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Food & Drink

283 locations in Rochester, NY

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AndreaCogliati/Reviews/Lento

Lento Executive Chef: Arthur Rogers 274 N. Goodman Street Rochester, NY 14607 (585) 271-3470 http://www.lentorestaurant.com/ RocWiki main page Visited on February 26, 2008 at 8:00 pm The restaurant, opened in Summer 2007, embodies slow food manifesto (Lento is Italian for slow), proudly offering healthy and original fine dining experience using only fresh, seasonal, local ingredients and privileging organic and bio-dynamic products. Ambiance Located in the promising Village Gate, Lento doesn't share the joint lively hip-hop culture. Dimmed lights, dark green and brown walls, wood and curtains create a cozy and soft ambient, ideal for a romantic, candle-light dinner or a relaxed old friend reunion. The inside room is ample enough and houses three distinct dining islands, offering privacy for small parties. A few tables outside would probably offer a nice outdoor dining experience when the whether allows it. Table cloths, glassware and silverware are of very good quality and in line with the class of the restaurant. The two-seat tables are really tiny though and can barely hold two plates, water and wine glasses and bottles. Menu The cuisine offers an eclectic and original interpretation of seasonal products. Executive Chef Arthur Rogers doesn't use half measures though. His creations are sharply flavored and he's not shy when using strong flavoring like garlic, balsamic vinegar, herbs or honey. This was our second visit to the establishment and we found a definite improvement to the cuisine, that lacked balance and harmony during our first visit in September last year. Now, the cuisine is more mature and balanced: flavors are still crisp and clear-cut but they don't fight in the dishes anymore. Very attentive to vegetarians in general, they also feature a vegetarian and vegan night every Thursday. Appetizers range from $7 to $14, while entrees are in $15-$33. Wine List The wine list is pretty small and offers about 50 wines, 15 of which may be ordered by the glass. Main varietals and world regions are present with some remarkable absences, like Oregon. Despite being small, geographic indications are incomplete. Bottle prices range from $22 to $165, with above the average markups. Meal Bread Instead of bread and butter they offer a garlic focaccia and rosemary olive oil. Good but a little too oily in the end. NV Dry Vidal Blanc, Smokehouse (Figer Lakes, NY) We choose a NV Finger Lakes Vidal Blanc: dry, light bodied with crisp acidity, with fresh white flowers and a hint of ginger and lemongrass. A perfect pairing with our light appetizers, it showed some weaknesses with the entrees. A little overpriced at $22. Fritto Misto A mixed fry of calamari, piquillo peppers and chickpeas drizzled with organic garlic aioli. $9 Perfectly fried calamari: crispy outside and supple inside. Piquillo peppers balanced the sweetness of the seafood and the pungent taste of the garlic sauce. Great savor and balance. Score: 14/20 Verdura Mista Fresh mix of vegetables lightly fried in a chickpea flour batter with a white balsamic and local honey dipping sauce. $9 Very good mix of seasonal vegetables (broccoli, pumpkin, fennel, green peppers and portobello mushroom), once again fried to perfection. The sweet and sour dipping sauce reminds a Japanese tempura. Score: 12.5/20 Monkfish Provencal Wild pan seared Atlantic monkfish Provencal, with house made saffron cavatelli, roasted red peppers, Bang Island mussels, herbs and garlic in a tomato seafood broth, frizzled leeks. $28 Very good match with the firm meat of the monkfish, the crispy fried herbs, the smooth cavatelli and the broth. Mussels added some unique flavors to the result. Score: 15/20 Scallops Pan seared Maine diver scallops, sweet Maine shrimp and littleneck clams in a citrus infused bouillabaisse stew with Sardinian cous cous, nicoise olives, fennel, tomato, grilled crostini. $32 The best dish of the night, full of different textures and flavors. Sardinian cous cous (called fregula in Italy), usually served dry, was a perfect support for the seafood and perfectly mated with the bouillabaisse. Score: 16/20 Profiteroles Triple chocolate profiteroles. $8 Very good finish but definitely inferior to the appetizers and entrees. There's room for improvement in the dessert area. Score: 11/20 Service Our server, Greg, was perfect. Friendly and helpful, present without being nosy. The new manager, Steve, is young and a bit shy but he has time to become more confident. Price The bill totaled to $112, before taxes. Pretty inexpensive, considering they mostly use fresh organic ingredients. Pros The selection of ingredients and the inventive of the chef. Very nice and relaxing ambient. Cons Small wine list. Desserts can be improved. Credits Review by AndreaCogliati

