I'm not a foodie. I love food and I love how certain dishes make me feel like I've just touched the face of God, but by and large I'm just another "steak & potatoes" type of guy who would be more than happy to eat at the same burger shack for the rest of his (short) life. I can't, for the life of me, think of any food more elegant in it's simplicity than a really, really good cheeseburger with a side of really, really good fries. Throw a little ketchup and mayo into the mix, maybe a little lettuce and some nice onion and I may as well be doing drugs at that point.
I used to think the best cheeseburger in Rochester, NY was only available at one place: Oak Hill Country Club's West Course snack bar. When I was just a young, hungry whippersnapper obsessed with golf -which often led to me forgetting to eat while I was practicing or playing- I would spend 10-12 hours a day haunting the various practice areas, playing as often as my junior status would allow and dining exclusively at the half-way house snack shacks that serviced both the East and West Courses. One day, my friend Matt asked if I had had the pleasure of eating a "Tony Burger" yet, and I told him that I did not (this was fairly early on in my family's membership). His eyes widened and I could see him start to salivate at the mere mention of this mystical burger. I needed to know more.
"Tony's been working here since before I was born (I think)," Matt began, "and it's widely believed that he makes the best Cheeseburger in the county, if not the state." I took this all with a grain of salt as even then I knew my best friend had a tendency to exaggerate things like this. Matt has, on no less than 50 occasions over the course of our 15 year friendship, told me he's had the best something-or-other at this-place-or-that within a few days of telling me the exact same thing about something-or-other he'd had at this-place-or-that. Long story short, I needed proof, and I did something I rarely, if ever did: I stopped practicing to go eat a cheeseburger.
The two of us, sweaty and tanned from hours in the sun, trudged up the familiar hill towards the snack bar. Much to Matt's delight, Tony was in fact working and he was in fact one of the oldest full time employees I've ever seen working anywhere, but I could tell immediately he knew his way around a grill. I ordered a cheeseburger. I waited underneath the umbrella of an adjoining picnic table and could tell from the smell -as it wafted gorgeously into my nostrils, firing sensory synapses in my brain I had no idea were there before- that this was going to be an experience.
It was.
I ate that "Tony Burger" slowly, savoring every last bite of it until it was gone and I jumped up and ordered another one and had the same reaction as the last, from that point on, every cheeseburger I'd ever have for the rest of my life would be judged by this one, infinitesimal moment of sheer food based delight.
Tony passed away a few years ago and the burgers at Oak Hill have never been the same. They are still, in my opinion, better than almost any burger I've ever had, but 19 months ago I moved into the South Wedge neighborhood of Rochester about a block away from Mise En Place Market.
I'd heard from my sister that one of the chef's from 2 Vine (possibly the best restaurant in all of Rochester, NY) had decided to leave and start a new venture and that turned out to be Mise En Place (on the corner of South and Gregory), and that it was going to be half market, half restaurant specializing in very fresh ingredients and high quality, but affordable food. I started going there to get their pre-made subs and some of the other, harder to find ingredients and fresh vegetables that came directly from the public market. I would, casually, look at their simple menu and think to myself, "one day." This went on for months until, finally, the love of my life asked if I wanted to get takeout from Mise En Place one Friday night, because she looked at their dinner specials and wanted something they were offering.
For some reason, I was less than enthusiastic about this. There was free pizza at Lux, after all, and the two of us had been frequenting that establish every Friday night for weeks and weeks, and I didn't want to miss out on the fun there and couldn't quite find something on the Dinner Special menu that piqued my interest enough to convince me, but, as they usually do, my girlfriend had a great way of convincing me, "just get the burger, I bet it's good." "Ha," I scoffed, knowing full well that any burger that wasn't a "Tony Burger" was just going to be something to put in my stomach as ballast for the booze that was sure to come later, but I relented. We ordered.
I walked cockily to Mise En Place, sure that I was about to be disappointed by the sub-par cheeseburger I had ordered. When I entered the store, the smells consumed me and I felt, just maybe, that I was wrong about my thoughts and that, somehow, this may actually be pretty damn good. I'd heard from a load of people that the food was really good, and now, being there at dinner for the first time, the smell -oh, such a wonderful smell- seemed to back those claims up. I picked up our food and, before I made it to the register to pay, I could tell this was going to be special, because it looked fantastic, but the proof is in the taste and I was now eager to get home and try what all my senses were telling me would be a fantastic burger.
It was, dear God, it was.
The "Tony Burger" was dethroned as the best burger I'd ever had within two bites of the 11 ounce cheeseburger I ordered that night at Mise En Place. It was like no burger I'd ever tasted before and the side of fries were, to say the least, just amazing. The seasoning and freshness of the meat, the taste of the cheddar cheese and perfectly cooked, crispy fries mixed together so well that I almost fainted. Seriously. I got dizzy it was so good.
