Reader’s Choice Winners</h3?
Eat, drink
Chinese restaurant: Ming’s (Golden Dynasty)
Indian restaurant: India House (Thali of India)
Italian restaurant: Mario’s Via Abruzzi (Veneto Woodfired Pizza & Pasta)
Thai restaurant: King & I (Mamasan’s)
Middle Eastern
restaurant: Sinbad’s Mediterranean Cuisine (Aladdin’s Natural Eatery)
Greek restaurant: Mykonos (The Olive Tree)
Cup of coffee: Java’s Cafรฉ (Spot Coffee)
Diner: Highland
Park Diner (Jay’s Diner)
Pizza: Pontillo’s
Pizza & Pasta (Mark’s Pizzeria)
Place to get
fresh-baked bread: Montana Mills Bread Co. (Wegmans)
Burgers: Bill
Gray’s (Tom Wahl’s)
Sushi restaurant: California Rollin’ (Plum House)
Barbecue: Dinosaur Bar-B-Que (Sticky Lips Pit BBQ)
Street meat vendor: Alexander Street & East Avenue (Goodman Street & Monroe Avenue)
Fish fry: Captain
Jim’s Fish Market (Bill Gray’s)
Place to take someone
for a birthday dessert: Phillips European (Friendly’s)
Cannoli: Savoia
Pastry Shoppe (Wegmans)
Subs: Dibella’s
(Pelligrino’s)
Wings: Jeremiah’s
Tavern (Richmonds)
Hot sauce: Dinosaur Bar-B-Que (Nick Tahou Hots)
Bar with best beer
selection: MacGregor’s (Old Toad)
Bar/restaurant to
impress a wine connoisseur: Restaurant 2 Vine (Grill at Strathallan)
Bar/restaurant to
order beer in a can: Lux Lounge (O’Loughlin’s Restaurant)
Regional winery: Casa Larga Vineyards (Dr. Konstantin Frank)
Martini: Martini
Grille (Lola Bistro)
Place to eat at 3
a.m.: Gitsis Texas Hots (Mark’s Texas Hots)
Place to take the
kids: Strong Museum (Chuck E. Cheese’s)
Place to take a
vegetarian: Aladdin’s Natural Eatery (Skippy’s Veg-Out)
Place to take your
parents: George Eastman House (Wegmans)
Place to cure a
hangover: at home, in bed (Jines Restaurant)
Place for a first
date: Pomodoro Grill (Little Theatre)
Place for a last
date: Nick Tahou Hots (Mt. Hope Cemetery)
Place for a secret
rendezvous: Lola Bistro (Rooney’s Restaurant)
Bar to see a fight: Alexander Street Pub (Coyote Joe’s)
Bar to have a
conversation in: Old Toad (Lux Lounge)
Delicacy: Nick
Tahou Garbage Plate (Zweigle’s White Hots)
Consumer affairs
Place to find
affordable gas: Delta Sonic (Hess)
Way to deal with rising
gas prices: walk (ride a bike)
Dry cleaner: Julian’s Dry Cleaners (Speedy’s Cleaners)
Record store
(non-chain): Record Archive (House of Guitars)
Bookstore
(non-chain): Brown Bag Book Shop (Greenwood Books )
Place to find a
paperback for less than $5: Brown Bag Book Shop (Rick’s Recycled Books)
Jewelry store: Craft Company No. 6 (Mann’s Jewelers)
Place to buy a used
car: Dorschel (Hoselton)
Most honest auto
repair: East Ave. Auto (Craig Autometrics)
Florist: Arena’s
(Fioravanti)
Place to shop for a
kid’s birthday: Archimage (Piccadilly’s Toy Shoppe)
Place to buy a gift: Craft Company No. 6 (Parkleigh)
Divorce lawyer: Joan O’Byrne (Gregory Mott)
Place to find
antiques: All That Jazz (Antiek Journeys)
Place to get vintage
clothes: Godiva’s (Salvation Army)
Plumber: Gatti
Plumbing (Howe & Bassett Co.)
Sex shop: Show
World (Outlandish Video and Gifts)
Dance studio: Garth Fagan (TIE: DancEncounters/Goddess Hour)
Car wash: Delta
Sonic (Buckman’s Car Wash)
Skateboard shop: Krudco. Skateshop (Hardpact Boardgear)
Media savvy
Commercial for a
local business: House of Guitars (Lori’s Natural Foods)
TV channel for
newscaster banter: Channel 13 (Channel 10)
Radio station for
morning-show banter: WCMF 96.5 FM (WHAM 1180 AM)
Hottest news anchor: Doug Emblidge, Channel 13 (Jennifer Johnson, Channel 10)
Weatherperson you
wish was family: Scott Hetsko, Channel 8 (Kevin Williams, Channel 10)
Blog: gevacomedyimprov.blogspot.com (livejournal.com/community/roch_ny)
Protest slogan of
2005: Buck Fush (Bush Lied. Thousands Died.)