Food & Drink

Artisan Works

Artisan Works is a huge and unique art-related space (taking up several interconnected warehouses and other buildings - including the roof) where you can find over 40,000 pieces of art - sculptures, paintings, prints, cartoons, photographs, furniture, and everything in between. There are a bunch of studios of local artists there, many of which are open to the public. It's a great place to take out-of-town visitors, small children, sullen teenagers, or bored Rochesterarians who think they've seen it all. There is a gift shop, and they have a serve-yourself snack bar - but the popcorn machine is free. Admission is $12, or $8 for students, children, and seniors (free for members). A 3/8/07- A D&C Article (no longer available to view) talked about a cut in funding to Artisan Works and how they had to cut their hours in response. The article states that Artisan Works will no longer be open to walk-in visitors Monday-Thursday (starting April 2, 2007). Space can still be reserved for private tours and functions during the week. On the other hand, more will be going on Friday-Sunday: more artists working, more film screenings, and more Sunday concerts. This change is due to the city of Rochester denying Artisan Works' application for not-for-profit exemption from property taxes. Admissions prices also increased (new prices updated above). Public Image is located here. Awards Artisan Works was awarded "Best Place to Oooh and Ahh" in City Newspaper's 'Best Of Rochester' Critics' Choice Awards in 2008.1 See also Blossom Business Center

Food & Drink

Bagel Bin Cafe

Bagel Bin Cafe offered many kinds of bagels which you could buy individually or in dozens. Toppings included a variety of cream cheeses, from plain cream cheese to the exotic honey toasted almond cream cheese. Bagel Bin Café served breakfast, salads, soups, lunch, deli sandwiches, beverages (hot and cold), and desserts. Price ranged from $0.69 a bagel to $6.00 for deli sandwiches and salads. They also offered catering. According to news reports, Bagel Bin Cafe has sales tax liabilities totaling nearly $60,000 but has not been seized by the state. It closed in November 2011 and it is not known yet whether it will reopen again. Awards Bagel Bin was voted "Best Bagel Shop" in City Newspaper's 'Best Of' Awards in 2008 and 2010.12 Free Wifi DEC 16, 2008 TAX SEIZURE Per TV News reports on December 23, 2008, the Bagel Bin Cafe has reopened. "State seizes Bagel Bin Café in Brighton over sales taxes" (D&C, Dec 18, 2008) - On December 16, 2008 Bagel Bin was seized by the state Department of Taxation and Finance for failure to pay state taxes. It is not known if or when they will reopen. Cached printout of article at DCArticleBagelBinSeizure.pdf 1http://www.rochestercitynewspaper.com/entertainment/guides/2008/11/BEST-OF-ROCHESTER-2008-Readers-choice/2http://www.rochestercitynewspaper.com/entertainment/guides/BEST-OF-ROCHESTER-2010-Restaurants/

Food & Drink

Orange Glory Cafe

Former location Orange Glory is a cafe in Grove Place's Windsor Lofts building (bordering the East End). They specialize in upscale sandwiches and salads and are open during weekday breakfast and lunch hours. The restaurant also runs a catering business. They use local ingredients and local producers whenever possible. After 10 years, they moved from the East End next to the Little Theater, to the location of the former Press Coffee Bar on April 5, 2019. In June 2024 they opened a second location next to Aqueduct Park. They had opened a second location on November 7, 2012 at the Times Square building on the corner of Exchange Boulevard and Broad Street, but that was short-lived and closed soon after. Awards Orange Glory's "Spinach Burger" was awarded "Best Corruption of a Healthy Food" in City Newspaper's 'Best Of Rochester' Critics' Choice Awards in 2008.1 12008 Critics Choice Awards

