(585) magazine May-June 2021

Veg out DIALED IN

A guide to the season’s fresh new trends p. 8

GROW

How to be a better ally during Pride p. 12

EXPLORE

An aweinspiring family tree house p. 18

TASTE

This vegan restaurant may surprise you p. 58

VEG OUT

$3.95

2021 MAY • JUN

HOUSEPLANT GROWERS UNITE! p. 38

May June 2021 585mag.com

MAKE THESE DIY BATH BOMBS p. 42

Rediscover Your

ROCHESTER MALLS

Spring Merchandise has Arrived!

Buy Now and Take Home Today.

Curbside Pick-Up/Buy Online Pick-Up in Store Available.

Visit website for details.

A COMPLETE LIST OF STORES AND TODAY’S HOURS ARE JUST A CLICK AWAY! WWW.ROCHESTERMALLS.COM

EXTRA

MAY | JUNE 2021

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTIONS & SUPPLEMENTS

34

48

Style .............................47 Rochester trends to look out for

Kids ..............................48 Getting your kids to “eat the rainbow”

Features

Craft beverages ............51 Upcoming events and local libations

28 Veg out!

Our version of “veg out” is fresh, bright, and eco-friendly. Read how Rochester keeps things green through community compost, mushroom growth, cultivating houseplants, and self-care.

Stories by Arlene Hisiger, Mary Rockcastle, Erin Scherer, and Emmalee Wolf

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12

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Garden .........................54

Tips and tricks to perfect your summer garden

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Veg out DIALED IN

A guide to the season’s fresh new trends p. 8

GROW

How to be a better ally during Pride p. 12

EXPLORE

An aweinspiring family tree house p. 18

TASTE

This vegan restaurant may surprise you p. 58

HOUSEPLANT GROWERS UNITE! p. 38

May June 2021 585mag.com

Dialed in

Grow

Explore

Taste

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10

18

58

8

By Christine Green

By Dawn Kellogg

By Ashley Mason

By Tanvi Asher

Five things allies should know about LGBTQ+ Pride

Around town

By Regan Wagner

What2Where

Reviews may vary

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By Jeannie Gainsburg

14

Design to fit the landscape

By Donna DePalma

16

Juniper boutique

By Michelle Shippers

An awe-inspiring escape

20

A fresh canvas

By John Ernst

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May/June 2021 | 585mag.com

62

Rediscover the Rochester Public Market

Colored balls, mallets, wickets, and stakes

By Naz Banu

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By Pete Wayner

by Donna De Palma

Experiential living during COVID

By Amy Riposo

Plus, the (585) “Do list”

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A Natural Oasis for many

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Rum’s ship comes in Plus, our handselected (585) dining guide featuring rotating recommendations

MAKE THESE DIY BATH BOMBS p. 42

ON THE COVER

Photo by Greg Hollar Styling by Tanvi Asher Design by Josh Flanigan

In every issue 5

Deadlines, Hello (585)

77

Index of advertisers

78

Seen

Photos from (585)’s March/April happy hour

80

The energy

By John Ernst

6 times a year

FOOD & DRINK CULTURE DESTINATIONS PERSONALITIES ENTERTAINMENT Clink! Drinks at home DIALED IN

POP! Shop Jewelry’s stand-out style p. 8

GROW

A loud, silent protest piece in Rochester p. 16

EXPLORE

Something new in Sibley Square p. 24

TASTE

An ancient and modern remedy p. 70

THREE LOCAL MIXOLOGISTS ON WHAT TO DRINK p. 34 A DRINK REVIVAL AT THE FORMER FAIRPORT CAN FACTORY p. 44

March April 2021 585mag.com

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Contributors Tanvi Asher

Dawn Kellogg

Naz Banu

Mary Rockcastle

is a Rochester-based fashion and industrial designer.

She is the owner of Shop Peppermint and Salty boutiques.

Publisher & Editor Jane Milliman Creative Director

is a software engineer by day and a food appreciator by night (and day). She is often seen trying to convince people to try the spicy salsa for once. Follow her on Instagram at @tablefornaz.

Josh Flanigan

Managing Editor Regan Wagner Production Manager Caroline Kunze Editor-at-Large

John Ernst

Graphic Designer Cathy Monrad

Donna De Palma

Staff Photographers Tomas Flint, Michael Hanlon

John Ernst

Contributing Amy Riposo, Pete Wayner Photographers Contributing Tanvi Asher, Naz Banu, Writers Donna DePalma, John Ernst,

Jeannie Gainsburg, Christine Green, Dawn Kellogg, Ashley Mason, Amy Riposo, Mary Rockcastle, Erin Scherer, Carolyn Sperry, Pete Wayner, Emmalee Wolf Proofreader Phyllis Mangefrida Editorial Intern

is a freelance writer based in Rochester.

Sarah Killip

is a writer and graphic designer based in downtown Rochester. Email him at john@johnmwrites.com.

Jeannie Gainsburg

is a 585-er and awardwinning LGBTQ+ educator, consultant, and author. If you’re seeking more ally tips and information on how to create LGBTQ+ inclusive spaces, check out her book, The Savvy Ally: A Guide for Becoming a Skilled LGBTQ+ Advocate.

is a Rochester city resident, likes to celebrate everything that the 585 region has to offer, and feels fortunate to live in such a great area! is a reformed horse girl who has never kept a secret her entire life.

Erin Scherer

grew up with Seneca Lake in her backyard and wrote about Lake Tunnel Solar Village in the May/June 2019 issue. She lives in Geneva.

Carolyn Sperry

is a wife, mother, and freelance writer who is looking for a beekeeping mentor this year.

Pete Wayner

is a food- and beveragecentric content creator based in Rochester.

Emmalee Wolf

is co-founder of Mom Balm, Rochester native, DJ, bartender, plant enthusiast, and self-care advocate.

Christine Green

Vice President of Sales Caroline Kunze Advertising Sales Beth Anderson, Terri Downey

is a freelance writer, teaching artist, and writing coach. Learn more at christinejgreen.com.

What we do: Clink! Drinks at home DIALED IN

POP! Shop Jewelry’s stand-out style p. 8

GROW

A loud, silent protest piece in Rochester p. 16

EXPLORE

Something new in Sibley Square p. 24

TASTE

An ancient and modern remedy p. 70

BUFFALO - ITHACA - ROCHESTER - SYRACUSE

The Bulletin of the American Iris Society

Winter 2021

THREE LOCAL MIXOLOGISTS ON WHAT TO DRINK p. 34 A DRINK REVIVAL AT THE FORMER FAIRPORT CAN FACTORY p. 44

Site assessment for busy people Healthy, vegetarian stuffed peppers Plant-based strategies for supporting pollinators FREE

Volume Twenty-seven, Issue Two March-April 2021

UPSTATE GARDENERS’ JOURNAL - 1501 EAST AVENUE - ROCHESTER, NEW YORK 14610

Volume 102, No. 1

March April 2021 585mag.com

Newsstand price $9.95 USD

www.irises.org

(585) magazine Upstate (585) Kids Gardeners’ Journal

(585) Hot Off the Press Custom Publishing Happy Hours

Amy Riposo

Ashley Mason

is nerd for food, wine, and travel. She works for a digital advertising agency and enjoys discovering new bottles of bubbly.

See more of her work at ashleymason.blog.

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May/June 2021 | 585mag.com

is the founder of Rochester A-List, a hub for connecting people to recommended food, drinks, entertainment, and wellness in Upstate New York. She organizes food-centric events, bringing like-minded people together to share and explore local food and drinks.

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FEEDBACK We’d love to hear what you think! Send us an email at jmilliman@585mag.com or mail us at Letters to the Editor, 585 Magazine, 1501 East Avenue, Rochester, NY 14610.

DEADLINES FOR LISTINGS Calendar listing deadlines for our upcoming issues are as follows: For July/August 2021 issue: May 15 For September/October 2021 issue: July 15 For November/December 2021 issue: Sep. 15 For January/February 2022 issue: Nov. 15 ADVERTISING If you’d like to learn about advertising in an upcoming issue of (585), you can view our advertising rate card and mechanical requirements at 585mag.com—or call Caroline at 413-0040.

ON THE WEB Visit 585mag.com to take a tour of the current issue, get exclusive webextras content, check online calendar listings, and review our dining guide.

Hello (585) As we were getting ready to go to press with this issue, as I do with every issue, I read it in its entirety straight through—and with every page, if I do say so myself, I became more and more impressed. “Wow!” I said, “This is really meaty!”

At which point I laughed out loud, because this issue is all about vegetables.

In fact, the word “vegan” appears thirty-six times, something I would have not thought probable even five years ago. But I like to think Rochester is more advanced than your average city in the cuisine department, and I’ve tasted firsthand many delectable plant-based dishes around town. If you are a vegetarian or a vegan living here, or even if you just like veggies, your choices are many and varied.

I also noticed the term “public market” quite a few times (twenty), which is pleasing—I’m a big fan of the Rochester Public Market, and I know many readers feel the same way. If you aren’t, chances are good you haven’t been there. Go! Naz Banu, our adventurous eats columnist, wrote a guide to many of the tasty treats you can find at the market, starting on page 62, and that’s a good place to start.

And yes, I know there are lemons on the cover, and yes, I know lemons are not vegetables. We just liked the image, yet another fab collab by Tanvi Asher and Greg Hollar, our What2Where dynamic duo. Plus, the model is vegging out.

Thanks, as always, for reading—

PS) Please look for our brand-new title, (585) Kids, wherever you pick up free magazines, and Upstate Gardeners’ Journal, now in its twenty-sixth year, wherever you buy plants.

FIND US ON

PLEASE RECYCLE THIS MAGAZINE ... OR PASS IT ON! PRINTED BY

Jane Milliman, Editor-in-Chief (585) May/June 2021. Published six times a year. Published bimonthly. Copyright ©2021 by JFM Publishing, LLC 1501 East Avenue, Rochester, NY 14610. Telephone (585) 413-0040. Fax (585) 413-0296. All rights reserved.

Reproduction of any text or graphics without written permission from the publisher is prohibited. Send change of address to JFM Publishing, LLC, 1501 East Avenue, Rochester, NY 14610. Domestic subscription rates: $12/one year, $18/two years. Single issue: $3.95 U.S. Newsstand distribution is handled by Wolfe News Service, Inc. (585) assumes no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts. A self-addressed stamped envelope must accompany all such submissions for possible return.

585mag.com | May/June 2021

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Dialed in Around town | What2Where

Around town

By Regan Wagner

The return of RoCo 6x6

Rochester Contemporary Art Center (RoCo) has announced that its well-loved 6x6 exhibit will be returning in-person this June.

The exhibit premiered in 2008, quickly gaining popularity with thousands of artworks submitted by celebrities, international and local artists, designers, youth, and community members alike. Not only is the exhibit popular, but it is also an important fundraiser for the center. Funds raised contribute to future exhibitions.

Artworks can be of any medium, in 2D or 3D form.While the art center previously allowed unlimited entries, they began to receive hundreds of works by the same artists. Consequently, the limit is

now four works per artist. Each piece, regardless of design or artist, sells for twenty dollars. Pieces are displayed anonymously, so your best guess may find you a diamond in the rough!

In the past, celebrity artists in the 6x6 exhibits have included the late U.S. Representative Louise Slaughter, Olympic fencer Felicia Zimmerman, sculptor Wendell Castle, and Rochester mayor Lovely Warren.

RoCo invites the entire community to participate in this International Small Art Phenomenon. In-person viewing of the exhibit begins on June 9. More information is available at roco6x6.org.

Headwater takes community food access head-on

As the coronavirus pandemic has impacted communities throughout New York state, Headwater Food Hub has taken the situation as an opportunity to be a help to the community.

The company has been collaborating with organizations and farms statewide to provide fresh foods from local farms to families in the area. In 2020, the organization distributed approximately three million pounds of food to different organizations.

In 2021 the Headwater Community program partnered with Nourish New York to connect New York state growers with New York state consumers.

Through this partnership, hundreds of antihunger initiatives were able to purchase meal ingredients for families in the area. The organization has been active in its support of antihunger initiatives and regional agriculture, keeping everything local in the meantime.

This regional food network creates an enormous impact that benefits the whole upstate New York

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May/June 2021 | 585mag.com

region. Most of the produce distributed to families in the area comes from small regional farms. The idea of a local supply chain keeps fresh, local food in mind, which can then be quickly and efficiently delivered across the state.

Dialed In | Around town Not your mother’s flea market

The Lucky Flea Market is coming to town, and its lead organizers, Sofia Cerankosky and Chris Rapoza, are partnering with Restaurant Good Luck to bring you a modern spin on the traditional local flea market.

Located at the corner of Carlton Street and Anderson Avenue, this market will host more than thirty vendors each week offering vintage and handmade goods including food, coffee, local art, and more. It aims to bring a new social retail concept to Rochester, focusing on providing local creatives with a platform to operate as a collective.

The market will occur every Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., beginning May 30 and running through June 27. Each week will feature new vendors and support a different local cause.Visit theluckyflea.com for more information or follow @theluckyflea on Instagram to stay in the loop.

Adirondack Railroad to offer six-mile railbike adventure starting in May

Photos provided

Vulnerability as superpower

Jackie Davis’s hit webcomic, Underpants and Overbites, is going analog! Vulnerability Is My Superpower: An Underpants and Overbites Collection follows Davis’s potato-shaped character in a sweet, relatable diary comic about self-discovery, mental health, relationships, and childhood. This book will be the third she has published, following her first, Two Years of Underpants and Overbites, and the more recent I Made 100 Comics in 100 Days.

Davis has been creating comics since the age of five, and her creativity has not gone unnoticed. Her social media following has exceeded 135,000 and she has more than 600 paying Patreon subscribers, with more than 145 comics published on the platform.

Underpants and Overbites began as a way for the artist and cartoonist to work through difficult moments in life while also capturing the hilarious, wonderful parts. This comics collection is for anyone who struggles with self-confidence or just likes to scrutinize the curious workings of relationships, routine, and why we do the things we do.

Starting this May, adventuring through the Adirondacks may begin to look a little different. Adirondack Railroad announced that this year it will offer a six-mile railbike adventure. This new outdoor experience will help New Yorkers enjoy the beauty of the Adirondacks at a more leisurely pace.

The opportunity to ride the rails also makes the Adirondacks much more accessible. Living close to such natural beauty is a wonderful opportunity, and this specific activity allows for people of all ages and physical capacities to explore remote areas of the Adirondack Park. The Adirondack Railroad is observing all appropriate COVID-19 protocols, and the railbikes are sanitized between each use.

Bill Branson, board president of the Adirondack Railway Preservation Society, weighs in, saying: “Railbikes are a great way to explore the Adirondack Mountains as you pedal along the scenic rails.”

The railbikes are four-seat pedal-powered vehicles designed to help explore sections of the track closed off to other traffic. The ride lasts from one and a half to two hours long, depending on how fast you pedal.

One of the highlights of the journey is the view! This experience offers a unique sightseeing opportunity for visitors, so be sure to bring your camera. For more information or to book your railbike adventure, visit adirondackscenicrailbikes.com.

585mag.com | May/June 2021

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Dialed In | What2Where

Simplified elegance

A guide to this season’s bright new trends

By Tanvi Asher

This summer, more than ever, we’re yearning for clothes that make us feel happy, comfortable, and secure. These dresses go above and beyond, from the jewel-toned robes of Lisa Marie Fernandez to a white-hot linen slip by Gabriela Hearst. It’s time to celebrate freedom of movement and vitality of color, wherever we may spend our summer this year.

Upcoming spring and summer trends predict frivolous abundance taken to voluminous new heights. On the runway we saw excess fabric maneuvered into bubble-like silhouettes, forming protective layers around the wearer as a timely socialdistancing barrier. Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garçons took the lead in perfecting the amorphous shape, with sheaths of black fabric draped across figures in cape-like cocoons. Simone Rocha and Angel Chen followed suit in similar dark palettes, the latter sprucing up the silhouette with a spattering of tiedye. Ashley Williams took a romantic, tiered spin on the trend, with multiple layers of red that were cinched with neat, pink bows. Molly Goddard wrapped tulle around a more structured, baby doll silhouette.

Simplified elegance is fast emerging as this season’s biggest theme, and Chloe’s Natacha Ramsay-Levi is the latest to join the movement. “This is not a destination show,” she said of her Paris runway. “There’s a reality to it.” As such, Chloe’s Spring/ Summer 2021 collection returned to brand basics with a lessis-more embrace of French femininity grounded in believable daywear.

This season, Chloe’s bohemian aesthetic took the backseat for a measured balance of tailoring and “flou”—the signature term for Chloe’s louche, flowing cuts. Menswear silhouettes were given a feminine aura, appearing as relaxed suiting and polished separates in soft and muted colors. Layering techniques mixed textures and volume for contrast, such as silk boxers under shorts and puffy long sleeves pulled through tapered blazer cuffs. And when floral dresses did appear, they featured delicate micro-prints of soft-spoken appeal, sometimes worn over trousers to downplay the sweetness.

I certainly want to go outside in those frivolous woven Bottega Veneta dresses, swinging those delectable chain-strung micro pouches from the Chanel catwalk and trotting down the street in those fabulous Miu Miu beaded mules. The time will come when you can wear a dramatic gown with cape-detailing and not feel like an extra in a Zoom-based, am-dram production.

But for now, there are jolly stripes, off-the-shoulder tops, and voluminous skirts to keep you amused. Time to play dress up with the Spring and Summer 2021 trends.You’ve got the time.

PHOTOS: GREG HOLLAR WORDS & STYLING: TANVI ASHER APPAREL: TOPSHOP MUA: LAMANY CHANTHAVONG HAIR: CASSANDRA BARTOSCH MODEL: CAROLINE ZIMMERMAN

A big thank you to Inn on Broadway (26 Broadway St., Rochester) for allowing us to use their honeymoon suite for this shoot.

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May/June 2021 | 585mag.com

Dialed In | What2Where

585mag.com | May/June 2021

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Grow

Literary arts | Pride | Design | Small business

Reviews may vary

Dr. Kenya Malcolm holds no bias against books

By Christine Green

Let’s face it, there’s no resisting a good story. It doesn’t matter if that story comes from binge watching Netflix, hear ing spooky tales around a campfire, or listening to a favorite podcast while driving to work. Dr. Kenya Malcolm loves stories, too, and she gets her fill of them through books. Lots and lots of books.

No, really. She read 126 books in 2020.

Malcolm is a clinical psychologist at the University of Rochester Medical Center and serves as the director of Early Childhood Initiatives for the Department of Psychiatry. When she gets home, she relaxes with a good book.

“I don’t watch TV at all, or almost at all,” she says. “I’ll watch something as long as it’s not a whole movie. Or, if I’m in the mood for a movie, it’s usually something we (she and her family) have watched before.”

Not watching much television frees up her time to enjoy the stacks of books she picks up from the public library or has in her own personal collection.

What she reads can vary based on recommendations from friends and fellow book lovers, as well as ones she stumbles upon while searching for new books.

“I also tend to read based on my mood. And I tend to read based on what other people are talking about,” says Malcolm.

Malcolm holds no biases against genres. Romance, speculative fiction, young adult, middle grade, nonfiction, and many, many others are all fair game. Malcolm is willing to give almost any book a fair shot, and because she reads so much so quickly, she is willing to try a variety of different titles.

“If I was somebody that was only getting through one book a month, let’s say, I’d want that one book to be really good. But 10

May/June 2021 | 585mag.com

Photo by Michael Hanlon

Grow | Literary arts because I’m going to read a lot, thirty percent of the books I read I wouldn’t recommend to anyone.You know, it can be like, ‘Oh, I like that cover, I got a hole in my bookshelf, let me grab that.’ Or, when I go to the library, I might take four or five to add to the four or five I already picked up, and then I’m probably going to read eight of those ten because there’s not enough time in my life.”

Or iginally Malcolm’s social media accounts were personal with occasional book and theater reviews. But, over the course of the last several months, she changed her focus to book content, particularly on Instagram. At just over 6,200 followers, Malcolm is becoming quite the “Bookstagram” star.

“The last ten months I’ve gained like 5,000 followers, because it’s concentrated content. I think that once you start getting into a community of anything, it really inspires you to be more aware of what’s happening, and read books and share books and all those kinds of things in a different way.”

Her Instagram (@reviewsmayvary) is filled with sumptuous images of books, tea pots, and glimpses of her personal card catalog cabinet. Her reels range from fun videos of her unboxing stacks of books she’s ordered online to brewing tea in one of her many cool mugs.

Around the same time her Instagram account gained ground, she started a YouTube (aka BookTube) channel for all things books, including reviews. Each video is a concise glimpse into Malcolm’s literary life. It’s a great way to get some book recommendations and feel like you’re sitting with a friend, talking about your latest library or bookstore finds.

It’s clear that Malcolm engages with her followers on all of her social media platforms out of her sheer love of books and not for any type of accolades or special attention. It’s that authenticity that draws her followers to her, says Monroe Community College English professor Tokeya C. Graham. Graham has known Malcolm for ten years.

“She’s controlling her own narrative about books and ‘Bookstagraming’ and curating these spaces about her love of literature and everything that she does that is literary related. She always brings her full Kenya self, and I think that’s the thing that’s so appealing to people, is that she is so authentically herself: kooky, quirky, interesting, creative, colorful, selfdeprecating, take-no-stuff. You get all of that on all of [her] platforms,” says Graham.

Chris Fanning,director of communications and special events at Writers & Books,

met Malcolm about fourteen years ago when they were in a book club together.

He, too, believes that her passion and love of books is what makes her so good at ‘Bookstagraming,’ ‘BookTubing,’ etc.

“The thing that just marvels me about Kenya is she works at a hospital. She has this high-stress job while also having a family and then reads, you know, a hundred books a week. So she is clearly someone who, as a consumer of literature, is making time for it,” says Fanning.

“It’s not something she is getting paid for.

This is a passion, it’s not a hobby. People who read books are hobbyists, sure, but then you have these people who just have this insatiable hunger for consuming the written word, and I believe that that is a camp that Kenya falls into.”

One might think that someone so devoted to books and who doesn’t really watch television might be, well, a snob about it. But anyone who knows or follows Malcolm knows that she is anything but a snob when it comes to books or reading in general. For her, it’s about storytelling.

“I’m judged less for reading a lot of books versus people who watch a lot of TV, because they think it’s not as good,” says Malcolm. “But I think about storytelling more broadly. Watching things is about hearing stories, too.”

She also notes that for some, reading poses challenges, and so they get their fill of stories in other places. It doesn’t make them less intelligent or informed, though.

“A lot of people feel like reading is more work, and it can be if you’re not used to it.

But I don’t think of it as superior.”

And some people just do not like books, and for Malcolm there is simply nothing wrong with that. “I think we all have different strengths and skills and all of those kinds of things. And if somebody says ‘I’m not really a reader,’ I think that’s okay.”

There are also several other reasons someone might not enjoy books the way she does, and none of those reasons are invalid.

“There are some books that [nonbooklovers] would want to read. But also there’s this element of they’ve probably never enjoyed reading, it might not be about the book or it could be hard for them. Or they prefer things in a different way. To sit down and read a book requires the sitting, the down [time], the reading, the comprehension, you know, all of those things. And not feeling comfortable with any one of those things makes reading harder.”

She continues on to say that human nature sometimes makes people want to put each other in easy categories and “us

versus them” is a comfortable, though not healthy or productive, place to sit.

“It’s almost defensive, though, right? Like, if I really like something, and you don’t, then it means there’s something wrong with one of us, and I need it to be you,” says Malcolm.

Graham often sees the same phenomenon around her. “I think that so many times we get into this space where we don’t have good esteem about who we are as people, and we look for anything to tear them down, whether it’s what they read, who they read, what things they’re talking about when they’re reading.”

She also points out that books and reading materials were historically denied to the Black community. “So being able to read or being able to write or having access to those things was a privilege. Even though it was always a right, it was a privilege because it was denied. Black people would be killed if they were caught trying to even learn their letters, or anyone caught trying to teach them their letters or how to read or how to write—they would be persecuted.

So, you have the stigma of that.”

Malcolm is a book lover but notes that reading and literacy is not just about books. She might encourage a child she is working with who may not like books to try a magazine, for example. And Graham notes that readers don’t just read books; they read websites, newspapers, and other media.

“If books are the only places that we think our stories are contained, then that’s problematic,” says Graham.

Speaking of storytelling beyond books, Malcolm is also a theater lover, but not just as an audience member. Fanning has worked with her for several years at Writers & Books during the 24 Hour Plays at Rochester Fringe Festival and is familiar with her as an actor and supporter of the theater arts.

“I’ve seen her in multiple productions and then again, of course, worked with her on twenty-four-hour plays. She manages, she does costumes, she’s on boards. And you know, of course, then you have the discussion of, ‘Well, isn’t theater part of the literary field? Don’t scripts and playwriting fall into the same genre?’ And they do! It’s just that extra step of taking the words off the page and bringing them to life through performance, and she can do that, which is not something everyone can.”

Malcolm is also the president of the board of directors for the Rochester Teen Book Festival. You can read her book of the month articles in Blaqueout Magazine (blaqueout.org) and find her on social media at @reviewsmayvary.

585mag.com | May/June 2021

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Grow | Pride

Five things allies should know about LGBTQ+ Pride

By Jeannie Gainsburg

LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, plus so much more!) Pride celebrations are a tribute to the past, a way to honor the warriors who paved the way for a better world, a jubilant celebration of sexual and gender diversity, and an unapologetic display of self-love that offers hope to those who cannot yet live and love authentically. Once a year, at Pride—for those lucky enough to live in a city like Rochester where it’s celebrated—LGBTQ+ individuals get to see people like themselves being out and proud and celebrating their existence. Cheers to that! Below are five common questions and answers about Pride that every ally should know.

Why is LGBTQ+ Pride important?

LGBTQ+ Pride is first and foremost a commemoration of the Stonewall riots. These riots began in response to a routine police raid at the Stonewall Inn, an LGBTQ+ bar in New York City. In 1969, it was illegal to solicit “homosexual relations,” and LGBTQ+ 12

May/June 2021 | 585mag.com

clubs and bars were subjected to regular police harassment and patron arrests. But on June 28, 1969, the patrons of the Stonewall Inn fought back. Transgender folks, lesbians, gay men, bisexual people, people of color, and allies created a unified front against the police.

The rioting and protests lasted for five days and are considered by many to be the catalyst that launched the gay liberation movement.

For this reason, June is LGBTQ+ Pride month.

FUN FACT: Although June is Pride month in the U.S., here in 585-land, LGBTQ+ Pride is celebrated in July. Reliable sources tell me this is because Rochester didn’t want to compete with New York City, Toronto, Buffalo, and Syracuse Prides, which all take place in June.

Photos by Bess Watts

Grow | Pride Why is there no straight Pride?

Quite simply put, there’s no straight Pride because there’s no need for it. There’s also no need for cisgender (i.e., not transgender) Pride. Straight/cisgender Pride, in a way, happens every day. Straight/cisgender people see themselves represented as accomplished, pr ide-worthy people constantly. It’s obvious to all that straight/ cisgender people have invented cool stuff, created awesome art, built tall buildings, and won Pulitzer Prizes. An LGBTQ+ child working their way through the average K–12 school system might get the impression that no LGBTQ+ person has ever done anything of consequence or contributed to our society. Although this is starting to change, LGBTQ+ people in general do not see themselves represented frequently and in a positive way in school curricula, mainstream media, films, news, or books. There’s no able-bodied Pride, White History Month, or ribbons for people without cancer for the same reason.

Are allies welcome at Pride events?

