In the restaurant scene, closings aren’t anything new. It’s the nature of the industry: new places sprout up all the time and other locations lose their leaves. Back in September, though, the popular Italian bistro Tony D’s closed its doors following the unfortunate deaths of co-owners Chris DeGrazia and Tony DiCesare, and it loudly reverberated […]
Dining Feature
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New tavern adds another piece to changing East End
Jeff Boscarino has a long, impressive resume in the Rochester restaurant and bar scene. His credits include being the former owner of Bosco’s Bombay Bicycle Club back in the late-80’s and early-90’s (in the space now held by Lux) and Paradise Alley (now The Scotch House Pub). Most recently, he was the owner of Richmond’s, […]
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Sinful Sweets adds a devilish edge to its creations
About an hour before opening on a Sunday morning, Ryan Swift labors over hashtags for an Instagram post. Swift, the owner and driving force behind Sinful Sweets (258 Alexander Street), pays close attention to the details when it comes to his cakery. The ingredients, the execution, the pun-inspired names; nothing is left unexamined. Swift is […]
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Honeoye Falls Distillery finds art in its spirits
Teal Schlegel, head distiller at Honeoye Falls Distillery, is a bit of a chemistry nerd. But despite all my questions about the distilling process, it’s clear that Schlegel wants to focus on the craft rather than fixating solely on the science. “It’s funny that you latch onto my obsession with the technicals of it,” Schlegel […]
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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 […]
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What’s coming in local beers this winter
Last winter, Genesee Brewing’s Salted Caramel Chocolate Porter was everywhere. The porter became one of the bestselling beers at Wegmans locations across seven states, boosted by a feature in Wegmans’ Menu Magazine. Beer drinkers around Rochester were eagerly talking about the porter because of its distinctive, successful combination of flavors. It is not hard to […]
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After beer release, Rochester brewers continue to build collaborative
It almost reads like a recipe. Combine 10 Rochester breweries, various hops, yeast, and some collaboration. Brew and let ferment. Yields 20 barrels of India Pale Lager. In August, 10 local breweries — Roc Brewing, Stoneyard, Swiftwater, Naked Dove, Knucklehead, Rohrbach, CB Craft Brewers, The Lost Borough, Three Heads, and Genesee Brew House Pilot Batch […]
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Gluten Free Chef’s Calvin Eaton takes on Main Street mission
A bubble of activity surrounds Calvin Eaton, and pearls of sweat circle his face during a sultry summer afternoon. Inside 540WMain, a community center in Rochester’s Susan B. Anthony Neighborhood, Eaton is helping facilitate the work of three artists and two teenage interns. 540WMain is a Swiss Army knife of a community center. Inside, there […]
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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 […]
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Local food gets an artistic spin
Three relatively new businesses on the Rochester food scene, Relish, Fruit Belt Seltzer, and Burwell each offer an artful take on gastronomic pleasures.
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Young NYWCC executive chef drives locally focused program
A modest crowd has gathered under the open-air tent in the garden behind the New York Wine and Culinary Center on a balmy Friday evening in early June. Servers in starched uniforms offer cucumber cups from blackened slate slabs and pour glasses of chilled white wine for guests in linen dresses and pressed collared shirts. […]
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Region’s newest cidery is a family affair
It all began with an old stump in the backyard. That’s where Elise Smith Barnard and Eric Smith’s father and late uncle used to hide their homemade hard cider from their wives. The phrase “let’s go blow up some stumps” became code for backyard swilling, because the cider was so strong. Decades later, Barnard and […]
