Ever marveled at the array of signs for food along Park
Avenue? With more than 30 restaurants, bars, and specialty food
shops, it took me two full afternoons to visit every one. From favorites I know
and love to businesses I’d never have noticed without a map, Park Avenue offers
something for everyone’s appetite and budget, whether you’re from the
neighborhood or not. (Note that for this article we
focused strictly on businesses with Park Avenue
addresses.)
Your eating
adventure begins on the west end of the Avenue at the Classy Cookie &
Deli (111 Park Ave.,
271-5309, ClassyCookie.com). With all the smells of warm cookies to give you sweet
dreams, Classy Cookie also offers box lunches and catering, featuring more than
50 different deli sandwiches and salads for take-out and delivery.
In spite of
its name, pretty much everybody knows where to find Hogan’s Hideaway (197
Park Ave., 442-4293, HogansHideaway.com). The menu
includes a full range of casual and comfort foods, and specials run from a
zucchini and black bean quesadilla to pan-seared salmon. This is a restaurant
and bar to please vegetarians and meat-eaters alike.
Great
Harvest Bread Company (210 Park Ave.,
697-0400, GHBCRochester.com) offers samples by the slice of breads that rise
from sesame garlic cheddar to sunflower millet to whole-grain fruit-and-nut
goodness to Grandma’s white. It also serves coffee drinks, sandwiches, and
wraps all day long, starting with breakfast. And don’t skip the salads.
When I
stopped by Bacco’s Ristorante (263 Park Ave.,
442-5090, BaccosRistorante.com), owner and chef Giovanni O. La Gamba greeted me
at the door. La Gamba talked passionately about his varied offerings, from
roast quail with herbs to osso buco. La Gamba, from the Calabria
region of Italy,
exudes the mantra of buy local. He makes everything from scratch, including the
pastas and the breads. Reservations recommended as seating is limited in this
intimate house-based restaurant.
Another gem
is just across the street: Delish Bakery, where Dimitra Apostolopoulos
is the chef/owner (266 Park Ave.,
244-9002, Delish-Bakery.org). Delish just opened in December 2011.
Apostolopoulos’ specialty is individual desserts, like you might find in
European pastry shops. These include her original mousse creations with
fillings like crème brûlée, covered in a layer of chocolate. There are cookies,
too, including melomakarona, a spiced honey-dipped delight. Salads, crepes, and
wraps also offered.
Just a few
steps away at his outdoor tables, I met Drew Nye, owner of ROAM Café (260
Park Ave., 360-4165, ROAMcafe.com). Within the
past year, Nye took over ownership and remodeled the premises to create a décor
that is chic and elegant, including window tables and patio seating, plus a recently
added bar. Patrons of lunch, dinner, take-out, catering, and private events can
feast on a menu from appetizers to grills. Italian-styled sandwiches include
meatball and the wanna-be-Italian from New Orleans,
the muffaletta.
At the
corner of Park and Oxford, you’ll
find Mozzeroni’s Pizza & Pasta (360 Park
Ave., 241-0002, Mozzeronis.com). One of five
locations, the menu includes salads, calzones, fish and chips, low-carb wraps,
chicken and ribs, hoagies, pasta dishes, and of course, pizza (including by the
slice). Everything is made fresh, right down to the blue-cheese dipping sauce.
Across from Mozzeroni’s is the Park and Oxford Deli (283
Park Ave., 242-8990). It’s the one place I missed
on my walk-about because it’s sub-terra, with sidewalk-level windows. According
to my editor, it’s all about the basted BBQ chicken and the café’s full range
of true, delicatessen offerings.
If you’re
looking for a brew and some chatter, look for the red door to enter the Half
Pint Pub (363 Park Ave.,
271-6384, TheHalfPintPub.com). Lots of local and seasonal brews,
including Dog Fish and Pitch Black IPA. Bar food is also available.
Magnolia’s
Deli & Café (366 Park Ave.,
271-7380, MagnoliasCafe.com) is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and
you’ll need all day just to read the menu. Personal
favorites? Honey-lime shrimp with goat cheese, mandarin oranges,
blackberries, raspberries, and cashews. Blue pear with
spinach, blue cheese, and blueberries.Soups,
sandwiches, wraps, and pizzas also available at indoor and outdoor seating.