Yes! Allies are most definitely welcome to attend, enjoy, and volunteer at the big community Pride events like the parade and the festival. Allies should, however, be aware that some smaller events may be meant only for certain community members. Members of any marginalized community know that sometimes getting together in your [fill in the blank]-only space can be empowering, rejuvenating, and typically less exhausting than being in spaces where not everyone “gets it.”

Therefore, allies need to respect spaces where they are being asked not to attend.

Typically, these are smaller events that will specifically say that they are for LGBTQ+ community members only. If you’re not sure whether or not an event is open to allies, it’s best to connect with the event coordinator and ask.

Are there LGBTQ+ cultural faux pas that I should avoid at Pride?

There are indeed. Here are a few of the most common LGBTQ+ etiquette bloopers to avoid.

1. Using gendered language. Avoid using words like ladies, dudes, and sir, even if someone’s gender seems obvious.

You can really ruin someone’s Pride experience by misgendering them.

Instead, use words like friends, folks, and (if you can pull it off) y’all. Use singular they if you’re not sure of someone’s pronoun. For example: “Yes. They gave me their ticket already.”

2. Referring to the gay lifestyle. Living with eight cats is a lifestyle. Being gay isn’t.

There’s no gay lifestyle, just as there’s no straight lifestyle. It’s just who someone is.

3. Using the word transgender incorrectly.

The word transgender, and the shortened version trans, are adjectives.

Therefore, saying “a transgender” and “the transgenders” is incorrect. “A transgender person” and “transgender folks” are correct.

4. Attempting to label people. Humans categorize in order to make sense of the world, but I strongly recommend that you don’t attempt to categorize people at Pride (or anywhere for that matter).

When I’m at Pride I see people in all kinds of fabulous outfits and I have absolutely no idea who is bisexual, trans, straight, asexual, gay, cisgender—and, I’m sorry to say, you probably don’t either. At Pride, of all places, give people the space to just be fabulous without attempting to figure out their identities. When you’re heading out the door to a Pride event, leave your “gaydar” at home. Better yet, chuck it out. It’s a useless item.

POP QUIZ You’ve just realized that you’re guilty of having made one or several of these faux pas. You should (check all that apply): A. Give up. You’re obviously a terrible person and a hopeless ally.

B. Forgive yourself. We didn’t learn this stuff in high school.

C. Put in the work to get it right the next time.

Answer: B and C

What can I do during Pride month to show my support for the LGBTQ+ communities?

Organize an LGBTQ+ workshop or lunch and learn event at your workplace.

Show your support with ally buttons and pride flags. Organize a fundraiser for an LGBTQ+ organization like the Trevor Project or the Trans Lifeline. Ask if you can create a Pride display at your workplace.

Unfurl your most fabulous rainbow outfit and celebrate diversity!

HELPFUL HINT: Want to acknowledge people at Pride events but aren’t sure what to say? The appropriate greeting is “Happy Pride!”

Jeannie Gainsburg is a 585-er and an award-winning LGBTQ+ educator, consultant, and author. If you’re seeking more ally tips and information on how to create LGBTQ+ inclusive spaces, please check out her book, The Savvy Ally: A Guide for Becoming a Skilled LGBTQ+ Advocate, available on Amazon and through the Monroe County Library System. To schedule a workshop or to access free educational goodies, go to savvyallyaction. com.

You’re not a terrible person.

Everyone makes mistakes.

Being an ally is an ongoing journey of messing up, learning, and growing. So, make an appropriate apology when possible. Forgive yourself. And work on getting it right the next time. Check out Savvy Ally Action’s threeminute YouTube video “What to Do When You Mess Up” for tips on how to make an appropriate apology and strategies for getting it right the next time.

585mag.com | May/June 2021

13

Grow | Design

Design to fit the landscape Rick Hauser on design and sustainability

By Donna DePalma

I recently had an opportunity to talk with Rick Hauser, architect and founder of In.Site: Architecture about design and sustainability.

Hauser’s firm has won numerous design awards for its residential, commercial, and adaptive reuse and revitalization projects as well as its unique approach to site design.

What is your design philosophy? Can you describe some of the design tenets you follow?

A foundational experience that crystalized my design philosophy occurred after grad school—before my wife led me back to Western New York and her family’s farm.

We camped for three months, with a light tent in tow, out into the great American landscape. What I learned while camping built upon the education I received in architecture school. I had never traveled this country. By virtue of committing to a camping paradigm, I was able to reconnect with the landscape.

One of my basic design tenets is: when you approach a site, best to experience it as an outsider. The act of design is occupying a place. Pausing, observing, understanding 14

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patterns of sun, rain, wind, vegetation— the rhythm of a place—how to harness its natural energy systems is the first step when building.

How are you going to modify that space?

Be kind. Architecture and site design are an engagement with nature.

How do you interact with a place?

Principles like ‘do more with less, do no harm, leave no trace, value fuel, insulate well, support community,’ are just a few.

Finally, leave a place better than you found it. These are some of the principles that camping can teach us about architecture.

Was the experience of camping with your wife transformative in terms of your ideas about design?

That trip was more of an epiphany. My design philosophy was already there, but it was academic. I had always been connected to the outdoors. My mother was a gardener, and my father was a woodcutter.

While I was learning the art of design, we had projects, of course, but they were never built. So yes, this camping experience was immersive, real, transformative.

What are your views on the environment?

I’ve never thought about my views on the environment in terms of writing an environmental manifesto. What I follow is the principle of deep sustainability in my work. I am aware of the impact of architecture on the environment.

When you visit a national park, there is a sense of gratitude for the beauty of the place. You don’t have to be convinced not to leave a mark on such a place. Good design returns to fundamentals like living small with a keen focus on place.

For example, when you’re camping, you know where the constellations are, where and when the sun will be rising and setting. These observations spring from necessity: the necessity to stay warm, to know precisely where you are. The same principles are true when designing for a site.

How do you design for sustainability?

Some architects who specialize in sustainability approach it in a quantitative way: how much renewable energy will a house generate? How will I harvest

Grow | Design materials within 500 miles of the site? These are the technical aspects of sustainability.

My approach can be characterized by the phrase “long life, loose fit,” which encompasses an approach to design that considers the future of a building, not necessarily its immediate use but how it can be used over time.

What role does adaptive reuse and revitalization play in your notion of sustainability?

We maintain two studios at In.Site: Architecture, which are really two sides of the same coin: nature-centered design and what I call our Downtowns studio. I see downtowns as sustainable, micro-urban communities.

Vibrant villages and small cities leverage existing infrastructure, and adaptive reuse leverages embodied energy in existing buildings.

What’s unsustainable is building new buildings while abandoning existing buildings. It’s a relatively new phenomenon to design and build single-use buildings.

Historically, buildings were built for long life. Heavy timber structures and masonry were built with an intuitive understanding of adaptability. For example, a bank can be converted into a restaurant or an upperfloor meeting hall into residential housing.

We find ways to celebrate history when we approach a reuse project. These buildings have character, a history that evolves with each new chapter. We are just the next chapter.

Photo by Michael Hanlon

Can you give me an example of an adaptive reuse project that embodies the principle of celebrating history?

Yes, I’m looking out my window at one, just across the street from my office: The Landmark Society Award–winning Silver Lake Brewing Project in Perry, New York.

The building that houses the brewery was a horse stable in the early 1860s, servicing a hotel that was right behind it. In 1909, the stables were transformed into one of the first theaters that showed silent movies.The theater was nicknamed the Horsitorium.

Several iterations later, the building houses a community-owned brewery, whose design process unearthed and showcased the building’s quirky pedigree.

How do you approach a site?

With respect. It’s a listening process and a response to what the site has to say.

You designed a nature center on the edge of the rainforest in Madagascar. How did that project come about? What was the experience like?

Madagascar was an amazing opportunity for us. It was a transformational experience from its beginnings. The mission of NamanaBe Hall (which won an AIA Design Award) was to create a hub at the edge of the rainforest that would draw international scientists to gather and research what remains of the rainforest flora and fauna.

Built with local granite and brick, the four-story nature center gets its power through hydroelectricity, uses non-loadbearing walls for future adaptability, and has a planted roof. The higher purpose of the design is to inspire scientists to come and study there.

There’s a large drama unfolding in Madagascar. At least ninety-three percent of the rainforest is already gone. It was strange driving for hours across land that had once been rainforest. Seeing terraced rice paddies and rocky outcrops in its place was quite a sight.

I see the design of the nature center as a way of framing the natural world there.

We designed multiple spaces for gathering.

The laboratory and dorms are on the lower three floors. When you venture to the top of the center, a cantilever balcony serves as an outdoor gathering space to commune with nature, if you will. In the off-season, the center now serves as a health center.

There’s a landing site on the roof for drones that are piloted to small settlements where they pick up blood samples to be tested in the lab: a great example of the motto “long life, loose fit.”

Do you find you have to educate your clients about sustainability when it comes to residential design?

We are lear ning about the power, opportunity, and priorities of design with each project. Residential design requires a close, intimate relationship with our clients. We discuss strategies as we listen to the things they love and hate. I want to design homes that excite, surprise, inspire, and have a real connection to place.

I believe that today’s clients are more environmentally conscious than clients were ten years ago. Many come to us already understanding the language of sustainability.

We have been lucky to have amassed projects that represent our design principles.

These projects attract like-minded people who have an interest in sustainable design.

Design often speaks when words can’t.

The design process is a methodology that takes you from words to something more concrete.

You studied landscape architecture and then architecture? How did your interest in architecture evolve?

If you are creative, you start channeling that pretty early in life. I was always in the garden with my mother and in the woodyard with my father.

I was steered toward Cornell University, which had an incredible program in landscape architecture. I won a one-year fellowship to study landscape architecture in the UK after college. I was given a bank account and a car. I drove all over to cities and gardens and architectural meccas in Europe.

After that experience, I decided to pursue a degree in architecture. I met my wife, who was a fourth-generation dairy farmer.

I knew I would wind up in Western New York and we’d live in a rural setting so that, too, went into my decision process.

How does your rural locale inform your design?

I’ve learned from the vernacular here.

I’m ensconced with clients who choose to build in an agricultural landscape that’s been forged by generations of farmers.

Farmers consider how, where, and why to build. And they build with a sense of rhythm, scale, transparency, integrity, and Economy with a capital E. Do you believe it’s possible to leave a mark on a site while respecting the environment?

Architecture is an act of atonement.

Building consumes resources and energy.

We are human, and yes, we have to build.

It’s not a matter of if but how.

How do you atone for that? I say, build with a deep respect for a place. That’s deep sustainability. Not just checking the boxes, but that principle creates environmentalists.

Are you in the vanguard, or is this the direction of architecture today: net zero, green, small footprint?

I’d love to say I represent the mainstream [with] the way we approach design— quality versus quantity, smaller but better— but I’m not sure that’s true. I’d say it’s a good time for such awareness in our region.

Our timing is good.There is a critical mass.

People are poised, ready.

Is there a dream project you still would like to design and build?

We live in a beautiful old village home.

It’s been great to raise a family here on leafy, tree-lined streets. I dream of building a house on our farm someday. But every project we do is a dream project, as I see it. I have so much fun. I fall in love with every project.

585mag.com | May/June 2021

15

Grow | Small business

Juniper Gifts

Irondequoit store focuses on local artists and community building

By Michelle Shippers

Juniper Gifts + Local Art 620 Titus Ave. 471-5656 juniperny.com For fifteen years, local real estate agent Erica Walther dreamed of opening a boutique that would feature unique gifts and the work of local artisans. Whenever she traveled, she would look to see what 16

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kind of items other shops carried. She met local artists and artisans and suggested collaborations. Eventually, she made a business plan, found the perfect space in Irondequoit, and planned to open Juniper in early 2020. Then, COVID-19 hit the community. Plans changed.

“I had to think on my feet,” says Walther.

“While we couldn’t open our doors, I had an online shop right away. I started [using]

Facebook Live to promote products. People started buying online or calling me to purchase, and I would deliver.”

It’s been more than a year since Walther was forced to pivot on a moment’s notice.

While many small businesses haven’t survived, Juniper is gaining more attention every day.

“We tend to attract people who want to shop local and support a community-based

Grow | Small business Moon Naturals (natural body products), House of Roushey (floral illustrations and lettering), Ink and Pine (design), Bathbombs for Charity (a startup by two local teenagers), and much more. Walther sees supporting local makers as another way to support the community, especially during the pandemic.

“Juniper isn’t just about buying things; it’s about community,” she says. “My vision is to provide a space that inspires people.

The best part is working with other small business owners.”

In the post-pandemic future, Walther plans to offer events at Juniper such as crafting workshops and life skills classes taught by local experts. In support of local authors, she also wants to offer a workshop on selfpublishing. For now, she is finding creative ways to build connections, such as offering private shopping parties for small groups and building rapport with customers and vendors through social media.

“It’s about bringing people together,” she says. “That’s the beauty of small business. It’s about having the ability to help others.”

Photos by Michal-Kathryn Photography

business,” says Walther. “We don’t have a ton of boutique shopping like Juniper in Irondequoit, and I wanted to offer something unique.”

While Juniper carries typical boutique items such as gifts, home décor, and items for infants and young chidren, Walther sets the boutique in a class of its own by featuring work by local makers and artists.

In the years leading up to opening the shop, Walther would browse local festivals such as the Clothesline Festival at the Memorial Art Gallery, meeting artists and exchanging business cards. She was on a mission to stock her shelves with unique and beautiful items made by people who live and work in our community. Part of her business model includes pop-up events featuring even more work by local artists as well as local authors promoting new books. While COVID has lessened the frequency of the pop-up events, Walther ran several outdoor events over the summer and looks forward to offering them again.

“I’m happy to invite people to the shop to promote their work and reach more people,” says Walther. “They invite their friends and followers, and it benefits both the shop and their businesses.”

Some of the items available at Juniper by local makers and artists include Lake Ontario Press (printmaking, t-shirts), Mona

585mag.com | May/June 2021

17

Explore Outside | Business | Sports | Neighborhood

An awe-inspiring escape Exploring Roger Awe’s family tree house

By Dawn Kellogg

Who among us has not dreamt of building or owning a tree house? A place of escape, safety, imagination—a dream home in the backyard. Many of us have read The Swiss Family Robinson, seen the movie, or visited Walt Disney World (where it is a popular attraction), and thought: “I could totally live here!”

Tree houses can be found all over the world. Built originally out of necessity, they were practical shelters and homes, keeping loved ones and food safe from predators and floods. In Indonesia today, some tribes still live up high in Banyan trees, with homes large enough to accommodate up to ten members of a family.

In the Middle Ages, monks used tree houses for meditation. Dur ing the Renaissance, tree houses were very 18

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popular among the Italian gentry as an ornamental and functional garden feature.

In Tudor times, Queen Elizabeth used her tree house for dinners. England boasts Pitchford Hall in Shropshire as one of the oldest existing tree houses in the world, built in the seventeenth century. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, well-heeled Parisians would flock to Le Plessis-Robinson, a commune located in the suburbs, famous for its treetop restaurants and rose-covered taverns.

Roger Awe’s tree house on his property in Webster is enviable. Born in Hell’s Kitchen in Manhattan and raised in New Jersey, he didn’t have a tree house when he was young. However, Awe didn’t suffer from a lack of imagination. “We would save cardboard boxes, put them together,

cut out doors and windows, and make our own forts,” says Awe. He and his wife, Jean, moved to Webster from New Jersey in 2008.Their son attended Rochester Institute of Technology, met and married his wife, and settled permanently here in Rochester, welcoming a son, Nathan, soon after. With their other two children in Ohio, Roger and Jean had a five-year plan to move to the Rochester area and purchased a four-acre property, complete with a 2,000-square-foot barn built in the 1900s and an 1,800-squarefoot white farmhouse. In 2011, they built a new home on the land in place of the farmhouse.

Awe is a big fan of Treehouse Masters, which airs on Animal Planet and is hosted by master tree house builder Pete Nelson.

Photos by Suzanne Neace Photography

Explore | Outside

In 2009, Awe said to his grandson Nathan, “One day, your grandpa is going to build you a tree house in the backyard.”

Five years later, Awe had the same conversation with his grandson. “You’d better get started,” said Jean. In 2014, that’s just what he did. Awe purchased plans from Pete Nelson and adapted them to fit the location that he had chosen for his tree house. Working on it in sections and mostly on weekends, it was completed two years later.

He will never forget the moment when his grandchildren first entered the twostory tree house with its cozy stone fireplace. “The look on their faces was unforgettable,” says Awe. Awe sent pictures of his completed tree house to Pete Nelson and a year later got an email. “They were writing a blog about tree houses around the country, and they wanted to include mine,” says Awe. “I was completely surprised and thrilled.”

When the tree house is not hosting their three grandchildren (Nathan, seventeen; Kaitlyn, fifteen; and Breana, twenty), it’s the centerpiece of entertainment at Roger and Jean’s house. They are social bugs, and although COVID-19 has put a hold on gathering and entertaining, they look forward to the day when they can welcome their friends back to their home and tree house.

Awe’s favorite part of his tree house? “My wife and I like to sit on the back deck of our house [and] turn on the lights in the tree house, so that they glow like a lantern.

Looking at it from the outside, you just want to go there and not leave.”

The barn, too, has been a project for Awe, and he has recently renovated this unique space and has made it ready and available for events.

Roger and Jean are very community minded (Roger is a member of Kiwanis), and the couple has hosted several charitable

events in the red barn, including donating the space for a Gigi’s Playhouse fundraiser.

They are also delighted to throw open the doors of the red barn for party and wedding rentals. They have restored a Western chuck wagon that rests on-site, as well as a gazebo and fountain. (The tree house itself is not available for rental or open to the public.)

Today, public tree houses are indeed places of escape—unique locations for restaurants, hotels, teahouses, and children’s playgrounds. But Awe’s advice to anyone thinking of building a tree house?

“Just do it.”

The magic of the tree house will never lose its charm, whatever age you may be.

“The tree house [speaks to] the inner child in all of us,” he says.

For more information on renting Roger Awe’s Red Barn, contact Jean Simone at redbarnfarms375.com.

585mag.com | May/June 2021

19

Explore | Business

A fresh canvas

City Blue Imaging plans new leadership and dedication to the community after devastating fire

By John Ernst

Anyone who keeps up with local news knows that on Christmas Eve 2020, City Blue Imaging burned to the ground.

But it doesn’t end there. City Blue—in many ways—is more alive and futureminded than ever. Like most companies, City Blue rolled with the punches throughout 2020: losing clients, losing employees, but keeping its head above water. “The fire made us think about what life would be from a completely blank slate,” says company president Mark Cleary. Left spaceless, equipmentless, and paperless, “we immediately started to think about what might arise and how to move forward.” To Cleary, an important part of City Blue’s new

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Explore | Business

The Do List | March/April Except where noted, all events take place in area code (585).

Have an event of your own to publicize? You can add it to our online calendar at 585mag.com. You may also e-mail details Many of the great options in our to rwagner@585mag.com. calendar are offered at no cost.

Due to COVID-19 resttrictions, some events may be Keep an eye out for Honest Abe. postponed or canceled—check with organization.

He’ll point you to FREE events.

ONGOING

MAY 7-9

MAY 8

The Changemakers Exhibition

Pink Ribbon Walk and Run

Adirondack Railbike Adventures

ONGOING

and will receive reiki, a conscious energy healing.

The experience will help rebalance your energy and give your nervous system a chance to calm down. No yoga experience is required.

This session will also focus on the heart chakra, aiming to increase feelings of love and connection. Space is limited, but those who register within twenty-four hours of the live session will be sent a recording.

Photos by Shawn Dunwoody except top left, opposite page, provided

The Changemakers: Rochester Women Who Changed the World

beginning was passing the torch to brother-in-law and long-time employee John Mealey. And according to Mealey, observing Cleary’s leadership over the past sixteen years makes him feel prepared for the role. “Mark’s savvy approach and his care and devotion to this business really set the bar more than anything else,” he says. Aside from his business sense, Cleary is also known by friends and family— and anyone with the good fortune to run into him in public—for his eccentricity and sense of humor, another quality Mealey intends to maintain in his leadership. “Mark’s instilled in all of us some level of irreverence and fun—that’s the vibe at City Blue.”

After starting 2020 off with sixteen employees and hitting a low point of five, the Scio Street print shop is finally back up to a staff of eleven. After such a tumultuous year—even before the fire—Cleary and Mealey aim to establish a sturdy business model with builtin flexibility. Part of that means not rushing the process. “There’s no hard date for the transition,” Cleary says. “John has already started handling a lot of the duties I would normally be doing, like equipment purchasing and dealing with leases.”

Cleary always imagined that in retirement he’d become more active in the arts community. “Not that I’m retiring!” he’s quick to point out, “but the fire accelerated that plan a little bit.” With that Christmas Eve fire, Rochester lost more than printing equipment.

“A result of the fire, beyond a ninety-five-year-old business, was [losing] this building that had all this amazing artwork on it, much of it by Shawn Dunwoody,” Cleary says. “He was able to paint his messages on the wall of his love for Rochester and the hurt he was feeling around events like George Floyd … so, the night of the fire, what I saw burning a lot was the murals and the hard work of all these people. That was almost as distressing as the thought of losing the business.” Cleary will commission Dunwoody to paint new murals and rebeautify the space after so much was lost in the fire. “I’m hoping we’ll have a lot more canvas for Shawn and anyone who wants to express themselves and paint with a fresh new wall,” Cleary says. “I remember people using the space near it for yoga, rallying around it, or taking selfies in front of the murals. It’s an important part of the community.”

A community that the new person in charge says he understands now from a deeper perspective. “The feedback and support from the community after the fire was so strong,” Mealey says, “it reinforces in my mind a couple of things. One, the beauty of this community and the strength and the good-natured, immense decency that runs throughout this community.” The other, he says, is City Blue’s responsibility to pay that goodwill forward. “We want to reflect the love that was shown us and the outpouring and concern that was shown us. That will be a big part of what we do as a company that lives—and I hope thrives—in the Rochester area.

Celebrate the stories of more than 200 Rochester women, past and present.

The Rochester Museum & Science Center’s third floor is dedicated to the struggles and hard-won victories of Rochester women, with hopes to inspire more to carry the work forward.

Through May 16. Rochester Museum & Science Center 657 East Ave. (rmsc.org)

Art Exhibits

Stacey Steers: Night Reels features animated collage films presented within mixed media sculpture. Films will also be projected on a large screen in Multipurpose Hall.

Through June 6

Carl Chiarenza: Journey into the Unknown showcases this Rochester-based artist’s entire career. Chiarenza transforms his photographs into new images, which often hardly resemble the actual subjects.

Through June 20

One Hundred Years Ago: George Eastman in 1921 offers a glimpse of George Eastman’s life and work detailing what he was focused on in 1921.

Through January 2, 2022.

George Eastman Museum, 900 East Ave. (3274940 or eastman.org)

MAY 1

Keep Calm & Brunch

Take out or dine in at Mullers Cider House for brunch, every Saturday 11 a.m.–3 p.m. Some favorites on the menu include mimosa flights, Belgian waffles, and avocado toast. Make sure you don’t miss out on this breakfast extravaganza.

Mullers Cider House, 1344 University Ave. (287-5875 or mullersciderhouse.com)

MAY 2 Energy Reset

Join Meg Burton Tudman in a virtual energy reset workshop. You will practice meditation and breathing techniques and gentle yoga

Virtual event (contact and register via megburtontudman.com)

MAY 7–9 Pink Ribbon Walk and Run

Help fight breast cancer virtually in this year’s twentieth anniversary Pink Ribbon event. Participants can walk or run anywhere, anytime, over Mother’s Day weekend. Photos from your walk/run can be shared via social media; make sure to tag the Breast Cancer Coalition.

Anywhere, Rochester (runsignup.com)

MAY 8

Adirondack Railbike Adventures

Grab a friend and pedal through six miles of scenic Adirondack trails. The ride begins at Thendara Station and lasts about two hours. Railbikes are suited for people of any age and seat up to four.

Ongoing, Fridays and weekends through the season. Thendara Station (Old Forge), 2568 State Rt. 28, Thendara (1-800-8192291, info@adirondackrr.com, or adirondackscenicrailbikes.com)

MAY 8 & 9 Opening weekend at Genesee Country Village and Museum

This nineteenth-century living history museum located in Mumford is open for the regular season.

Explore the Historic Village, the John L. Wehle Gallery, and hundreds of acres of wildlife and natural history at the Nature Center.

1410 Flint Hill Rd., Mumford (538-6822 or gcv.org)

MAY 13

Rush Riverside Refuge Birding Hike

Explore this new birding spot containing old-growth woods, farm fields, and a mile of Genesee River frontage. Boots are recommended.

Rush Riverside Refuge, 250 Rush Scottsville Rd., 8 a.m. (7505536 or rochesterbirding.org)

MAY 15

The Rochester Ripper: An Outdoor Murder Mystery Adventure

Pull out your magnifying glass and get involved with this citywide murder mystery. A new “Ripper” is on the loose, and your team of detectives is on the case. CluedUpp adventures are held strictly outside and physically distanced.

Start time is anytime between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Your team’s starting location will be confirmed via email once tickets are purchased. Will your team crack the case before the Ripper strikes again?

Game designed for adults.

Location confirmed via email (cluedupp.com or hello@cluedupp.com)

MAY 21–22

SpongeBob the Musical

For kids, by kids! Join SpongeBob and the rest of Bikini Bottom for this musical adventure based on Nickelodeon’s animated series. Performed solely by children, catch one of three shows offered at OFC Creations Theatre Center.

350 Winton Place (6670954 or ofccreations.com)

MAY 22 NAMIWalks Your Way

Help raise awareness of mental health and reduce stigma through NAMIWalks. With the event being held virtually, participants can raise awareness their own way, whether that be walking, running, building something, or practicing yoga.

585mag.com | May/June 2021

21

Explore | Sports

Colored balls, mallets, wickets, and stakes Croquet, more than a lawn game

by Donna DePalma

The equipment used in U.S. Croquet Association play differs greatly from a backyard set. Wickets are approximately 12" high and 4" wide with about 1/16" clearance for the balls, which are weighted, as are the mallets. Colored clips are used to keep track of wickets scored for each ball in the game.

The lawn game we played in the front yard as kids—hitting colored balls through wired hoops—bears little resemblance to croquet played by members of the Rochester Croquet Club (RCC). Yet, the spirit of the ball-and-mallet game is the same. In fact, croquet has survived, according to some sources, since the eleventh century.

Croquet first emerged as the game “jeu de mail.” The British adopted it from the French, calling it pell-mell or pall mall, the Scots called it golf, and the Irish finally turned it into a game that resembles today’s croquet. Some say that Louis XIV moved the game onto a table when bored in winter months to invent the basis for billiards.

While the origins of croquet remain in question, the challenge and joy of the game do not.

A sanctioned club of the United States Croquet Association (USCA), located in Hilton, was founded by a happy accident.

Norm Pike, a former Rochester resident, had a vacation home in St. Croix, Virgin Islands. While on vacation there, he visited 22

May/June 2021 | 585mag.com

Bombay Tennis & Mallet Club. After a game of croquet, Pike and his wife were hooked.

Pike built a tiny croquet court in his backyard upon returning home to Rochester. He invited a handful of friends to join him in play. Sue Sherer, treasurer and communications director of the RCC, was one of those friends.

“I enjoyed playing croquet because it was a game I could play with my husband. The game was social and could be enjoyed by anyone, of any age,” she says.

Sherer and her husband advanced enough—with Pike’s instruction—to play in their first tournament as guests of the Pikes in St. Croix.

