Rochester Guide

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a guide to Rochester, NY

Jennifer writes: Also, since you like the outdoors, get the right sort of winter-weather clothes and go outside. You will want to pick up the book by Bruce Kershner on area hikes. One of the coolest takes you to natural gas fissures you can light on fire that are down in a rocky canyon. In the winter, the place is like the origin of the universe (except then it was hot, I guess... but you know what I mean. Bring a lighter and strong boots.

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The following text is entirely stolen from http://www.livejournal.com/community/rochester/692801.html :

asian food:

aja's noodles - i love this place, incredibly fast, a great environment, and a reasonably priced meal at $5-8 (piano_fetish)
india palace - not a huge fan of this place, the service the few times i have been there was not so great and i found something funny in the taste. $10-15. (piano_fetish)
forget the name - an indian restaurant right next to cantonese house; they have a really great all you can eat lunch buffet for $6. the food and flavor are great, you don't get much of the 'fancier' meats like lamb or shrimp but it's definitely worth it. (piano_fetish)
golden port (near java's, another one around brighton i believe) - another great little chinese restaurant. a little different taste (less strong in my opinion) but still just as authentic. $4-8 to be full, less to be less full (piano_fetish)
le lemon grass (on monroe) - I LOVE THIS PLACE. vietnamese cuisine. get their pho (soup), you will not be disappointed. $6-10 (piano_fetish)
dak hoa (on monroe?) - i think that's how you spell it. they have amazing duck, pork, and a little different style but still incredible pho. about $5 for an awesome and pretty filling meal. (piano_fetish)
king and i - AMAZING thai cuisine. simply amazing, and probably about $8 a person. (piano_fetish)
KCT noodle co - The motto is "Clash of the Orient." It's on Park Ave. I got 9 huge and delicious California rolls for $5. There's outdoor and indoor dining and the staff was very friendly and efficient. I give it a 5 out of 5 and will definitely return in the future. (bobbiejane)
Tully's - The BEST chicken fingers you'll ever have, and $2 tall (24oz) Coors light and Miller light every day.(camper4lyfe) Tully's is awesome. The only thing I don't like is the enormous portion sizes. That isn't too much of an issue though, since I just take the rest home. (detached9)
Perkins - I grew up going to Perkins in Geneseo, and they can serve alcohol now! (beer and wine) (camper4lyfe)
The Distillery - A little pricey, but they have a good assortment of food, good burgers, and great wings.(camper4lyfe)
Pellegrino's - They have the best buffalo chicken sub I've had yet (camper4lyfe)
Dibella's - The best cold subs, IMO. (camper4lyfe) Dibella's doesn't have pickles. And that just sucks. (ghettochellay) I used to work at DiBellas. If the customer specifically asks for the deli pickle to be sliced, and it isn't too busy, you can have the sliced portions on your sub. I should add it varies per manager. Nonetheless, it sucks you have to pay extra for the pickle on your sub. (detached9)
Aladdin's (two locations) - Awesome Mediterranean food (I LOVE hummus and gyros) (camper4lyfe)
For barbecue, there is nowhere but Dinosaur. Recently I heard great things about Sticky Lips Pit BBQ, but it was not nearly as good, though the service and prices were good. It is always worth the wait to eat at Dinosaur BBQ. (bqcherry)
For a quick meal, I have to say head out to Cracker Barrel. No, it's not quite home cooking, but service is friendly and quick and much better for you than fast food. (bqcherry)
Speaking of fast food (sorta), the best burgers, in my opinion, are at Bill Gray's. You normally have to wait for it, but they are the best burgers in Rochester. (bqcherry) I like Don's Original more than Bill Gray's. This is based solely on my impressions of their food quality, is totally subjective. I've had limited experience with Bill Gray's, and substantial exposure to Don's Original. They're burgers are similar, but I prefer Don's Original. (rosta)
Best ice cream is from Bruster's. I've only been to the one in Irondequoit, but it is amazing! If you're more in the mood for a richer dessert, go out to Philip's European, though it is kinda pricey. (bqcherry) I'll totally second Brusters over Abbotts, but I'm gonna disagree about Phillip's European. Certainly, their best dishes are their deserts, but I really think they're no better than the ones at the Pittsford Wegmans patisserie. I think the deserts at Tastings (the Wegmans restuarant) are the way to go for richer, more expensive deserts. (rosta)
Golden Dynasty is the best Chinese food—served family style—and wonderful service. Expect leftovers to take home!! I haven't had a whole lot of other ethnic food, but I also recommend Salena's for Mexican and Valicia's for Italian. (bqcherry)
Though I am a huge fan of good old Starbucks, Spot Coffee is great. Good drinks, nice big open spaces, and I love the decorations. (bqcherry)

