With Thanksgiving upon us, I have something a bit outside the norm to be thankful for. South American food is woefully underrepresented in Rochester right now, but along with the more established Espada (Brazilian) in Village Gate and Juan and Maria’s Empanada Stop (Chilean), the Colombian-based Empanada Shop is one of a small selection of […]
Rochester Restaurants
Saha Med Grill finds a fast, healthy balance
When Sami Mina opened Aladdin’s Natural Eatery in 1979, he was one of the first to introduce Mediterranean cuisine to Rochester. Now, Mina is marrying the taste and health benefits of the Mediterranean diet with fast-casual dining in his latest venture, Saha Med Grill. The first location opened on University Avenue in September 2014, the […]
Tapping into good beer
Regardless of what you think about the style of the College Town development, it has become the immediate dining and social hub for the University of Rochester crowd. Most of the bases are covered within the College Town confines, including a selection of chain establishments, a stylish Italian restaurant, and the only grocery store in […]
Bubble tea and sushi are at the center of Bubble Fusion
The origin of bubble tea goes back to the late 1980’s, when a product development manager for a teahouse in Taiwan poured her tapioca dessert into a glass of cold Chinese tea. The drink — which is usually tea mixed or shaken with fruit and with tapioca balls added, or some similar variation — has […]
Italian restaurant Fiorella finds fresh home in Public Market
If you’re opening a restaurant that focuses on fresh and local ingredients, is there a better location than the epicenter for fresh and local in town, the Rochester Public Market? Gino and Allison Ruggiero didn’t think so when they opened Fiorella (5 Rochester Public Market), a new, casual, Italian eatery. Gino worked through the kitchen […]
A spicy โhidden gemโ for Chinese cuisine
Tsingtao House could easily be missed while driving past, but the restaurant serves authentic Sichuan-style cuisine worth the attention.
VOTE NOW: Best of Rochester 2015 Final Ballot
The 2015 Best of Rochester survey is now closed. Thank you to all who participated. Check City’s October 28 issue on stands or online for the final results! It’s time to revisit the Flower City. We’re all guilty of it: sticking to our favorites. We all have our go-to restaurants and hangouts, our favorite bands […]
Slow down, you move too fast
Growing up in New Hampshire, Chef David Buchanan’s mom would slice bacon she got from a neighbor down the road, and fry it up in a cast iron skillet. After the bacon was crisp, she’d swap it out for eggs, cooking them in the rendered bacon fat. Then, she’d toast slices of bread in the […]
Roots in Pittsford
“Organic.” “Local.” “Sustainable.” There are certain buzz words that pop up for pretty much every restaurant that opens these days.
Going back to Greece
The “coming home” theme is a common one when it comes to telling the story of where people decide to open restaurants. Mark Chiarenza grew up in Greece and after being involved in opening and running various establishments in Rochester (Murphy’s Law, Nikko, Char at the Strathallan), he decided he wanted to open his next […]
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 […]
Park Ave nostalgia
The Frog Pond
652 Park Avenue
Monday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Tuesday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
271-1970; eatatthefrogpond.com