“Participating in a tournament was exciting, though we weren’t prepared for the conditions as novice players. It was very hot in October in the Virgin Islands. The court was strictly downhill and, instead of the standard short bent grass of most courts, this course had very long grass,” Sherer says.

In spite of their challenging first

tournament play, the Sherers’ enthusiasm for the game did not wane. Sue purchased croquet lessons for her husband’s birthday at the National Croquet Center, home to the USCA, headquartered in West Palm Beach, Florida.

In 2007, Pike volunteered his time and labor, covering all expenses, to create two croquet courts at the Grace and Truth Sports Park in Hilton, where the RCC now plays. The club uses a small plot of the 100-acre sports park owned by the First Bible Baptist Church.

The croquet courts feature 3/8-inch bent grass, similar to sod on a golf green, and, according to Sherer, the courts are very high-maintenance.

Last year the RCC had twenty-three members. Members are mostly over forty, with some playing into their eighties. RCC became USCA sanctioned in 2014, allowing the club to host national tournaments.

RCC holds four local tournaments each year and will host its eighth annual Rochester Invitational in August.

Photos by Michael Hanlon

Explore | Sports

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Two types of croquet are played at RCC, golf croquet and American six-wicket.

While croquet was once an elite sport, everyone is welcome at RCC, including guests who simply want to give croquet a try.

Six-wicket is a strategic Amer ican game, with rules which seem to many as equivalent to playing chess on the lawn, using the angles of a billiards game; golf croquet is a shorter, faster game with a focus on being the first through the wicket.

Sherer recommends golf croquet as a great introduction to the game.

Play is made by striking a ball with a mallet.The first player—called the striker—hits a ball called the striker ball. The striker may never hit an adversary’s ball with the mallet.

By striking the striker ball, the striker could cause their ball or any other ball it hits to move and/or to score a point. Players play each turn in the order of color of their ball: blue, red, black, and yellow.

Golf croquet is played between two sides—the blue and black balls against the red and yellow balls. The object is to be the first side to score seven points.

“This version of croquet is simple and straightforward, allowing players to become familiar with equipment, the court, and the rules of the game,” Sherer says.

A more advanced game, American sixwicket, requires skill, strategy, and some athleticism. It’s a complex sport, played with six wickets and one stake on rectangular courts and for tournament competition in the U.S. According to Sherer, six-wicket requires strategy and planning just like chess. Skilled players can advance a ball with top spin, using jump shots, pass rolls, and other strategic shots to place the balls in order to “run a break” to keep their turn going and prevent an opponent from advancing.

“To exhibit skill at six-wicket, a player needs to understand the angles of play, just like billiards. They must have an advance strategy and think ahead,” she says.

Sherer admits that equipment used and grounds provided at RCC are quite different from the lawn game played at home for fun.

Each year, she accompanies their groundskeeper to “sod university” to keep abreast of best practices for bent grass care. The club consults a local greens professional, who advises on care of the grass.

Mallets and balls are weighted to provide momentum. Wickets are narrow: four inches wide and twelve inches tall, making for a tight squeeze. Hands are gripped together as mallets are swung through the legs from the shoulders with a pendulum swing.

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Explore | Sports Tournament players are required to wear white and must wear soft-soled shoes.

Comfortable clothing is suggested for nontournament play.

Some members of RCC are elite players, like U.S. Croquet Hall of Fame three-time national champion Rich Curtis. Others are just beginners.

RCC is one of three clubs in Western New York. In its fourteenth year of play and eighth year as a sanctioned club, membership continues to grow.

Perhaps the greatest thing about croquet, according to Sherer, is that men and women can play as equals when matched by handicap—that, and the fact that COVID19 has not impacted play because the game is socially distanced and played outdoors.

More than a mallet striking a ball through a wicket, croquet is experiencing a revival here in Western New York and around the world as a fashionable, sporting, and challenging pastime for anyone who enjoys a good competitive lawn game.

Hours of play are Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays at 10 a.m. and Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:30 p.m. till dusk.

RCC is located at 373 North Greece Road in Hilton. Equipment is provided,

including professional mallets and balls, deadness boards, clips, and timers.

On all play dates, free instruction is offered for those new to the sport. If you’re curious about the game, RCC offers “three for free.”

After playing three times, if you continue,

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you’re asked to pay the annual membership fee (fifty-five dollars in 2020) to assist in maintaining the courts.

Contact the club at RocCroquet@gmail. com or visit the roccroquet.org.

Explore | Sports

JUNE 5

JUNE 18

JUNE 20

RoCo’s 6x6 exhibition

FrogWatch USA virtual training

An Evening with Gordon Lightfoot

Teams and individuals can register online and are encouraged to share their experience through social media using the tags #iRocMentalHealth and #NotAlone. Funds raised go toward NAMI, Rochester’s mission of advocacy, education, training, inclusion, and support.

awards will be given.

Contact Chuck Krause to register your vehicle: preregistration is $10 and day of registration is $20.

Virtual, NAMI Rochester 320 N. Goodman St., Suite 102 & 103 (whitney.young@namirochester. org or namiwalks.org/rochester)

Rochester Real Beer Expo

MAY 26

Food Truck Rodeo at the Public Market

Crikey! Croquet or croaky?

By John Ernst

Attached to different iterations of croquet are variations on the word itself. “If you’re talking to someone from England or New Zealand or Australia, they’ll pronounce it ‘croaky,’” says Corrin Strong, owner of the Genesee Volley Tennis & Croquet Club.

He says it’s the difference between the French and English influence on the word. Strong’s club adopts their rules—and accent—from a special version of golf croquet originating in the town of East Lyme, Connecticut, where he grew up spending summers in the Old Black Point community. “They have a giant field with four full-sized courts plus a children’s field for kids to play on. It was all very serious; they didn’t want us kids messing around on the adult courts until we’d learned the game,” he laughs.

Strong’s adaptation of the game isn’t quite so serious. In fact, the ruleset—named OBP after its homeland—necessitates that it remains a social game. “It’s considered unethical to play ahead beyond the wicket you’re contesting,” he clarifies.

“If you’re blatantly playing ahead, it can get called back.” In traditional croquet, one player’s successful swing prompts another turn and another and another. “In that game one person can run the table, hitting as many shots as he wants as long as he hits another ball. You’re just watching this guy walk around the court, so it’s a lot less social.”

And while Genesee Volley keeps it social and fun, that doesn’t mean it’s not a serious game. Wickets are cast iron.

Mallets and balls both weigh two–three pounds each, with equipment totalling hundreds of dollars. Like other versions of golf croquet, each player has their own color ball, and the mallet is swung between the legs—unless hitting for more than twenty-five feet, in which case a golf swing is more appropriate. And swings of that distance are fairly common, with the field comprising 15,000-square-feet—seventy-five wide by 200 long. The club’s fifteen or so croquet-goers, primarily retirees, play most days of the week. “One game takes an hour or less, so sometimes we play double or triple headers at two, three, and four p.m.” Strong says. “It’s a social game; highly competitive, but a lot of fun playing. And we’re always looking for new members!”

Strong welcomes anyone finding themselves in Geneseo to stop by and try it—free for first timers. But don’t expect to hear any French pronunciation; “Once we initiate them into the cult, everyone says ‘croaky’ after awhile!”

Interested? Give Strong a call at 233-5338.

Find everything your stomach desires at the food truck rodeo. Rochester’s best food trucks gather the last Wednesday of the month 5–9 p.m. at the Public Market. A free shuttle is available from the East End Parking Garage at the corner of East Main and Scio Streets.

280 Union St. N. (428-6907 or cityofrochester. gov/foodtruckrodeo)

JUNE 4–6 Fairport Canal Days

This annual arts and crafts festival is celebrating its forty-fourth year! With forty food stalls, live music on five entertainment stages, 200 vendors, canal boat rides, kids’ activities, and a parade, there’s something for every member of the family at this event.

6 N. Main St., Fairport (info@ fairportcanaldays.com or fairportcanaldays.com)

JUNE 5

RoCo’s 6x6

View thousands of original artworks from celebrities, local and international artists, designers, youth, and community members.

All artwork displayed will be for sale for twenty dollars each to benefit RoCo. Artists’ names are revealed to buyer once purchased.

Event runs until July 18.

RoCo 137 East Ave. (4612222 or roco6x6.org)

JUNE 5

Camp Haccamo’s 8th Annual Car, Truck, & Cycle Show

Buckle up and check out Camp Haccamo’s Car, Truck, and Cycle Show from 8 a.m. to noon at the Mall at Greece Ridge—in front of Macy’s. There will be giveaways, vendors, music, and food. All vehicles are welcome. Awards for the top fifty “People’s Choice” as well as sixteen special

271 Greece Ridge Center Dr. (703-0918 or Krause. chuck@pmlmail.com)

JUNE 5 Don’t miss the tenth annual Beer Expo. More than 120 craft beers as well as ciders, cigars, pizza, vegan options, and more will be offered throughout the South Wedge. All proceeds go toward neighborhood revitalization projects headed by the Business Association of the South Wedge Area.

From 6 to 10 p.m.

Gregory St. from Whalin St. to Bond St. (Rochester Real Beer Expo on Facebook or eventbrite.com)

JUNE 8–13 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory the Musical

This Broadway musical adaptation of Roald Dahl’s children’s book is perfect for the entire family, and sweet as can be. Catch one of the eight performances at the Auditorium Theatre.

885 East Main St. (2225000 or rbtl.org)

JUNE 9–26 Bristol Valley Theater: Just the Ticket and Florida Girls

Shows at Bristol Valley Theater are back. Just the Ticket—starring Pam Feicht—is playing June 9–25. This play features Susan—an eccentric 60-something-year-old— on her solo birthday trip to Australia. Florida Girls

by Nancy Hasty is playing June 10–26. It’s 1965, and sisters Christine and Dee Dee are going head to head in the Miss Claryville beauty contest. With one actress playing fifteen characters, this show is sure to be a fun time for the whole family.

151 S. Main St., Naples (3367200 or senecaparkzoo.org)

JUNE 9–27 Eastman Entertains

Eastman Entertains: At the Movies is returning for its fifth year. Sixteen creatively-themed tabletops and, table settings, and floral arrangements inspired by popular motion pictures including Beauty and the Beast, Big Night, Julie and Julia, The Lone Ranger, and The Queen are

on view in the museum’s Multipurpose Hall and throughout the mansion.

The Dryden Theatre will screen some of the titles from this year’s display, including The Wizard of Oz and Sunset Boulevard.

This event is organized by the Eastman Museum Landscape Committee.

900 East Ave. (327-4800 or eastman.org)

JUNE 18

FrogWatch USA virtual training session

Become a trained volunteer on all things frogs at the Seneca Park Zoo. Learn how to identify local frogs and toads by call, locate and register a wetland site, and collect observations to be submitted to the nationwide online database. Event designed for adults and teens; reserve your spot online.

Virtual (336-7200 senecaparkzoo.org)

JUNE 19

RMSC Uncorked & On Tap

Attend an evening of local and regional beer, wine, spirit, and food vendors set up throughout the Rochester Museum & Science Center.

Samples and products to purchase will be available, as well as informative sessions on mixology, viticulture, brewing, distilling, and more.

657 East Ave. (697-1988 or bswain@rmsc.org)

JUNE 20

An Evening with Gordon Lightfoot: 80 Years Strong tour

Join Gordon Lightfoot for an evening of live music at the Kodak Center. Some of his top songs that are sure to be featured include “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald,” “Early Morning Rain,” and “If You Could Read My Mind.”

200 West Ridge Rd. (2540181 or ticketmaster.com)

JUNE 25

Curiosity Campout: Summer Camp Classics

The Rochester Museum & Science Center is hosting its first annual Curiosity Campout. At this family event individuals will participate in hands-on science experiments such as designing, building, and testing catapults.

From 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.

657 East Ave. (271-4320 or rmsc.org)

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Explore | Food and drink

Experiential living during COVID

Delicious food and drinks in the East End are paired with a walk

By Amy Riposo

Clockwise from left: the Sun Salutation and the Snug from Ugly Duck Coffee; the ‘Chili Smothered,’ and ‘the Local’ dogs at Roc Brewing; and a flight, and Oreo shake from Roc Brewing

Another day of COVID? Don’t stay shut up inside. This curated walk will get you outside for a fantastic day or night out.

Number two in my series pairing walks with delicious local food and drinks, this time I explore favorite spots in and adjacent to Rochester’s East End neighborhood on foot.

If you aren’t comfortable eating in restaurants yet, you can get everything to go for a customized-by-you meal, with beverages and dessert to enjoy at home or somewhere special. Cobbs Hill is a nearby park and picnic spot with a beautiful view and spectacular sunset.

These walks combine fun social plans and exercise with a delicious meal, appetizer crawl, or beverage tour, depending on your mood and preference. Plus, you’re supporting local restaurants and breathing fresh air, which is really important for overall wellness.

(Because this walk is take-out friendly, it’s a great way to stock up on local favorites.

Pro tip: bring a bag. Also, be sure to check with any business before you visit. Hours and offerings are subject to change.)

Self-guided walking food tour #2: the East End This walking tour is three miles (one hour of walking, plus time to eat and 26

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drink). Start your tour by parking at the Strasenburg Planetarium. See the final paragraphs for specific directions.

Are you ready?

Your checklist—fellow eating/drinking/ walking buddy(s), a bag for your local purchases, comfortable walking shoes, credit card or cash, charged phone for GPS directions and taking pics of the fun, picnic blanket if picnicking.

Here are some of my favorite local spots and where my friend and I went on our recent walking food and beverage tour in the East End. We wanted to check out the new Strangebird brewery, and we hadn’t yet been to Roc Brewing since the remodel and partnership with F.L.X. Wienery.

We timed the walk to start at 3 p.m. on a Saturday since one brewery closed early and the other didn’t open until 4 p.m. If you’re not a beer drinker, that’s ok—this route is dotted with many other options for sweets, cocktails, and food.

First Stop: Ugly Duck Coffee Every good walk starts with a delicious beverage, so if you’re feeling thirsty, I recommend you swing into Ugly Duck Coffee.We wanted to expand our beverage horizons and try something new (to us).

I had the Sun Salutation, and my friend

ordered the Snug. Both were unusual in the best way. We both ordered the smallest size and immediately wished we had extralarges because they were so darn delicious.

Turmeric is good for inflammation, and I imagined it being a tolerable-at-best drink, which is why it took me so long to try one.

It was fantastic, and I highly recommend you try one if you haven’t already. Another recommendation is to buy Gimme Coffee beans to brew at home. Although pricey, Ithaca’s Gimme Coffee is my favorite, and they roast the beans that Ugly Duck brews and sells.

Stop #2: Roc Brewing and F.L.X. Wienery This brewery has a great vibe, a nice urban patio, and a super fun menu—and the food is fantastic.You order inside, caféline style at the counter, and then the staff delivers to your table. I’ve been in a mood to try new things lately, so I went for a carrot dog. I envisioned it being similar to a veggie burger with carrots in an ingredient mix, but it was a straight up carrot that has been marinated for a long time and has the consistency of a hot dog. Here’s how we dressed it—the Local: goat cheese, lettuce, tomato, miso mayo, and herbs. We chose the Chili Smothered for our Zweigle’s— red hot chili, curds, and corn relish. Both

Explore | Food and drink

Clockwise from top left: Strangebird’s curbside pick-up; the egg sandwich, meatball sandwich, and smoked salmon bagel, all from Bodega; and the Ashes of Eden and Nightmare mini cupcakes from Sinful Sweets

Photos provided by Amy Riposo

were exceptional, and we pretty much licked our paper boats clean. You can also create your own tasting board with a flight of beer, and if it’s a nice hot day (or even if it isn’t), add a milkshake.

cupcakes and more. Each cupcake, even the minis, have a filling and a frosting. I love cupcakes, and these are some of the best I’ve had.

Stop #3: Strangebird Beer Put this brewery on your radar. It took over the former space of Abundance Co-op with the added space of another business next door. At the time of our visit, it was only open for curbside pick-up of the beer.

The owners plan to open this summer, and we toured the space. The large bar and seating areas have plenty of natural light from windows and high ceilings. There will also be a patio and rooftop bar. We picked up a Bear Fight stout, aged with cherries in rum barrels, and a four pack of Infinite Cosmos—a pear-and-ginger sour.

At this point we were starting to realize how nice it is to be walking so we can pop into multiple places when we normally wouldn’t be bothered with running all over town to get food, drinks, and dessert in different places. Did you remember to bring the bag I recommended? You’ll be glad you did.

Final Stop: Bodega This little shop has your cravings covered.

Chef Mark Cupolo’s latest is a feast for the all of the senses. While here, pick up any groceries you need, since you’ve been having fun all day not grocery shopping.

We ordered three items from the grill. The meatball sandwich had a large, fluffy roll cradling delicious house-made meatballs, sauce, and melted mozzarella. Italian-girlapproved for the sauce, the meatballs, and ratio to roll. The egg sandwich was layered with thick-cut ham and cheddar. We also ordered a smoked salmon bagel with cream cheese and pickles for the walk back to the car.

Make it a movie night and catch a film at the Little Theatre. It’s one block from the coffee shop. The Little is open as of April 16 with a wide range of independent and foreign film selections. Not to mention, a film night makes the perfect pairing with a long day’s walk.

Stop #4: Sinful Sweets Whether you want them now, later, or both, visit Sinful Sweets for fantastic

Directions Park in the lot behind the Strasenburg Planetarium at 657 East Avenue. Start

walking down East Avenue toward the city.

After you pass the Little Theatre, turn right on Winthrop Street and cut through the parking lot of REDD to Ugly Duck (it’s behind REDD). When Pitkin Street is no longer under construction, that’s an alternate and more direct route to Ugly Duck. Roc Brewing is next. Retrace your steps back to East and turn left, then right on Union Street. You’ll see the brewery on your left.

Continue on Union to get to Strangebird Beer. Right on Monroe Avenue and a quick left on Marshall Street. Before the end of the block is Strangebird on your right. To get to Bodega with a stop at Sinful Sweets, walk back to Monroe and turn right then left on Alexander Street. Sinful Sweets is on the corner of Alexander Street and Park Avenue.

Bodega is a little further along Park Avenue on your way to where you parked. To get back to your car, continue up Park Avenue.

Turn left through the gate labeled 286 Park Avenue, which leads down a sidewalk to the back parking lot of the planetarium.

If you have any questions or want to tell me about your tour, DM me on instagram at @rochesteralist or email amy@rochesteralist. com. Tag @585mag and me in your walking food tour photos. We’d love to see you having fun on your adventure!

585mag.com | May/June 2021

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g e V t u O

Veg Out

How do you “veg out”? This word comes with many meanings. It can mean “to spend time idly or passively” … but the word “veg” brings to mind other things. Our version of ‘veg out’ is fresh, green, bright, and eco-friendly. Read on for how Rochester keeps things green through community compost, mushroom growth, cultivating houseplants, and self-care.

585mag.com | May/June 2021

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osting p m o c s r e f f o h t r a E Impact and environmental education r to greater Rocheste

By Erin Scherer

In the last five years, the number of municipalities offering some form of composting has grown by nearly twothirds, according to a 2019 report from the US Public Interest Research Group. The City of Rochester is one such municipality, and two years ago it conducted a study to determine the feasibility of reducing solid waste disposal costs. One of the participants in that study was Impact Earth, located in Brighton near the Henrietta town line.

Since 2014, Impact Earth has performed composting services for concerts and other events, schools, municipalities, and private residences. The compost company owns and operates stores at the City of Rochester’s Public Market and Eastview Mall and is currently conducting pop-ups 30

May/June 2021 | 585mag.com

at the newly opened Mercantile on Main.

In January, Impact Earth became the sole residential composting service in Monroe County after it bought its chief competitor, Community Composting. Presently, it serves around 3,000 customers. “A lot of times, waste doesn’t end up where it’s supposed to. That was a problem we solved,” says Impact Earth’s founder and CEO, Robert Putney.

For Putney, zero-waste has always been a way of life, but he took a detour along the way. Growing up in Gowanda, Erie County, he would spend weekends with his mother working at his grandparents’ ninety-acre farm, which is where he first learned to compost. After earning a history degree from SUNY Fredonia, he

moved to Rochester and spent the better part of the next two decades working in the packaging industry. As he entered his forties, however, Putney had a revelation.

“My years in packaging had opened my eyes to waste,” he recalls, and he rededicated himself to the environmental services industry. “I wanted the second half of my career to be dedicated to fixing some of the problems [the packaging industry] created. For me, that meant ultimately focusing on environmental waste and food education.”

Following a year of writing grants for an Albany-based company, Putney founded Impact Earth in 2014. Initially focused on consulting, it soon grew to offer event composting after an intern from Rochester

Photos by Tomas Flint

Veg Out

Institute of Technology returned from the Bonnaroo Festival in Tennessee. “He talked about this company called Clean Vibe that was doing some really cool stuff with regard to landfill-bound materials,” Putney reminisces. “We just called up a bunch of event coordinators in Rochester and said, ‘Hey, if we offered you guys a service where we sorted all your trash and it costs the same or less than a dumpster and what goes into that, would you be interested?’ Surprisingly, sixty to seventy percent of the people we talked to wanted to take a meeting.” Their first gig was an event in Ithaca in the summer of 2014.

The following summer, they did sixty-five events, and the year after, 300. By 2018, Impact Earth was doing composting for

the Constellation Brands-Marvin Sands Perfor ming Arts Center (CMAC) in Canandaigua.

In 2016, Impact Earth began providing educational programs to schools when it launched a program with the Brighton Central School District. Brighton has a sustainability committee where Putney and his wife, Elizabeth, have served (Putney cur rently has four children enrolled in the district). When the topic of food waste education came up at one meeting, Putney offered Impact Earth to step in. “The Brighton School District took a huge chance and risk to try … we were literally teaching kids at their lunchtime about food waste,” says Putney.

Since then, Impact Earth has conducted a

compost education in the Hilton School District as well as the Kendall School Distr ict in Orleans County, Marcus Whitman in Ontario County, and the Harley School, among other public and private schools. Impact Earth’s reach stretches to municipalities as well: staff has overseen services and projects in the cities of Rochester, Corning, and Geneva, and the town of Victor; they’re also working on Canandaigua’s Climate Smart program through 2022. But it was out of the educational program that Impact Earth’s commercial collection business grew.

Impact Earth has drivers that travel to customers’ residencies, pick up the waste, and leave a clean bucket. After the route has been completed, they aggregate the 585mag.com | May/June 2021

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waste at the headquarters in Henrietta, then move it to farms in Ontario County, which do what Putney calls the “heavy lifting” and create the compost. Twice a year, customers get their compost returned to them to use as they please. “They get it twice a year in five-gallon buckets.

It’s super nutrient-rich and great stuff,” says Putney. Last fall saw the expansion of this component when Impact Earth acquired Community Composting. The latter decided to sell when its owners, Brent and Jess Arnold, got overwhelmed with their other venture of designing software for composting companies. “It was difficult to divide my time between the two companies,” says Brent. “Impact Earth was always our top choice to take over because of our previous relationship 32

May/June 2021 | 585mag.com

and the fact that they are local. There were a few other composting companies that were interested, but Impact Earth was the first to make an offer, which we immediately accepted.” According to Putney, Community Composting’s six employees were all offered jobs at Impact Earth, and most of them accepted: “They brought a ton of experience themselves that we really appreciate.”

With increasing interest from consumers for environmentally fr iendly and sustainable products, Impact Earth has added retail to its roster of services. After doing several pop-ups with the Rochester Public Market, Impact Earth became a full-time vendor in 2019. The Public Market shop grew from their relationship with Flower City Pickers, an organization

devoted to redistributing landfill-bound food to people in need. Then, late last year, Impact Earth was invited to do a pop-up at Eastview Mall. “The mall wanted us to do something for the holidays,” Putney states. “It started out as, ‘Hey, let’s go try the mall and see what kind of response we get,’ and we got an overwhelmingly positive response. People were hoping we’d stay after the holidays.” As the holidays ended, they struck a deal with Wilmorite, shut down the store for two weeks, redesigned the space, and made a launch for a permanent store on January 16. Impact Earth’s retail stores offer reusable household items such as beeswax wraps, produce bags, and facial and dish cloths, as well as compostable versions of dental floss and sponges.

On Valentine’s Day, Impact Earth conducted a pop-up at Mercantile on Main and will be conducting more holiday pop-ups throughout the year.

Ultimately, Putney hopes to open another retail location there, saying that “[the] Mercantile would probably be a good fit for us.” Other current and future projects include a partnership with Zero Waste Chicago, which is run by a former Rochester resident and customer of Impact Earth and offers similar services in the Chicagoland area. They have a formalized partnership, and Impact Earth owns a minority share in the company.

“We met with them and decided to help them grow that business utilizing our background,” states Putney. “We have a hand in what goes on there, but they have their own group of folks that run the dayto-day operations.”

Another major goal for 2021 is to expand their residential composting into surrounding counties, like Wayne and Genesee counties. They also hope to expand further into Ontario County.

“Building that structure and logistics is going to be a big undertaking and will probably dominate the year for us,” he says. There are also projects with programs like the Walden Project at Cummings Nature Center in Naples and the Genesee Country Village & Museum in Mumford. Putney hopes to partner with forestry schools down the road and plans to continue to find new and palatable ways to expand the zero-waste concept: “We started out actually as a consulting company. We were working with event coordinators, and helping them figure out how not to throw all of their waste to the landfill. And so that’s sort of where we started, and we still do perform those services today.”

For more information, go to impactearthroc. com or visit retail locations at the City of Rochester Public Market and Eastview Mall in Victor.

Veg Out

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s d o o F p e Le

This local company may change the way we eat mushrooms for good

By Carolyn Sperry

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May/June 2021 | 585mag.com

Photos by Tomas Flint

George Zheng eats a lot of mushrooms. “It’s a big perk,” he says.

“I tell my friends the proof is in the pudding.” Unlike stories you hear of “big tobacco” employees who don’t smoke, or Silicon Valley execs who won’t allow their kids to use smart phones, Zheng is an enthusiastic fan of both the taste and the myriad health benefits of the blue oyster, shitake, and lion’s mane mushrooms his company, Leep Foods, grows. “We stand by our product,” he says. Although he doesn’t stop by his company’s headquarters as much as he’d like to now due to the pandemic procedures they’ve put in place, he clearly loves spending time in the indoor vertical farm among the gourmet fungi. The company produces both fresh mushrooms for sale and “hybrid” products that are made from meat mixed with mushrooms. He radiates enthusiasm as he discusses Leep’s newest product, hybrid sausages. He’s hoping these will be an easy choice for consumers, as they are a great-tasting and nutrient-packed product produced using sustainable methods. “From a culinary standpoint … the umami flavor elevates meat,” he says.

Zheng, the cofounder of the ecofriendly Henrietta-based business, first began to conceive of this venture several years ago when he was an engineering student at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). During an independent study, Zheng examined local biorefineries’ waste streams. He became interested in mushrooms as an avenue for breaking down waste from hardwood processing and soon realized that the fungi kingdom was underutilized in terms of human nutrition.

Zheng recognized an opportunity to bring specialty mushroom species to the U.S. that are popular in other countries but not so much here.

Then “one thing led to the next,” he says. Zheng connected with his business partners through an RIT business incubator program, and they established Leep to elevate the mushroom industry and bring great tasting, organically grown mushroom products to this area. The name Leep was chosen because “We were thinking of a verb that would denote our desire to push the industry forward,” Zheng says. Maitake mushrooms are highly prized in Japan, and in Japanese “maitake” actually means “dancing mushroom.” Legend says that this is because Japanese monks, who were vegan, would jump and dance when they found this mushroom growing in the wild. Mushrooms were a key source of protein in the monks’ diets,

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and they were only found growing on one out of every 10,000 trees. “There are ancient watercolor paintings of this,” Zheng says.

