Rochester- is there anywhere to eat?

[steakandeggs]

I just moved to Honeoye Falls (outside of Rochester) from Boston and I think I'm in a culinary hell... there is no good food anywhere. please please please help. a good place for buffalo wings? I grew up here, and there was an abundance of crisp, fried then seasoned (not sauced heavily) buffalo wings. now all I can find are wings with tons of sauce on them. a place for sandwiches, a place for eggs, a place for bagels- I'm desperate here, people!

[The Rogue]

There's a branch of the supposedly great Dynosaur BBQ in Rochester. 99 Court Street

Link: http://www.dinosaurbarbque.com/

[Josh]

Cant find good food in Rochester? Man you gotta me kidding us....

Give me some specific types, and i'll give you places to try, but here's a few:

BAGELS!: Bagle Bin, or Bagle Land (Both in 12 corners as you said) are the two favs. Also within walking distance from the two, are Brownsteins (just 100m to the right down monroe, on the right side, towards the MOBIL station if you're standing at Bagle Land's doorstep facing the street). Also there's Malek's, a jewish bakery, same directions as Brownsteins only its 150m's and its on the left).

Indian: Thali of India, Win-Jeff plaza (jefferson and winton) -- The best, where all the indians go.

Dim Sum: I love Golden Port (East Ave, right across from the eastman theatre)

Sushi: Tokyo has the best in my opinion, others mentioned California Rolln' (Village Gate) which is more american fare sushi.

French: 2Vine (back parking lot to The Little theatre)

Italian: Lucano's (Culver and East), Bacco's

Fusion: Tapas 177 - fun stuff like warm calamari salad, good chef, free salsa lessons thursday night

Greek/Med: Sinbad's (Park Ave), Mykonos (Village Gate)

We've got plenty more, from african to asian varieties. See what you think of these places and get back to us.

[steakandeggs]

I posted that a while ago, and have been out since...

tried bagel bin and the bagels were nice, excellent chew- a solid place. I have to admit, I've been getting bagels at wegman's- I;'ve fallen in love with their cheese/garlic bagels- I know, not at all authentic, but with hummus and pepperdews on them- mmmmm.

went to 2vine last night, as a matter of fact. great space- I love the open ceilings, although it did get a little hard to hear at the end. The country pate was excellent- nice anc chunky, nice touch on the plate with the grilled bread, they had blue point oysters which were good, but a little bit flat in flavor (as if they sat in a cooler for too long), I had a special salad with smoked salmon and fricasse that was delicious, just the right amount of a creamy dressing, and my partner had a caesar salad that she loved, very traditional, more oily, with lots of anchovies in the dressing (I'm more of a creamy caesar fan). I had the duck, which was pan seared, nicely done at medium rare, very simple, no hidden flavors, just duck and nice duck at that, with a wheat berry rice salad that I devored it was so tasty. had little bits of pommegranet in it that was perfect. She had mussels and was disappointed- they were very clean, very fresh, but so little broth with so little flavor it was just like eating a pile of steamed mussels. we split the cream bruele, which was fine, a nice touch with it in a chocolate bowl- I've had better, but not many. Overall, the whole meal was wonderful. my only real complaint- the wine glasses were pathetic. now, they don't have big expensive wines on the menu, which is fine, but to serve a wine- any wine- in a tiny glass cheats it of whatever it could possibly be. My favorite touch- antique style glass bottles of tap water they bring to the table (you can then fill your own water, which is nice for me, I drink a bunch of water at any meal). makes it feel special.

I've been to Pearl, but only for lunch. I think the decor probably looks more funky in the dark- looks a little tired (especially for a relatively new place) i n the light. I've had the calamari- which is very good, but the pieces are so small, and the dish so large, they're all cold by the time you get to the bottom. minor issues, as they are light, perfectly crisped, and the dipping sauce is a nice ginger/soy which compliments it well. I tried the grilled romaine- the newest version in what to do to make caesar salad not be caesar salad, but still have the flavors- a head of romaine is grilled, and then the anchovy dressing and fresh parmesean is put on top. Now, as I said, I'm not a fan of oily caesar salad dressings, but this, with the roasted flavor of the grill on the lettuce, and the brightnes of the cheese, was excellent. worth a try. whatever else I had has melted away in my memory (I went in early Jan.) so it must have been fine, but not outstanding. It was lunch, so I didn't really look at the wine list, nor did I see what stemware they used.

