Kurt Oechsle is celebrating everything New York State at his establishment, Tucker’s Diner/Bakery (303 Macedon Center Road, Fairport), which opened in January. Everything from the eggs to the vegetables and meats are coming from farms in New York, provided by Headwater Food Hub. “I’ve been trained to use local and seasonal — the best ingredients,” […]
Dining Reviews
Posted inCulture
Blue Toad makes cider for all seasons
Ciders, while delicious, are not necessarily known for a balance in their flavors. Mass-produced cider can be sickeningly sweet for some palates. On the opposite end, artisanal ciders can be off-puttingly dry to those expecting more traditional apple notes. The “farm license” trend in New York State has grown stronger in the last few years. Notable, […]
Posted inCulture
Family-run Iron Tug Brewing touts nitro stout
Iron Tug Brewing has an unassuming physical location. If my friend and I had blinked, we might have driven by it entirely. It feels like a small beer hall or public meeting place inside the colored brick building — in fact, the space was formerly a firehouse, and looking up at the ceiling, I could […]
Posted inCulture
Former Wafel Cart owner opens The Waffle Factory
Listening to Nick Musson talk about the path that led him to opening The Waffle Factory (30 North Avenue, Webster) will give you wanderlust. Musson graduated from Webster Schroeder High School, went on to study in Greece — Musson is Greek and Belgian — worked on both US coasts, ran a successful local food cart, […]
Posted inCulture
West Edge falls short of its potential
Corn Hill Landing has plenty to offer along the Genesee, including several great views and waterside seating for its restaurants, but the area has continuously been in flux. The Corn Hill neighborhood has changed a lot as well due to gentrification, but that’s a story for another time. Since the stalwart Tony D’s closed in […]
Posted inCulture
El Basha makes it easy to go vegetarian
How a restaurant does with its vegetarian and vegan options is a strong indicator of the skills of those working in the kitchen. Since you’re not dealing with the traditional meat-starch-vegetable combination, dishes have to be creative; both the restaurant and the patron need to step out of their typical lanes. I’ve started spending the […]
Posted inCulture
Fried cakes: A sacred Rochester tradition
We went in search of the Holy Grail, but found seven instead.
Posted inCulture
Finding Old San Juan on Joseph Avenue
Mi Viejo San Juan has stood at the corner of Joseph Avenue and Norton Street for the last three years, serving Puerto Rican fare to the surrounding neighborhood. Similar to other Puerto Rican restaurants in Rochester, Mi Viejo offers a choice of protein — pernil, baked and stewed chicken, stewed beef and steak, and stewed […]
Posted inCulture
Kindred Fare puts the Finger Lakes region’s offerings to good use
I don’t spend nearly enough time exploring the Finger Lakes. That statement is one of the more embarrassing things I can say considering I love the food options in the region. The farthest I usually go is Canandaigua, but part of my mission this summer was to spend more time checking out what the area […]
Posted inCulture
Merchants Wood Fired Pizza has potential to be a North Winton Village anchor
The location has the ghosts of three previous restaurants hanging around. But the new pizza business could carve out a niche for itself among Rochester neighborhood restaurants.
Posted inCulture
Label 7 has impressive dishes, especially for vegetarians
I wasn’t sure what I was expecting going into Label 7. I had heard different perspectives on the food over the years, but I hadn’t been in to try it myself. Right off the bat, I was happy to see that one of the beer taps was reserved for Lock 32 Brewing, a Pittsford brewery […]
Posted inCulture
Meraki Coffee Co. serves up coffee with soul
Ryan Baker found the Greek word meraki (pronounced “may-rah-key”) on Google. He was searching for interesting names and came across the word, which means “to do something with soul, creativity, or love; to put something of yourself into your work.” Baker chose it as the name for his new pop-up coffee company that recently made […]