“It’s the mushroom of joy, really.” Uplifting the mushroom industry is of paramount importance to Zheng and his cofounders.

“Our standard is mushrooms worth leaping for,” he says.

Leep Foods has now been in its Henrietta location for about five years. Hardwood sawdust from sawmills as well as leftover corn silage and other clean agricultural byproducts are used to make blocks of a growing substrate, which is then sterilized. The substrate mimics a natural environment, but it produces pristine mushrooms, which grow to maturity in these blocks over a period of several weeks. This growing operation is an inherently environmentally friendly venture simply because of the biology of these species, Zheng explains. Fungi exist to break down waste materials. Leep enjoys partnerships with local farmers; after using the sterilized agricultural byproducts to grow the mushrooms, Leep turns its own waste products into compost. “Incredibly

good compost,” Zheng says. “It’s almost like a compost accelerant, and it is organic. We have very little waste.” Sustainability and environmental stewardship are important to him. “Any real farmer knows that a farmer is a caretaker of the soil.”

Nutritionally, Leep’s products really pack a punch. While most Americans consume plenty of animal protein, he explains, we do not typically eat enough vitamin D—always important in places like Rochester that lack sunlight and even more important than usual right now, as research suggests that vitamin D deficiency is linked with more severe COVID-19 illness. Just one of the burgers or sausages provides a consumer with one hundred percent of his or her daily dose of vitamin D.Also important is the micronutrient ergothioneine, or “ergo,” found almost exclusively in some mushrooms. Mushrooms like lion’s mane contain significant amounts of ergo, which protects cells from damage, and has been shown to flush out toxins that cause cancer. (Button and portobello mushrooms contain ergo but in much smaller amounts.)

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feel that way because of what Zheng refers to as mycophobia, the fear of mushrooms.

Leep’s market research has found that when people dislike mushrooms, it’s typically the texture and not the flavor that they object to. In this country, many of us grew up eating (or refusing to eat) canned button mushrooms, which first became widely available in the U.S. after World War II. Mushrooms in general have an extremely short shelf life, and before refrigerators were common, canning was the only way to widely distribute them. Unfortunately, the canning process made “a potentially slimy product even slimier,” Zheng says.

To treat all mushrooms the same, he says, would be an injustice. If canned buttons are the only mushrooms a consumer is familiar with, they are in for a pleasant 36

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surprise. Far from having a squeaky or a squishy texture, lion’s mane mushrooms have a unique, spiny appearance and a light texture that reminds people of lobster or crab. Blue oyster mushrooms, so called because they somewhat resemble their undersea counterparts, have a meaty texture that’s welcome in many different culinary applications.These mushroom varieties may already be familiar to chefs, Zheng explains, but not to the average American consumer.

He hopes this will change as buyers continue to explore healthy mushroom products.

It’s been “a long road,” Zheng admits, when it comes to product development, “but worth it.” Initially they pivoted from market fit to market fit—originally Leep considered exporting medicinal species to Asia, then pivoted to food, and later started

creating mushroom burgers blended with meat. Now, they are debuting their new meat-and-mushroom blend hybrid sausages.

“When you’re looking at it, a priori, I never could have predicted we were going to be selling our mushrooms into meat as our main volume mover.” But that’s the journey of entrepreneurship, he says—you listen to what the customers and marketplace tell you and hope to stay alive.

Luckily, the company is not only surviving but thriving; last year, Leep won a Grow New York award and was the only New York–based food manufacturer to win. The company will be using the $250,000 prize money to continue to grow its operations.

Looking ahead, the company wants to grow new types of mushrooms—possibly even morels, which are challenging to

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The mycological network Yes, Smugtown Mushrooms sells mushrooms. But founder Olga Tzogas cares much more about saving them.

By John Ernst

grow commercially. They are exploring the possibility of using mushrooms as an ingredient in bone broth.The company also plans to shorten mushroom supply chains by developing mushroom spore-inoculated grow packs and shipping them to satellite facilities close to areas where they’ll be grown and harvested.

Leep’s fresh mushrooms are available at Wegmans, Tops, and Ithaca’s GreenStar market as well as Dash’s Market in Buffalo.

You can also find them at the Rochester Public Market at the Small World market booth. The burgers are available under the Thrive private label on thrivemarket.com.

The new sausages will soon be available in local grocery stores under the Leep Foods brand, and flavors will include apple ginger, andouille, and mild Italian.

Olga Tzogas has been working with mushrooms for more than fifteen years. “They’re my life,” she says. “I use them for food and medicine, among other things. They’re incredible organisms, and they need to be respected.”

The mushrooms that we eat, know, and love are the product of complex networks that can span miles and miles. “When we see a mushroom, that’s actually the fruit of the organism,” Tzogas says, “like an apple is to a tree.” She explains that the soil is alive, and everything has a purpose. “Fungal components, viral bacteria, nematodes, protozoan—it’s all a web. It’s amazing what we’re learning, but the mycelium is really what’s doing the work. The mushroom is just a vehicle for the spores so it can reproduce.” Each of these networks has an important ecological role in nature. Some of them—like the kind that produce portabellas, buttons, and oyster mushrooms—are decomposers. “These are ones that we can cultivate, that we can grow indoors and outdoors for food and medicine,” Tzogas says.

Others—like truffles, chanterelles, and maitake—are impossible to grow ourselves.

They’re mycorrhizal, which means they require a rich, diverse ecosystem that’s not easy to replicate for mass production; this is because their role is symbiotic with other organisms: they both feed off of and nourish the systems around them. “They need a forest,” Tzogas says. “A healthy forest. And that’s rare these days.”

In recent years, overharvesting mushrooms from mycorrhizal systems—paired with deforestation and urban sprawl—has put a tremendous strain on the planet, Tzogas explains. As such, mycology has become a key focus of climate science and interwoven with every field of social science. Tzogas organizes and hosts the New Moon Mycology Summit, a multiday event with dozens of speakers that “focuses on bridging mycology, nature, and science into the web of the concepts of social, racial, and economic justice.” The event has grown to include more than sixty speakers, with food included and a “pay what you can” sliding scale.

Tzogas’ ultimate goal is to educate and change the way we perceive—and therefore treat—these critical ecosystems that also happen to be a delicious and valuable resource. She offers private classes, homeschooling lessons, seminars for nonprofits, and private foraging forays. When the borders aren’t closed, Tzogas leads a trip to Greece each fall. “We do a forage-and-feast trip of Greece and focus on mushrooms, wild foods, homemade foods, hiking, and just chilling in nature,” she says. As a firstgeneration Greek American, it means a lot for Tzogas to bring her two loves together— “mushrooms and the motherland,” she laughs. “It’s affordable and fun, and we bring guest mycologists.”

According to Tzogas, changing our harvesting practices is critical for the longevity and well-being of our planet. “We’re cultivating and teaching people to have more of a mindset that we need to be gentle with our footprint if we’re going to learn how to forage,” she says. “I remember there used to be foraging festivals every year in the Hudson Valley. And I can’t help but wonder if they stopped doing it because they didn’t want to support wild foraging or because there weren’t any left?”

To connect with Tzogas and shop for mushrooms and grow kits, visit smugtownmushrooms.com.

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Green wave in the Flower City

Local houseplant enthusiasts find comfort in collecting and community

By Mary Rockcastle

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Photos by Tomas Flint

Owners Rob Heffner and Catt Hsu (left to right) welcome visitors to Happy Gut Sanctuary’s new location in the Hungerford building.

Collecting houseplants has become more than a hobby—it’s now considered a lifestyle. Rochester’s notor iously long and gray winters combined with quarantine guidelines have caused a boom in houseplant popularity over the past year. Unlike baking bread and whipped instant coffee, collecting indoor plants has created a community of like-minded Rochestarians who are committed to the hobby long term.

The community that has grown around houseplants in Rochester existed far before the pandemic boom and is saturated with millennials. Shelby Beyler, known locally as a plant educator and caretaker with her business the Botanist, reflects on the start of her business in 2018: “When I started the Botanist, the goal was to bring my love of botanicals creating an energetic zest in others for houseplant care and knowledge to our community. It was greatly lacking at that time. There was no connection between people for the sake of nurturing plant life. I felt if I wanted to connect with like-minded people in my community rather than the internet, I needed to begin this process in Rochester.

Since starting meetings, classes, and events, people have come in droves! It’s been mind blowing the amount of people that have gathered around this hobby. Since then, there have been multiple clubs, Facebook pages, and now plant stores popping up left and right! It’s been such a joy to watch the evolution of this industry in our small city.”

Watching the community pop up in Rochester over the past few years I’ve begun to see a trend forming: the plant collecting groups and clubs were made up of a surprising number of young adults between the ages twenty-three and thirtyfive. When I, biased from years of working with plants and flowers, thought of people who were interested in plants a decade ago I would probably name older women who had a passion for gardening. However, these millennials are seeking out more than just houseplants; they are interested in educating themselves about how to better their plant husbandry. Between the Rochester-based plant share Facebook groups and the multiple houseplant clubs popping up, it’s clear that these young adults are committed to educating themselves about their hobby and not just frivolously filling their homes with the color green.

Catt Hsu, local business owner and steward of probiotics at Happy Gut Sanctuary, is one of the most passionate plant people I’ve ever met. She hasn’t monetized her green thumb by building a business around houseplants but is extremely active in all of the local plant-related groups.

“The plant community is well known for the love of sharing. We’re teaching each other about pest control and prevention, potting substrates, helping each other find the right grow light, troubleshooting struggling plants, and more. We are helping each other grow, and I absolutely love that.

Not only that, but we also spotlight local

and small nurseries. That’s so important to support our own community.”

The local nurseries and plant stores have noticed this booming interest in indoor plants as well. The Plant Share Rochester page on Facebook is a hive mind of plant collectors constantly posting about what they have seen at the different local greenhouses, even figuring their restock schedule so that they can shop from the best selection. I reached out to Bristol’s Garden Center in Victor, which is known for both its indoor and outdoor selection, to see if they have had to shift the business due to expanding interest in houseplants.

“We too are seeing that rare houseplants are in demand, and that has affected our stock. If our community is looking for high-end, hard-to-find houseplants, then we want to have them in our greenhouse.

Just recently we posted a very rare plant on our social media, asking our customers to make the call. It’s a high price point to get some of these things in, but it turns out that they want it, and now we have a waiting list of people to call when the plants arrive. Being in touch with our customers is paramount so that we have the right plants for everyone,” says Rachel Banko of Bristol’s.

What’s the connection between millennials and the care and keeping of houseplants? There are a few theories.

Achieving a picture-perfect Instagram lifestyle is more relevant than ever for people who have grown up in an Internet 585mag.com | May/June 2021

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The interior of Happy Gut Sanctuary is warm, green, and welcoming to all.

age. Houseplants have been used as a set dressing for interior design for decades, but it’s easier than ever to curate an online feed that surrounds the viewer in a plant-filled wonderland twenty-four–seven. I’ve found that the more people tend to educate themselves on the care and keeping of houseplants, the deeper they dive into wanting more rare and high-maintenance plants. The sudden demand for a pink princess philodendron or a variegated monstera has grown for online retailers who ship cuttings on a hope and a prayer.

For collectors, all they can do is cross their fingers and pray that their plants arrive alive and in good shape.

Another, weightier suspicion as to why millennials are so invested in indoor plants has to do with their need to nurture in a time when the economy does not satiate our biological compulsion to grow up.

Young people are getting married, buying houses, and having children later and later in life, and the grim outlook of the pandemic has only magnified how out of reach these goals are for most of us.

“I am no sociologist; however, I can say from my own experience that the political and economic climates in our country have forced millennials into a barrage of unfortunate circumstances and tough

decision making. The uncertainties of the future have caused us to change our focus from traditional adulthood practices like starting families, purchasing homes, and committing to one career path. However, our biological desires to nurture have not been hindered. Houseplants are the perfect way to continue to nurture and stay grounded while still having to work multiple jobs, move from apartment to apartment, and know that if you accidentally kill (or neglect) a plant due to lack of resources, you won’t go to jail,” says Beyler.

The passion for plants has brought together a group of people looking for different things: something to collect, something to take care of, something nice to look at. Gathering plants is a lowrisk, high-reward indulgence during the dark winter of Rochester and the even darker age of coronavirus. Less time and commitment than adopting a pet and more instant gratification than learning to make your own jam, collecting plants brings joy to those who need a bit of solace with little hazard. Yes, I’ve seen many collectors freak out online about spider mites or missing the latest restock at their favorite greenhouse, but the community built in Rochester around a mutual love and

respect for plants has soothed the part of us that needs social interaction during this difficult time.

Not only are the collectors thriving, but the online community of Rochester plant people has opened doors for local plant businesses new and old. Stem Rochester, a new plant store specializing in rare and hard-to-find houseplants, recently opened its doors on Alexander and Park to bated breath from local plant enthusiasts.

Surrounded by Rochester’s trendiest bars and restaurants, this plant store has blossomed due to the demand for fresh meat in the industry. The tried-and-true garden centers have also noticed a boon in their houseplant sales, and their time and experience in the industry has provided guidance to collectors new and old.

When asked how she feels about the indoor plant boom in Rochester, Beyler revels in the community it has brought to this area. “It’s been such a joy to watch the evolution of this industry in our small city.”

Any way that people can find solace these days is a blessing, and collecting houseplants has become a two-for-one deal. Not only can people find respite in their hobby, but they also have a community of plant fanatics in Rochester just waiting to watch them grow.

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Vegging out

with Mom Balm

Our mother-daughter self-care duo

By Emmalee Wolf

We are Mom Balm, a small, local start-up business created by Justyn and Emmalee Wolf, a mother-daughter team. Mom Balm wares are homemade, earth-friendly, high-quality essential oil products made with love, joy, laughter, and singing. And if that’s not enough, they also soothe the mind and body.

We are excited to share our story. After reading, be sure to look to the end of the article for a recipe to make one of our 42

May/June 2021 | 585mag.com

DIY bath bombs at home.

Our journey began years and years ago when we started to create products for our personal health and emotional wellness.

We made tinctures and infused oils with plants from our own organic gardens, all the while having fun experimenting, formulating, and creating our own unique recipes. We also shared and gifted our balms, salves, and oils with friends and family who have fallen in love with them.

While working together as a team, we have discovered joy, laughter, comfort, community, and body-mind wellness.

Getting to know and support each other in deeper ways has been one of the great benefits we have enjoyed in making Mom Balm products.

Prior to Mom Balm, I (Emmalee) had worked in the service industry as a barista and, later, as a bartender, and I experienced skin pain and cracking due to continual

Photos by Michael Hanlon

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exposure to the chemicals in dishwater.

Conventional skin care products were always disappointing, so Justyn (Mom) formulated custom balms and salves for my suffering hands. In my tenure of being a bartender for more than twelve years, the only products that ever worked for me and alleviated the pain in my hands were the balms that my mom made for me. My coworkers and associates quickly started using, borrowing, and asking for

my mom-made salves. My industry family soon lovingly dubbed my hand-saving salves “Mom Balm.” The name stuck.

Like many people, I found myself unemployed in 2020. We brainstormed about starting up a skin care business together featuring the products that we and others had grown to love. It was finally time to turn that dream into a reality. Thus, Mom Balm was born in autumn of 2020.

Our startup line included a Mom Balm hand salve, lip balm, hand sanitizer, and calming inhaler. Since then, we have added roller bottles, additional salves, and bath bombs, and we are excited to release other additional products in the near future.

Find Mom Balm on Instagram at @Mom_ Balm and on Facebook at Mom Balm.

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Mom Balm Orange Sherbet Bath Bomb (Makes seven bombs, approximately three ounces each) Tools • One large bowl • One small bowl • Measuring cups and spoons • Baking sheet • Parchment paper (optional), to dry bombs on • Kitchen scale (optional) • Wire strainer or sieve (optional) Dry ingredients • 1 cup baking soda • 1/2 cup Epsom salt • 1/2 cup corn starch • 1/2 cup citric acid Liquid ingredients • 2 tsp. apricot oil • 2 tsp. essential oils (a mix of wild orange, tangerine, Bergamot, carrot seed) • 1/8 tsp. sea buckthorn oil (optional— mostly for color) • 3/4 tsp. organic carrot juice (carrots from our garden) • 12 drops organic vitamin E oil (optional) Putting it together • In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients (except the citric acid—keep this separate).

• Use a large wire strainer to sift the corn starch and baking soda, as these often

have clumps.

• In a small bowl, mix the liquid ingredients together.

• Add the liquids to the dry mixture (again, keep citric acid separate—it is added later).

• Combine well with your fingers. This is a fun part! Squish the mixture together thoroughly. Once well combined, it should feel like barely damp sand.

• Now you can add the citric acid. Continue to squish mixture until thoroughly combined.

Forming the bombs To yield seven bath bombs, measure out 3.1 ounces of mixture for each bomb—one bomb at a time. If you don’t have a scale, no problem. Just estimate what will be a good size bath bomb for you and use your hands to create a ball shape. Another option is to use a bath bomb mold. If you choose to use a mold, pack very tightly. However, we prefer to form them by hand. We enjoy the organic look and the fun of hand forming the bombs.

Tip for hand shaping (whether you use a scale or not) Press the amount of mixture you will be using for a single bomb into a 1/3 cup measuring cup. Compact it very firmly and then gently knock it out into your hand and use your hands to carefully round it into a ball. This is like making a delicate snowball.

The bombs will crumble to pieces if you are

not very gentle.

If the bombs refuse to hold together, that will indicate you need a few more drops of carrot juice. Even though it is advised not to add additional liquids at this point, we have found if you flick drops from your fingers, you can add enough to make the bombs compact together without any problems. Just flick a few drops at a time into the main mixture and mix thoroughly and form the balls.

Once formed, set the bath bombs on a parchment paper or tray and let dry for a day or two. If the mixture is too damp you will run the risk of the balls settling and getting flat on the bottom while drying. They will still work if that happens. You can also dry them in egg cartons and rotate them to keep them from flattening on the bottom, should you get them too damp.

Wrap in tissue paper or cloth for storage.

To use Run bath water, drop in the bath bomb, and enjoy!

While safely vegging out in your own home, we hope you will enjoy making these bombs.

Our hope is that the love and joy we have shared when making this recipe will be your experience also. May your hearts and souls be touched. May you keep yourselves creative and active as an essential part of self-care while simultaneously giving yourself opportunity to relax and reap the fruits (and vegetables!) of your labor. May you find hope and comfort in all you do.

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s to ‘Eat th d i k g e ra in g a r inb u co

’ ow

fEn

MAKE IT FUN

BY DONNA DE PALMA

Is there a kid out there who doesn’t need a little convincing when it comes to eating vegetables?

Probably not. That’s why Laura Reynolds-Gorsuch, food service director at Allendale Columbia School, launched Fearless Fridays; a fun way for kids from nursery through fifth grade to try new, never-before-tasted vegetables.

“I didn’t like vegetables when growing up. That started me thinking about how eating vegetables could be fun. Ironically, the idea was hatched in the middle of the night. Most kids are into superheroes. I realized I could cast our chef as Super Chef.

She already owned a cape so it wasn’t that big a leap,” ReynoldsGorsuch jokes.

Every Friday, Reynolds-Gorsuch asks the school chef to prepare a sampling of a new vegetable. At lunch, Super Chef emerges from the kitchen donning her cape, Reynolds-Gorsuch eggs on the crowd with fun facts about the vegetable du jour, then, with microphone in hand, asks four brave volunteers to taste the day’s sampling.There’s an uproar, she counts down, and the four reluctant volunteers take their first taste.

“I sample the vegetable right alongside the kids. I tell them, they don’t have to like it. They just have to try it,” she says.

The kids have tasted sample-sized portions of parsnips, Romanesco, celeriac, rutabaga, Watermelon radish, Edamame, microgreens and more.

“I’m honest with the kids. When I don’t like a vegetable, I tell them. For example, when we sampled microgreens, I felt like I was eating my lawn. When I told the kids, they nodded in recognition,” she says.

Reynolds-Gorsuch says positive peer pressure helps too. “When a kid sees another kid try something, they are more inclined to taste it themselves,” she says.

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According to Reynolds-Gorsuch, making food fun is key. “When I look for fun facts about food, I’ve found, for kids, the stranger the better. Purple carrots, purple cauliflower, anything out of the ordinary. Fun facts connect kids to food,” she says.

“We discovered by chance one day that purple carrots turn chicken soup purple. The kids thought that was great. They loved it.”

The school also has a vegetable garden that kids tend alongside teachers. “When a vegetable is harvested from the garden, I feature it in a dish and put a sign on it to let them know it came from our garden. That makes kids curious. There is also a sense of pride that this vegetable came from a garden they had a hand in,” she says.

Students bring in recipes on occasion and Reynolds-Gorsuch is quick to try them. “Anything to get kids more involved in food, in their choices.”

Kids as young as three, attendees in the nursery at AllendaleColumbia, have a voice in what they like to eat.

“We have a three-year-old in nursery, Teddy, who loves salad. He jumps up and down when we put something fun in his salad like grapes or a hard-boiled egg,” she says.

Brittany Reynolds, Wegmans’ Rochester division nutritionist and mother of three, has both personal and professional experience when it comes to getting kids to eat vegetables.

“It’s normal for kids to dislike vegetables; in fact, vegetables tend to be the least preferred food group when it comes to kids,” Reynolds says.

She believes that lots of exposure helps. That, and being a good role model to your kids.

“Make time in the kitchen fun. Encourage your kids to participate when preparing food. Have them tear lettuce for a salad or rinse vegetables. Let them help with a shopping list so they feel they have more control over what they eat.”

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“Bring them to the grocery store, to the produce department, so they can see which vegetables appeal to them. We have a tagline at Wegmans, ‘Eat the rainbow’ which is a great goal for kids,” she says.

According to Reynolds, rather than serving kids a full portion of a new or unfamiliar vegetable, try smaller bites accompanied by a dip or dressing to add flavor.

R ey n o l d s s ay s a c o o p e r a t ive neighborhood garden is another great way to get kids involved with healthy food.

If you don’t have access to a garden, she suggests growing tomatoes, cucumbers, or peppers in a container garden in the summer months.

According to Reynolds, engaging any of the senses helps turn kids on to vegetables.

“Art, reading, watching a kid-friendly version of a cooking class, any of these can spark curiosity about food and in particular, vegetables,” she says.

As a mother of a twelve-, nine-, and eightyear-old, Reynolds encourages parents to recognize that every child’s taste is unique.

“My oldest daughter will try almost any vegetable; my youngest, definitely not.

Sometimes positive peer pressure can help.

It’s best, though, to avoid labeling a child as a picky eater. Kids usually have only a few favorite vegetables. Continue to introduce vegetables. It may take a dozen times before a child will venture to try something new,” she says.

“I try to be the best example for my kids. I

“The top veggies for kids are: carrots, potatoes, bell peppers, cherry/grape tomatoes, and peas.”

eat lots of vegetables when I’m with them.

As a mom, I see myself as a role model for good eating habits,” she says.

Both Reynolds-Gorsuch and Reynolds came up with a list of the top five favorites for kids and five of the least favored veggies.

While not a scientific study, both women have plenty of experience encouraging kids to eat veggies.

For Allendale-Columbia kids, in a survey of kids in nursery to fifth grade, the top five came in as carrots, corn, sugar snap peas, broccoli and bell peppers. According to Reynolds, the top veggies for kids are carrots, potatoes, bell peppers, cherry/ grape tomatoes, and peas.

As for the least-favored veggies by kids at Allendale-Columbia, it’s broccoli, celery, carrots, brussels sprouts, and eggplant. On Reynolds list of least liked are broccoli, brussels sprouts, eggplant, and leafy greens that tend to be bitter such as arugula or endive.

Some veggies made both lists which is proof that kids’ tastes are not only unique but are subject to change. Experts agree: get kids excited about food, appeal to their senses, get them involved, and most of all, make it fun!

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Clinks and drinks!

Your summer craft beverage destinations

T

BY SARAH KILLIP

he thought of sipping on a cool beverage out under the summer sun sounds pretty nice right about now. I think everyone’s longing for the days when we could stroll through the city, meet up with some friends, grab a drink, and maybe laugh a little. COVID-19 not only affected businesses, jobs, and personal lives, it changed the community. It took away time spent with loved ones—and strangers. But with vaccines being distributed and restrictions starting to ease up, venues are opening once again with hopes to bring people back together. So, grab your favorite koozie, or those new shades you’ve been dying to wear, slip on a mask, and get ready to have some fun in the community at these local events.

a competition for whose blend comes out best—the winner will receive a prize!

Sheldrake Point is also hosting a vineyard walk on August 21 from 2 to 4 p.m.

“It’s the perfect time of year for guests to experience the vineyard, as the grapes are fully formed and going through veraison [the onset of the ripening of the grapes],” Elrod says. “You could also say that it’s the calm before the storm, when all the hard work that took place in the months leading up to that point has come to fruition and we are waiting for harvest to begin.”

For more information and to register, contact Mia Myers at mia@sheldrakepoint.com or 607-532-9401.

Rochester Lilac Festival

Roc Real Beer Expo

COVID-19 can’t stop the flowers from blooming, the sun from shining, or the smell of fresh spring air from filling Highland Park; and it won’t stop the 123rd edition of everyone’s favorite soringtime event, the Lilac Festival.

Instead of the usual two straight weeks of music, food, and drinks, the festival this year will be held on three separate weekends: May 7–9, May 14–16, and May 21–23.

While live music performances are still uncertain, the craft beer expo and wine tasting events are a go! The beer tasting expo will be held May 8–9 with tickets available for tables of four and six. The wine tasting expo will be held May 15–16 with tickets available for tables of two, four, and six. No individual tickets will be sold for either event.

More information can be found on rochesterevents.com.

Sheldrake Point Winery

Located on the western shore of Cayuga Lake, Sheldrake Point Winery is home to ten varieties of vitis vinifera grapes, a wine library dating back more than twenty years, and an extensive portfolio of blends. It is also accessible by boat, which makes for the perfect summer outing.

“It is such a wonderful feeling to be able to plan and host these events despite the pandemic,” says wine club manager Whitney Elrod. “Getting to see the familiar faces of longtime customers and wine club members as well as meet new guests is really uplifting.

Attending events like this and creating those shared experiences with friends, family, and even strangers really fosters the sense of community and connection that we all crave right now.”

The Vintage Room is open for tastings. Guests are welcome to enjoy a selection of Sheldrake’s immense library Friday–Sunday from 12 to 2 p.m. Reservations are available for groups of up to four people.

The Art (and science) of Blending event will be held July 17 from 2 to 4 p.m. Pairs will sit at their own tables—socially distanced— outdoors on Sheldrake’s crushpad. The winemaking team will help guide guests to create the perfect blend, and there will be

Local, national, and international beer … does it get any better?

The tenth annual Rochester Beer Expo is scheduled for June 5, with VIP admission starting at 5 p.m., and general admission starting at 6 p.m. The street party with over 100 types of craft beer will be held on Gregory Street in the South Wedge, from Whalin Street to Bond Street. Enjoy a variety of food, along with live music, and hand rolled cigars. What makes this event even more special is that all the proceeds are put back into the community through the Business Association of the South Wedge (BASWA), which focuses on neighborhood revitalization projects. Proceeds will go towards public art, community events, street lighting, sidewalk furniture, public landscaping, and park maintenance.

