Directory/Food & Drink
Crossroads is a vegan and vegetarian-friendly restaurant in Rochester that offers both indoor and outdoor seating options. The restaurant operates with varying hours throughout the week and welcomes wheelchair users, accepting both credit and debit cards for payment.
Company Logo Old Country Buffet was a national chain restaurant operating in the Stoneridge Plaza. They offered traditional "home cooking" buffet style. Old Country Buffet was owned by Buffet, Inc which also operated HomeTown Buffet, Ryan's and Fire Mountain in other areas. You could purchase a Senior Club Card for $1 and you'd receive discounts on every adult Buffet meal for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with monthly renewal. Their breakfast buffet ran from 8AM to 11AM on Saturdays and Sundays, and cost $5.99. History There used be a second location in Southtown Plaza on Jefferson Road in Henrietta as well, but it was removed from RocWiki in Feb, 2008 by PeteB per D&C Article reporting it closed.
Founders Café is a coffeehouse and café. Located in the Academy Building, Founders Café serves breakfast, sandwiches, salads, soups, and smoothies. All coffee is direct trade, with options including espresso drinks, French Press, AeroPress, and pour-over. There is also outdoor seating, weather permitting, and free wifi. Catering and delivery also available. The interior has a giant mural of city founder Nathaniel Rochester made from a digital copy of his portrait at the Memorial Art Gallery. Another wall lists various other historical Rochesterians, including William Gleason, George Eastman, John Bausch, and Hiram Sibley. Opened May 19, 2014.
Balsam Bagels exterior 8-2008 Balsam Bagels is a neighborhood bagel shop located in North Winton Village near Blossom Road. They also offer numerous homemade cream cheeses, gourmet soups, salads, wraps, health bread, and bagel sandwiches. They also have phyllo pockets, phyllo dough filled with assorted savory fillings, bagel wraps, assorted meats and cheeses wrapped inside bagel dough, the standard bagel dogs featuring Hebrew National hot dogs, pizza sticks (bagel dough stuffed with a mixture of sauce and mozzarella blend, and many more options. Bagels are produced and baked in an open style bakery were one can view the bagel making process. Parking is available. Delivery available for orders over $15. Balsam Bagels also does catering. The bakery at Balsam Bagels is kosher under the supervision of Rabbi Shaya Kilimnick. Products in the store, such as sandwiches, salads, and wraps are not kosher. Balsam Bagels celebrated its tenth anniversary June 1, 2014. Awards Voted "Best Bagel" by City Newspaper's 'Best of Rochester' Awards in 2015.1
Movie Theaters in the Rochester area range from unique art-houses to corporate googolplexen. See Movie Listings for dozens of choices available daily and check Movie Reviews for local reviews. Tip: Most theatres have a dollar store nearby. Twizzlers, lemonheads, nerds, most candy is $1. Art-House The Little Theatre is a nonprofit theatre dedicated to showing independent and foreign films. With five screens and an elegant cafe, it's one of the hippest places in town. Become a member and tickets are discounted. The Little is located on East Avenue just inside the Inner Loop and next to Spot Coffee. The Dryden Theatre, operated by the George Eastman House, has a similar fare, with special engagements and screenings of rare films throughout the year. The Dryden is a located little further down East Avenue. Bargains See Free Movies The University of Rochester/Cinema Group shows movies weekly to a predominantly undergraduate audience (but anyone can come) in Hoyt Hall auditorium on the University of Rochester campus. Unique Theaters Roc Cinema located in at the corner of South Clinton and Goodman in the South Wedge with bar and restaurant serving nachos, quesadillas, charcuterie, gourmet sandwiches, pizza and dessert. Silver Lake Drive-In in Perry is about a 45 minute drive from the city. In addition to the movie screen, they have a mini-golf course, a game room and a family restaurant. The Strand is located in Brockport. It is one of the oldest existing movie theatres in the country. Vintage Drive-In in Avon has outdoor double feature movies on three screens during the warm months. Only a short drive down Route 15 or I-390 from Henrietta (making it the closest Drive-In theatre)! Multiplexes Tinseltown is a huge complex in Gates with one IMAX screen. Regal Eastview 13 near Eastview Mall and, AMC Loews Webster has 12 screens and is located on Empire Boulevard in Webster. Movies 10 The multiplex is not far from the University of Rochester on West Henrietta Road across the street from Jay's Diner. Apple Cinemas Multiplex with bar and food served before the movie or at your seat. Giant Screen The Tinseltown IMAX theatre is the only "true" IMAX theater in the Rochester Area. The Strasenburgh Planetarium shows movies and laser shows on its giant screen. Movies are open captioned for school showtimes; available for other showtimes if you call ahead.
