MTV. I wasn't until I bought it that I realized it had so many amazing songs on it. Unfortunately I never bought one of their "Zero" shirts.
BB: What are is your favorite band, song, and album?
DB: I love all music but I've always had a hard time naming my favorite band or album. I probably change my mind every two years, so I'll have to give a couple favorites. A couple of my favorite songs would be U2's "Sunday Bloody Sunday" (my first favorite band, my Dad is a huge U2 fan and it rubbed off on me), At the Drive-In's "Cosmonaut" (my first introduction to punk/indie, this song changed what I loved about rock music) and the Foo Fighter's "Everlong" (the first song I learned how to play on guitar). My favorite album might be Jeff Buckley's Grace. In my opinion, it's a perfect album from start to finish and I consider Jeff Buckley's voice to be one of the best of all time. Again, I don't really have a favorite band, but I have a list of bands that I'll go out of my way to buy their album on the first day. The bands that qualify for this rule: U2, Radiohead, Sigur Ros and anything Dave Grohl works on.
BB: What is your most memorable Buffalo concert?
DB: I'm a huge nerd and I've managed to keep track of every concert I've ever attended. Going to see U2 on my 17th birthday with my Dad during their Elevation Tour was my first true "arena rock" experience. They performed three encores and I remember being in awe of their stage. When I was a UB student, getting to see Kanye West at Alumni Arena was maybe the most fun I've had at a concert. He played a long set with his live band and backup singers, and was very engaging with the crowd. On a smaller scale, finally seeing Cake in concert at Town Ballroom last year was a dream come true. I had been a fan since Fashion Nugget (another all time favorite album of mine) and I was beginning to think they were never going to play Buffalo.
BB: If you could go anywhere for live music in Buffalo, where would that be?
DB: I enjoy Mohawk Place and Nietzsche's, but really the best place to see a show has to be Town Ballroom. I love how there are the different levels so you can always get a good view of the stage. I wish I could still go see a show at Showplace. It was a good size and with the slope of the floor and their old movie theatre seats, it seemed like you could have a good view from wherever you were standing.
BB: We have made it pretty clear who are favorite bands in Buffalo are. What are some of the local bands that stand out to you?
DB: I've seen Every Time I Die live about 4 or 5 times and their last album is probably their best since Hot Damn. I went with my brother to one of their Christmas shows last year and I came to the realization that I'm getting too old for concerts that involve mosh pits. Really I say this now but when they play another show in Buffalo I'll probably end up going. When I was in high school I listened to The Sheila Divine's New Parade over and over. I know Aaron Perrino (the singer) was really the only Buffalo native, but when they played in Buffalo it seemed like a homecoming.
BB: Talk about the Buffalo music scene. What are it's strengths and weaknesses? What will it take for Buffalo to take the next step forward in the whole music scene?
DB: Sadly I've never went out of my way to really find out about Buffalo's local music scene but it's something I've been trying to change. I think the strength of anything in/about Buffalo is our devotion. If we have something that's genuinely good and is connected to Buffalo the people seem to really back it and support it. Lacking I guess would be more shows and better promotion of shows in the area. I'm glad there is now a site like buffaBLOG and twitter has been big, but I've missed several concerts in the past because I didn't find out about the show in time.
BB: And finally, if you could pick any artist to play Buffalo, who would it be and why?
DB: I think everyone wants to see Radiohead come to Buffalo, but I don't see it happening in the foreseeable future. The only venue that would make sense would probably be Darien Lake and with Radiohead being so selective of their tour dates, I'm not getting my hopes up. I've never seen them live in person, but I've watched their concerts on DVD and their live show looks amazing. Daft Punk would be amazing, but since they never tour in the United States I'm not really holding my breath. I'd also love to see Sigur Ros play at a venue like Asbury Hall or Shea's. Listening to their music with that setting would be a perfect match.
Everyone here at buffaBLOG would like to thank Don for taking the time to answer a few questions for us. If you are thinking about checking out a restaurant in Buffalo, make sure you go to Buffalo Eats first. Chances are Don has been there and written about it. Also, keep an eye on their events calendar for upcoming food events in Buffalo. Buffalo Eats are constantly updating their facebook page, so make sure you follow them daily. Don recently attended the Buffalo Pizza Bash at the Millennium Hotel. Check out what he tried.
~mm
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