Tickets can be purchased on eventbrite.com

Rochester Cocktail Revival

New York State’s only weeklong festival celebrating craft cocktail culture is back! Good Luck, Cure, Ox & Stone, Swan Dive, Vern’s, Radio Social, and Lucky’s are just a few of the twenty plus cocktail bars involved in the event. Attendees can participate in hands-on seminars and spirit tastings and sit back and enjoy live music. The program of events will be smaller than years past due to COVID19, but all will be in person and within whatever guidelines exist come late summer.

Director and head organizer of the event—Charles Cerankosky— works with a team of immensely talented co-producers and creatives that work alongside the partner bars to make the whole thing happen.

“It is great to see Rochester flourish and appreciate the dining and cocktail culture that has grown to be such an anchor for our city,” says Cerankosky. “It is also great to be involved in something that brings together such talent, and showcases the talents of our amazing community of bartenders and hospitality professionals.”

The RCR also serves as a fundraiser to benefit Gilda’s Club Rochester, an affiliate of the Cancer Support Community. A portion of all proceeds supports the organization.

The Cocktail Revival will be held August 30–September 5. More information can be found on rochestercocktailrevival.com.

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Livingston Libation Loop

Create your own event this summer by visiting the eight destinations along Livingston County’s Libation Loop!

Mortalis Brewing Company: while the taproom is currently closed, Mortalis Brewing is offering to-go beer at their makeshift drive-thru. Grab a four-pack of “OldManBearMa” double IPAs or a bottle of the “Hypnos” imperial stout on your way to stop number two.

Dublin Corners Farm Brewery: what started as a pumpkin patch became the first brewery operating in Livingston County.

A variety of fresh craft brews are available, such as Dublin’s award winning Amber Ale, “Better Red than Dead,” and “Do It Doug!,” a New England–style IPA. Rising Stor m Brewing Company: offering multiple beers on tap, curbside pickup, and indoor and outdoor seating, Rising Storm is a stop you can’t miss.

Crowd favorites include their crisp sours and hoppy IPAs. OSB Ciderworks: This sibling-owned and operated cidery utilizes New York apples and other local ingredients. Some top picks include “Hold The Crust (Apple Pie),” and “Cherry Cherry Why Ya Buggin?” A handful of beers are also available on tap.

No BS Brew Company: This veteran owned brewery is open seven days a week.

Try their refreshing “Blackberry Wheat” or their “Silvera Neipa” New England–style IPA and continue on to stop number six.

CHECK WEBSITE FOR HOURS WINTER HOURS www.BlackWillowWinery.com Friday—Monday Wine and Mead Pairings with Charcuterie Boards, Chocolates, and Artisan Cheeses are offered daily.

Sample Artisan Vinegars and Olive Oils.

Sit, sip and savour in our upscale tasting room.

5565 West Lake Road Burt, NY 14028 716-439-1982 • www.BlackWillowWinery.com

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Deer Run Winery: Your adventure wouldn’t be complete without stopping at this family owned farm winery. At the north end of Conesus Lake, Deer Run Winery offers a variety of wines including award-winning “Conesus White” and “Runway Red.” On May 8 the winery is hosting a “Planters for Mom” event; guests will spend time arranging a clay pot of plants and flowers while sipping a refreshing glass of Sangria.

Eagle Crest Vineyards: The tasting room is open! Sit back and relax along Hemlock Lake while enjoying pure grape wines made from locally grown Finger Lakes fruit.

Battle Street Brewery: With twelve beers on tap, four local seasonal ciders, four to six local wines, and a food menu, Battle Street Brewery has it all. Indoor and outdoor seating is available, and guests are more than welcome to bring lawn chairs and picnic blankets!

Other fun places to grab a drink!

Agness Wine Cellars—Randy Agness’s new winery, tasting room, and brewery is open at the Toganenwood Estate in Lyons, Wayne County. His wine has won awards and honors including a nomination for New York State Winery of the Year. Along with the new location, Agness is featuring a new finger lakes extra dry sparkling wine that will debut in May. A xe s & A l e s — E x p e r i e n c e Rochester’s finest axe throwing bar!

Offering multiple lanes, craft beer, and wine, it’s a great way to relax and try something new with friends or family.

Reservations can be made online.

Black Willow Winery—The line, “sit, sip, and savor,” says it all. On the south shore of Lake Ontario, Black Willow sits on forty-three beautiful country acres, and offers a scenic view with drinks for all.

Heron Hill—This husband and wife–owned winery is open for tastings! Reservations are required for the tasting room on Canandaigua Lake, and groups are limited to six people or less.

Dr. Konstantin Frank—Located on the southwestern hills of Keuka Lake, this winery was named in the “Top Ten Best Tasting Rooms in America”

by USA Today. It is now open for in-person tastings by reservation.

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60 acres | 10 vitis vinifera varieties | 8,500 cases estate grown, produced, and bottled table and ice wines

The Finger Lakes

Pioneer

Where History Was Planted

Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery 9749 Middle Road. Hammondsport, NY 14840 www.drfrankwines.com

sheldrakepoint.com OPICI WINE WINES S

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Summer is coming, bring out the sun! An umbrella is an easy way to add some personality and POP to your outdoor living area. Umbrellas accentuate the landscape while protecting you from the elements. There are many styles, colors and patterns to choose from. Let us help you select the perfect one!

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Raised garden beds are very beneficial. They are more accessible for people with mobility issues and are easier on your back and knees. They prevent soil from compacting and provide good drainage. One of the best benefits of raised beds is that you have control over the quality of the soil your plants grow in. While you can purchase pre-made garden boxes, they can be pretty simple to build if you’re handy with tools.

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It's important to note any changes in your trees in during the growing season.

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GOT LEGGY MUMS? Many perennials that bloom later in the season, like chrysanthemums and sedum ‘Autumn Joy’, can get leggy and floppy by the time they flower.

To prevent this, pinch or cut back stems by half in May or June. You’ll be rewarded with more blossoms and a sturdier, more compact plant.

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Taste

Fine fare Table for Naz Dining guide Critical drinking

A Natural Oasis for many

One of the city’s best-kept secrets happens to be vegan

By Ashley Mason

The romaine and arugula salad

Natural Oasis 288 Monroe Ave. naturaloasisny.com 325-1831 Vegan-friendly restaurants are a popular conversation in my office. While I’m a proud omnivore, I have four to five strict vegetarians on my team—and the number 58

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of veggie-curious grows daily.

So naturally, when weekend plans come up, the city’s countless plant-based dining options become a hot topic. The app HappyCow lists more than eighty-one vegetarian- or vegan-friendly restaurants in our area. So, yeah, we’ve got a lot of them.

And even if an establishment isn’t explicitly vegan, we (or my coworkers at least) have

come to expect that most buzzy restaurants will have at least one vegan dish on the menu.

Natural Oasis is neither new nor buzzy, but it gets a lot of heart emojis whenever it gets mentioned on the office Google Chat.

“Love that place,” one says.

“Easily the best meal I’ve had in Rochester,” says another. So, I had to check

Taste | Fine fare

Photos by Michael Hanlon

The bhajia, cris y roasted roccoli fritters attered in s iced chick ea flour

it out.

The bright teal building at 288 Monroe Avenue is home to many things, including a vegan restaurant and a store that sells bottles of apothecary-like herbs, vitamins, and supplements, while the second floor houses a yoga studio and an Ayurvedic herbalist practice. In 2005, after a health food cafe moved out of the space, owner Solomon Kebede saw an opportunity to introduce a healthy all-day Ethiopian vegan buffet to the city.

Six years later, chef Nick Bovenzi debuted a pared-down small plate menu featuring quality grains, legumes, and vegetables prepared with French technique, Indian flavors, and a bit of Italian flair.

“My style is a Frankenstein of so many different themes,” Bovenzi says. The Italian dishes are inspired by his grandmother’s recipes and family dinners. The Indian influence came from him using Ayurvedic

herbs and principles at home first, then transforming them into small plates that could work at a restaurant.

Bovenzi, who worked at Good Luck and the late 2Vine and staged at REDD’s original Michelin-starred location in Yountville, California, says he watched the shared-plate trend happening in other restaurants and hoped to create a similar feeling without the overwhelming portions.

“I wanted something where someone could sit down, order a bunch of food, not spend a lot of money, and not be overly full,” he says. Each dish on the menu, from the entrees to the steaming coconut milk chai, costs five dollars.

When I went to Natural Oasis to check out its dinner menu, I entered through the store, which is lined with shelves of spices and tinctures. The charmingly mismatched chairs in the dining room combined with the open kitchen reminded me of being

invited to a friend’s house for dinner.

The owner, Kebede, warmly welcomed my husband and me in, helping us find a cozy table in the corner of the restaurant.

Knowing the place was BYOB and didn’t have a corkage fee, we brought a bottle of wine from home that we were excited to try—and he was happy to bring out two glasses and a corkscrew.

We ordered one of nearly everything— and I left satisfied but not stuffed. Still, I had favorites.

Chai is a must, even if you bring your own libations. I recommend ordering it as soon as you sit down because the sweet cardamom brew is so lovely to drink while you’re figuring out what to eat. It’s unusual because it’s caffeine free and has a deliciously light coconut milk base. That said, the tea goes down easy, especially on a chilly night.

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Taste | Fine fare

The gnocchi, a pillowy potato and rice dumpling

battered in spiced chickpea flour, make a great starter, though everything here comes out as it’s prepared. They remind me of fritto misto without the greasy feel. A pile of them could feel indulgent, but with five per serving and a tangy coconut milk yogurt dipping sauce to balance out the fried richness, it’s the perfect amount.

Next was the romaine and arugula salad. Unlike a standard bed of greens with tomatoes and a vinaigrette, this dish showcases what Bovenzi does so well: the cherry tomatoes are oven roasted so that the bright, concentrated flavors burst in your mouth. In the place of croutons, cubes 60

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of tender-roasted sweet potatoes and diced almonds provide a divine textural contrast.

I know, it’s a salad, but it’s a damn good one.

Another highlight is the gnocchi, a pillowy potato and rice dumpling that’s entirely gluten free and dairy free, which is a testament to the chef ’s sorcery. It’s caramelized and dressed in crushed tomatoes and basil broth. There’s a touch of acid (maybe from the tomatoes or vinegar, it’s hard to say) that makes you want more.

Other restaurants might offer a huge serving in a pasta bowl, which would be welcome in this case. At Natural Oasis, half a dozen come in a delicate fluted dish, but

for five dollars, it’s a generous portion—and you can always order a second round if you feel like it.

During the meal, Bovenzi comes out from the open kitchen periodically to check in with us. It further adds to the “friend’s house for dinner” vibe but with clearly a more exciting array of dishes.

I should mention that everything is vegan, though it’s tough to tell.There’s a noticeable absence of meat-focused entrees on the thirteen-item menu, but truth be told, my dining companion and I didn’t miss it.

I ask Bovenzi about this: How can he get two self-assured meat-eaters to come in,

Taste | Fine fare order a bunch of food, and genuinely enjoy themselves?

“It’s a blessing and a curse,” he says, laughing. He explains that after years of training at restaurants, his palate recognizes when a dish needs something extra: salt, fat, acid, crunchy, or creamy. This simple but precise principle of building dishes, in his mind, sets a restaurant dish apart from a meal he might cook at home. It’s also how he can adjust a ho-hum vegan dish into something that I would order a double portion of next time.

Another noticeable difference from other vegetarian spots is nothing pretends to be meat here. Some dishes have thoughtful plant-based substitutes, like the brown risotto. It’s a warm, satisfying dish with nuggets of roasted cauliflower and portobello mushrooms, and, in place of cream, it uses cashew cheese. Yet the nutty flavor is uniquely its own and doesn’t come off as imitation cream for one second.

Regardless of dietary preferences, guests will find the menu varied and inclusive.

As well as being vegan, most dishes don’t have gluten, soy, or artificial animal products, and Bovenzi kindly accommodates special requests. “It’s very hard for people to not

find something to eat if they come in,” he says.

Ten years ago, when Natural Oasis started serving this style of food, there weren’t many options for vegans, much less for people with celiac disease or health-conscious diners. Even with more choices available today, it’s rare to find a spot where you have complete freedom to order anything

off the menu you please—without worry about the cost or the ingredients involved.

Natural Oasis is one such place. It’s not new, and it might feel like going over to a friend’s house, but the food is satisfying and completely original. There’s something for everyone to enjoy here—yes, even if you eat meat—so that gets a lot of heart emojis in my book.

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Taste | Table for Naz

Rediscover the Rochester Public Market Just when you thought you knew everything about the market ...

By Naz Banu

It is May. Spring is here ... probably.

(True-blue Rochestar ians know you can’t be certain until after Mother’s Day.) If your winter weary soul needs a lift, it is time to go to the City of Rochester’s Public Market, one of the very best parts of living in Rochester. Here you can see the definitive signs of spring in May—an abundance of asparagus and peas at local farmers’ tables. Did you know that you can also get a smudge stick to shake off that winter energy? A vegan chocolate cake slice to remind you good things are to come? A fruit smoothie to give you tropical feels?

Perhaps a one-pound burrito before you start telling yourself that it’s salad season?

Read on for the scoop on some of the less explored spots at the Rochester Public Market.

Alex Flowers (located in Shed A, Booth 98) Foraging is a trend that is starting to take off in Rochester. Flowers, however, is an old hand at this. He only sells things harvested, foraged or created from what is 62

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grown on his property. During the (short) growing season, he offers a mix of the usual and lesser-known produce bounty of the season (his fans list turnips, ramps, leeks, and pursulane as some of their favorite finds here).

In the winter, when everything seems dead, Flowers still has a full table of creations to help one soldier through the cold and short days. Smudge sticks may seem like they popped into the modern hipster culture from nowhere. Let’s set the record straight—smudge sticks have established roots in Native American culture. Smudging is the practice of burning certain herbs/plants as part of specific spiritual ceremonies (e.g., blessing people, purifying energy). You can find a variety of smudge sticks at Flowers’s table.

My personal favorites are the mugwort smudge sticks. Mugwort is said to remove negative energy and even encourage dreaming. The sweet grass one has a gently sweet smell that’s pleasing. As a bonus, it also helps draw positive feelings and spirits.

In the winter, when you know a cold is

around the corner, get some mullein tea.

It is basically nature’s Nyquil—known to ease coughing, break up congestion, and encourage sleep.

You may never know what Flowers has available at the table when you stop by but do not fear—you can always count on a kind and knowledgeable person to answer your questions.

Taste of Supreme (located in Indoor Shed B) In the sea of sweatpants-chic at the market you can pick out Asad Muhammad easily.

He is the one wearing a dress shirt, pressed pants, and a tie. Muhammad founded Taste of Supreme in 2011 to bring nutritious desserts to Rochester. You will never guess the main ingredient in Taste of Supreme’s most wellknown dessert. Ok, you might because it is in the name. Bean Supreme Pie—the name might make you doubtful, but the first smooth and spiced bite will leave you a believer. All the times we have hoped and wished for dessert to be healthy ... this gets close to making that dream a reality.

Taste | Table for Naz

The desserts run the gamut from bean supreme pie to chocolate cake. Leave your vegan baked goods misconceptions at the door— the chocolate cake may cause you to question the need for butter and eggs. The moist cake crumb and the luscious chocolate fudgy frosting are vegan. In my decidedly nonmedical opinion, this makes the chocolate cake dangerously close to a salad. Isn’t that kind of logic what dreams are made of?

Photos by Tomas Flint

Philomina’s (located in Indoor Shed B) Philomina Emeka-Iheukwu’s culinary creations focus on health first, but upon trying her selections, taste is surely tied for first place.

Upon moving to the United States from Nigeria, Emeka-Iheukwu discovered the struggle of eating nutritiously here. Her hot, tablestyle offerings have something for everyone—the picky eater, the one who wants to have to Google every dish’s origins (read: me), the self-declared meat eater, or the health-focused vegan. She even has a spicy seasoning for heat seekers (read: still me). I had a hard time choosing among the lentils, chicken stew, turkey meatball stew, or jollof. In the spirit of investigative journalism, I tried it all.

You can’t go wrong here—the lentils were cooked perfectly, the chicken was tender, the turkey meatball was juicy, and the jollof rice was the perfect canvas for all the sauces and drippings.You can also get a variety of fruit juices and smoothies.

One’s physical health and tastebuds will benefit from her cooking, and one’s spirits can’t help but be lifted by Emeka-Iheukwu’s genuinely sweet personality.

Paola’s Burrito Place (located in Shed A by Union Street) From South Avenue to the Rochester Public Market, Paola’s has been around Rochester for more than two decades. At the Public Market, Paola’s is run from out of a small food cart. The speed at

which they churn out tacos and burritos is impressive. All the meats are stewed or grilled ahead of time. Once you order, the owner goes to work to assemble the food immediately. Paola’s is not where one goes for birria or chicken tinga.They focus on the more well-known American take on Mexican food. Think great steak tacos and giant cheesy burritos. Where else in Rochester can you get a one-pound burrito for $7? In order to use my stomach space optimally, I had to go with a baby (breakfast) burrito. For $5, I got a sizable breakfast of eggs, cheese, potatoes, and hot sauce (optional), expertly wrapped. I was able to eat and walk—an important quality for a market breakfast.

When you want hearty food that’s tasty without being fussy and will not take a toll on your wallet—Paola’s has you covered.

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Taste

Dining Guide ASIAN

packed every weekend L&D: Daily I    $

1802 Penfield Rd., Penfield, 385-2808, hongwahrestaurant.com

Seasons’ Noodle

Hong Wah Restaurant

Located in the lobby of the Columbus Building, Seasons’ Noodle offers fresh, authentic Chinese food made from scratch. Dishes consist of noodles, protein, veggies, and sauce, with vegan noodles available upon request. L&D: Daily   $

Juicy Seafood 3020 Winton Rd. S., Rochester, 622-9468, facebook.com/JuicySeafoodRochester

There’s the Chinese food white people grew up with, and then there’s the real kind.

Tsingtao House is squarely the latter. This immigrant family–owned kitchen doesn’t compromise its menu to Western tastes, and we’re all the richer for it. Shredded jellyfish and ox tongue are among the more exotic fare, but don’t underestimate the addictive power of the simple braised fish and brown sauce.

L&D: M–Sa      $$

Beloved for its “boils,” which come in a bag with two potatoes and a half ear of corn, this reasonably priced seafood establishment introduces Viet-Cajun cuisine to Rochester. Choose from an extensive menu consisting of boiled or fried options, then further customize your meal by making it a combo and deciding on your choice of seasoning and level of spice. L&D: Daily     $$

Furoshiki

682 Park Ave. Rochester, 771-0499, parkavenoodles.com

Named after a special cloth used by the Japenese to wrap lunches and gifts of food, Furoshiki hopes to bring a similarly beautiful yet casual feel to its ramen.

This Pan-Asian noodle bar offers a wide variety of cocktails and dishes, with homemade ramen at the center of it all. L&D: Daily  I   $$

Khong Thai Cuisine

260 Winton Rd. N., Rochester 434-2238, khongthaicuisine.com

Sak Southi, co-owner of Sak’s Thai Cuisine in Fairport, has opened a fast-casual eatery. Noodle dishes include pad thai and udon noodle, and there is a variety of soups and entrées such as pad peow wan, pad phet, and choo chee pla. L&D: W–M     G $$

Osaka Sushi 3240 Chili Ave., Rochester; 3685 W. Henrietta Rd., Rochester, 571-4889, osakasushi.com Hibachi, teriyaki, and sushi, oh my! All-you-can-eat is the way to go. Dine in or take out (no, there isn’t an allyou-can-carry option) and check out the new Henrietta location. L&D: Daily  I    $ Thai by Night 123 S. Main St., Canandaigua 412-6261, thaibynightny.com

John Guattery returns to his native Canandaigua after cooking in kitchens all over the States to open an authentic Thai restaurant with traditional dishes like pad see ew and gai yang. Pair your meal with options of local wine and beer L: T–Th; D: T–Sa     $

Tsingtao House

2831 W. Henrietta Rd., 272-8008, tsingtaohouserochester.com

BARBECUE

Good Smoke BBQ

326 W. Commercial St., East Rochester and 3308 Chili Ave., Rochester; 203-1576, goodsmokebbq.com

A modern take on traditional Southern cooking. There are the brisket, ribs, and chicken you expect, plus surprises like fried bologna sandwiches, Tennessee tacos, and smoked portobello mushrooms. Bacon, here, is called pig candy. L&D: Daily    $

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que

99 Court St., 325-7090, dinosaurbarbeque.com

Considered by many to be the gold standard in Rochester barbecue, this joint is almost always packed, especially when there’s a good band booked. An excellent choice for an inexpensive, downtown crowd pleaser. Leave yourself a little extra time for parking. L&D: Daily    I G $ Marty’s on Park 703 Park Ave., Rochester, 434-3292, martysmeats.com

Marty’s Meats began as one of Rochester’s first food trucks. Now, it has evolved into a brick–and–mortar business in the heart of the Park Avenue neighborhood. Rochester native Marty O’Sullivan serves the “best” handcrafted barbecue from locally sourced meats: a Rochesterian through and through. L&D: Tu–Su; Closed: M; Weekend brunch.   $ Route 96 BBQ 6385 Rte. 96, Victor, 742-2026, route96bbq.com

Ribs, pork, and brisket slow-cooked daily with pure hickory ... what could be better?

Choose to make it a sandwich or get a “tray,” which comes with a choice of side, pickles, and pork rinds. Enjoy a rustic, barn-like atmosphere while you dine. L&D: Tu–Sa     $$ The Saltbox Smokehouse 6152 Barclay Rd., Sodus, (315) 553-2663, thesaltboxsmokehouse.com

A relaxed, rustic environment pairs with meats that are smoked in-house and offered for eat-in or carry out from the deli. Specializing in bacon and offering more than fifteen varieties, this new smokehouse between Oswego and Rochester offers unique menu options that feature its own tasty cured meats. Be sure to try the chocolate chunk cookie with bacon bits. B&L: Tu–Sa; D: F–Sa    $

Smokin’ Hot Chicks BBQ

25 Parce Ave., Fairport, 210-3227, smokinhotchicksbbq.com

Thai Mii Up

A welcome addition to the Village of Fairport, Smokin’ Hot Chicks began as a mobile business serving savory slow-cooked barbeque at events and festivals. Equipped with a full tequila bar, dining room, private party room, and outdoor patio, which will feature small musical groups and dining in warmer months. D: W–Sat I     G $$

This Thai/Laotian restaurant opened in 2016 and has a hot reputation for authentic cuisine, friendly service, and—as is evidenced by the saucy name—a lively sense of humor. “Mii” is Laotian for noodles, and the ones here are house made. L&D: Tu–Su    G $

Sticky Lips BBQ

1780 E. Ridge Rd., Irondequoit, 491-6331; at Eagle Vale Golf Course, 4400 Nine Mile Point Rd., Fairport; and at Del Lago Resort, 1133 State Rte. 414, Waterloo; facebook.com/Thai.mii.up

Han Noodle Bar

687 Monroe Ave., Rochester 242-7333, hannoodlebar.com

Many restaurants claim to have the most authentic Chinese cuisine or the best Asian fusion dishes, but few can back these claims up as well as Han Noodle Bar. A combination of star noodle dishes along with steamed pork buns and thai fusions keep this place

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50 Chestnut St. C201, Rochester, 445-8048

Quality Chinese fare at a very nice price. Menu is extensive and tailored to the American palate. Honored for being one of America’s healthiest in the Top 100 Chinese Restaurant Dining Guide. L&D: Daily     G $

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830 Jefferson Rd., Henrietta; 288-1910, stickylipsbbq.com

World War II–themed pit barbecue restaurant. Texas and Memphis-style barbecue leads the menu with a nod to Carolina-style, although without the purist’s minced pork and vinegar sauce. Southern sides are available, as well as a smokehouse twist on the Rochester plate. Amid all this meat is a respectable vegetarian menu. L&D: Daily  I     $

Three-Legged Pig BBQ

3415 Rochester Rd., Lakeville, 346-0001, 3leggedpig.com

A small pit barbecue spot that gets the fundamentals right. St. Louis- and Carolinastyle ribs and brisket are on the menu along with burgers, smoked chicken, and sausage. The food is value priced and takeout friendly. L&D: Tu–Su    I  $

The (585) Dining Guide is a rotating list of area restaurants independently selected by members of the editorial staff.

All phone numbers are in the (585) area code unless otherwise noted.

Is there a restaurant you think should be included in our Dining Guide, or do you have a correction?

Please e-mail us at rwagner@585mag.com or fax to 413-0296.

Listings in purple are new to the Dining Guide this issue.

Price symbols indicate how much diners can expect to spend for an entrée without tax or tip.

$ .................under $13 $$ ..................$14 - $23 $$$ .............. $24 and up  ................. Cash Only  ................ Wheelchair Accessible I .... Outdoor Seating Available Seasonally  ....... Serves Alcohol  ....... Family-Friendly  .........Makes special effort for vegetarians  ...Parking Available G ..............Gluten Free

Taste | Dining guide BISTRO

Bad Apples Bistro

42 Nichols St., Ste. 4, Spencerport, 352-2231, badapplesbistro.com

Spencerport residents have another reason not to drive to the city for dinner—and more people from the city are making the drive for a unique casual gourmet experience. Epicureans will want to try the seared skate wing, the salmon succotash, or the beet and apple soup—but there are enough more familiar items to satisfy the less adventurous. Kids’ menu includes a four-ounce steak fillet. L&D: Tu–F; D: Sa     G  $$

Bar Bantam

1 S. Clinton Ave., 454-1052, barbantam.com

Housed in the lobby of the Metropolitan building, this restaurant serves as a quick and accommodating dining option perfect for busy people, whether it be breakfast in the morning or happy hour at night.

Selections include a wide variety of sandwiches and salads, as well as beer, wine, and cocktails. L: W–Fr; D: W–Sa      G $

Bistro 11

11 W. Main St., Victor, 924-3660, bistro11.net

Italian-style, casual dining in downtown Victor. The Mulcahy Sandwich is a vestige of the property’s previous life as McGhan’s Nearly Famous Pub. Good selection of local beer and wine. L&D: Tu–Sa; Closed: Su, M     $

Edibles

704 University Ave., Rochester (NOTA), 271-4910, ediblesrochester.com

With a painted tin ceiling and exposed brick walls, Edibles presents a rustic yet urban style. Its menu, suffused with Italian and Eastern European dishes as well as deconstructed American choices, invites repeat visits. Extensive and well-labeled vegetarian and gluten-free options. L&D: M–Sa; Closed: Su     G $$

Ember Woodfire Grill

21 Livonia Station, Livonia, 346-0222, emberwoodfiregrill.com

Tapas-style casual dining in an architectural award– winning renovated railroad station close to Conesus Lake. Menu is high-concept with eclectic international flavors portioned to be shared around the table. Selections rotate seasonally. Lots of beers, wines, and creative cocktails to choose from. Kids’ menu with make-yourown-pizza nights Tuesdays and Wednesdays. D: M–Sa; Closed: Su  I     $$ EuroCafé

116 Main St., Geneseo, 447-9252, euro-cafe.us

Traditional Polish cooking with a modern sensibility in downtown Geneseo. Dumplings, sausage, and soups that won’t weigh you down. Two first-generation Polish owners have brought over recipes that could be found today in the chic bistros of Warsaw. The cakes are elaborate and made on premises. L&D: Tu–Sa   G  $

JoJo Bistro and Wine Bar—Pittsford

60 N. Main St., Pittsford (Village of Pittsford), 385-3108, restaurantjojo.com

Though it’s in the quaint village of Pittsford, JoJo has all the pizzazz of a big city bistro, complete with an award-winning wine list and adventurous dinner menu. The chefs at JoJo experiment with wood-fired pizza; instead of pepperoni, you order soppressata.