Lemoncello Italian Restaurant & Bar is an Italian restaurant and lounge in East Rochester. There live music every night and a terrace with outdoor seating. They also offer catering. It opened on March 11, 2010 in the space formerly occupied by a dry cleaning service. Lemoncello is owned by Massimo and Fausto Albano, who also own the Village Rock Cafe and Prosecco Italian Restaurant & Jazz Bar.
Bella Pasta is an Italian restaurant located on Ridgeway Avenue in Greece, serving the northwest Rochester suburbs.
Former location of Flour City Pasta (Perinton) Former location of Flour City Pasta (Perinton) Flour City Pasta is a bakery that specializes in organic handmade pasta, including gluten-free varieties. In 2012 the owners opened a retail store in Pittsford, which they closed in September 2014 to focus on expanding flavors and distribution. Their products can be purchased at: F. Oliver's Oils and Vinegars Lori's Natural Foods Parkleigh Pittsford Farms Dairy & Bakery R's Market Red Bird Market Schutt's Apple Mill and other regional locations. Controversy In October 2015 Flour City Bread Co. announced that Flour City Pasta was threatening them with legal action over their use of the name "Flour City," which Flour City Pasta says infringes on their trademark within their product category. Flour City Pasta, on the other hand, argued on their Facebook page that "One of the requirements of having a trademark is making sure that other people don’t use our name in our product category. Our category is food products. It’s called 'policing the mark'. It’s designed to protect the public." The bread folks pointed out that Flour City has been a Rochester nickname for over 150 years and some 60 businesses since then have used it. Flour City Pasta countered that "No one, least of all us, has a monopoly on the name Flour City. Anyone who claims that we are trying to make money by controlling the name 'Flour City' is misinformed."
Home of the self-proclaimed "finest pizza" in Western New York, Pontillo's is famous for being the largest, locally-owned pizza chain in the area. They offer submarine sandwiches, salads, and pizzas by the pie or the slice. Some locations feature online ordering. Locations Pontillo's is located throughout Rochester in 19 different locations, spanning across the city and into its suburbs: Awards Pontillo's was voted "Best Place for a Pizza Slice" in City Newspaper's 'Best of Rochester' Awards in 2015.1
Town Hall History The Town of Kendall took its name from Amos Kendall, the postmaster general when the town was formed. The town is your standard small rural town. Not much of anything goes on there. One amusing event in recent history was The Cannon Scandal, when Town officials quietly sold a cannon that had guarded the graves of local civil war veterans. The town is easily accessible from the parkway or by taking Rt 18. Notable Attractions The Cannon at Greenwood Cemetery Bald Eagle Marina, which is in the midst of constructing a hotel/resturant type place. Camp Troutburg Kendall Inn, the only bar and restaurant in town Weird Stuff Town shares part of the Hamlet of Morton with Hamlin to its east and part of a different county. Beechwood Cemetery, Which many claim to be haunted after a several horrible events took place near there.
Information below came from the GayAlliance.org website (added Sept. 24, 2008): Now open in Rochester There is a new bar in Rochester. It's called Georgia's and is located at 240 South Ave. We have a HUGE patio, cheap drinks, and lots of friendly bartenders! We welcome everyone, men, women and anyone in between! It's a casual, homey kinda place with games and good music. Next time you are in town...stop by!! Diversity!! Editor's note: the story behind this bar is that it is in the former Riv location, which used to be a well-known gay/lesbian bar in the 1970s owned by a woman named Georgia, for whom this new establishment is named. It's near GEVA and very close to Merkel Donohue office furnishings, right by the expressway ramps to I490. Hope someone more familiar with those times will update this background.
