Anyone who lives in Buffalo knows that the Queen City boasts a remarkable number of excellent independently-owned restaurants. However, it's still wonderful to be recognized as the top city in the nation to start a restaurant. According to 10 Best Cities to Start a Restaurant by Maryalene LaPonsie in Chef 2 Chef on July 27, 2015, Buffalo may be the next hot spot in the culinary world.

"The smallest city on our list is also the best for starting a restaurant. Buffalo might seem like an unlikely contender to stand up against food heavyweights like Nashville and Portland, but this city has the perfect combination of an affordable workforce, reasonable unemployment rate and a lower cost-of-living. What's more, Buffalo has an emerging food scene that means new businesses have an opportunity to get in on the ground floor and ride to the top of what could be the next hot spot in the culinary world."

Woo hoo!

The dining scene nationwide has rebounded since the recession finally released its grip. "March 2015 marked the first time that consumers spent more at restaurants and bars than they did on groceries. With so many people heading out to eat, now could be a great time for chefs and restaurateurs to think about opening a new establishment." In Buffalo!

"For those interested in starting a restaurant, selecting the right city can be crucial." The low cost of living and the high quality of life in Buffalo surely plays an important role in making our town so chef-friendly, but the burgeoning farm-to-fork movement and the growing importance of eating locally probably also play a role, as it does in Indianapolis, according to the article.

We have Christa Glennie Seychew to thank for this. She has led the farm-to-fork charge for years, hosting farm dinners, leading farm tours, connecting farmers to chefs, founding Nickel City Chef with its emphasis on sourcing locally, and writing Nickel City Chef: Buffalo's Finest Chefs and Ingredients.

Just as Buffalo is now a garden tourism destination, thanks to Garden Walk Buffalo, it is poised to also become a culinary tourism destination, in no small part thanks to Christa and Nickel City Chef. Add the burgeoning craft beer scene, excellent local wines, and new distilleries popping up all over town, and what's to stop the momentum?

This article ought to open a few eyes out there. Buffalo beat out New Orleans, Portland OR, Nashville, and Austin, and New York City limped in as just a runner up.