Appetizers like the tuna tartar and foie gras draw diners from all over the area. D: Daily     $$ JoJo’s Bistro and Wine Bar—Webster 42 E. Main St., Webster, 667-0707; restaurantjojo.com

JoJo’s Webster outpost provides upscale dining and quickly became a staple in the area. An extensive wine list pairs with wood-fired pizzas and an assortment of other classic American dishes to ensure everyone who enters leaves satisfied. D: Daily     I  $$

Label Seven

50 State St., Pittsford, 267-7500, labelseven.com

Hip, cozy west coast dining experience on the canal.

Bright red walls and antique furniture accent white tablecloth dining. Menu choices are inspired by California casual cuisine and the Baja, its Mexican counterpart—except for the French Market Poutine, a concoction from across the other border, with beef brisket, chili, and cheddar curd. L&D: Tu–Sa     I  $$

Lucky’s

628 Winton Rd. N., Rochester, 270-4075, luckys628.com

The team behind local restaurants Good Luck and Cure have added a new joint to the empire. Step into the 1930s–’40s era complete with a tin ceiling, old– timey clocks, and vintage photos as you enjoy a diverse menu with everything from traditional pub food to pickled eggs. D: Tu–Su; L: F–Su; Br: Sa–Su     $$

Mendon 64 1369 Pittsford Mendon Rd., Mendon, 433-9464, mendon64.com

The restaurant formerly known as the Mendon House has found new life under the management team behind the Cottage Hotel and Penfield’s Pour House, but it’s a little more upscale. The dinner menu sports a wide array of seasonal choices; in the pub is a small but very unusual selection of simple, sturdy dishes, and there is live music most nights and a monthly rotating art exhibit. D: Tu–Sa  I    $$$

New York Kitchen Restaurant

800 S. Main St., Canandaigua, 394-7070, nywcc.com/UpstairsBistro

The restaurant above the New York Kitchen showcases the state’s meat and produce with helpful New York wine and beer pairing suggestions. If you like what you sipped, you can buy a bottle from the tasting room downstairs. There are “Manhattan-style” brunches on the weekends and beautiful views of Canandaigua Lake from the patio. L&D: M–Sa; Br: Su  I     $$

The Owl House

75 Marshall St., Rochester (Lower Monroe), 360-2920, owlhouserochester.com

The chefs begin with farm-to-table, local ingredients and produce creative dishes. A rotating grilled cheese special is reason enough to visit several times in one week, and desserts are refreshed daily as well (and generally vegan). Menu specials are posted on Facebook each morning, including original craft cocktails and drafts. D: Th–Su I    G $$

Panzari’s Italian Bistro

321 Exchange Blvd., Rochester (Corn Hill), 546-7990, panzarisitalianbistro.com

This cozy bistro in the heart of Corn Hill Landing boasts an Italian menu that shines in every way it should, from pasta to antipasti. An open-air dining room allows patrons to observe the corner brick oven where pizzas are blistered to perfection. L: M–F; D: Daily  I     $$

The Peppered Pig

1759 Empire Blvd., Webster, 347-6479, thepigroc.com

French fare meets an accessible and elegant atmosphere in the latest addition to the local European restaurant scene. The menu boasts pork and duck from apps to entrées, as well as a specialized brunch menu. And of course, what French eatery would be

complete without a well-considered wine list? L: Daily; D: M–Sa; Br: Sa–Su  I   $$

The Red Fern

283 Oxford St., Rochester (Park Avenue), 563-7633, redfernrochester.com

This charming restaurant serves an entirely vegan menu with many gluten-free options, including a healthy take on Rochester’s trademark “plate” and mac ‘n’ cheese nachos made from cashews. The baked goods, which are available wholesale, can be found at eateries around the city (the creative donut flavors are especially popular). Catering is available. L&D: Tu–Sa I    G $

REDD Rochester

24 Winthrop St., Rochester, 483-7333, reddrochester.com

The highly anticipated REDD boasts a menu that packs a diverse punch with standout dishes such as the decadent Maine lobster risotto and multiple woodfired pizzas. Years of international culinary experience from co-owner Richard Reddington make every item served worth trying. L: F–Sa; D: M–Sa  I    $$

Roam Café 260 Park Ave., Rochester (East End), 360-4165, roamcafe.com

Cozy, upscale Park Avenue bistro with a fresh American classics menu that wanders into Italian territory.

(Don’t miss the arancini.) A few of the entrées are marked paleo-friendly for followers of the “caveman diet.” L&D: Daily     G $$

Roux

688 Park Ave., Rochester, 461-2960, rouxparkave.com

This French kitchen and nouveau cocktail bar artfully prepares classic French fare using local farm ingredients paired with an all-French wine list. Roux also boasts an absinthe fountain, Parisian decor, and a savvy bar staff. One of the best spots in the Park Ave cultural district to sit outside (or in a window booth, if it’s cold) and watch the world go by. Br: Sa–Su; D: W–Su  I   $$

Six50

7217 Rte. 96, Victor; 398-8277, six-50.com

Six50 serves up a menu filled with twists on Italian classics like pizza and pasta along with a healthy offering of appetizers, salads, and sandwiches. Most ingredients in the scratch kitchen are sourced locally.

Menu highlights include the Butchers Pie, a rotating pizza-of-the-day, and mussels cevennes, which is served in chardonnay sauce with crusty peasant bread. L&D: Daily  I     G $$ TRATA

145 Culver Rd., Rochester, 270-5460, tratarochester.com

The casual corporate cousin of Black and Blue, Village Bakery, and JoJo’s Wine Bar, TRATA is one of the main draws to the Culver Road Armory. The decor is slick and industrial with lots of exposed brick. The menu is catnip for foodies. Ever feel like a duck quesadilla or a beer cocktail made with bacon? This is where you belong. D: W–Sa; Br: Su  I    G  $$

The Vesper Kitchen and Bar

1 Capron St., Rochester (Downtown), 454-1996, rocthevesper.com

The Vesper’s name is in homage to a drink created

by James Bond, who, of course, had named that for a stunning woman. The place feels upscale and trendy, with a bar made of pallets and a limited but playful menu. For example, from the raw bar, order the Trust Fund: a Vesper Martini, two oysters, two shrimp, ceviche, half an ounce of caviar, and stuffed olives. D: M– Sa     G  $$

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Taste | Dining guide Viticulture

217 Alexander St., Rochester, 576-6108, viticultureroc.com

Taste a well-curated selection of wines from France, Spain, and Italy all in one place. With its rotating selection of white, red, and rosé wines, Rochester’s newest wine bar is an ideal destination for cocktail hour or a girls’ night out. W–Sa I   $$

Zambistro

408 Main St., Medina, 798-2433, zambistro.com

Comfort food favorites are rebuilt here for the demanding connoisseur’s palate. The sirloin’s dusted with espresso for both sizzle and buzz. The tuna comes in a tuxedo of prosciutto and potatoes. How could you possibly improve meatloaf? Wrap it in bacon. L&D: M–Sa  I     $$

CAJUN

The French Quarter Café

130 Spring St., Rochester, 987-6432; thefqc.com

A beautifully converted house plays host to Creole meals that wouldn’t be out of place on the dinner table of a Louisiana grandma. The crawfish and jambalaya set the stage, as does a Natchitoches meat pie—but you might want to try the Sicilian chicken, a favorite of Italian immigrants to New Orleans. D: M, W–Sa     $

The Spirit Room

139 State St., Rochester, 397-7595 thespiritroomroc.com

A mixture of Rochester history, spirituality, and Southernstyle cooking make this craft cocktail bar and literary lounge a hub for local history and art. The bar is styled after the Spiritualism movement that swept Rochester in the late 1800s, something that shines through in the Spirit Room’s macabre yet energetic atmosphere.

Regular tarot card readings are offered, as well as music and poetry readings. D: Tu–Su  I   $$

DESSERT Cheesy Eddie’s

602 South Ave., Rochester (South Wedge), 473-1300, cheesyeddies.com

The family-run business has been producing some of Rochester’s finest cheesecake creations for weddings, dinner parties, and holiday gatherings. Cheesy Eddie’s fare can be found in dessert cases across the city, but the South Wedge location has tables inside for patrons who want to enjoy a pastry with their morning coffee.

Closed: Su–M   $ Caramel Bakery and Bar 647 Park Ave., Rochester, 978-7898, caramelbakeryandbar.com

A dine-in bakery with a romantic and relaxed environment. Sit at the bar or in the cozy dining room and enjoy the mixture of creativity and taste that is offered. Suggested local beer and wine allow guests to complement their dessert or savory sharable. Featured as one of Nick’s Picks, each decadent dessert is served to please both the eye and the palate. D: W–Sa; Br: Su     G $$

Chocolate and Vines

757 University Ave., Rochester (NOTA), 340-6362, chocolateandvines.com

The servers at Rochester’s first regional dessert and wine bar are trained to suggest a pairing with any of the desserts (from fresh ricotta cream cannolis to hazelnut layer cake). It’s a beautiful complement to their large international wine selection. They also concoct their own chocolates, with flavors ranging from passion panna cotta white chocolate to cinnamon and habañero milk chocolate. Closed: M   I    $

Etna Pastry Shoppe

1913 Long Pond Rd., Rochester, 585-429-6369, etnapastryshop.com

Get a taste of European–quality pastries made with

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fresh, natural ingredients. This dessert shop offers a wide array of traditional Italian delights such as cannolis, sfogliatelle, and rum babas along with eclairs and wedding cakes. Open daily    $

Sweet Mist

This Mediterranean spot offers Levant food in decent portions with standout items like falafel, kibbeh, and the chicken kabob wrap. Get it in-house or have it catered for a unique option at the next potluck. L&D: Tu–Su     $

3259 Winton Rd. S., Rochester, 413-3512, sweet-mist.com

Olive’s Greek Taverna and Restaurant

Liquid nitrogen ice cream is the latest fun dessert craze to take the nation, and one has finally landed in Rochester. The menu features ample flavor options ranging from traditional (salted caramel, french vanilla, pistachio) to completely inventive (saffron, chocolate-covered pretzels, Mountain Dew).     $

Straight-forward family-owned Greek restaurant where the moussaka is made fresh daily and the dolmades come to your table steaming. A few nods to the trendy include Cuban and Buffalo chicken gyros. Baklava and Yaya’s Chocolate Snowball await for dessert. L&D: M– Sa  I     $

50 State St., Pittsford, 381-3990, olivespittsford.com

White Rabbit Dessert Experience

Sinbad’s Mediterranean Cuisine

With the tagline “we passionately believe dessert shouldn’t just be found at the bottom of the menu,” White Rabbit Dessert Experience prioritizes homemade dessert. L&D: Daily   G $

Sinbad’s is considered by many to be the best Mediterranean restaurant in town and has the awards to prove it. Owners Ziad and Imad Naoum have been bringing the tastes of Lebanon to Rochester since 1994.

Outdoor seating allows customers to dine on hummus and falafel while enjoying the sights and sounds of Park Avenue. Daily  G   I $ $

1635 E. Henrietta Rd., Rochester, 471-8512, sweetlifedessertexperience.com

GERMAN

719 Park Ave., Rochester, 473-5655, mysinbads.com

Rheinblick German Restaurant

Voula’s Greek Sweets

Menu goes beyond usual brats and kraut into fare that could be found anywhere along the banks of the River Rhine. If you’re hungry, dig into the schweinshaxe, a towering roasted pork shank. You can also choose among ten different kinds of schnitzel. On the appetizer menu, travelers will spot currywurst, the predominant street food of Berlin. The beer and wine list comes straight from the old country. L&D: W–M   I  $$

Leave busy Monroe Avenue and walk into what feels like someone’s country kitchen. Fresh baklava, kataifi, and other sticky, honey-drizzled Greek desserts line the display case, but first you need to have lunch.

Spanakopita and other stuffed phyllo offerings share the menu with items like lagana bread and five Mediterranean spreads. Fresh soups and salads also available. L: Daily; D: Th     $

224 S. Main St., Canandaigua (Downtown Canandaigua), 905-0950, restaurant-rheinblick.com

Swan Market

231 Parsels Ave., Rochester, 288-5320, swanmarket.com

Eating here is like stepping into a wayback machine; the eighty-year-old property looks like it hasn’t changed a bit. Lunch offerings are basic: schnitzel, roast pork, or sausage with traditional German sides. Communal seating is available among shelves of German grocery imports. Be sure to pick up something for home on the way out. L: W–Sa   $

Unter Biergarten

120 East Ave., Rochester 360-4010, unterbiergarten.com

A German-style beer hall located in the space that previously housed Victoire. Includes twenty-four draft lines of classic German beer, as well as some familiar favorites. German traditional food is served regularly, including fried bologna, sausage, and pretzels. Food served until 10 p.m. D: Th–Sa Br: Su I   $

GREEK/MEDITERRANEAN Aladdin’s Natural Eatery

646 Monroe Ave., Rochester, 264-9000, and 8 Schoen Pl., Pittsford, 264-9000, myaladdins.com

The benefits of a Mediterranean diet are well known, and Aladdin’s markets its menu as healthy, all-natural, and inexpensive—and made with fresh, locally sourced ingredients wherever possible. Most items on the menu are under $10. L&D: Daily    $

Cedar Mediterranean Restaurant

746 Monroe Ave., Rochester, 442-7751, facebook. com/Cedar-Mediterranean-Restaurant

Looking for good value without sacrificing flavor or your health? Try this family-run joint where the pita bread—a fan favorite—is made to order. There are plenty of vegan and vegetarian options, and you can eat in or take it to go. L&D: M–Sa     G $

Levantine’s

750 Elmgrove Rd., Rochester, 434-0441, levantinescafe.com

439 Monroe Ave., Rochester, 242-0935, facebook.com/voulasgreeksweets

FINE DINING

Atlas Eats Kitchen & Bake Shop

2185 N. Clinton Ave., Rochester (Irondequoit), 544-1300, atlas-eats.com

To place Atlas Eats in the fine dining section is almost to do it a disservice, because it’s not expensive, especially not for breakfast and lunch. But it is truly fine dining.

Dinners are prix fixe, there are only four seatings per weekend, and the globally inspired, sophisticated menu changes every two weeks. B&L: Th–Sa; D: F–Sa; Br: Su  I     $$

Avvino

2451 Monroe Ave., Rochester (Brighton), avvinorochester.com

Chef Tim Caschette taps local farmers to craft a seasonal menu showcasing the region’s agricultural bounty.

The menu is high-end New American with lots of international choices but still approachable. The curious will appreciate curveballs like chicken-fried pork cheeks or pastrami pho. Attention to detail is this restaurant’s hallmark. Wine glasses are “primed”: a sample is swirled in the glass and discarded until there’s nothing to taste but the wine. D: Tu–Sa  I     G $$

The Cub Room

739 S. Clinton Ave., Rochester (South Wedge), 363-5694, thecubroomroc.com

Located in the highly anticipated Edge of the Wedge building, the Cub Room is a restaurant opened by a husband and wife team. The menu appeals to adventurous palates, with dishes like beet and gorgonzola ravioli, grilled octopus, and house-smoked pork cheeks. The dining room is an airy, loft-style space with a touch of preProhibition design. D: W–Sa; Br: Su     $$$

Cure

50 Public Market, Rochester, 563-7941, curebar.net

French-inspired cuisine near the Rochester Public Market featuring charcuterie and eclectic appetizers washed down with a respectable list of wines, beers, and craft cocktails. The house-made tonic is a must, and Thursdays are reserved for Menu du Voyageur, a prix fixe

Taste | Dining guide menu that investigates the cuisine of a particular region of France. Cure becomes Java’s at the Market on Saturday mornings. D: W–Su; Br: Su  I    $$

Good Luck

50 Anderson Ave., Rochester (NOTA), 340-6161, restaurantgoodluck.com

Hewn-wood tables, mismatched chairs, and bare lighting fixtures give this warehouse restaurant a rustic vibe. Farm-to-table menu features seasonal family-style dishes. The Inspired Table dining series gives guests a chance to see dinner courses prepared and learn about the food. Lively happy hour and bar scene enhanced by a creative craft cocktail selection. D: W–Sa     $$$

The Erie Grill

41 N. Main St., Pittsford, 419-3032, eriegrill.com

Dishes like rabbit sausage and duck meatballs are meant to draw foodies to this upscale, “reinvented” restaurant in a Marriott hotel. Gourmet offerings extend into the breakfast and lunch menus. Cocktails are refreshing and inventive. B, L&D: Daily  I     $$$

Farmer’s Creekside Tavern & Inn

1 Main St., Le Roy, 768-6007, farmerscreekside.com

The definition of destination dining, Creekside opened in 2017 after many years of remodeling—the stone building had been all but destroyed in a fire more than a decade earlier. You can go high-end here or opt for pub fare, and it’s all tasty. Impressive views. Rooms available.

L&D: M–Sa; Br&D: Su      $$$

Hedges Nine Mile Point Restaurant 1290 Lake Rd., Webster, 265-3850, hedgesninemilepoint.com

Catch a beautiful sunset while enjoying the “catch of the day” at this surf-and-turf restaurant on the lake. Hedges serves the finest meats aged thirty days at minimum and the freshest seafood. Lake Ontario serves as the perfect backdrop to fine dining, spirits, and entertainment. L: Tu–F; D: Th–Sa   I G $$$

Joey B’s

1325 Elmwood Ave., Rochester (Brighton), 377-9030, joeybsrestaurant.com

Regulars protested when their beloved date night go-to spot left Fairport for new digs closer to town, but the new Joey B’s is bigger, more accessible, and just as tasty.

The old-school menu is loaded with favorites like shrimp scampi, grilled filet, and rack of lamb, but there’s more than a touch of French flair—try the duck breast a l’orange or escargot. The chicken French (while not so very French) is as good as any and better than most.

L: Tu–F; D: Tu–Su; Br: Su      $$ Lento

274 N. Goodman St., Rochester (Village Gate), 271-3470, lentorestaurant.com

Lento has a three-tiered goal for its menu items: local, seasonal, and sustainable. Owner/chef Arthur Rogers, a 2015 James Beard Award nominee, works with more than twenty local farmers to supply the kitchen with fresh ingredients year-round, which means the menu constantly changes. The craft cocktails are also made from juices, homemade mixers, and seasonal fruit from local farms. On Thursdays, cocktails are just $5. D: Tu– Sa  I   $$$

Max of Eastman Place

25 Gibbs St., Rochester (Downtown), 697-0491, maxrochester.net

The jewel in the crown of Max-branded Rochester restaurants, located near the Eastman School of Music.

Start with handcut beef tartare or truffled crab melt and then move on to roasted lamb or a perfectly grilled, aged New York strip steak. Think Max’s before a night at the symphony or an upscale retreat from the bustle of the jazz festival. L: M–F; D: M–Sa     $$$

Phillips European

The Yard of Ale

Touted as European-style café dining, Phillips has a rich lunch and dinner selection ranging from pastas to daily homemade quiches and soups. The restaurant’s quiet atmosphere and lavish dessert fare make Phillips one of Henrietta’s best-kept secrets. Don’t forget the afterdinner drinks; Phillips stocks everything from cordials to coffee liqueurs. L&D: M–Sa     $$

Family-owned fine dining in an early-nineteenth-century Genesee Valley Canal inn. The menu is standard Italian-influenced Rochester fare, but the execution is top-notch and evening specials aim to impress. Adjacent tavern keeps wings and beer rolling late into the night.

D: Tu–Su  I    G  $$

26 Corporate Woods, Rochester (Henrietta), 272-9910, phillipseuropean.com

The Rabbit Room Restaurant 61 N. Main St., Honeoye Falls, 582-1830, thelowermill.com

Excellent soups and sandwiches using local ingredients in the first floor of a nineteenth-century mill. Thursday night dinner features a $42 prix fixe tasting experience. Upstairs is a local artisan shop, gallery space, and studios for local artists. L: Th–Sa; L&D: Th  I     $$

3226 Genesee St., Piffard (near Geneseo), 243-3380, theyardofale.com

INDIAN

Amaya Indian Cuisine

1900 Clinton Ave. S., Rochester 241-3223, amayaindiancuisine.com

Amaya offers a wide array of traditional fare sure to satisfy your naan and spice cravings. Save room for a serving of dosa—crepes made from rice and lentil batter served with coconut chutney and sambar. L&D: Tu–Su; Closed: M     $$

The Revelry

Naan-Tastic

Since it opened in 2013, the Revelry has generated consistent buzz with artisanal cocktails and Lowcountry cuisine. The Revelry team channels Southern hospitality and redefines comfort food with dishes like fried green tomatoes, pimento cheese and biscuits, and “Chicken & Fixins” dinners on Wednesdays. D: W–Sa; Br: Su; Closed: M–Tu  I     $$$

A family-owned fast and casual, counter-style Indian restaurant, offering customizable menu options for endless possibilities. They offer bowls and rolls with a large variety of meats, sauces, toppings, and sides with plenty of gluten-free and vegan options to choose from.

Catering is also offered. L&D: Daily      G$

Rooney’s Restaurant

Nani’s Kitchen

The historical building and European influence surrounding Rooney’s Restaurant repeatedly places it at the top of romantic dinner destinations in the area.

Inside, the rich paneling, fireplace, and scarlet linens lend a Victorian charm. The staff is highly trained and professional, treating every guest like royalty. The house chefs assemble a new dinner menu each night, building specialty dishes from lamb, beef, duck, and seafood found at local markets each morning. D: M–Sa    $$$

Each dish offered at Nani’s is based on a recipe handed down from the owner’s grandmother but spiced up with a modern twist. Small plates, large plates, sandwiches, and desserts are available. Located in Sibley Square’s Mercantile on Main. L: Daily; D: M–Sa    $

1290 University Ave., Rochester (NOTA), 340-6454, therevelryroc.com

90 Henrietta St., Rochester (Swillburg), 442-0444, rooneysrestaurant.com

Tapas 177

177 St. Paul St., Rochester (Downtown), 262-2090, tapas177.com

A swank downtown hangout with creative cocktails and a menu that melds together international cuisines. Curry empanadas, Maui chicken and egg rolls, or a watermelon shrimp are designed to surprise and delight. “Tapas” dining is a small-plate tradition from Spain, so it’s best to come with a small group of friends and share several selections around the table. D: M–Sa I   $$

Tony D’s

288 Exchange Blvd., Rochester (Corn Hill Landing), 340-6200, tonydsroc.com

It’s back! Tony D’s will take your wood fire oven and raise you a coal fire oven. A cooking temperature near a thousand degrees means crispier surfaces and more tender centers, and this goes for the wings, the ribs, and the pizzas. The pizza crust is thin and topped with combinations of Italian traditional vegetables and cured meats. You can also design your own. L&D: M–F; D: Sa–Su  I     $$

Native

180 S. Clinton Ave., Rochester, 351-6121, nativerochester.com

This local restaurant strives to “support our friends’ and neighbors’ small businesses” by locally sourcing their produce. Native’s upscale, wide-open space offers New-Age American cuisine and can’t-miss handcrafted cocktails for “social hour.” D: Tu–Sa  I    $$

100 Marketplace Dr., Rochester 434-1400, naan-tastic.com

240 E. Main St., Rochester, 287-0175, contact@nanisonmain.com

Thali of India

3259 Winton Rd. S., Henrietta 427-8030, thaliofindiarochester.com

The best of the suburban lunch buffets. The dinner menu is as extensive as any Greek diner but focused on the regional specialities of India, Pakistan, and the global diaspora. Sixteen baltis—a dish popular in Great Britain—are served, as tradition demands, in a copper pail. Vegetarians will be happy with the dozens of choices. L&D: Daily      $$

ITALIAN Amore

1750 East Ave., Rochester (Brighton), 452-8780, wegmansamore.com

Wegmans Supermarket’s East Avenue entry into the Italian dining sector offers respectable pizza, pasta, antipasti, sandwiches, salads, and charcuterie. As with all Wegmans restaurants, you may get inspired to visit the market next door to assemble ingredients to recreate your meal. L&D: M–Sa  I    G  $

Benji’s Pizza and Grill 1998 Empire Blvd., Rochester 446-0600, benjispizza.com

Pizza, burgers, wings, subs, and more, all within a classic, family-friendly environment. Do a pick up, dine in, or have it delivered. All food is proudly made with locally purchased ingredients. L&D: Daily    $

Benucci’s

3349 Monroe Ave., Rochester (Pittsford), 264-1300; Greece Ridge Center, Rochester, 227-3031, benuccis.com

A taste of old Sicily at Pittsford Plaza and now at the Mall at Greece Ridge. Nosh on bruschetta or traditional antipasti or choose from dozens of wood-fired pizzas, pastas, paninis, or entrées that include Benucci’s own piece of Rochester’s gourmet meatball trend.

L&D: Daily  I     $$

585mag.com | May/June 2021

67

Taste | Critical drinking

Rum’s ship comes in

Everything you did and didn’t know about rum

By Pete Wayner

WHAT YOU’RE DRINKING Donny Clutterbuck’s Daiquiri 2 oz. The Real McCoy 3-Year Aged Rum ¾ oz. lime juice ½ oz. white sugar simple syrup One drop 20 percent saline solution • Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice.

• “Shake it too much,” says Clutterbuck, and double strain it into a chilled coupe.

• Garnish with a lime wedge on the rim.

In January, the Spanish Civil Guard apprehended a ring of counterfeiters with $4.3 million dollars in fake rum. The schlock was produced in the Dominican Republic, bottled in Honduras, fitted with fake labels made from China, and stored in the Netherlands before being sold in Spain.

Isn’t that just the most rum-soaked thing you’ve ever heard? International crime, the high seas, a king’s ransom of ill-gotten booty. Maybe. But more than any of that, this story embodies rum’s 68

May/June 2021 | 585mag.com

inherently unregulated, wild-card status in the beverage world. And it points to why the spirit has been adrift for so long.

If you buy a bottle of bourbon, regardless of how low you stoop to reach the shelf, you are guaranteed at least a few things. Legally, to be labeled “bourbon,” a spirit’s mash bill must be at least fifty-one percent corn. It must be made in America. It must be aged in new, charred oak containers (typically barrels). It must be distilled to no more

than 160 proof, enter the container for aging at no more than 125 proof, and be bottled at a minimum of eighty proof. For any brand calling itself bourbon, this is monitored and enforced by the federal government. Rum? Nah. It’s the Wild West.

By definition, rum is made by fermenting and distilling molasses or sugar cane juice. Other than that, good luck. There are no regulations on labeling. Some rum has added sugar. Some rum has a lot of added sugar. Some rum has glycerol for a thicker mouthfeel and yet more sweetness.

Some rum has caramel coloring to make it look more like what you think rum should look like.

Sometimes, big brands sell rum to smaller, niche brands to put in their bottles. Other times, an “aged” rum is judged by the oldest rum in a blended bottle, so, theoretically, if I have a drop of twelve-year rum in a bottle of three-year, nothing is technically stopping me from labeling it twelve-year. In fact, it seems like the only thing that can get you in trouble is selling something that is inherently not rum (see paragraph one) and even that went so far before being noticed that fifty companies from three countries were under investigation by the time the story broke.