I asked about mexican, and we're off to try Salena's tonight- hope they are kid friendly, 'cuz I'm bringing three with me (who LOVE their mexican food).

someone recommended the D and L lounge (? or was it D and D) in scottsville- I drove all the way over and the place looked like you could have filmed The Accused in it- trucks with gun racks, small building, full lot at noon- I wasn't walking in alone. which makes me mad, as I'm sure they have great wings. Instead I went to Jeremiah's tavern, (on monroe) and their wings are the ones of my memory- crisp, not too saucy, and firey hot. good blue cheese on the side. I didn't try anything else there, wings were the only thing I cared about.

I've printed out your list, and as I go, I'll post my thoughts...

[jmf]

Bagels: So, so at best.
Indian: Thaili isn’t bad. The nan/pori definitely needs some work.
Dim Sum. Havent been to Golden Port.
Sushi: This has GOT to be the WORST category for Rochester “food.” I wouldn’t feed my cat anything from California Rolln', and Tokyo is barely better.
French: 2Vine had two fair experiences here, and one appalling.
Italian: Lucano's, Bacco's: Haven’t been to either
Fusion: Tapas 177. What ever. (always be highly suspicious of a place that offers free salsa lessons (which is a dance form that isn’t Spanish by the way)).
Greek/Med: Sinbad's (Park Ave), Mykonos (Village Gate). How bad can you screw up pureed chickpeas and eggplant. Not awful, but certainly nothing that can be called “good.”

[zundel]

Wings - D & D on RT. 383 towards Scottsville. Also Distillery on MT. Hope Ave. Subs at Amiels on West Henrietta Rd. Eggs at Jay's Diner also on W. Herietta Rd. Burgers are good at Don's Original on Monroe Ave. just drive on doen RT. 65 to Rt. 31.

[steakandeggs]

thank you thank you thank you... I drove down monroe ave last night and saw a sign for bagels (in twelve corners) with a sign that said, "water bagels" I have renewed hope.

will let you know how the hunt goes...

[JJ]

Dinosaur BBQ is about the only redeeming quality of Rochester. It is up there with some of the best BBQ I have had.

[chris]

Hi,
I've been in Rochester for two years and have found some redeeming places.

I agree that The Distillery is very good for wings, my favorite are the garlic wings.

MacGregors on Gregory street is great for burgers and has a great beer selection, also a nice atmosphere.

The old Empire Brewery by the Kodak headquarters is now Bru, and has very good food and their own microbrew. Maybe my favorite.

Rohrbachs out west on Old Buffalo Road has good German food, also their own microbrews.

The Dinosaur is also very good for barbeque and music but invariably busy (3pm is the best time to go there).

There's an ok sushi place on North Goodman (I can't remember the name), also Plum House on Monroe is pretty good.

There's great Thai and middle eastern food on Park Avenue - Essan and Sinbad's.

Rochester also had a pretty genuine English pub - the Old Toad, with great beer and English style foods (the waitstaff are interns from the UK).

Have fun with these.

[Hender46]

Finally...after reading through all of the usual posts about local Rochester cuisine (Dinosaur BBQ, Rohrbachs etc.) I do have a couple secrets to share. I have been decidedly non-plussed with Rochester quisine since moving here 7years ago. I have found a little treat though. Oasis Bistro and Wine Bar on Monroe Ave. It is tucked away and serves phenomenal Mediterranean dishes at rock bottom prices. There is a little older fellow who owns and runs the place and he periodically pops out of the kitchen to ask you how the meal is. I had the marinated beef kabobs with the hummos platter for an appetizer. It was stellar...the real treat was the curried rice with raisin side though. It was perfectly cooked and the raisins gave everything a sweet, tart flavor. The whole meal for my companion and I was around $35 WITH a bottle of quality Merlot...you really can't beat that.
As far as other dining is concerned...don't believe the hype (Red Ozier is far over priced and most of the other bistro-style pricey places are not worth the money). If you want the best...you have to drive. The Conesus Inn (45min due south of Rochester) has a 4star menu top to bottom and the best prime rib you will ever eat (and I have tried them all from Chicago to Boston). It is pricey, but when you want the best, you gotta pay.

[elbo]

We just moved from NYC.... Put us in the "culinary hell" camp, with a duly noted exception for Dinosaur BBQ.

What passes for sushi is abominable.

