Martin : The Chef

I grew up in an environment that was abundant with food. My family had a big garden where we grew everything from herbs and tomatoes to corn and melons. wild raspberry bushes, stray asparagus stands, and rogue pear trees complemented the cultivated bounty. Beyond that we were surrounded by Tower orchards that produced multiple varieties of peaches, apples, and plums. My mother recruited me at an early age to help with making everything from jams and relish, to canning beans and tomato sauce. I didn’t know it at the time, but this would be the foundation of my future.

When I left home at 19 to pursue a career as a golf pro, I found myself reaching out to my mother for recipes and cooking advice. I’d grown up eating good food and,as a single guy living on my own, I was determined to make that kind of food for myself. I traveled quite a bit back then and experienced food from around the world. I loved everything about it…the food that is. It finally dawned on me that I was more passionate about making food than I was about golf. A new career was born.

Since then I have worked in some of the finest restaurants in Buffalo and Toronto. I’ve taken courses and apprenticed with some major culinary figures, but my education has been largely self-directed. These days, I’m a  foodophile and avid collector of cookbooks and obscure kitchen utensils. While I feel the ability to prepare a meal is somewhat intuitive, eating is one of the best ways to develop that intuition an learn how to cook. Now I would like to share the knowledge I have acquired with my friends here in Buffalo.

Most recently, I was profiled on local online publication, Buffalo Rising.  And soon, thereafter, I teamed up with Amelia Nussbaumer from The Eights Bistro. Together, we offer the best in creating innovative and clean cuisine.   From pork belly to wheatgrass, vegan beef on weck to duck confit, this joining of forces has created a truly unique and well rounded culinary team.