That unregulated status hasn’t been great for the spirit as a whole. For years, trend forecasters have said, “This will be rum’s year,” and for years, they’ve been wrong.This year is no different. Wine Enthusiast points to more sophisticated brands and discerning palates as reasons why this year, rum may finally get its place in the sun. We’ll see. It’ll have to buck a trend. According to a Marketwatch report last May, rum has been in decline since 2011 despite an overall increase in alcohol

Photo by Pete Wayner

Taste | Critical drinking consumption. And why shouldn’t it be? If you think you’re paying for something with depth and complexity, and you end up with a slurry of sugar, glycerol, caramel coloring, and lies, you may as well save your money for bottles that are guaranteed to at least be passable.

But really, what a shame. Because for all the charlatans in the industry, a lot more are producing really special, honest products with flavors you simply can’t taste with anything else. Few things bring such instant and intense gratification as a Daiquiri on a hot afternoon (see recipe for Donny Clutterbuck’s elevated take on the classic).

And though teleportation isn’t technically possible (yet), a good Mai Tai can whisk you from snow drift to sand dune in an instant. Even the Cuba Libre, which is just rum, coke, and lime juice, stands up as a fantastic drink, if you have good rum. The trick is knowing where to look.

Some countries with centuries-old rum traditions have instituted their own national standards. Jamaica (home of Appleton rums), Barbados (Mount Gay, Cockspur, Foursquare), and Martinique (Clement, Rhum JM, Neisson, Depaz) are all good examples. Other brands are transparent about what they put in the bottle and where it’s from, such as Brugal from the Dominican Republic and Angostura from Trinidad. Also note that just because a rum adds sugar to its product or sources it from a larger company, it doesn’t automatically indicate a lesser quality bottle. This is a pretty common practice (in fact, rum isn’t naturally sweet—sugar can’t withstand the distillation process) but it should be represented on the label.

Some new brands have embraced this level of transparency in an effort to change the face of rum.Ten to One has branded itself as “a departure from pirates and plantations.”

It currently has three products—a white, aged, and reserve seventeen-year single cask.

The white and aged are blends from the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Barbados, and Trinidad. The brand’s founder, Marc Farrell, was born and raised in Trinidad.

He went to MIT when he was sixteen, then graduated from Harvard Business School to become the youngest VP in Starbucks’ history. As if that wasn’t enough, he founded a brand that sought to change people’s perception of good rum, based on the values of his home region.

It’s unlikely Farrell and Ten to One are the last to raise the bar. So, if your idea of rum is a sickly sweet, amber-colored mess in a plastic handle with a pirate on the label, it might be time to give the spirit another chance. After all, you heard it here first— 2021 is rum’s year.

Donny Clutterbuck’s Daiquiri Clutterbuck, the caretaker at Cure in the Public Market, says the addition of saline solution allows for a more balanced cocktail. Typically, a Daiquiri contains rum with either equal parts simple syrup and lime juice at three-quarters of an ounce or even a full ounce of simple to compensate for the bitter acidity in the lime juice.

Clutterbuck says saline reduces the palate’s

s u n Joi

perception of acidity without introducing a noticeable salty flavor. This allows us to use less sugar (no longer needing to compensate for the lime’s acidity), which results in a less sweet drink with plenty of lime flavor without the obligatory pucker.

To make your own twenty percent saline solution, dissolve twenty grams of salt in eighty milliliters of water.

!

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TUESDAY

May 4, 2021

5:30 - 7:30

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ENJOY complimentary hors d’oeuvres and drink specials.

MINGLE with (585) staff, writers, and the fascinating people featured in the new issue.

PICK UP a free issue of the new (585).

No reservations necessary. For questions, call (585) 413-0040

585mag.com | May/June 2021

69

Taste | Dining guide Bocaccinis Italian Bistro & Bar

6720 Pittsford Palmyra Rd., Fairport, 421-8200, bocaccinis.com

This family-owned and -operated Italian bistro features traditional and contemporary Italian dishes; brick oven pizzas, paninis, and wraps; and fresh salads. All items are made in-house and to order using fresh, local ingredients. In addition to in-house dining and takeout, they also offer catering and semiprivate dining for events. D: Daily; L: M–Sa  I     G $$

Branca

683 Pittsford-Victor Rd., Bushnell’s Basin, 310-7415, brancabasin.com

Branca’s hospitality is top-notch. It’s a place where people feel comfortable eating solo at the bar—and rarely leave before making a friend. The house-cured charcuterie is exceptional, the burrata divine, and your four-year-old will actually eat the quattro formaggio pizza (though adults may prefer the tartufata). Perfect for date night, family dinner, lunch with a friend, or grabbing a drink after work. D: Daily   I    $$

Branca Midtown

280 E. Broad St., Rochester, 434-5243, brancamidtown.com

Branca began as a cozy Bushnell’s Basin bistro with a convivial bar, an authentic charcuterie hanging behind glass, and a colorful tile wood oven shipped from Italy.

Restaurateurs Josh and Jenna Miles have taken this formula downtown to capture the industrialist lunch crowd. This is the place to take out-of-town clients for lunch while bragging about Rochester’s amazing Italian scene. Cocktails have funny names and genius flavor combinations. Branca is a beachhead in our city’s downtown comeback. D: Tu–Sa; L: F     G $$$

30 Celebration Dr., Rochester (College Town), 424-4404, grapparoc.com

“Italian Nouveau” means all the classics presented in a clean, fresh style that matches the décor, plus appealing extras like zesty parmesan wings, beet salad with pistachio-encrusted goat cheese, and the classic burger. It’s a hotel restaurant that doesn’t feel like one. D: Tu–Sa      $$

Il Posto Bistro & Wine Bar 135 S. Main St., Canandaigua, 905-0535, ilpostobistroandwinebar.com Upscale bistro with pasta made on-site by their executive chef. An invigorating selection of wines from around the world to stimulate your palate. Traditional Italian dishes with some unexpected surprises as well, such as chicken tagine, grilled tournedos, and pei mussels. D: Tu–Sa     $$ Joey’s Pasta House

1789 Penfield Rd., Penfield, 586-2426, joeyspastahouse.com

Traditional Italian pasta lovingly prepared in an elegant small-town setting. Something to suit any taste, from the tagliatelle bolognese to simple spaghetti and meatballs. Entrées include chicken, veal, and seafood served along with house pastas and sauces. D: M–Sa; L: Tu–F      $$

La Luna

60 Browns Race, Rochester (High Falls), 232-5862, lalunahighfalls.com

Old World Italian dining overlooking the High Falls at Browns Race. Notables include Italian-style pulled pork for lunch and roasted beet salad and gnocchi bolognese for dinner. L: M–Th; D: Th–Sa  I    $$

Compané Trattoria

Lemoncello Italian Restaurant & Bar

Located in the newly renovated Cannery in Fairport, this modern Italian restaurant owned by chef Brendon Clar promises creative fare and a friendly atmosphere.

The menu includes creative cocktails and twists on traditional Italian favorite dishes. D: Tu–Sa     $$

Aside from serving a wide range of authentic Italian dishes like caprese salad, calamari fritti, and homemade arancini, Lemoncello’s kitchen is lead by East Rochester native Nick LaPietra. Both the owners and chef have Italian heritage, ensuring the ambiance and menu are like stepping into Rome or Venice for a few hours. Live mood music most weekends. D: Daily  I     G $$$

25 Parce Ave., Fairport, 364-0873, companetrattoria.com

Fiamma Centro

4 Elton St., Rochester (NOTA), 471-8917, centro.fiammarochester.com

For years, chef Giuseppe Pachiullo ran Fiamma in a nondescript Gates plaza serving pizzas and pasta taken directly from his native Naples. Now, he raises the Old Country charm by bringing his certifiedauthentic approach to the Neighborhood of the Arts.

The dry ingredients come directly from southern Italy.

The fresh stuff is sourced locally. The oven is fired to 1,000 degrees, making pizza crust bubble up and char in under a minute. Fold the pizza up and eat it like a taco if you don’t want to look like a tourist. D: Tu–Su   I    $$$

137 W. Commercial St., East Rochester, 385-8565, lemoncello137.com

Lucca Kitchen and Cocktails

425 Merchants Rd., Rochester, 448-0061, luccakitchen.com

Fresh flowers on every table, authentic Italian cuisine, and a memorable interior are just a few of the things you can expect at this neighborhood joint. Signature drinks are broken down by the main alcohol component, and food is served in respectable portions at this modern and cozy restaurant. L&D: Tu–Sa; Br: Su  I    $$

Napa Wood Fired Pizza

Fiorella

687 Moseley Rd., Fairport (Perinton Hills), 223-5250; 573 S. Clinton Ave., Rochester (South Wedge), 232-8558; 1900 Empire Blvd., Webster, 347-4540; napawoodfired.com

In the clean lines of a contemporary space at the Rochester Public Market, Chef Gino Ruggiero offers a menu of authentic Italian specialties, prepared primarily with locally sourced and organic ingredients. A short, well-curated list of inexpensive wines and draft beer complement the offerings. L&D: W–Sa   I    $$

Start with stuffed banana peppers or a pear and gorgonzola salad but save room for the main event. Pizzas are prepared neapolitan-style and cooked in an intensely hot oven. Selection is mostly Italian with fusion picks like cubano and greek. Locations in the South Wedge, Perinton Hills, and Baytowne Plaza. L&D: Daily  I     $$

Flour Kitchen

Rella

5 Rochester Public Market, 434-5705, restaurantfiorella.com

240 E. Main St., Rochester, 736-7430

Located in Sibley Square’s Mercantile on Main, enjoy classic and signature Italian dishes at Flour Kitchen.

From linguini to rigatoni Bolognese, they have all the pasta your heart could desire. L&D: M–Su   $

70

Grappa

May/June 2021 | 585mag.com

181 Monroe Ave., Rochester, 454-3510

There’s no website. There’s no Facebook page.

There are no reservations or even tables. But there are seats at the bar, fifteen to be exact, and there’s all kinds of cred—this is Mark Cupolo’s down-

the-street sister restaurant to the beloved Rocco, with “a focus on fresh seafood and small plates.”

(There is an Instagram.) D: M, W–Sa   $$

Rocco

165 Monroe Ave., Rochester, 454-3510, roccorochester.com

From the signature bellini to the unparalleled butterscotch budino, Rocco delivers a front-to-back excellent and authentic Italian dining experience. Go with an open mind, order what your server suggests, and make a reservation a week in advance (the place is tiny). D: M–Sa; L: F  I    $$

Pane Vino on the Avenue

3400 Monroe Ave., Pittsford, 586-7000, panevinoontheavenue.com

Recently opened sister location to the original Pane Vino. Features an expanded menu of traditional Italian cuisine. Two large banquet halls offer space for parties of 20–250. L: M–F; D: Daily     $$

Pane Vino on the River

175 N. Water St., Rochester (Downtown), 232-6090, panevinoontheriver175.com

Posh Italian place with a view of the river and skyscrapers downtown. Wide variety of traditional pasta dishes along with steak, veal, pork chops, and seafood. L: M–F; D: Daily     $$

Pasta Villa

1313 E. Ridge Rd., Rochester, 266-2676, thepastavilla.com

This small building may not look like much, but its size is nothing compared to the big flavors, large portions, and Italian flair that are found inside. The expansive menu offers a traditional Italian dish for everyone, while the sizeable portions will leave you with leftovers for days. L&D: M–Sa; Closed: Su     $$

Polizzi’s

274 N. Goodman St., Rochester (Village Gate) 363-5100, polizzis.com

Casual fine dining of Mediterranean style, from Spain to Greece. Entrées include a Middle-Eastern moussaka, an Italian minulotti, and many others to provide a full survey of Mediterranean cooking. There is also an extensive bar food menu consisting of Mediterranean pizzas, soups, and many other options. D: M–Sa     G $$

Proietti’s

980 Ridge Rd. E., Webster, 872-2330, proiettis.com

Prioetti’s stated goal is to serve italian cuisine that rivals that of any big American city. The menu is a mix of traditional Rochester dishes and surprises, like chicken riggies, which hails from Utica. A fall favorite is homemade butternut squash ravioli with creamy marinara sauce. Don’t pass on the cannoli for dessert.

D: Tu–Su      $$

Ristorante Lucano

1815 East Ave., Rochester (Brightondale), 244-3460, ristorantelucano.com

The place to go for authentic Italian cuisine. Here, old country recipes have built a strong following for this family-owned restaurant.The menu features traditional southern Italian pasta dishes as well as grilled lamb, beef, and seafood. D: Tu–Sa     $$

Veneto Gourmet Pizza and Pasta—East End 318 East Ave., Rochester (East End), 454-5444, venetorestaurant.com

Veneto led the trend of wood fired pizzerias back in 2001 and is still a hot destination for thin crust pizzas with those crucial char marks on the bottom. Choose from six traditional varieties or build your own or opt for pasta, a salad, or a tempting daily special. L: W–Th; D: Tu–Su  I    $$

Taste | Dining guide Veneto Gourmet Pizza and Pasta—Gates 1308 Buffalo Rd., Gates, 622-9000, venetorestaurant.com

The East End wood fired favorite opened a new location in May of 2020. A similar menu will be offered, including the “Dinner for Two” deal. The Gates location will also maintain the kitchen feel that diners love, where you can watch the sauce being made and the dough being thrown into the air.

L&D: W–Su  I    $$

Vern’s

690 Park Ave., Rochester, 340-6689, iloveverns.com

This über modern take on classic Italian dining is anything but ordinary. The bar offers everything from classic and original alcoholic and nonalcoholic cocktails to locally sourced meals designed to be shared.

The cozy eatery on Park Ave. offers yet another unique dining experience to Rochestarians. D: Tu–Su; Br: Su  I    $$

MEXICAN

Mesquite Grill 910 Elmgrove Rd., Rochester 363-5826, mesquitemexgrill.com

This family-friendly, picturesque restaurant brings Mexican culture and cuisine to Rochester through authentic favorites such as carnitas, chiles poblanos, pollo asado, and many others. There is also a wide selection of dishes such as tacos, burritos, and quesedillas. L&D: Daily     $ Neno’s Gourmet Mexican Street Food 649 Monroe Ave., Rochester, 434-0026, nenosmexican.com

A delightful addition to Rochester’s Mexican cuisine scene (which (585)’s Nick Abreu says is in “a golden age of tacos”), Neno’s originally operated as a muchloved food truck until it opened its colorful, modest establishment. There is an emphasis on braised beef tacos, bursting with flavor and piled high with ingredients. L&D: Tu–Su   G $

282 Alexander St., Rochester (East End), 287-6933, oxandstone.com

This long-awaited Mexican joint is adding heat to an already sizzling dining scene at the Rochester Public Market. Co-owner Zack Mikida is passionate about the country, its food, and especially mezcal, as the bar menu illustrates. Fun tacos, the salsa flight, and superb cocktails are fan favorites. L: F; D: M–Sa; Br: Sa  I    $$

Old Pueblo Grill 55 Russell St., Rochester (Neighborhood of the Arts), 730-8057, oldpueblogrillroc.com

bluHorn Tequilaria

7 S. Main St., Pittsford, 880-6843

This upscale tequilaria brings freshly squeezed margaritas, Mexican fare, and a small village atmosphere. The tequilaria offers a large, cozy outdoor space as well as indoor seating and to-go margaritas.

D: M–Sa  I    $$

Dorado

690 Park Ave., Rochester (East End), 244-8560, doradoparkave.com

Dorado bills itself as “Latin fusion,” but the emphasis is on Mexico—with tacos, enchiladas, and burritos.

The molé sauce is made in-house. Hints of Cuba and Argentina can be found in the pork sandwich and steak chimmichurri. Sit outside for a view of Park Avenue’s busy sidewalks. L&D: Daily  I    $$ John’s Tex-Mex 426 South Ave., Rochester, 434-0026, johnstexmex.com.com

A cozy cantina in a vibrant downtown setting, John’s Tex-Mex is known for having the “best burrito in town” while providing a large selection of mouthwatering entrées with vegan and vegetarian options included.

Enjoy a generously portioned feast for a low price while basking in the sun. L&D: M–Sa  G   I  $ La Casa Mexican Restaurant and Cantina 93 Alexander St., Rochester (South Wedge), 730-5025, rochesterlacasa.com

With its unique indoor/outdoor patio bar, La Casa is a funky addition to the South Wedge neighborhood.

Huevos three different ways, including ranchero, are at the top of the menu. Other specialties are made fresh and are lighter than Mexican food often is. Live music Friday and Saturday nights. L&D: M–Sa  I     $

Lulu Taqueria

6 N. Main St., Fairport, 377-0410, luluroc.com

Mexican cantina situated on the edge of the Erie Canal.

Features traditional dishes with some unusual offerings such as a smoked swordfish taco or cauliflower taco as a vegetarian option. Enjoy one of many imported wines while sitting on the patio. L&D: Tu–Sa  I    $

Dine in / Take out.

585-385-2808 FAX 585-385-2833

Open 7 days

MON-THURS 11:00 AM – 9:30 PM FRI & SAT 11:00 AM – 10:30 PM SUNDAY 11:30 AM – 9:30 PM 1802 PENFIELD RD. Behind Dunkin Donuts

Ox and Stone

Bitter Honey

127 Railroad St., Rochester (Marketview Heights), 270-4202, bitterhoneyroc.com

AWARDED OVERALL EXCELLENCE AS A TOP 100 CHINESE RESTAURANT IN THE U.S.A.!

Latin kitchen, cocktail parlor, and social house serving tapas, paella, and house-made tortillas in a fun and lively atmosphere. Live music, taco Tuesdays and tapas Wednesdays, late-night snacks, and rotating draft beers.

D: M–Sa; L: F–M; Br: Sa–Su  I     $$

Southwest-inspired Latin cuisine specializing in tacos, tortas, and burritos. Features a lively atmosphere reminiscent of the Tucson area, where executive chef Joe Zolnierowski IV (of Nosh fame) spent two decades working in some of the city’s best bars and restaurants.

L&D: M–Sa  I    $

Rio Tomatlan

106 Bemis St., Canandaigua, 394-9380, riotomatlan.com

This regional favorite reopened in a new location after a fire destroyed the previous spot. Locally sourced tomatillos are used in many of the Pacific Coast– inspired entrées, along with delicious queso Oaxaca.

The tequila bar is the best in the region, with dozens of choices and three sampler flights. Open: L&D: Tu–Su      $$

Salena’s Mexican Restaurant

302 N. Goodman St., Rochester (Village Gate), 256-5980, salenas.com

Mexican staples are available at one of Village Gate’s original anchors, but the menu also goes off on flights of fancy like Dos Equis–braised chicken wings and poblano cream pork medallions. L&D: Tu–Sa; D: Su  I    G  $$

The Silver Iguana

663 Winton Rd. N., Rochester (Browncroft), 270-4723, silveriguanacantina.com

Mexican-inspired cantina with a modern atmosphere, specialzing in tacos and tequila. A range of meat and vegetarian options is available. The submarine cocktails add a unique flair with choices like the Dark and Stormy and the El Diablo. D: Daily; Brunch: Sa–Su I   G  $

REGIONAL 110 Grill

780 Jefferson Rd., Henrietta, 340-6030, 110grill.com

The nationwide restaurant chain has set up shop in Rochester, catering specially to gluten-free patrons.

The modern American menu is almost completely gluten-free or can be modified to be, with all staff trained for allergen awareness. L&D: Daily     G $$

Celebrate Safely, Privately and with Joy! REHEARSAL DINNERS BRIDAL & BABY SHOWERS WEDDING BRUNCHES GRADUATION PARTIES

Let’s plan your perfect party!

1290 UNIVERSITY AVE. CALL / TEXT 271-5000 BLADESROC.COM 585mag.com | May/June 2021

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Taste | Dining guide Abundance Food Co-Op

571 South Ave., Rochester (South Wedge), 454-2667, abundance.coop

This grocery co-op features a deli serving up fresh sandwiches, wraps, soups, and salads and a hot bar with eclectic international cuisine. Open Daily    $

BC’s Chicken Coop

159 W. Main St., Webster, 265-1185, bcschickencoop.us

Just chicken and ribs done right. BC’s Chicken Coop isn’t concerned with having the fastest service or the widest menu, only on doing what it does best.

Everything is made fresh daily, from the mashed potatoes to the “Coop Sauce” to the chicken, fried as you order it. L&D: Sa–Su; D: Tu–Fr     G $$

Birdhouse Brewing Company 8716 Main St., Honeoye, 229-1216, birdhousebrewing.beer

Founded by two best friends and renovated in 2018, Birdhouse Brewing is the smallest brewery in Ontario County. The unique selection of beers is brewed from a one-barrel brew system to create a constantly changing, small batch of beers. The menu features a curated list of homemade items carefully selected to accompany your favorite brew. L&D: W–Su  I  $$

Bodega

206 Park Ave., Rochester, 319-3473, bodegaonpark.com

Park Avenue now has a neighborhood bodega of its own. This cozy spot offers groceries, craft beer selections, and take-out by Rocco chef Mark Cupolo. Open daily.   $

Boxcar Donuts & Fried Chicken 127 Railroad St., Rochester 270-5942, eatatboxcar.com

Exciting menu with combos of things like donuts, fried chicken, and waffles. Pair it with a coffee or a cocktail to make this the perfect quick and easy comfort food eatery. The bar includes sixteen draft beers and twelve different cocktails. B, L&D: Tu–Su    G $

Broth 240 E. Main St., Rochester, 702-551-4548, Brothroc@gmail.com

Located in Sibley Square’s Mercantile on Main, mix protein, veggies, rice noodles, and broth to create the perfect Pho bowl. L: M–F & Su; D: M–F    G $

Caribbean Heritage 719 S. Plymouth Ave., Rochester 270-4994, caribbeanheritage.net

Caribbean Heritage serves fresh, healthy, and authentic Caribbean food with offerings such as oxtail and Lorna’s signature rum cake. Expect to learn about Caribbean history and culture while enjoying the dishes. Many vegan and vegetarian options are available. L&D: Th– Su     G $$

Chortke House of Kebab 352 N. Goodman St., Rochester, 498-1216

A sleek modern design paired with very traditional cooking brings Rochesterians a rare look into Iranian dining. The husband-and-wife team will accommodate any dietary needs, including paleo and vegan. The spicy joojeh comes highly recommended. L&D: Tu–Sa    G $

Cluck if You Buck Hot Chicken 30 Village Landing, Fairport, 957-4822, facebook.com/cluckif.youbuckhotchicken/

What originally started as a Monday night pop-up in the Landing Bar and Grille in Fairport is now being served every day that the bar is open. Owner and chef Tarentonye Korokeyi brings the taste of Nashvillle hot

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chicken to Rochester and serves it with french fries, Cajun sweet corn, collard greens, macaroni and cheese, or chili. It’s traditional Southern cooking right on the bank of the Erie Canal. L&D: Daily I   $

selections. The bavarian pretzels and sausage platter, served with mustard, pair well with Genesee’s beers.

Hourly brewery tours and tasting room on-site. L&D: Daily  I     $

Cut

Happy Gut Sanctuary

240 E. Main St., Rochester, 736-7430

Located in Sibley Square’s Mercantile on Main, Cut offers a variety of protein, veggies, and grains. Create a healthy bowl or plate just the way you like it. B: Sa–Su; L: Daily; D: M–F   $

The Daily Refresher

293 Alexander St., Rochester (East End), 360-4627, thedailyrefresher.com

There’s Ernest Hemingway, bloody mary in hand, finishing up an extra about the Greco-Turkish War in 1921. It’s easy to imagine a young “Papa” among the subdued lighting and tufted antique chairs of this pub inspired by the Golden Age of Newspapers. Toasted sandwiches are named after famous broadsheets, and cocktails are what those fast-talking reporters tossed back between deadlines. D: Tu–Su  I     $$

Dogtown Hots

691 Monroe Ave., Rochester (Lower Monroe), 271-6620, dogtownhots.com

Dogtown dishes out a menu of international hot dog specials using indigenous main ingredients: Zweigle’s red and white hots and french rolls from local bakery Martusciello’s. Roam the culinary globe with menu fixers ranging from the Cincinnati Red Dog (chili cheese dog, real cheddar, and Dogtown’s meat sauce) to the Greek Stray (tzatziki, tomatoes, onions, kalamata olives, and pepperoncini topped with feta cheese).

The menu also offers meatless options, a kids’ meal, and plates. Dog-loving guests from near and far donate photos of their pets to decorate the tiny dining room’s walls. L&D: M–Sa      $$

Faircraft Brauhaus

25 Parce Ave., Fairport, 364-3005, faircraftbrauhaus.com

This German-influenced brewery has craft beer, music, and art right in the heart of Fairport. It specializes in lagers and ales but offers a wide variety so there is something for everyone. Oh, and it’s dog friendly! L: Sa–Su; D: W–Su  I    $$

F. L. X. Wienery at ROC Brewing Co. 56 S. Union St., Rochester, 794-9798, rocbrewingco.com

One of Rochester’s first craft breweries, ROC Brewing is a casual downtown hangout offering original craft beer brewed in-house just behind the tap room.

ROC serves pints, flights, and made-to-order food in partnership with famed chef Christopher Bates’s Dundee F. L. X Wienery, with options like loaded peanut butter Zweigles and vegetarian carrot dogs. But don’t fill up on the wieners; be sure to save room for one of the team’s custom milkshakes. L: Tu–W; D: Tu– Su  I     G $

Gate House Café

274 N. Goodman St., Rochester (Village Gate Square), 473-2090, thegatehousecafe.com

The burgers rank among the best in the city; they’re named after local celebrities past and present, such as Frederick Douglass, Susan B. Anthony, Lou Gramm, Garth Fagan, and Kristen Wiig. The pizzas are thin neopolitan style, cooked in a wood fire oven. Dinner is informal, with apps that can be upsized to entrées.

L&D: Daily      $$

Genesee Brew House

25 Cataract St., Rochester (High Falls), 263-9200, geneseebeer.com/brew-house

Great views of the High Falls and downtown from a two-story pub and rooftop patio at the historic Genesee Brewing Company. Pub fare features a few German

1115 E. Main St., Door 6A, The Hungerford Building, happygutsanctuary@gmail.com

Find a variety of handcrafted tea-based kombucha at Happy Gut Sanctuary. The fresh flavors are blends of dried ingredients full of herbal benefits. Guest kombuchas are also regularly featured. L: Th–Sa; B: Sa   $

The Hideaway

197 Park Ave., Rochester (Park Ave.) 434-0511, hoganshideaway.com

Hogan’s is back—though it’s changed through new ownership and seems headed in a different direction (including a name alteration that hasn’t quite stuck yet). The layout, for starters, isn’t what you’ll remember—it’s now “farm implement chic,” reflective of its more farm-to-table menu. The food is solidly tasty, and the beverage menu is presented as a fun matrix (“gin” plus “classics” will lead you to “Negroni”).

