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Rochester Dining
Posted inCulture
Sushi and the sunset
Let’s just get this right out of the way: The view of downtown Rochester from Hattie’s Restaurant at the Strathallan (550 East Avenue) is not to be missed, especially as the sun sets. Standing on the rooftop — a cocktail in hand is optional — and gazing at our fair city as the day ends […]
Posted inCulture
Wolf in burger’s clothing
Over the last several years, Rochester has welcomed several gastropubs to its dining and imbibing scene. Included in that burgeoning group — and offering fine company to such notables as Tap and Mallet, Lovin’ Cup, Victoire, and ButaPub — is Blu Wolf Bistro, which opened in 2013 on the corner of Park Avenue and Berkeley […]
Posted inCulture
Charming cocktails
When you see the large wooden doors from the congested Village Gate parking lot, Nox already has a distinct feel that is markedly different from other cocktail bars in the Rochester area. As a self-proclaimed “nerd pub,” the names of the drinks, food, and even the name of the business come from different literary and […]
Posted inCulture
Nouveau Italian 101
The name Del Monte has long been synonymous with hospitality in Rochester, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that they have opened a restaurant in College Town in the new Hilton Garden Inn. Grappa (30 Celebration Drive) opened on June 30 and features “upscale, casual, modern, Italian cuisine,” according to Erica Standish, the restaurant’s director […]
Posted inCulture
Red sauce done right
There is something about the sauce at Antonetta’s that grabbed me right from the first bite of the slow braised pork ($6). The pork was cooked in the house red sauce and the combination led to a fantastically simple dish with a surprising amount of depth. That’s not to say that I had low expectations […]
Posted inCulture
A permanent parking spot
Anyone who is familiar with the food truck scene in Rochester knows Marty’s Meats: the popular sandwich truck is a fixture downtown and at office parks and food truck rodeos. A new brick and mortar location at 703 Park Avenue, Marty’s on Park, allows owners Marty O’Sullivan and Paul Koecheler an opportunity to expand their […]
Posted inCulture
Balancing act
East/West Kitchen’s take on fusion is unexpected: Vietnamese meets Russian meets American. This seems to be a result of its owners’ respective heritages and backgrounds — Alex Zapesochny brings Russian influences; Thuan Pham and Tai Lee bring Vietnamese flavors. It’s also co-owned by Andrea Lanphere, and her son, Keith Finch, is the executive chef. A […]
Posted inSpecial Sections
Grain to growth
Just inside the entrance of Black Button Distilling on Railroad Street — right next to the door that separates the business’s product and bar area from the back room packed with barrels and equipment — is a large poster board that lays out Black Button’s process. The simple diagram walks the viewer through the distilling […]
Posted inSpecial Sections
Bean to cup
In 2012, City contributor James Leach wrote about three new coffee shops in Rochester that were roasting, brewing, and selling their coffee all in house, a relatively new concept: Joe Bean Coffee Roasters, Canaltown Coffee Roasters, and Java’s at the Market. Fast forward to 2015 and I had the chance to interview the owners of […]
Posted inCulture
ROUND-UP: Lighter bites
After weeks of holiday feasting on cookies, cakes, eggnogs, and ham with all the trimmings, I like to reset my palate in the new year by eating lighter foods. That’s not code for dieting; it’s seeking out foods that are lighter in flavor, the way Swiss cheese is more delicate than Parmesan, or lighter in […]
Posted inCulture
A sandwich greater than the sum of its parts
Roast beef on kümmelweck, better known simply as beef on weck, is a humble sandwich. It’s a venerated staple in Buffalo-area restaurants and taverns, yet mysteriously, has not taken a solid foothold in the Rochester area in the way that Buffalo’s other culinary pillar, the chicken wing, has. Beef on weck consists of only three […]