[steakandeggs]

I only came from Boston.. you must be very very sad.

there are a few bright spots... bagel land in 12 corners has decent bagels. golden dynasty is a chinese place in a strip mall on Clinton ( I think... there is a web site, so look it up) has pretty good chinese. Jeremiah's Tavern on Monroe Ave has good buffalo wings...

there are plenty of pretty good places. just nothing amazing. I mail order cheese from fromaggio kitchen, chowder from legal seafood. and I cook at home all the time.

[elbo]

Yeah...very sad when it comes to matters gastronomic.

We, too, have started concentrating much more seriously on our cooking skills. On the plus side, you can get good fruits and vegetables here pretty easily, which could be tricky in NYC (more so than in Boston, in my experience). On the negative side, getting decent seafood seems to be impossible, for all intents and purposes.

I didn't know Legal will do mail order. Thanks for the tip--I'll have to look into that....

Keep on cooking.

[steakandeggs]

and so will formaggio kitchen- great cheese shop. (formaggiokitchen.com)

seafood... if you find a place, let me know. the only good thing I've had was dry scallops from wegmans- they were big, with tendons on, and very fresh. I sniffed before I bought and they didn't blink an eye.

[elbo]

In our experience, the seafood at Wegman's (including the fancy one in Pittsford) is generally pretty bad. There are exceptions, like the higher grade tuna, but they tend to be in the $20/lb range, which is a bit ridiculous.

We did find a little place called Captain Jim's at the corner of Main and Winton which has some fresh fish. We cooked salmon last night that was certainly better than the stuff they push at the Weg. Not everything there looked uniformly good, but we're cautiously optimistic that if we choose carefully (and shop on the right days) we'll be able to get some decent seafood. Apparently they also have a great fish fry on Friday nights.

Regards!

P.S. Don't know if you go for the fancier restaraunts, but we had a really awful dinner at 2 Vines last week (soggy frites, greasy squid, tasteless salmon, and the place was LOUD). A real drag--we'd been there 3 time previously, and had a pleasant meal on each occasion. Sigh.

[steakandeggs]

will try Captain Jim's... thank you.

I wish I could say we've found something else good, but, alas, no. We did go to 2Vine, and overall,really enjoyed the meal. It wasn't Rialto's or Lumiere... or anything even close, but with lowered expectations... I have been told that the Rio Bamba is the best place in town- that doesn't make me want to run out the door...

blech to Dinasaur BBQ. the ribs were bad, and my four year old makes better corn bread from a jiffy mix.

I had some treats from the Little Bakery (my son's class went on a field trip and some apple strudel made it's way home), by the Little Movie theater, and it was quite promising- I'm going to go stop by this weekend and get some croissants...

Needless to say, I miss boston and the food I completely took for granted.

[eatingzen]

Here is an article that appeared recently in a Toronto newspaper that seems interesting.

ROCHESTER, N.Y. - There's at least two sides to every good story. This tale, a hunt for delicious, cross-border food, begins on the north side. For
outsiders, that's code for the "poor" part of town.

North Clinton Ave. Friday afternoon about 1 p.m.
Fresh off the thruway from mild-mannered Toronto and famished, the vibe is foreign.

Scattered clutches of men linger along the desolate street. Storefronts that are alternately open, boarded up and burned out. Houses with boards nailed
over street-level windows. Cars slink down the street with plastic tarps covering smashed-out back windows and Latin music pulsating from souped-up speakers.

"Tired and afraid because someone you love gambles?" billboards proclaim.

"R.I.P. Pucho," graffiti shouts, lamenting a burned-out grocery.

Then, a beacon: Chimos Sandwich Shop (1038 North Clinton Ave. at Avenue A, 585-266-1405). Flags flutter outside the earth-toned storefront - American, Puerto Rican, Dominican, Mexican and Cuban. Bright colours - yellow, blue, red, green - splash through a tropical scene painted on an exterior wall.

"No drugs. No loitering," warns a notice above the door.

Inside, a riot of sensations. Sights (people of all ages, colours, genders in a patient, polite lineup). Sounds (upbeat, inviting music). Smells
(succulent pork).

Nothing fancy. This is a "cheap and cheerful" joint. So, let's dig in to pollo al horno (baked chicken), pollo guisado (stewed chicken), bistec (steak) or plantains. Nah - roast pork and yuca will do the trick. Finger-licking shredded pork on buttery yuca. And a Cubano sandwich of ham, pork and turkey with fixings on a long Dibella bun, grilled and flattened.
Yum scrum. And just $4 U.S. each. The sensory memory of the pork lingers for days.