Monty's Krown, Monroe Ave 3-2008 Monty's Krown was a cozy bar featuring live music, pool, pinball, darts, and a large beer selection. It was located on "the other end" of Monroe Avenue, near the 490 East off-ramp, and was the only bar for a few blocks around. The cover charge was rarely more then $3-$5 on nights when bands play. In the summer of 2007, they added a Family Guy pinball machine, which had proven to be quite popular with the regulars. In 2011 this was expanded to two pinball machines. History In about 1994 Grana's Restaurant closed at this location and the former manager of The Old Toad, an Englishman named William Taggart, opened the Rose & Crown. "The Crown" made a stab at being an authentic English pub and featured real ales, pub grub (and finer fare), and someone tickling the ivories when a British Invasion soundtrack wasn't playing. In January 1999, Irishman Alan Hughes (with Will as a partner) opened Monty's Korner, a decidedly more upscale space at the corner of Alexander Street and East — several years prior to the gentrification that is now the East-Alexander district. Alan was surprised to find the Korner become profitable so quickly — he estimated it would take 6 months to break even, but it actually turned a profit in the first month. Shortly after, Alan added the Rose & Crown to the "Monty" empire as Monty's Krown. His goals were to provide high quality, cheap bar food and make up the difference on drinks. Live music was a staple at the Krown on Thursday and Saturday nights. Alan died on December 24, 2002 and ownership of Monty's Krown and Monty's Korner was hotly debated. Some believed that Alan was a 90% owner and willed the establishments to his family in Ireland while others believed that William Taggart had full ownership. In mid-May 2004, William closed the Korner after depleting the shared bank accounts between the establishments. Some of the staff members between the establishments kept Monty's Krown open by working without pay. The The Bug Jar held a fund raiser on June 20, 2004 to help keep the Krown afloat. As of November 2005, Monty's Krown has been repainted and is bringing back more live music. Closed in 2017 but looks like it may come back as the Rose & Crown. Monty's Krown and Monty's Korner serve Custom BrewCrafters' "Inferno Pod Ale."
Hot Rosita's on Main Street, September 2010 Soft Tacos and Chicken Salad, September 2010 Hot Rosita's was a fast casual Mexican restaurant on East Main Street in the heart of downtown Rochester, specializing in burritos, tacos and chili. in 2016 the owners also started a food truck. Closed February 2, 2018.
Front - Oct 23, 2009 - BradMandell Mike's New York Diner was a Greek-American diner, the extensive menu covered a lot more ground. Plenty of salad and sandwich/wrap selections, a full breakfast menu, and Greek, Italian, seafood, steak and BBQ entrees could easily fill you up. The location (in the middle of the Winton Place parking lot) has seen a lot of turnover. Originally a Chili's, there have been two previous tries at a large-menu Greek influenced diner format. New this time was an outdoor patio dining section. Some of the entrees and specials did take this establishment up to an upscale level of dining. They closed in 2012 but reopened as of 5/12/2014. In June they changed their name to the Double J Restaurant. Photos
Java Wally's is a coffee shop located on the RIT campus, serving the university community with coffee and light fare. The café is wheelchair accessible and keeps convenient hours for students and staff throughout the week.
Entrance off the Village Gate courtyard, 8-2008 California Rollin is a restaurant serving Japanese food. Their original location is the Village Gate in the Neighborhood of the Arts, while their second location is in the Port of Rochester in Charlotte known as California Rollin II; the two locations are under separate ownership. As the name suggests, they serve American West Coast-ish sushi, much of which is named after places and things in Rochester (South Wedge Roll anyone?) There was at one point a third location in Brooks Landing that opened in March of 2013 but closed in December. On March 31, 2016, they opened a new third location on Park Avenue called California Rollin II express. Closed in 2017. As of October 17 2019, the Village Gate location closed. 1 Awards Voted "Best Sushi" by City Newspaper's 'Best of Rochester' Awards in 2015.2 Comments Discuss California Rollin' on the Talk Page. 1http://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/2019/10/17/california-rollin-village-gate-sushi-restaurants-rochester-ny/4008232002/2http://www.rochestercitynewspaper.com/rochester/best-of-rochester-2015-food-and-drink/Content? oid=2662269
Ctrl-Alt-Deli is a sandwich shop located on the RIT campus, serving up quick bites for students and staff. As part of RIT's dining services, it offers a convenient spot for grabbing sandwiches between classes.
