I was an hour into dinner when I realized this place used to be Spiro’s. No matter how familiar you might have been with that old spot, you’ll have to squint to see it in the thoroughly made-over LoLa Bistro & Bar. With its vaulted ceilings, wooden bar, and tiled dining area, it bears little […]
Adam Wilcox
Posted inNews & Opinion
Henrietta’s passage to India
Makhan Singh, chef-owner of Thali of India, has traveled an interesting road. Originally a food inspector from Punjab in northern India, he spent time in an Italian restaurant in Germany before coming to New York City. There, he worked in Indian restaurants, eventually winning a prize in a Glastonbury, Connecticut, food competition for his chicken […]
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My dinner with Stanley
Looking across Pearl’s geometric depth at Rick Muto’s beautiful Rothko knock-off was like inhabiting a Kubrick film. Kubrick was, George Grella informs us, a true “auteur,” an artist with a singular, persistent vision. Pearl, the latest venture from Tonic owners Phil and Charlie Fitzsimmons, also exhibits a clarity of purpose, approach, and execution. Open a […]
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Stonehenge Twinkie pilots
The song goes, “Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat!” But when is the last time you had a goose during the holidays? My family’s tradition was beef fondue on Christmas Eve. Mom would dice up some nice tenderloin, and dad would get the hot oil going. Mom would spread out condiments from which […]
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Holy flaming cheese!
Mykonos owner Steffie Rizos and I went to high school together in Binghamton, where one of the most popular restaurants is the Argo, a Greek family joint specializing in seafood. Though Rochester has its share of “Greek” diners, as well as the wonderful Olive Tree, we didn’t have a restaurant like the Argo. Mykonos’s claim […]
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Mother, daughter, and farm
Susan Hurd Machamer and daughter Amy Machamer, partners in Hurd Orchards Farm & Market, are fascinating people. Before every Hurd tasting, each takes a turn talking about the evening’s themes, and these women have a lot to say. They represent the sixth and seventh generations of Hurd family farmers, and that history is one favorite […]
Posted inSpecial Sections
Thanks in absentia
Last year at this time, I wrote about my family, about the meal we were planning for Thanksgiving, and, especially, about my mother. Here is some of what I said: “My brother, Nat, says that food is our family’s religion. Although my mother is deeply spiritual, organized religion was absent from my childhood. Still, […]
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Eating with Aunt Judy
“Sometimes I wake up with a taste in my mouth, then spend the day finding exactly the foods and spices to make that taste,” says Judy Thompson, cook and co-owner of Aunt Judy’s. The restaurant’s concise menu includes southern staples like fried chicken, catfish, and greens, but Thompson’s interest in food is deep and consuming. […]
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Steamed snapper and civil reggae
“What I wonder,” says Casava owner Tony Price, “is how long it took the Chinese to be successful.” How ethnic cuisines catch on is an interesting question. Take-out Chinese is nearly as popular as pizza. Thai food has become common, as has Indian. So, what about Jamaican? Rochester has a number of small places […]
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Meet the strip-mall saucier
Right or wrong, area foodies consider the west side something of a culinary wasteland. For haute cuisine, the East End has the Rio, Tonic, Max, and 2 Vine; the eastern suburbs have Joey B’s, the Erie Grill, and the Victor Grilling Company. Out west, you’ve got Bernard’s Grove and, well, Bernard’s Grove. A year […]
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An upstate autumn: eating what you kill
Credit: Kurt Brownell Text: At a recent lunch, the subject of venison came up, with one friend saying how awful he always finds it. Another friend and I defended it, saying we’d had delicious venison many times. It got me wondering about how best to deal with deer meat, and so I asked a couple […]
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All this and a sponge
Mary Lynn Vickers, The Phantom Chef, thinks personal chefs are a natural step from popular services such as personal trainers. Personal chefs seem to me to fit more with trends around saving time. Many folks hire cleaning services, and supermarkets are focusing more and more on prepared foods. It’s the convenience that appeals to […]