"My husband's secret is his seasoning - he won't let anyone else mix it. And his secret is the way he stabs the pork lots of time and rubs the seasoning
in," confides Margarita Martinez-Montero.

"And he only deals in fresh meat - never frozen."

Seasoned pork shoulders on the bone are roasted at 450F for two hours, then refrigerated overnight. The next morning they get another three hours in the
oven, and remarkably stay moist before being shredded for sandwiches.

Owner Freddy Montero has one other trick to maintain Chimos' deliciousness level - he's a control freak who does the shopping instead of relying on
deliveries.

The payoff? Devoted customers.

"We have lots of people in here all the time," says Freddy's Rochester-born wife Martinez Montero. "Different kinds - whites, blacks, Latinos. We have people from Xerox and Kodak, and young people from different places. Everybody comes into Chimos."

Even tentative tourists? That remains to be seen when the Rochester-Toronto ferry launches in May. Nicknamed the Breeze, it can carry people and
vehicles across the lake in just over two hours. (You still have to clear customs and immigration). It's not cheap, though: The one-way fare will be
$38 for an adult to walk aboard, or $54 for most cars plus $27 for each adults in them. (See www.catsfastferry.com.)

Rochester, a "typically American" city in tourismspeak, has a population of about 220,000 people. Statistics say whites make up 50.2 per cent, blacks 40.1 per cent, Asian, mixed and "other" the rest. The Latino population is estimated at 28,000 in the city, and almost 48,000 if you count the
six-county region.

North Clinton Ave. - a.k.a. La Avenida ("the avenue") - is a beacon for these Puerto Ricans, Cubans, Mexicans and others from Spanish-speaking
countries. There are groceries, restaurants and bakeries (Carolina Bakery, 1195 North Clinton Ave., has spectacular Latin pastries. A 10-minute drive
away, Sabor Bakery, 850 Merchants Rd., has even more temptations).

"You can go to Puerto Rico and everybody there will have heard of North Clinton Ave. in Rochester," says Martinez-Montero. "A lot of people come here and don't even speak English. They know if they get lost, just go on Clinton Ave. and we will help them."

Her husband, Freddy, arrived illegally in 1983 from the Dominican Republic. Needing a fake name, he created Chimo, from Kimo Sabe, the name Tonto called
the Lone Ranger. Now living legally as a landed immigrant, the ex-office cleaner and his wife (a former home health aide) have run Chimos since 1996.

They keep crime at bay. They're only open until 5 p.m. Nobody has graffitied their wall mural. Police are called if people loiter nearby.

Martinez-Montero does double duty as president of the North Clinton Avenue Business Association. It tries to beautify the stretch between Upper Falls
and Ridge Rd., and "to have businesses run legitimate business." Thus you'll see flower pots and planters, colourful paint jobs, banners, more security
cameras and a broom and dust pan project.

Nearby, the groundbreaking for "La Mercata," a Latin market and mall, is expected this summer.

And yet, there are Rochesterians who've never ventured to the north side. "They think about us as lower-class, inner city and in the ghetto," concedes
Martinez-Montero. "But here among ourselves we have everything - professionals, lawyers, doctors."

Latinos like to live out loud. That likely means cruising down Clinton Ave. in a convertible, dancing outdoors and socializing loudly.

And no matter what, Chimos offers a friendly respite where Martinez-Montero makes people "feel at home."

Here's another side of Rochester - the west. There is an economic and ethnic diversity here that's taken for granted in Toronto, but absent in parts of
suburban America.

There aren't as many Latinos here, but there are plenty of African Americans. Again, it's a lower-income part of town where Rochesterians don't
tread if they don't have to.

Not Adam Wilcox. The restaurant critic for City, an alternative newsweekly, he writes a column called Gut Instincts (www.rochester-citynews.com) and
eats all over town.

While Wilcox affirms "they're trying hard up there" on North Clinton Ave. "to change perceptions," he says the southwest area (from the city's west
end into Gates, Chili and Henrietta townships) is more racially and economically integrated. Still, some people (friends even) are perplexed
that he considers it a dining destination.

His current favourite soul food spot is Unkl Moe's (493 West Ave., 585-464-8240), where meals are made to order by Moses "Unkl Moe" Smith and
his wife Bernice, and "the quality shows." His favourites: sweet, buttery yams, collard greens with chicken or ham hocks, crisp and piquant fried
chicken, dry-rubbed barbecued ribs, barbecue turkey and fried okra.