Food & Drink

Don's Original

Outside - SeaBreeze Area location, 4-2008 Inside - SeaBreeze Area location, 4-2008 Don's burgers and wonderful onion rings, 4-2008 Penfield - Aug 2008 BradMandell Don's Original is a diner serving hots, hamburgers, custard and other standard diner fare like hot turkey sandwiches and strip steaks. Don's prides itself on retaining the same quality and feel, and pretty much the same core menu, for over 50 years. Judging from the pictures on the wall in every Don's, as well as on the website, your experience today is not all that different from what it would have been in the early 50's. Customers still order by lining up behind a large "All Service from This Counter" sign and choosing from a brightly-painted menu board. The food is cooked as you wait. Seating is either in a booth or on a stool at the counter. And Don's crowd still consists of a wide range of customers, including teenages, families with kids, and older folks. Don's slogan is "Where Quality Predominates", and it attempts to live up to that standard by making fresh what is often pre-packaged at newer fast-food restaurants. For example, if you ask for onion rings, they'll be made from real slices of onion and hand-battered, and the custard is made on-premises. Don's Original began life as Don and Bob's, with locations in the Seabreeze Area and on Monroe Avenue in Brighton. The original Brighton location was sold to another owner in the 70's and has now closed. The Seabreeze location remained under the control of Don Barbato, the original Don, who changed the name to Don's Original because of issues with the original Monroe Avenue location. The new Brighton and Penfield locations have opened in the last few years. The full, convoluted history of Don and Bob's and Don's Original is available on the website. Free Wifi

Food & Drink

Acanthus Cafe

Acanthus Cafe, 05-2012 Acanthus on a summer night. (06-2012) Acanthus Cafe was a cafe and coffeehouse in the East End. The name Acanthus refers to a tropical flowering plant found in the Mediterranean region and is also Latinized Greek for "thorny." Coffee options included French Press and Chemex. All coffee is Fair Trade and locally roasted. On the culinary side, Acanthus specialized in South Pacific meals served on skewers, with limited-run specials each week. They also served salads, chicken dishes, nachos, and unusual tacos. They did not offer sandwiches, however, pursuant to a non-competing agreement imposed by the Subway next door. There was an ATM is onsite. Outdoor seating was also available. Acanthus opened on April 18, 2012. According to owner Christopher Hilfiker, Acanthus was founded to "offer more community-based events that would bring together people who normally wouldn’t hang out with one another." He and business partner Allison Mayer traveled to Portland, Oregon to study the coffeehouse culture there and were impressed that so many people knew one another, despite the city being three times the size of Rochester. For the summer of 2012 Acanthus will be hosting a variety of cycling events, including a weekly Espresso Express ride. Other events are planned for the future, including happy hours with Santiago Cigar Factory next door.1 Hilficker and Mayer also owned the Living Room Cafe in Upper Monroe. They decided to close this business in June 2012 to focus on running Acanthus. Acanthus closed in October 2013.

Food & Drink

Nosh

Nosh is an eclectic restaurant located in The Factory in NOTA. Their menu is a bewildering mix of American, Hawaiian, Asian fusion, BBQ, Mexican and Tex-Mex, Italian, Korean, Southern, seafood, Vietnamese, gourmet wood-fried pizza, and steakhouse. They sum it up as "honest, hands-on, sociable food & drink." Outdoor seating available. The indoor space is over 4,900 square feet and has an open kitchen. They opened July 1, 2016. References Nosh restaurant opens in Rochester - Democrat and Chronicle (2016-06-28)