Slogan to replace
“Rochester Made For Living”: TIE: “Made for Leaving”/”We’ve Got a Ferry!”
(“Rochester: At Least It’s Not Buffalo”)
Inside scoop
Employer: Wegmans
(University of Rochester)
Place to see and be
seen: Park Avenue (Restaurant 2 Vine)
Place to see and be
unseen: Lux Lounge (Spot Coffee)
Community role model: Bob Duffy (Tom Golisano)
Place to get your car
broken into: East End (downtown)
Bragging point: Craft Company No. 6 (Wegmans)
Tradition: Nick
Tahou Garbage Plate (Lilac Festival)
Use of public funds: fast ferry (schools)
Misuse of public
funds: fast ferry (Renaissance Square)
Evidence the region’s
outlook is good: fast ferry (new mayor)
Evidence we’re all
going to hell: fast ferry (Kodak)
Way to lure people to
the area: fast ferry (TIE: casino/jobs)
Place to get
arrested: Alexander Street (Lyell Avenue)
Celebrity you’d like
a one-night stand with: Jennifer Johnson (Bob Duffy)
Best-kept secret: Craft Company No. 6 (Downtown Fitness Club)
Most annoying public
person: Mayor Johnson (Bob Lonsberry)
Item to buy at the
Public Market: fruits and veggies (fresh flowers)
Place to have your
ashes scattered: Lake Ontario (Highland Park)
Most fun-to-watch
Rochester sports team: Rhinos (Red Wings)
Day trip: Niagara
Falls (Letchworth State Park)
Way out of town: Toronto (Route 390)
Body moving
Bike route: Canal
Path (Tryon Park)
Spa: Scott Miller
Salon & Spa (Del Monte Lodge)
Thing to do on Lake
Ontario: boating (fishing)
Thing to do on the
Genesee River: TIE: canoeing/kayaking (fishing)
Best place to pick up
a basketball game: Cobbs Hill Park (YMCA)
Workout spot: Downtown Fitness Club (Rochester Athletic Club)
Bowling alley: Clover Lanes (Bowl-A-Roll Lanes)
Batting cages: Adventure Landing (Rochester Sports Garden)
Go-karts: Minnehans Fun Center (The Clubhouse Fun Center)
Place to go camping: Letchworth State Park (TIE: Hamlin Beach State Park/Stony Brook State Park)
Hill to go sledding: TIE: Ellison Park/Cobbs Hill (Durand-Eastman Park)
Cross country skiing
spot: Mendon Ponds Park (Durand-Eastman Park)
Public pool: Genesee Valley Park (Perinton Community/Aquatic Center)
Beach: Durand-Eastman Park (Hamlin Beach State Park)
Be merry
Cheap thrill: Seabreeze (see a movie)
Place to pass out: home (Lux Lounge)
Church dinner: Greek Festival, Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church (Plymouth Spiritualist
Church)
Original band: Uncle Plum (Skycoasters)
Cover band: The
Taint (Uncle Plum)
Band name: The
Taint (Uncle Plum)
Theater production of
2005: A Chorus Line, Geva Theatre
(Geva Comedy Improv)
Music concert of
2005: Coldplay, Darien lake (Dave Matthews Band, Darien Lake)
Art show of 2005: Clothesline, Memorial Art Gallery (Corn Hill Arts Festival)
Place for your single
parent to find a date: Wegmans (Taylor’s Nightclub)
Place to dig some
poetry: Java’s Cafรฉ (Daily Perks)
Place to meet a rich
husband: Restaurant 2 Vine (TIE: Restaurant jojo/University of Rochester)
Club to hear live
music: Milestones (Bug Jar)
Place to see a cheap
concert: Water Street Music Hall (Party in the Park at High Falls)
Gay bar: Muther’s
(Nasty D’s)
Public playground: Maplewood Playground (Veterans Memorial Park)
Place to pick up a
woman: Wegmans (Lux Lounge)
Place to pick up a
man: Bachelor Forum (East Avenue and Alexander Street)
Place to see naked
women: Klassy Kat Tavern (Mirage Palace)
Place to see naked
men: Highland Park (my bedroom)
Way to spend $10: see
amovie (at the Public Market)
Way to spend $1,000: Craft Company No. 6 (Eastview Mall)
Public place to throw
a party: Ellison Park (Genesee Valley Park)
Happy hour: Johnny’s
Irish Pub (Lux Lounge)
Place to dance: Tapas 177 Lounge (Whiskey Bar & Lounge)
Pickup line you’ve
heard in 2005: No two answers the same.
Place to say “yes”: Highland
Park (in bed)
This article appears in Nov 9-15, 2005.