Schuber’sWine & Liquor (373 Park Ave.,
473-1937) was a complete surprise. I went in because it’s a funky protrusion
from an attached house with a vintage neon sign that I’ve passed for years. The
owner, Greg Schuber, expresses humble pride in knowing his local customers, and
says every day he gets requests as unusual as his neighborhood. While I was
there, one customer was shopping for Oprah’s “Cocktails That Are Good for You”
ingredients, including Caravella d’Italia Limoncello, PAMA pomegranate liqueur,
and Lillet French aperitif wine.
Almond
buttercrunch, peanut-butter truffles, and cashew croquettes are just three of
the homemade confections available at Stever’s Candies (623
Park Ave., 473-2098, SteversCandy.com). Family owned
and operated, the shop opened in 1946 in the midst of chocolate shortages and
post-war sugar rationing. Stever’s remains the to-go-to-shop for holidays, with
lines out the door regularly making the news.
From Berkeley
to nearly Culver, it’s jam-packed. Cobbs Hill Italian Bistro (630
Park Ave., 442-6730) is tucked into the Wilson
Farms plaza, and has menu offerings that include grilled paninis
like the Very Veggie, grilled portabella mushrooms topped with roasted red
peppers, spinach, mozzarella, and creamy chipotle dipping sauce. Menu items
include pizza, pasta, wings, and burgers. Outdoor tables
available.
If the
colors and flavors of a good Italian gelato is what you’re after, then it’s off
to Jembetat Café and Gallery (645 Park Ave., 442-8960, JembetatCafe.com),
a combination African art gallery, jewelry store, and café. Jembetat
is set to open a second location on the canal path in Pittsford in May. Wine,
espresso, and desserts are also available. With a no Wi-Fi policy, Jembetat is for those looking for quiet conversation.
At the Park
Avenue Pub & Restaurant (650 Park Ave., 461-4140, ParkAvePub.com), you
can get a sit-down, three-course dinner Tuesday through Thursday for only $22,
with options including grouper French, lamb chop with demi-glace, or penne pomodoro
with tomato and basil. Regular entrees include a prosciutto-wrapped chicken
breast and a vegetarian grilled barbeque tofu.
TheFrog
Pond (652 Park Ave.,
271-1970, EatAtTheFrogPond.com) serves all day long, from sautéed banana
pancakes and “hangover” omelets to corned beef and cabbage. Dining
inside and out. It also offers holiday specials, including prix-fixe
menus.
Directly
across the street is Magpie Irish Pub (653 Park Ave., 271-4150, MagPiePub.com).
The list of beers and ales is long, categorized as U.S.,
German, Belgian, Irish, British, and “Rest of World.” Of particular note are the
Boddingtons Pale Ale, an Ithaca Apricot Wheat, and a Blue Point Blueberry Ale.
Don’t miss Colie’s
Café at the corner of Park and Berkeley (657 Park
Ave., 442-4986, ColiesCafe.com). Both the food and
the décor are colorful, whether you’re after Gram’s Waldorf Chicken Salad or
Colleen’s Clubhouse double-decker toasted sandwich with ham, Cajun turkey, and
bacon. Like the restaurant’s Facebook page for specials, and check the board
for daily deals (like kids under 12 eating free on Tuesdays).
Jine’s
Restaurant (658 Park Ave.,
461-1280, JinesRestaurant.com) opened in 1971 and continues to offer the most
extensive menu on the Avenue. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner — served inside or
outside — the range of food spans sandwiches from BLTs and turkey clubs, to
entrees like a meatloaf dinner, to Italian specials such as eggplant parmesan,
to Greek specials like shish kabob and moussaka. Breakfast there is a personal
favorite, including cinnamon French toast, scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, and
bottomless coffee.
Whether
you’re dining in or eating out, Piranha Sushi Bar (682
Park Ave., 360-2754, PiranhaSushiBar.com) offers a
fusion of “upscale Southeast Asian and Central American cuisines.” The menu is
geared to “fish lovers and vegetarians alike,” and also includes standard
entrees, salads, and soups. 10% off with student ID.
At Café
Cibon (688 Park Ave., 461-2960,
CafeCibon.com), delight in a range of offerings from paninis
and pastas to espressos and gelatos. Together with co-owner Robin Swan, chef Ashley Swan has grown Café Cibon from a coffee shop
into a European-style bistro, which also serves wine and cocktails.