Food & Drink

Clarissa Room

The Clarissa Room is a jazz bar on Clarissa Street. Message on website as of 2007.01.23 says "The Clarissa Room is currently closed due to legal matters within the family". There is hope for the venue, as it will be reopening as Clarissa's as soon as it gets its liquor license. Update: A soft opening for friends and family was held on the weekend of 11/10/2007. Simply put, it’s hard to get over Shep’s. It was of those completely unforgettable clubs with fantastic ambience, crowds and music. John Starr (RIP) did an excellent job with the space and always made his customers welcome. That feeling actually has never left. It’s always been a place that is very welcoming, regardless of who owns it. However, I have to say that I prefer the old set-up with the bar and seating downstairs and the “stage” and additional seating upstairs. It really gave you the option of 2 separate spaces to use. Yes there’s the seating in the upper back section now, but it always makes me feel too disconnected back there. Regardless it’s a great resource for our community and I always have a good time when I go. — While the post was on the level then, there was no re-opening during February. Jazz@Rochester has since been told that John Starr's children have not been able to overcome the legal hurdles to reopen and that Clarissa Room will not be re-opened and that the building in fact will be put up for sale. blog will have more news the information is confirmed. I would welcome those who know the real story to contact me on the blog. There's a lot of people out there who miss this venue. — I've been seeing a number of hits on my blog from this page, indicating continued interest in the Clarissa Room and its fate. Currently, we have heard that the Clarissa Room will be re-opening as soon as their liquor license is in place. From what I heard, it will be under new ownership and management. Again, I would welcome those who know the whole story to contact me through the email link on Jazz@Rochester. There's a lot of people out there who miss this venue and I'd like to let them know what's up and when to expect the Clarissa Room to return. —

Food & Drink

Blue Taro

Blue Taro, January 2018 Blue Taro is a Vietnamese Restaurant in the Upper Monroe neighborhood serving vegan and non-vegan cuisine. Located in the old Le Lemon Grass location. Opened December 1, 2017; closed temporarily for renovations in January 2020, remained closed during the pandemic, and reopened in April 2022. On Saturdays, Blue Taro operates a stall in the B shed (the indoor shed) at the Rochester Public Market. The Market location has a smaller menu focusing on appetizers, sandwiches, and bubble tea.

Food & Drink

Lombardi's Gourmet Imports and Specialties

Lombardi's carries the most complete line of Portmeirion pottery, china, and accessories to set your table in style. They also carry Armetale, Alessi Stainless, LeCrueset, Chantal, Magnalite, and Hartstone Stoneware products, etc. Lombardi's imports fine meats and cheeses daily, and makes their own pasta, sauces, bruschetta toppings, and breads. They have a wide-range of Lombardi-made meals and desserts in their freezer section. Don't forget their fresh ground gourmet coffee or expresso! They have coffee and espresso makers galore, too. Lombardi's makes and sends gourmet gift baskets. They can customize a basket with your choice of any accessory, cookware, or tableware from their wide variety of manufacturers. They can also include anything from their imported gourmet food products. Bridal Registry and Wish List available! They offer gift wrapping, local delivery, and UPS shipping anywhere

Food & Drink

Greenhouse Cafe

Coffee Connection at the Greenhouse Cafe was a coffeehouse and cafe in North Winton Village. It was under the management of the Coffee Connection. They hosted Open Mic nights and occasionally feature live music. Grand opening was July 1, 2012. For many years (approx. 1950s-90s) the greenhouse served as the home of Phelps Florists, a neighborhood institution. Coffee Connection has kept the greenhouse and converted part of it into their cafe. A small portion, however, is still used to grow organic fruits and vegetables, which they use in their food. They plan to freeze some of their produce so that they can use it in the winter as well. Seedfolk City Farm has a growing space here. The Greenhouse Cafe had free WiFi.

Food & Drink

Bamba Bistro

Bamba Bistro, at night (04-28-2008) Kobe Beef with Herbed Potatoes; Goat Cheese and Beet Salad (12-31-2007) Bamba Bistro was a casual re-incarnation of its previously formal atmosphere, when the upscale restaurant was called the "Rio Bamba." The chef and ownership was the same, however, the price-point and menu theme was different. Dinner entree prices were between $12 and $32. Lunch entree prices were between $8 and $20. Starting Fall 2005, they started offering lunch Mon-Fri. They took seasonal ingredients into account in their ever-changing menu that included a raw bar. The location made it easy to have dinner before walking to the bars across the street on Alexander. Valet parking was necessary if you wanted to park in their lot for dinner. Their valet had been working there for 10 years. They had two meeting/banquet rooms for 10-80 people. One RocWiki community member said: The food is pretty rockin' - Chef Cohen is a master of presentation, and offers a variety of solid options. A recent visit involved an arugula salad with a very lightly fried block of goat cheese, over cherries, and home made pasta with a shitake mushroom sauce. Both great, but the pasta is atypical - most dishes here are a little heavier, and substantially meatier. I'll update this with some price information soon, but the quick version is that it isn't cheap. Think salads between $5 and $10, entrees around or over $20. Everything is house-made, including their ice cream. Bamba Bistro closed in April 2014. The location is now Ox and Stone.