Notable items are smoky tomato bolognese, pork carnitas, and rotating seasonal salads. L&D: Daily      $$

Hole in the Wall Restaurant

7056 Standpipe Rd., Perry, 237-3003, holeinthewallperry.com

This family-owned and operated spot overlooking Silver Lake has been around in some iteration for more than seventy years. The free meals for active servicemen in uniform still remains along with homemade Sunday dinners. Under Chef Travis Barlow, there’s new flavor and flair reflected in things like the Farmers Market 3 Course Menu. L&D: W–Su      $

Irondequoit Beer Company

765 Titus Ave., Rochester, 544-3670, irondequoitbeercompany.com

What was an age-old barn has been transformed to give Irondequoit its first brewery. Ten brewer-selected beers on tap combined with an even more extensive alcohol list and creative bar fixings to make this a new classic. L: Th–Su; D: W–Sa      $$

JJ’s Pub

669 Winton Rd. N., Rochester, 270-5991, facebook.com/JJsPub669/

The latest Rochester pub addition is the ideal spot for a night out with friends. Located in the old Mayfield’s on Winton Road, the pub offers frequent tastings and karaoke, as well as special guest singers. L: Sa–Su; D: Daily  I    $$

Jetty at the Port

1000 N. River St., Rochester, 621-2000, jettyattheport.com

Overlooking the Genesee River and Lake Ontario with great waterfront views. An array of seafood is offered from clams casino to shrimp étouffé. Try a Seafood Boil Bucket, with more than a pound of steamed seafood and your choice of sauce. L: F–Sa; D: Tu–Sa; Br: Su  I     $

Locals Only

311 Alexander St., Rochester (East End), 537-7566, localsonly311.com

Breakfast, lunch, dinner, cocktails, and coffee. Features a wide selection of regional foods from Rochester to New York City. Signature cocktails are served all day long with prosecco on tap. Unique espresso drinks round out the menu and provide some flair for your meal. D: M–Sa; Br: Daily  I     $$

Taste | Dining guide Matilda Coffee House & Kitchen

696 University Ave., Rochester (NOTA), 445-8035, localsonly311.com

This Australian-inspired coffee shop is located right in the Neighborhood of the Arts. The shop is filled with bright colors, natural lighting, and strategically placed table succulents. Perfect for a study spot or date night.

B, L, & D: Daily I     $

E A S T M A N E N T E R TA I N S AT T H E M O V I E S

ON VIEW JUNE 9–27 Creatively styled scenes, table settings, and floral arrangements inspired by popular motion pictures

Magnolia’s Deli and Café

366 Park Ave., Rochester (Park Ave.), 271-7380, magnoliascafe.com

Organized by the Landscape Committee. Supported by Daryl Dear Cubitt.

A cheery lunch spot with sandwiches named after neighborhood streets. “The Park Avenue,” for example, is turkey, hot corned beef, hot pastrami, swiss cheese, coleslaw, and russian dressing on rye bread. Order hot tea and receive a brightly colored mini teapot and bottle of honey. L&D: M–Sa; Br: Su  I    $$

Mi Viejo San Juan at Nortons Pub 1730 N. Goodman St. Rochester 544-9220, mi-viejo-san-juan-atnortons-pub.business.site

Father’s Little Dividend, a 2019 tablescape

The latest addition to North Goodman Street is part Puerto Rican restaurant and part American pub. The menu boasts rellenos de papas and carne frita next to pizza logs and a hangover burger, embracing the two eatery styles with flair. L: Su; D: W–Su     $$

Next Door by Wegmans

3220 Monroe Ave., Rochester (Brighton), 249-4575, wegmansnextdoor.com

Next Door gives you a chance to try the finest fresh seasonal ingredients that Wegmans carries, prepared in a manner that’s delicious and healthy. Whenever possible, they choose ingredients that are organic and from the region. Popular menu items include truffle mac ’n’ cheese, sushi rolls, and the Next Door Bolognese. L&D: M–Sa      $$

Nosh

47 Russel St. (NOTA), 445-8700, noshroc.com

Tucked down a side street off University, Nosh is a giant, airy place remodeled in the industrial-spacemeets-reclaimed-barn-wood genre. There’s nothing run-of-the-mill about the food here, though. The menu is eclectic and ambitious, and it totally works.

Craft cocktails, a good wine list, and tempting desserts round out the experience. D: Tu–Sa; Br: Su  I    G  $$$

find it.

New Ethic Pizzeria & Cafe

545 Titus Ave., Rochester, 623-8231, newethicpizza.com

A completely vegan pizzeria that offers buffalo chickpea pizza, eleven different wing sauces, and Beyond Burger plates. New Ethic is the first of its kind around Rochester. D: W–Sa     G $

New York Beer Project

300 High St., Victor, 448-1148, theoldstonetavern.com

Not your typical neighborhood pub, NYBP offers an elegant experience in a grand location for an affordable night out. Enjoy “elevated versions of bar classics” (according to (585)’s Nick Abreu) while admiring the forty-six-foot cathedral ceilings with chandeliers, just like a New York City beer hall. This location has much to explore and is accessible to all. D: M–Tu; L&D: W– Su; Br: Sa–Su  I     G $$

Nox Craft Cocktails & Comfort Food 302 N. Goodman St. (Village Gate Square), 471-8803, noxcocktail.com

Self-dubbed “nerd pub with literally unique craft cocktails” lives up to its claims with drinks like the “3PO,” “The Malfoy,” and “The Yellow Wallpaper.”

There’s also a comfort food–focused menu with items like meatloaf, grilled cheese, and cornflake-coated chicken fingers. D: W–Su     $$

home axomhome.com 661 south ave

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Taste | Dining guide Rose Tavern at the Lake House on Canandaigua 770 South Main St., Canandaigua, 394-1480, RoseTavern@lakehousecdga.com This new family owned American restaurant is known for its commitment to the community and farm-totable service. Enjoy a comforting meal with old friends or grab a cocktail with your special someone in the private dining room. The seasonal menu includes dishes such as Steak ‘n Eggs, Fire Smoked Salmon, Bostrom Farms Pork Ribeye, and the well-loved Sands family’s chocolate Bundt cake. B, L&D: Daily I   $$

The Old Stone Tavern

758 South Ave., Rochester (South Wedge), 448-1148, theoldstonetavern.com

This “neighborhood bar that happens to have great food” features burgers, dogs, and plates. Serving late into the night for its nocturnal patrons, this tavern combines the excitement of a sports bar with the comfort of an affordable place to hang out. Watch the game or gather your friends and play one of many table games—or darts—free. D: M–Tu; L&D: W–Su; Br: Sa– Su  I     G $

Original Grain

280 E. Broad St., Rochester, 270-4844, originalgrainsters.com

Feel-good food that’s also good for the body is the specialty at the latest healthy hotspot. With everything from vegan-friendly and gluten-free options to the Lox On Lox On Lox (as fun to say as it is to eat!), expect to add this to your cycle of smoothie stops. B, L&D: M–Sa  I    $$

The Original Steve’s Diner

1694 Penfield Rd., Penfield, 248-9996, theoriginalstevesdiner.com

32 Vinedale Ave., Rochester, 266-4480, polskachata.us

This restaurant and deli is stocked with traditional Polish, Eastern, and Central European cuisine. From pierogis to bigos, it proudly brings Polish culture to Rochester with family recipes. The menu features gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian options. Check out the Friday fish fry.

Tu–Sa: L & deli hours    I   G $$

Rebel Pi

2496 Ridge Rd. W., Rochester, 360-2630, rebel-pi.com

On the mission to fight back against “boring, uninspired” pizza, Rebel Pi offers global selections and create-yourown options that keep to its promise. Mediterranean, Thai, Italian, and Rochestarian all find a home within the menu. L&D: Daily      G $

RoCoCo Cafe 240 E. Main St., Rochester, info@ rocococoffeeco.com

Known for their regionally roasted coffees and delicious Cronuts, RoCoCo will lift your mood anytime of the day. Located in Sibley Square’s Mercantile on Main.

B&L: Daily   $

Roc Style Chicken & Burger

5 W. Main St., Webster, 236-1902, rocstylechickenandburger.com

The owners of Good Smoke BBQ continue their celebration of Rochester’s culinary traditions by doing what they do best—chicken and burgers! The restaurant also serves the Rochester favorites of red and white hots and, of course, “plates.” Locations in Webster and Chili. L&D: Daily    G $

Palermo’s Market

Roots Café

Located in Sibley Square’s Mercantile on Main, this family owned deli offers a variety of sandwiches, salads, and pan pizzas all made with the finest ingredients.

B&L: M–Sa; D: Th–Sa    $

Peacemaker Brewing Company

39 Coach St., Canandaigua, 396-3561, peacemakerbrewing.com

Enjoy a variety of locally made beers, ciders, and wines in historic downtown Canandaigua. Along with its own ale, IPAs, and stouts, the Peacemaker menu features craft beers with names inspired by the music of Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers. The tasting room and outdoor seating are available. Daily  I  $$

Pizza Wizard

760 S. Clinton Ave., Rochester (South Wedge), 565-4557, pizzawizard.pizza

From the people that brought you the Playhouse // Swillburger comes Pizza Wizard. The business began as a pop-up, offering Detroit-style pizza, which was wildly popular. Now, you can visit Pizza Wizard’s brick-andmortar location in the South Wedge and grab yourself a Detroit, thin crust, or even gluten-free pizza. D: M, Th–Su   G $

The Playhouse // Swillburger

820 Clinton Ave. S., Rochester (Swillburg) 442-2442, theplayhouseroc.com

If you love the Owl House, prepare to be pleasantly confused by its South Wedge sibling. This “barcade” has something for everyone: classic video games and pinball machines, juicy burgers (beef and veggie) and crispy fries, milkshakes with Eat Me ice cream, and a

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Polska Chata

This retro diner has been offering breakfast classics for local diners since 2002. Eggs any way you like, pancakes as huge as they are affordable, and specialties that blur the line between breakfast and dessert all are mainstays here. B&L: Daily     $

240 E. Main St., Rochester, 642-7243 palermosfoods@gmail.com

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full bar featuring an impressive, rotating draught list— all in a chic, modern setting inside an 1890s structure built as a church. Serving take-out only at the moment.

L: F–Sa; D: Daily   $

197 N. Main St., Naples, 374-9800, naplesvalleyny.com/roots-cafe

Part of the Inspire Moore Winery compound, this laidback locavore magnet embodies the spirit of Naples, a community bound indelibly to grape pies and wine.

(No wonder the color motif is blue and purple). Rootsy Americana fare includes grass-fed burgers on housemade rolls to brunch improvisations such as polenta cakes with sunny-side-up eggs. Live music on a regular basis. L&D: Th–Sa; Br: Su (Hours change seasonally.)

I    $$

Sand Bar at the Lake House on Canandaigua 770 S. Main St., Canandaigua, 394-7800, lakehousecanandaigua.com

The property has undergone a complete reno, but the character of this longtime local institution has been preserved since its 1994 debut. Now there is an updated menu with an extensive beer and wine list. You can also enjoy a cocktail crafted by legendary Rochester bartender Donny Clutterbuck as you relax under the hanging boat after a long day at the lake. L&D: Daily G I    $

The Sawmill at Blades

1290 University Ave., Rochester, 266-5000, sawmillroc.com

This restaurant features an open kitchen design and lunch and dinner menus with a limited breakfast menu during the week and brunch on the weekends.

Propped up where the former Huther Brothers saw manufacturing facility once stood, the menu blends traditional classics with some unique mediterranean style dishes. There are plenty of options for vegetarians and those with food sensitivities, plus fun mimosa and cocktail selections. B, L&D: M–F; Br: Sa–Su  I   G  $

Taste | Dining guide Silk District Pub

Superfly DMC

Named after the Silk Stocking District, now known as Corn Hill, this pub strives to mix classic favorites with creative new dishes. There are several shared plates, entrées, and hand-helds to choose from, all at refreshingly reasonable prices. Bonus: that stunning view of the Freddie-Sue bridge.

L&D: Daily  I  $$

With sandwiches as dramatic as the eponymous movie, this shop has made its own name for itself. The menu is small, but each item is calculated down to the relish.

“American melting pot,” fast-casual. Located next to Wegmans, it’s ideal for lunch stop-ins. L&D: Tu–Sa      G $

280 Exchange Blvd., Rochester, 730-4985, silkdistrictpub.com

Speakeasy at Monroe’s

3001 Monroe Ave., Pittsford 348-9103, speakeasybymonroes.com

Black tufted chairs with brass buttons recall the days of secret red-light bars during Prohibition. The waiters wear suspenders; the waitresses don pearls. The cocktails are named after guys with tommy guns and also Alcatraz, their eventual home. The food is elevated appetizers with a decent spread of Italian choices, though one doubts Al Capone would have appreciated a decent tuna niçoise. D: F–Sa; Su–Th: private events only   I   $$

St. Paul Proper

187 St. Paul St., Rochester, 319-5939, facebook.com/St-Paul-Proper

Upscale bar food mixed with a cozy eating atmosphere located in the St. Paul Quarter. Stays true to the classic bar scene with live sports and pub games but keeps it modern with its fresh and clean space. L: Sa–Su; D: Daily    $$

2157 Penfield Rd., Penfield, 678-9973, superflydmc.com

Swan Dive 289 Alexander St., Rochester 413-53306, swandiveroc.com

This modern-style restaurant blends a comfy and casual dining atmosphere with high-end Italian cooking. The menu of classics like pizza and pasta contrasts well with casual bar snacks of homemade chicken nuggets and mozzarella sticks. The bar follows a similar pattern, having unique cocktails and fine wines along with canned beers and spirits. D: M, Th– Su    G $$

Trio

Whether you’re looking for authentic coastal seafood or some classic pub dishes, Union Tavern offers a wide variety of hearty options and fun cocktails. Have a grand time in the comfortable downstairs bar and dining area or a date night or party in the vibrant upstairs dining room. L&D: Tu–Su  I    $$

Waffles R Wild Bar & Grill

3872 Lyell Rd., Rochester, 434-4090, wafflesrwild.com

Waffles R Wild is a food truck turned brick-andmortar business on the west side of Rochester. At this restaurant, the waffle options are endless, from waffle sandwiches to buttermilk hand-breaded fried chicken, waffle pizzas, and desserts. B, L&D: M–F     $

Windjammers

4695 Lake Ave., Rochester (Downtown), 663-9691, windjammersbarandgrill.com

Pub-like menu with an appreciation for fine dining.

Find all of your classic sports bar favorites as well as an extensive selection of wings and locally made rubs and sauces. L&D: Daily  I   $

3423 Winton Pl., Rochester, 272-1551, trioddd.com

This upscale yet casual restaurant is perfect for small business meetings, a private party, or even a family dinner. The food is fresh picked and locally sourced whenever possible. Enjoy music, both inside and on the outside patio, played by a DJ on Friday and Saturday nights. D: Tu–Sa  I  G   $$

Union Tavern

STEAKHOUSE

Alex’s Place Restaurant

8322 Park Rd., Batavia, 344-2999, alexsribs.com

Family restaurant featuring ribs, prime rib, steaks, sandwiches, burgers, and pasta near the I-90 exit in Batavia.

A welcome alternative to chain restaurant dining along the Thruway. L&D: Daily      $$

4565 Culver Rd., Rochester (Seabreeze), 563-7304, uniontavernseabreeze.com

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Taste | Dining guide Black and Blue Steak and Crab

3349 Monroe Ave., Rochester (Pittsford), 421-8111, blackandbluesteakandcrab.com

Serious seafood menu plus beef in various incarnations.

Home of the kobe meatball and a twenty-one-ounce cowboy ribeye. The centerpiece is a two-story wine bar with dozens of selections. Be sure to ask for food-pairing suggestions. L&D: M–F; D: Daily     $$$

Char at Strathallan

550 East Ave., Rochester (East End), 241-7100, charsteakandlounge.com

The steakhouse at the Strathallan boutique hotel raises the local bar on red meat with over-the-top presentation of steaks, veal, and lamb. Don’t pass on starters like the beef tartare—and save room for the amazing desserts. Char’s also becoming a hot spot for lunch, Sunday brunch, and get-togethers over handcrafted cocktails. B, L&D: Daily     G  $$$

Nick’s Chophouse

5 Beeman St., Canandaigua, 393-0303, nickschophouseandbar.com

As our reviewer put it, “Sometimes you just want a decent steak.” Nick’s does steak—very well—and all of the things one would expect a steakhouse to do. There is giant shrimp cocktail, flash-fried calamari (rolled in spicy blue cornmeal, as a twist), creamed spinach, and crème brûlée. The martinis are, of course, excellent— and imaginative. The wine list balances offerings under $30 with some over $100, with a nice selection in between. And it’s all housed in a friendly, cozy space right on the main drag. D: M–Sa    $$

#specialtocreekside 1 Main Street, Le Roy, NY 14482 585-768-6007 farmerscreekside.com

Max Chophouse Wine & Martini Bar

1456 Monroe Ave., Rochester (Brighton), 271-3510, maxrochesterny.com

An old-school approach to running a steakhouse, Max’s offers a lively bar atmosphere, a simple, familiar menu, and really, really good steaks. Casual yet attentive service invites you to let your hair down, while the quality of the food—much of it locally sourced— invites you to indulge. D: Tu–Su     $$$

Tillman’s Historic Village Inn

14369 Ridge Rd., Albion, 589-9151, tillmansvillageinn.com

ITALIAN AMERICAN FINE DINING PANE VINO ON THE AVENUE 3400 MONROE AVENUE ROCHESTER, NY 14618 585.586.7000

Your Weekend Brunch Destination.

Saturday & Sunday 8-3

Lunch & Dinner Monday–Saturday

1290 UNIVERSITY AVE. CALL 266-5000 SAWMILLROC.COM May/June 2021 | 585mag.com

Tournedos Steakhouse

26 Broadway, Rochester (Downtown), 232-3595, innonbroadway.com

A top-shelf steakhouse in the glitzy downtown Inn on Broadway. Start with the Italian-inspired appetizers and then move on to the main show. The beef is dry aged, which tenderizes the cut and concentrates flavor. While you’re probably here for the beef, you’ll also be tempted by the wild Tasmanian salmon or the Hawaiian Big Eye ahi tuna. The wine list seems nearly endless. L: M–F; D: Daily   $$$

PANE VINO ON THE RIVER 175 N WATER STREET ROCHESTER, NY 14604 585.232.6090

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Though popular for parties and brunch, Tillman’s is best known for its prime rib. There are plenty of menu items to choose from, though, from soups and apps to all manner of fish, chicken, pasta...you name it. If you do go for the beef, sauce it up with one of thirteen different “tastes,” from béarnaise to Montreal to lobster cream. L&D: Daily except winter Mondays, Br: Su     $$

In the works: Bad Fish, Marshall St. (formerly Abundance Co-op) Velvet Belly, in the Rochester Public Market Engine 14 Brewery, 1 Lake Niagara Ln., Naples Mission BBQ, 100 Marketplace Dr., Henrietta Old School Cafe, Naples Rufus Cocktail Lounge, The Mercantile on Main Recently Closed: J.B. Quimby’s Public House, Henrietta

Index of advertisers To become a (585) advertiser, call 413-0040 Agness Wine Cellars (585) 362-1242, agnesswinecellars.com ..............53 Axes & Ales axesandales585.com ..................74 AXOM Home (585) 232-6030, axomhome.com .........................73 Bartlett Tree Experts (716) 385-4060, bartlett.com/rochester-ny ...........55 Black Willow Winery (716) 439-1982, blackwillowwinery.com...............52 Blades (585) 271-5000, bladesroc.com ...........................71 Bristol Mountain bristolmountainadventures.com... IBC Bristol Valley Theatre bvtnaples.org .............................74 Canandaigua National Bank (585) 394-4260, cnbank.com ...............................61 Cayuga County Tourism (315)255-1658, tourcayuga.com .........................46 Clifton Springs Area Chamber of Commerce (315)462-8200, cliftonspringschamber.com ........46 Corning Museum of Glass (800) 732-6845, cmog.org ...................................49 Cottages at Troutburg c/o Midlakes Management (585)473-8410, thecottagesattroutburg.com ........24 Cricket on the Hearth (585) 385-2420, cricketonthehearth.com ..............49

Daydream Sailing (315) 576-3799, daydreamsailing.com .................46 Diane Prince Furniture & Gifts (585)388-0060, dianepricefurniture.com..............57 DL Home & Garden (585) 225-4663.........................57 Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery drfrankwines.com .......................53 Eastview Mall (585) 223-3693, eastviewmall.com......................IFC Farmer’s Creekside Tavern & Inn (585) 768-6007, farmerscreekside.com ................76 Free Style Mercantile (585) 294-3035.........................73 George Eastman Museum (585)271-3361, eastman.org ...............................73 Harris Beach PLLC (585) 419-8869 harrisbeach.com ........................17 Heron Hill Winery (800) 441-4241, heronhill.com.............................53 Highlands of Pittsford Senior Living, The (585) 586-7600, highlandsatpittsford.org ................1 Hong Wah Restaurant (585) 385-2808, hongwahrestaurant.com ..............71 Jewish Senior Life (585) 427-7760, jewishseniorlife.org ................... BC Lakeside Sod (716) 741-2880, lakesidesod.com ........................57 Livingston County ..................................................50

Monroe Veterinary Associates (585) 271-2733, monroevets.com ........................46 New York Kitchen (585) 394-7070, nykitchen.com............................52 One Hip Chic Optical (585) 461-2020, onehipchic.com .........................47 Pane Vino on the Ave (585)586-7000, panevinoontheavenue.com .........76 Peppermint/Salty Boutique (585)662-9092, sheissalty.com ...........................47 Rochester Area Community Foundation racf.org ......................................24 Robyn’s Nest, The (585) 267-7032, therobynsnestboutique.com ........47 Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra (585) 454-2100, rpo.org.......................................23 Sawmill, The (585) 266-5000, sawmillroc.com ............................ 76 Sheldrake Point Vineyard (607) 532-9401, sheldrakepoint.com ....................53 Super Seal (585) 248-5770, supersealco.com .......................... 56 Susan Ververs (585) 785-2000, susanververs.huntrealestate.com... 57 Upstate Gardeners’ Journal upstategardenersjournal.com ......56 WGMC ..................................................75 585mag.com | May/June 2021

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Seen

(585) Magazine’s March/April issue launch and happy hour At Pane Vino on the Avenue, March 2, 2021 Photos by Abby Rose Esposito

Julia Smith and (585) managing editor Regan Wagner

Chris Sirianni and Meridith Dillman

Denis Defibaugh and Ken Kelbaugh

Crystal Snyder, Mikel Colkoglu, and Beth Anderson

(585) publisher Jane Milliman and Derrick Lucas

Raj and Keya Garg

Adam Matula, Meagan d’Allesandro, and David d’Allesandro

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May/June 2021 | 585mag.com

Judi Gavin and (585) publisher Jane Milliman

Deanna Loucht and Pamela Scully

Derrick Lucas and Jimmy Buntley

Makenzie Hogarth and Michelle Doyle

Seen | Issue launch

Holly and Lindsey Crawford

Aubrey Fox and Sarah Pavia

Champagne and Jason Manley

Meridith Dillman, Chris Sirianni, Jenna Markwitz, and Matt Hogestyn

Ryan Merlau, Troy Uhrin, Clare Brownell, and Emma Warner

Nillie and Don Markajani

Catherine Toy and Catherine Fuller

Phyllis Mangefrida, Darren Tibbils, and Devon Tibbils

(585) staff photographer Michael Hanlon, editor-at-large John Ernst, and managing editor Regan Wagner

585mag.com | May/June 2021

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Unplugged The energy The Red Fern’s Andrea Parros is ready to dance again

By John Ernst

What have you done about dancing with clubs closed for the shutdown?

Oh, did you find out that I love dancing? [Laughs] Definitely some at-home dance parties. Me and my dogs and big-screen TV with a virtual club. A lot of DJs stream their sets live on Saturday night at ten, and they’ll stream until two or three in the morning like normal, but now it’s just me and my dogs dancing. But I love it; I like to stay active, and I love dancing. It’s definitely not the same, but it’s close enough under the circumstances … For me, it’s the place where I really unload all of my anger and frustrations from my challenging job. Rather than yelling at people or being a total B, I translate this energy to the dance floor, and that’s where it goes and safely transforms. It’s also one of the very few times that I can have a break from work! As a business owner I am literally always on-call—when I’m there, I’m freeee! So, I’ve been able to still get that same kind of feeling.

What do you look forward to about the summer?

Park Ave. Outside seating on Park Ave. I am so ready to be cranking again—safely, of course—but summers as a restaurant on Park Ave; it’s hard to explain to another restaurant owner who doesn’t have a spot there. It’s just very lively, bustling, a lot of energy, people walking up and down the street all day, every day. I love the feeling of it being busy, and people sitting outside and enjoying the nice weather.

So, definitely looking forward to that. And hopefully some concerts this summer? I’m not sure, maybe with vaccinations 80

May/June 2021 | 585mag.com

Do you play an instrument?

No, but I did go to school for music, which is funny. I studied music business, so I intended to either represent older music, like getting into reissues of older bands’ material, or I might have wanted to manage a smaller indie band. But when I was going to school—I went to Northeastern in Boston—and I was studying the music business, Napster came out halfway through my college career. And it just completely changed the industry, so while I was studying this industry that hadn’t changed in years, all of ta sudden they had this meteor hit it which completely changed the whole industry … So, I was like, “this seems like a good time to get the hell out of here.” So then of course I was like, “well what do I want to do? This is what I was going to do all my life,” so to bide time I started working at a restaurant in town. And the only available position was dishwasher … so that’s when I stepped into that place, and that was where the dominos all fell into place and took me here. When I look back it’s like, “Oh that makes sense; I see the whole path.” But it’s something I never would have done normally. I didn’t prepare for that; it was just organic happenings.

Interesting that you jumped ship from a dying industry and then became part of an emerging industry.

Yeah, and especially here in Rochester. At that time, when we came here to start Owl House, there were barely any mixed vegetarianmeat places. Barely even vegetarian, everything was your traditional restaurant. And the whole concept was, “Oooh, let’s blow people away by having fifty-percent vegetarian options on this menu,” and craft cocktails were a big new thing back then too. It’s crazy to think about, like, “Wow, these two things that

are now very basic—craft cocktails and vegetarian options—were a big deal back then.” Yeah. And then to have taken the leap into an all-vegan place, that was also an eleventh-hour decision when I was opening Red Fern. It was going to be vegetarian to start, and I was vegan at the time and had been for several years but even then, it was risky. An all-vegan place, are you sure? Are you going to make it, are you going to have enough business? And ultimately [I] really said, if you do it right, no one will even know. No one will know the difference. If you make it that good, no one will even know. That was the goal, to make it that good that people who ate meat and dairy would still love it.

Are there any things that you think just do not translate to the vegan version well?

Hmm, let me think about this. I really can’t think of anything. I’ve definitely had poor translations, things that are just poorly executed, missed the mark, poorly seasoned, taste like plastic, or resemble nothing about what they’re saying they are, you know. I’ve definitely had that.

But I can’t think of anything that can’t be translated well by someone who is good at it. Meringue was a hard one for a while, like lemon meringue pie. The little white airy stuff at the top of the pie. It’s usually eggs, but now with aquafaba—the water from the chickpea can—that actually represents eggs very well, so it’s really easy to make a meringue using that. That was semi-recent, maybe in the past five years of vegan cooking. Nobody knew that before, and I would always say “You can never get a vegan meringue.” But now you can!

To learn about Parros’s dogs Booger and Worm, her favorite Christmas meal, all the famous people who have visited the Red Fern, where she likes to order takeout, and her stance on industry competition (not what you’d expect!) read the full interview on 585mag.com.

Photo by Michael Hanlon

people will be able to start seeing music again.That’s something I miss, and it’s definitely not the same as streaming. The crowd around you is a big part of it.

Get outside.

Create memories, build confidence, and have an adventure!

BristolMountainAdventures.com

primary care right at home.

The Physician House Calls practice has a staff of physicians and nurse practitioners who provide medical care in your home.

This includes routine visits, urgent visits, medication review, and care coordination with a 24-hour on call service.

Dr. Baratta is wonderful.

I feel comfortable when she is here; she’s so welcoming and makes me smile.

A safe and secure option for adults over age 65 who are homebound.

patient

If you are in need of a new primary care provider, or would like to find out more about the practice, call (585) 244-5993 or visit jslphysicianhousecalls.org.

A service of Jewish Senior Life

Phy h sician House Calls hy Primary r Geriatric Ca ry C re at Home