Find your
Latin-fusion bistro and cantina at Dorado (690
Park Ave., 244-8560, DoradoParkAve.com).
Affordable entrée variations on tortillas, burritos, and enchiladas are rivaled
by a four-page tequila menu, including Herradura Tequila, described as
“caramel, cinnamon and hints of pear…extremely smooth and warm finish.” Beer, wine, and cocktails also available. Dine in or out.
I also found
neighborly warmth at Nathan’s Soup & Salad (691
Park Ave., 461-3016, NathansSoup.com). The reserved
storefront and narrow interior might not pull you in, but the smells of
homemade soups and breads sure will. Both employees were knowledgeable and
enthusiastic about each item on the menu, including seasonal offerings. In the
summer, consider dessert soups such as “Key Lime Sublime” and “Creamsicle.”
On the north
side of Park is Esan Thai Restaurant (696 Park
Ave., 271-2271, EsanParkAve.com), featuring the cuisine
of Thailand.
The long list of vegetarian entrees includes lemongrass vegetables and coconut-green-curry
vegetables, while other main dishes include chicken Prigkhin with green bean,
ginger, and chili paste. Eat inside or out.
For subs and
Chicago-style pizza, go no further than Chester Cab Pizza (707
Park Ave., 244-8211, ChesterCab.com). With deep-dish
pies that stand taller than what you’d find at Uno’s, the original location
opened in 1982 opposite SeabreezeAmusement
Park. Chester Cab also offers traditional pizza,
thick Sicilian style, thin, and low-fat pizzas. Keep an eye for their coupon
deals. Delivers throughout downtown.
Sinbad’s
Mediterranean Cuisine (719 Park Ave., 473-5655, MySinbads.com) captures all
things Greek in one menu, with specialties such as the Farrouj plate of
marinated Cornish hen and melintzano pasta with eggplant, olives, toasted pine
nuts, feta cheese, and herbs. Kabobs, pitas, salads,
appetizers, and soups also available for dining inside and out.
Pizza and
more is offered at the Dragonfly Tavern (725
Park Ave., 563-6333, DragonflyTavern.com). Build
your own pizza, order the Dragonfly Plate with burger, housemade mac, and a
pile of fries, or grab a calzone with house-made red sauce. Eat in or take out.
Catering, too.
In Rochester,
I have only to say the word “Abbott’s” and you know that I’m talking
about frozen custard (733 Park Ave.,
271-0430, AbbottsCustard.com). My standing order is a small twist with
chocolate sprinkles. You already know the choices.
If it’s
coffee or coffee cocktails you’re after, hit Boulder Café and Lounge (739
Park Ave., 697-0235, BoulderCoffeeCo.com). Boulder
has five local locations, including one at the Public Market. Take note – all
drinks are posted on-line, but aren’t all listed on the menu boards in the
store. Live high and order a Millionaire’s Coffee, created from espresso,
spirited with Bailey’s, Kahlua, and Frangelica, topped with whipped cream. Even
so, their decaf, straight, no cream is downright reliable.
Two steps
east of Boulder, and it’s Baker
Street Bakery (745 Park Ave.,
241-3120, BakerStreetBakery.net). At the shop, owners Bill and Mary Ellen
Leonardo are aprons-on and familiar with their customers. I must confess: I’m
addicted to the artisan breads, raspberry-almond tartlets, iced sugar cookies,
croissants, blueberry-cheese kuchen, and black olive individual pizzas.
Everything is baked fresh daily on the premises, and can be eaten in or taken
out.
Next door at
F. Oliver’s Oils and Vinegars (747 Park Ave.,
244-2585, FOlivers.com) you will find more than 40 varieties of oils and
vinegars, imported for purchase on a bottle-to-order basis. At home, I’m
already coursing through F. Oliver’s sage with wild-harvest mushroom olive oil
and raspberry treat dark balsamic vinegar, and there’s no shortage of product recipes
on the store’s website. Tastings any time you drop by.
On the same
block is Wine Sense (749 Park Ave.,
271-0590, WeDefineWine.com). Owner and self-described “wine geek” Michael de
Jong was in the house when I dropped by, and he welcomed City readers to join
him for wine tastings and good conversation every Friday 5-8 p.m.
This article appears in May 9-15, 2012.