Food & Drink

Banzai Sushi Bar & Lounge

Banzai Exterior, Jan 2013 Banzai Sushi Bar & Lounge was a sushi restaurant in the South Wedge. They had a full bar and an assortment of specialty rolls, nigiri and sashimi, along with a few soups and other appetizers like edamame. The menu had a variety of craft cocktails in addition to wine and beer. Banzai had the same owner as the late Piranha. They opened in early October 2012. In March 2015 Banzai moved from its original location at 682 South Ave to 503 South Ave, the former home of the South Wedge Colony at the corner of South Ave & Alexander St, a much larger space that allowed Banzai to become more of an entertainment venue than its previous premises allowed. They closed in September 2015. Links Reddit discussion re: closing

Food & Drink

Pollywogg Holler

Main Lodge Sauna Loft Wood Loft New York's only (?) eco-resort, accessible via short 5 minute hike from the road (wheelbarrow provided for baggage). This resort / pizza parlor is totally "off the grid" meaning it relies on traditional methods and solar power. Pizza is served publicly on Sundays 1p-6p & Wednesday evenings and a band plays on the last Sunday of the month. They offer overnight all-inclusive (appetizers, dinner, wine & breakfast) packages ranging for $110 per person and are also open in the wintertime, for the more adventurous. Please call ahead if you plan on bringing a dog with you are approval. As of spring 2007 in order to come for pizza you now need to get a $30 membership (includes family and up to 4 friends). Guests that spend the night are not required to get a membership. We spent a few hours hanging out on the porch of the main cabin chit chatting with the other guests and the hosts. They poured wine until our glasses runneth over, fed us appetizers (shrimp, cheese, crackers & vegetables) then fed us hickory smoked steak & potatoes and chicken & rice. Unfortunately we were too full to try any of the hickory smoked apple pie. Eventually we retired to our loft above the sauna room (those stairs were most precarious). Breakfast was also good and we stayed around for the Sunday pizza. A mother/son came the way from Florida which were on the end of their week-long vacation and the Holler was their final stop before heading back. They were using the book as their guide, which is where I originally heard of the Holler a year before. We tried both the traditional pepperoni pizza /w garlic (home grown) and we tried their specialty dish "Bill's Garlic Pie" which has feta, black olives, red & yellow pepper. Both pizzas, cooked in a wood over, were great. I highly recommend this place even if you can only come for the pizza. Overall this is the best little vacation I've ever taken. —

Food & Drink

Changing Scene

The Changing Scene was a rotating restaurant atop the First Federal Plaza building in downtown Rochester. The restaurant offered a 360 degree view of downtown. It was scheduled to open in August 1977; a July notice from the Democrat & Chronicle offered free rides in its glass elevator as part of the new Riverview Market opening at the Plaza. The restaurant closed October 21, 1988. Articles about its closing appeared in the October 18 and October 27, 1988 issues of the Democrat & Chronicle. 1 The rotating rotunda is now home to 7,000 square feet of office space.

Food & Drink

Mundo Grill

Mundo Grill was a small, bistro-style restaurant in Brighton, next to the Holiday Inn Express that changed its menu with the seasons. Usual fare included a variety of fresh seafood, including raw oysters, as well as grilled entrees, salads and appetizers. It was a small restaurant with two rows of booths surrounding a central set of tables, with large French windows at one end that were usually opened in nice weather. The Mundo Grill also had a relatively large bar and a good wine selection. A few outside tables are available in the summer months, though the view was one of the busiest sections of Monroe Avenue. Pare was also at that location until it closed in January 2010.

Food & Drink