And I'm gonna have to disagree about coffee. I'm less of a fan of Starbucks, which could account for our differences, but I feel Spot is really second rate coffee, and their service has been bad to the point of offensive every time I've been. I think Java's is better in every way (though Spot has some neat seating - I like the space they have). Wegman's coffee stand is actually very good. Fingerlakes coffee roasters makes ligher coffee than I like, but I think they use the best beans, and unless you drink it very strong / black like me, I think they're the best. (rosta)

For traditional fine dining, I recommend Rio Bamba, but have your credit card ready...I paid $125 for 2 people. For something slightly less pricey and more trendy, go for Pearl, especially if you like seafood. (bqcherry)
Lastly, I recommend Jay's Diner for group outings or late night eating. Great food, great prices. (bqcherry)

First, dispensing with the vitriol: (vaporizersmith)

The Moonshine BBQ on East Henrietta Road has possibly the worst food ever, of any restaurant ever, and it's expensive. I have never before been moved to write a letter of complaint, let alone one based one food quality, which I usually consider to be a crapshoot. (We should have taken a hint when it was almost completely empty on Saturday at 7pm.) Anyway, specifically, the food tasted "old", like it had been sitting on a steam table since 10:00 in the morning. My date said he suspected his ribs had been reheated in a microwave, but I declined to taste. (vaporizersmith)

Luckily, I think Rochester has a lot more good than bad. Some of my favorites:

The Golden Unicorn (West Main St.) The ne plus ultra of ghetto chinese takeout places. Stop in to check out their bulletproof glass and display of shotgun shells. They also have the best chinese food in town. (vaporizersmith)
Chilango's (Rte. 31 in Spencerport) Because I have taken a solemn vow to plug them at every opportunity. (vaporizersmith)
2Vine (Winthrop St, behind the Little Theater) Trendy and pretentious? Maybe. But the won me over with really good food. (vaporizersmith)
Charlie Brown's (N. Goodman St.) Another neighborhood place, but this one is worth the trip for homemade bread, biscuits and mashed potatoes. (vaporizersmith)
Max of Eastman Place is the best restaurant in Rochester. It would easily be a 5-star in NYC. Seriously. That said, it's pricey, fancy, and not the sort of thing everyone likes. (rosta)

If you want something heavier / richer, try:

Rio Bamba. We don't go there much any more (a little slower service, and heavier food than we like). It's one of the more formal restaurants in Rochester, but you see people there in golf shirts without it looking terribly weird. It's a good place for a large, slow, rich meal. (rosta) The Rio Bamba is excellent. Though not strictly French and despite the name, much of the menu was French food. The selection of wines is also impressive. I cannot wait to go there again when I am legally able to order it (or able to afford it). They also have petits fours, which, in my opinion, are an essential French food experience. It's very classy and elegant, but I finished without feeling too decadent, which is nice, The building and its interior are also gorgeous. It's certainly the best restaurant I've yet been to in Rochester. (lucidita) They also offer a vegan tasting! (RebekkaPuderbaugh)
Tonic. Haven't been in a while, seems more trendy than it used to be, focusing on booze and the club aspect rather than food. It still served the best Bolognese sauce I've ever had, though. (rosta)
Pearl. More seafood themed, very pleasant, feels a little more animated and trendy than Max. Very slightly cheaper than Max (this also applies to Tonic), and tends to be a bit more adventurous. I prefer Max, because Tony, the chef, is unbelieveably gifted, but if I saw the two places menus, and didn't know the restaurants, I'd be more interested in Pearl (the menu's more interesting). Tends towards European and Asian Fusion, in the California style. (rosta)

Slightly cheaper:

2Vine. This place serves the second-best hamburger in Rochester, and it's the only thing I'd order there. Other meals are very expensive, and not very good (the previous restaurants are better). The atmosphere is more active, but noiser and more crowded (these all kinda go together, of course). It can be fun. If you're not budget-limited, there's some interesting looking but expensive seafood dishes. I have had multiple bad experiences with the management here. The owner has harassed us and tried to get us to leave half way through our entree (which, combined with having to wait half an hour to be seated despite our reservation, and then dealing with slow service, was kindof offensive). This review brings me to an alternative: (rosta)
JoJo's. The best burger in Rochester. You'll pay for it (I think it's $12), but I'd rather have one of these than a good steak. Don't order the burger with cheese - it's overkill. I generally prefer cheeseburgers, but trust me on this one. Other entrees are good, but I've less experience with them (If I love the cheapest thing on the menu, that'll happen). Overall, it's pleasant, large enough not to be noisy, has a good bar. It's location, out in Pittsford, is odd for a restaurant of this type. It's a nice place, though. I'd go here on a first date (not too formal, not too casual, not too loud, not too quiet, good food, good drinks). Get the hamburger. Really. Oh, and ask them to bring it with sweet potato fries, rather than the normal ones (which are very good, but still normal fries). The sweet potato fries are very nice. If you want to go to a nice restaurant, and you're jonesing for a hamburger, this is proof that you're not necesarily confused. (rosta)
Tastings. This is the restaurant part of the massive Pittsford Wegmans. It's very cheap for fine dining - expect to pay $10 less than you would at Max or Pearl. The food's nice, though not stunning (not quite as interesting as Pearl, and, like everything else, not as good as Max). I've enjoyed the Chicken Saltimbocca, and non-cream-based vegetable soups. The sea bass is also very good. The portions are smallish. The deserts are devine (I think they might be the best in Rochester). They have a new menu of special cocktails every night, and these are some of the best cocktails I've had in Rochester. I'd definitely go here if I wanted to get drinks and desert. When they bring the bread, ignore the asiago rolls - they're heavy and oily. They look better than they taste, and they're way too heavy to go with anything. (rosta)

I'm sure I've forgotten several places. My appologies. I think this accurately, if not completely, summarizes much of Rochester's fine dining. Anyone disagree with anything I've said? (rosta)

King & I - On 15A (I think). Best Thai food I've ever had, reasonable prices too. (copperlegend)
Aja Noodle Co. - Off Monroe Ave in Pittsford. Best $5 noodle/rice bowls with a student ID. The coconut chicken soup is amazing. (copperlegend)
P.F. Changs - Chinese place at Eastview Mall. I don't care what you people say, I'm addicted to the spicy chicken and the pork fried rice! A little on the pricey side. (copperlegend)
Tasting's - Pittsford Wegmans. Really fancy place, very pricey, but very good. The tasting menu changes almost weekly. Good for an anniversary or birthday dinner for your boyfriend/girlfriend. (copperlegend)
Magnolia's - Really cute deli place on Park Ave. The panini sandwiches are delicious, and you can "make your own." Great prices, too. (copperlegend)
Riki's Family Restaurant - In Fairport, off Main St. Great little diner type place. It's become a Sunday morning ritual for me. The Riki's omelet(3 eggs, cheddar cheese, spicy pork sausage and cream cheese) is my favorite! Also a must: chocolate chip pancakes (try them with strawberries on top!) (copperlegend)
Tapas 177 - 177 St. Paul Street. Best mojitos ever. Haven't tried the food yet but I love the atmosphere! (copperlegend)
Pearl - Alexander Street area. Really swanky lounge type place, best creme brulee I've ever had. (copperlegend)
Oasis Mediterranean Bistro - Monroe Avenue, excellent Greek/Mediterranean style food, very inexpensive. Decent wine selection, too. (copperlegend)
Mykonos - Village Gate. Best Greek food in the city. (copperlegend)
Bocaccini's - Perinton Square Plaza. Very good Italian food, same owner as Bennucci's, I think. (copperlegend)
Bennucci's - Pittsford Plaza. AMAZING Italian food. (copperlegend)
Dinosaur BBQ - In the city somewhere. Best pulled pork bbq and beef brisket I've ever had. The pork nachos and fried green tomatoes are also yummy. Not expensive, either. (copperlegend)
Pomodoro - University Ave. Best Italian food I've ever had, and I'm Italian :) Some things are a bit expensive. Good date place. (copperlegend)
Shiki - S. Clinton. Best sushi ever. Reasonable prices. I think 2 people could have a decent meal for around $20-25, depending on how exotic your tastes are. Best Philly roll ever. (copperlegend)
Pelican's Nest *Right by Charlotte Beach* - GREAT mozzarella sticks, great pricing, and the most delish non-alcoholic strawberry daiquiris IMO (ulala59)
Simply Crepes in Schoen Place is amazing. It's not exactly French, but the owners are from Quebec. I highly recommend the chicken tarragon crepe or the portobello mushroom crepe. (copperlegend) the oatmeal creme brulee is really good; not a crepe, but it's amazing. (jenny248)

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a guide to Rochester, NY

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