Radio Social is a bowling alley, restaurant, bar, music venue, and social club located in Rochester’s historical Stromberg-Carlson warehouse in the North Winton village. The 40,000 square foot facility features 34 bowling lanes, lounge areas, a variety of indoor and outdoor games. Opened May 4, 2017. The name pays homage to the 40,000 square-foot facility which produced radios during World War II. Owner Dan Morgenstern decided to reincarnate his former business, Clover Lanes, in a new direction by turning the business into an urban social experience and destination. Chuck Cerankosky, co-owner of Good Luck and Cure directs food and drink.
BuKu Fusion Kitchen was a restaurant featuring sandwiches and rice bowls that fuse flavors of multiple ethnicities. An example was a Tempura shrimp po' boy. They started with a food truck and now have a brick and Mortar restaurant in East Rochester. Opened March 1, 2022.
As viewed from East Ave A nice spot to see live music from local or national acts, also has a decent bar and menu and the occasional open mic night. Until the early 1990s Milestones was a block east on East Avenue, but it's original location was torn down to build the courthouse on the corner of East and Chestnut. At the old location it had originally been called "Jazzberry's", but the present owner, Michael O'Leary, changed the name shortly before moving to the present location at East and Scio. The decor inside is basic black with remnants of its previous use as a diner/grill still in evidence, such as the greenhouse tacked onto the front of the building. The live music at Milestones is an eclectic mixture of good-time rock and roll (including cover bands), jam bands, singer-songwriters, Celtic, and roots music, with a smattering of blues and jazz. Because the listening audience in Rochester tends to be conservative and a little blinkered in its musical taste, this venue may be the smallest place you ever see some quite famous people. And you may even get to sit down and have a decent beer while you do it. The City News recently reported on the sale of Milestones to local musician and club manager Joe Gizzie (http://www.rochester-citynews.com/gyrobase/Content? oid=oid%3A5082). According to The City's article, Gizzie intends to maintain the original live music format, but will be changing the club's name to High Fidelity following renovations.
This Bruegger's Bagels location in Pittsford offers fresh bagels and breakfast items with convenient drive-through service. Open early on weekdays (5 AM) to serve the morning rush, it's a reliable spot for quick breakfast and lunch in the Pittsford Victor Road corridor.
Bill Gray's Gates location serves up the local chain's signature burgers, hot dogs, and ice cream to the Gates community on Buffalo Road. This Rochester-born restaurant has been a beloved part of the local dining scene for generations, known for their distinctive white hot dogs and thick milkshakes.
Mac's Philly Steaks serves up regional cuisine in the heart of Fairport's Main Street. This cozy 20-seat restaurant specializes in Philadelphia-style cheesesteaks and is wheelchair accessible, making it a convenient dining option in the charming canal village.