The okra is, in fact, sensational and not at all slimy. It's dusted with spiced corn meal, deep fried, drained well, dusted with more spice and
sliced. It offers soul-satisfying crunch. Turkey is slow-cooked on the outdoor barbecue, deboned and smothered in a brown sugar-based sauce (a
health-conscious vinegar-based version is on tap).

"We're family and community oriented and we cook at a level above most restaurants," says Moses Smith. "We use the best products, stay away from
sodium and sugar, and do everything from scratch. We don't buy products that are processed." His menu promises "gourmet food prepared with the
health-conscious in mind."

Unkl Moe's is near a Tops supermarket in an otherwise desolate stretch, but Smith hopes it will spark interest in what he calls the West End Historical
District. "A lot of people think it's high crime, but it isn't. We cater to the church and the mature crowd."

Despite the fact that 40 per cent of Rochesterians are black/African American, their food isn't properly promoted or considered mainstream. Smith
"made a delivery to one of the hotels just the past weekend and saw they have a book with all the restaurant menus. I said I was going to try to get
in there because a lot of people are looking for ethnic food and it's nowhere to be found."

And yet Essence magazine ranked Rochester among the "Top 10 Cities for Black Families," according to the Visit Rochester guide. Mayor William A. Johnson
Jr. is black. And while the local paper, the Democrat and Chronicle, reviews
black-owned restaurants, its Rochester's Choice Awards ignores them (and
Latin ones) while fêting Asian, Greek, Indian, Italian and Mexican fare.

Budget dining in lesser-trodden parts of town may not be for everyone, but
Unkl Moe's sweet potato pie certainly is. In fact, it deserves its own
award.

Downtown Rochester is another (small) side of the story.

It's a typically American tale of a business core that was once flush with
success until suburban malls snatched away customers, and assorted other
factors stole its soul. Now it's little more than a place to do business by
day, and for tourists to hunker down for the night.

But downtown is home to one thing any city would be blessed to have:
Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, a "genuine honky-tonk rib joint."

Like any decent Rochester food story, this one has edge. In 1983, three
bikers "bound together by the love of good food, a 55 gallon drum cut in
half, and a serious case of wanderlust" started Dinosaur (according to
www.dinosaurbarbque.com).

They slung barbecue for five years at motorcycle shows, fairs and festivals
- to ensure their compatriots had decent grub - before creating a takeout
joint in Syracuse in 1988. Next came a liquor licence, cocky waitresses and
live blues. In 1998, Dinosaur Bar-B-Que (99 Court St., 585-325-7090) scored
a second branch on the banks of the Genesee River in a 1905 train station in
Rochester.

You can smell it almost from the nearby Hyatt Regency: The unmistakable,
mouth-watering scent of meat in a wood-fired, outdoor smoker.

The Dinosaur is always abuzz. Maybe there's a biker swap in town, and the
Harleys are lined up outside. Or perhaps the parking lot's full of SUVs and
beer-swilling students sitting on the red picnic tables.

Inside you can "pig in" or "pig out" (grab a seat or go for takeout). The
music is loud and lively, and the late-night live blues is always free.
Bikers, locals, suits, tourists co-mingle.

Platters groan with food. Racks of marinated pork ribs come with honey hush
cornbread and two of 15 possible homemade sides (try the cajun corn). It's
the same deal with the luscious smoked prime rib. In a hurry? The BBQ Texas
Beef Brisket Sandwich will slay you with its tenderly sweet slices of meat
under a mess of cooked onions.

You'll want to eat all your meals in Dinosaur's feisty embrace. But alas,
the meals are too rich, too sweet and too much.

America: For some it really is the land of plenty.

No question, Rochester has edge. It shows up by day, when you notice that
streets filled with cars and buses instead of people don't seem very
welcoming. It shows up by night, when you feel uneasy venturing out into the
desolate streets. And yet Rochesterians are mild-mannered and polite like
Canadians, but blessedly more easy-going than most Torontonians.

Some say this is a city on the downswing that's riddled with crime and
bleeding jobs. They say Rochester has little to offer locals, much less
tourists.

Well, that's one side of the story. But only one. Here's one more - the
hipster East End, home of SPoT Coffee (200 East Ave. 585-613-4600,
www.spotcoffee.com).

This Buffalo-born business took over the vacant art-deco Hallman Chevrolet
showroom and transformed it into a spectacular coffee house with a soaring
ceiling and style to spare. What a perfect place to lounge over caffeine,
and ponder the nuances of Rochester.

Jennifer Bain: jbain @ thestar.ca.