COMPILED BY REBECCA RAFFERTY AND LEAH STACY
BITE-SIZED NEWS
Hydra, a new cafe from the owners of popular hots joint dogTown, opened in early September at 701 Monroe Ave. It’s the first coffee shop to hit the avenue since the Oxford and Monroe Starbucks closed in spring 2021. Hydra serves Joe Bean coffee and espresso drinks, and teas, along with a menu of breakfast, lunch, and bakery items. The shop offers indoor seating on two levels and a walled outdoor garden area with planter-bench seating by Rochester landscape artist Suzi Brenner. Inside and upstairs you’ll find a landmark postcard-style mural by artists Billy T. Lyons and Hannah Stollberger — gotta love a small biz that hires local artists. Open 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.
Amberly’s Eatery, located at 489 South Ave., closed in early September. RIP to the crispiest hash browns in town (Rafferty is in actual despair about this). But the owners have alluded to another restaurant taking over the spot, and say the French press coffee will still be available under the new ownership. Stand by!
Also shut down as of early September is Asian eatery Flavors of Asia, AKA “Flasia,” AKA “Lunchtime Gossip Stop.” The bomb eatery not only featured delicious menu items that spanned Chinese, Japanese, and Thai cuisines, but also provided a sacred source of townie gossip via a beloved, yet indiscreet member of the waitstaff. We hope he lands somewhere he can continue the good work of spreading hilarious overheard dirt.
Longtime local favorite Han Noodle Bar has left the cozy house it occupied for years at 687 Monroe Ave. and moved to a new location just down the street. Find the full menu at 600 Monroe Avenue now, in the former Avenue Diner (before that, it was all-night diner Gitsi’s). For millennials and Gen-Xers who remember fueling up at Gitsi’s after Bug Jar dance nights: rejoice, you can now get a noodle and nostalgia fix in one stop.
Iron Smoke Distillery, in a partnership with the New York State Distillers Guild, will present the first-ever Hoochenanny Whiskey Festival October 20 and 21 in Geneseo. The event will highlight distillers from across the state in The Rickhouse Rendezvous, a one-of-a-kind educational whiskey tasting experience; panel-style educational sessions from Fee Brothers, Vendome Copper and the New York State Distillers Guild; and live music performances from The Struts, Los Straitjackets, the Sam Grisman Project, and Public Water Supply. Tickets start at $29.99.
Popular food truck and Flour City Station pop-up TacoDero LA Street Tacos has opened a brick and mortar at 1174 Brooks Ave., across from the Greater Rochester International Airport. Fans of the birria, loaded fries, and street corn can get their fix more than once a week now: it’s open every Tuesday through Saturday from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.
WHET YOUR PALATE
Eric Rozestraten, a partner in Elemental Hospitality Consulting and longtime social media coordinator for Nosh and Old Pueblo Grill, purchased the former Jack Ryan’s Tavern building at 825 Atlantic Ave. and will re-open it as Jack’s Extra Fancy this month. Dan Herzog, formerly of Cure, will run the bar program, with Kelly McDonald, formerly of Good Luck, Vern’s and Fifth Frame Brewing, will run the kitchen. The website promises “a little disco, a little dive, a little Irish.” Sign us up.
Burger and hockey haven Bill Gray’s is opening a tap room at 964 Ridge Road, the Webster location formerly occupied by family owned grocery store Hegedorns Market for 70 years. (Bill Gray’s also owns the building, and the Hegedorn family owns more than a dozen Bill Gray’s and Tom Wahl’s restaurants in the area.)
Forno Tony, a wildly popular Roman-style bakery pop-up that operated out of an East Avenue storefront next to Ristorante Lucano until recently will open at 1344 University Ave.; the same location as the new Black Button Distilling. The owners are currently building out the new space and hope to open by November.
Kettle Ridge Farm, a honey and maple syrup operation in Victor, plans to open The Backwoods at Kettle Ridge Farm, a seasonal venue with an 8-by-20-foot shipping-container bar, outdoor seating, a food truck, and live music.
FOR THE LOCAVORES
Farm-to-table catering company, weekly meal delivery service and event space Farmhouse Table opened a retail shop on Dewey Avenue and St. Paul Boulevard in Irondequoit. Stop by for homemade breads, cookies, baked goods and salads, plus grocery items like eggs and cheeses from local producers.
Got a food and bev tip? Send us an email: leah@rochester-citynews.com.
This article appears in Oct 1-31, 2023.