The Grill at Strathallan Hotel Chef de Cuisine: Ethan Drake Souf Chef: Jeff Yaniak 550 East Avenue Rochester, NY 14607 (585) 454-1880 (800) 678-7284 http://www.strathallan.com/dining.php RocWiki main page Visited on January 26, 2008 at 8:00 pm The restaurant, AAA's Four Diamonds and Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence, provides standard American fare in a nice ambiance. Live music, performed in the bar but easily heard in the dining room, is a plus if you don't want to talk too much to table guests. Ambiance The hotel was undergoing some renovations at the time of our visit so we expect some improvements in the future. At the moment, you enter the bar through a temporary, narrow passage behind some wood panels, not really a nice welcome! The bar was full of patrons waiting for the music band performing live music and we had a hard time slaloming through the tables and chairs. The dining room is ample and there is enough space between the tables, so you are not bothered by other clients' conversations. The illumination is provided by some bright spotlights that give a low and suffused light with some excessive glares. We've seen patrons asking to be reseated because of direct light beam in the face. The tables are covered by white table cloths; glassware and silverware are of average quality for the class of the restaurant. Menu The cuisine is standard North American fare. The menu offers a good selection of both seafood and meat dishes. There is also a small selection of vegetarian fares. Flatbreads are also offered, which is not quite in line with the class of the restaurant. Entrees ranges from $21 to $32, while appetizers are in $12-$16 range. Wine List The wine list, sporting over 1,100 wines, is the largest in Rochester. It focuses on Californian, French and Italian wines with both big names and small wine makers. There's a good selection of Champagnes. There are a few wines from the rest of the US (just a couple of entries from NY state though) and from other world regions (Chile, Australia and South Africa). Prices are excellent, even for older vintages. The list is ordered by varietal and divided by broad world regions, which leads to some difficulties if you look for specific regions or wineries. Wines by the glass are also offered, but there is no list for them. Meal We started with a glass of Champagne (unnamed but good) to accompany our appetizers. Calamari Tuscan style calamari in sautéed garlic, shallots, capers, tomatoes and white wine. $12 Having lived in Tuscany for almost 7 years I have to confess I've never eaten this recipe or something similar (and I traveled and ate a lot!), so it's probably an apocrypha, or what the chef thinks they eat in Tuscany. The result what very good anyway, with just too many capers which covered the rest of the flavors. Score: 13/20 Brie Wellington Soft brie, duxelle and spinach wrapped in puff pastry topped with honeycomb and petit baby green salad. $12 Very good but probably too much for an appetizer: I would have been satisfied by a third of it or so. Cheese and honey is nothing really new and so is grilling the cheese. But the idea of putting together the grilled cheese with vegetables and honey in a small cake is a small jewel. Score: 14.5/20 1998 Clos de Vougeot, Chateau de la Tour (Bourgogne, France) We opted for a wonderful 1998 Clos de Vougeot, Chateau de la Tour to continue or meal. Still young but definitely wonderful, with lots of red berries and flowers and no foul scents, typical of red burgundy (even expensive ones). A bargain at $95 Cranberry Tenderloin Tournedos of beef tenderloin finished with port wine, cranberries, crumbled blue cheese and seasonal sautéed vegetables. $32 The meat is provided by Wolfe's Neck Farm, which produces naturally raised choice beef with no antibiotics, growth hormones and no animal by-products, and was excellent indeed and cooked to perfection. The dish is nothing very creative and the crumbled blue cheese was not very well integrated into the rest: I would have preferred a blue cheese sauce or a blue cheese flan, for instance. Score: 12.5/20 Slow Roasted Elk Medallions Potato pudding, chanterelle sauté and hunter sauce. $27 Nothing really innovative but absolutely marvelous, easily the best dish of the night. Score: 15/20 Chocolate Pate Layered chocolate marble with strawberries, whipped cream and fudge. $9 It tasted good but it was a little bit too hard and the result texture not pleasant to eat. Score: 10.5/20 Service Excellent service, although not very formal: some minor flaws, like putting down the bottle on the table while I was tasting the wine and serving the food from the wrong side; although the class of the restaurant doesn't really require such attention to these details. We also asked for some little favors like the permission to take pictures of the dishes and a copy of the menu to keep and we've been always gladly obliged. Just as a small low point, the waitress assigned to clear the tables was chewing a gum: definitely incompatible with the restaurant. Price The bill totaled to $205, before taxes, including $18 for 2 cups of Champagne. Not too much, considering the quality of the products. Pros Very good raw products and solid cooking techniques with some creativity. Ample wine list, especially for California lovers. Live music, if you like it. Cons Bad illumination. Live music can be bothersome if you want to talk to your peers. Credits Many thanks to RichChiavaroli for digitally retouching the pictures. Review by AndreaCogliati