Best of Rochester

Dogtown, the beloved hot dog shack in the heart of Monroe Avenue, has become a local institution since its opening in 2006.

The Shops on West Ridge is actually a collection of some 200 smaller “shops” that sell all kinds of goodies from the distant and near past.

Founded in 2012, Black Button Distilling is the first grain-to-grass craft distillery to open in Rochester since the end of Prohibition, and it uses only locally-sourced ingredients.

Most live music fans in Rochester have a fond memory of the Bug Jar. Part live-music venue, part quasi-punk bar, the Bug Jar is a local gem.

Finding a place to see solid standup in Rochester is no joke. Comedy @ The Carlson is an exception.

Plum House has been a Monroe Avenue institution for nearly 20 years, and it has rightfully earned its place as Rochester’s premier sushi stop.

When readers selected Highland Park to win this category, they handed the victory to Rochester’s first public park.

Consistently voted one of the best public markets in the country, the Rochester Public Market draws people from all walks of life.

No nursery in the Rochester area comes even close to rivaling The Garden Factory in terms of size and scope.

A highlight of the fare at Original Steve’s is the variety of the diner’s famous hubcap-sized pancakes.

When the sun sets and the lights of the city are twinkling far below, there is nothing but darkness between the water and the heavens, making the elevated hilltop at Cobbs Hill Park the perfect spot to take in the night sky.

You’d be hard-pressed to not find exactly what you’re looking for, no matter how esoteric, in the Public Market’s wide array of fresh local produce, meats, dairy, eggs, and high-quality fresh seafood and imported goods.