Now, it's almost a tradition to get Mise En Place on a Friday night. Though, I have been experimenting with their other, delicious food over the past few months and it's not surprising that a place that makes a damn near perfect burger would make damn near perfect everything else. Just last week I ordered the mussels. When I saw the size of the humongous portion I thought, "there's no way I can finish this," but as I started in on them I thought, "there's no way I can't finish this, it's too good." I've had the same reaction to their steaks, and my girlfriend will tell anyone who wants to listen that their salads and seafood dishes are out of this world.
At Mise En Place you can tell they take their food quality seriously. The freshness is evident immediately as is the care that they put into making all of their dishes. I've been nonplussed by a single meal there, but it wasn't there fault, I ordered something I thought I wanted, but ended up pining for the burger half way through my meal, regretting my decision to "experiment" when I knew what I really wanted. So, my fellow Rochestarians, if you're looking for a great place to eat with high quality food, or a market with hard to find, excellent ingredients from local vendors you have to check out Mise En Place. It's seriously good. It would have to be to upend the "Tony Burger."
5/26/10
Duffy, Duffy, Duffy
Rochester lost a mayor today. It wasn't tragic or riddled with scandal. It wasn't a huge surprise, either, but it took the wind out of my sales just the same. Losing Mayor Duffy to the statewide political machine which continually ignores the needs of Upstate and Western New York is not something that is going to completely set in until I start seeing "Cuomo/Duffy" placards popping up on lawns around my neighborhood. As a city, we have lost a mayor with limitless potential with a vision for change that was sorely needed after the previous administration nearly set Rochester back a few decades in every conceivable area imaginable. This can't happen again.
As a card carrying independent, I have little to no patience for the pomp and circumstance that surrounds modern day politics. I'd like to think I make my decisions based on logic and rationale, but even when President Obama was running his "game changing" campaign I found myself feeling a little disgusted by the rock star-esque methods being used to make him seem like he was more than a politician, but I bought into the hype and hoped for change and reform and whatever else was on the posters at the time. After 8 years of being miserable I would've voted Democrat if they had run an actual donkey. Now I find myself in a similar situation in the state of New York and my city as well.
In my highly uneducated opinion, politics are cyclical. When one party has had 4-8 years to try and get things right and, as usual, fails miserably or only does a "sort of good" job it becomes time for the next party to step in and give it a shot. It happens at every level from villages to towns to cities to states to nations; it's just the way it is and it's so predictable and boring I'm pretty sure we could eliminate voting and just say, "Okay, what year is this? 2010? That's a Republican year, bring in the G.O.P" and no one would really notice. It's what happens now anyway. Sure, you'll have your fervent advocates on the one side and your beleaguered pioneers on the other clashing over "issues," but if you're level headed and looking on from a distance it's pretty plain to see that it's just a big show.
Politicians do not listen to the people, they listen to politicians.
I still do not perceive Mayor Duffy to be a part of this, and I could have told you he was going to be elected for a first and second term the minute his name was thrown into the hat because the prior administration brought us the spectacular failure that was the fast ferry and a school system so unbelievably terrible that it makes me mad to even think about. I'm not positive about the graduation rates, but I know at one point it was about 30% and since Mayor Duffy has been in office it's gone up to just under 50%; which is a big, gigantic improvement, but still pathetic and a failure in my eyes. It seems that Mayor Duffy understands this as the most pressing issue on his incomplete agenda, as he has for quite a while championed the idea of "mayoral control" of the schools since the school board is doing the children of the city of Rochester such an awful disservice by merely existing and letting things continue on the way they have been. Duffy still wants to make that change, but it's going to be a hell of a lot more difficult to do so in Albany, though you'd think it would be easier, that's really not the case. Albany has a history of catering to downstate and, because of the money involved, that just won't change any time soon, but... one can dream.
On a more positive note, what the city of Rochester should take away from this is the fact that it is responsible for the development and rise of one of the most promising figures in politics the state and, possibly, the country has seen in quite some time. Hey, Rochester, we did this. Mayor Duffy is largely a product of our lovely city; which proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that we are capable of producing leaders and intelligent people of the highest quality. That, my fellow citizens, is a remarkable accomplishment to think about. Our current mayor could one day be governor of this entire state, or a senator, or a congressman or who knows what? It all started here, in Rochester.
Think about it: a graduate of The Aquinas Institute (my McQuaid allegiance distresses writing that, but I digress), member of the police force since 1976, graduate of Monroe Community College and the Rochester Institute of Technology, Police Chief of the Rochester Police Department from 1998 to 2005 and, currently, our Mayor and the state-wide candidate for Lieutenant Governor. That is pretty awesome, and, begrudgingly, something to be very proud of.
My biggest concern is that the progress that has been made in my hometown will, somehow, someway unravel and we'll be back to making bad business deals about huge boats that nobody wants to ride on and our school system will fall even deeper into the abyss than it already has. These things just cannot happen. There are little pockets within communities that have worked tirelessly to cut down on all the negative aspects that once plagued them and that largely has to do with Mayor Duffy's progressive attitude and his natural charisma which almost forced people to follow him. Now, he'll be leaving us should he and Attorney General Cuomo be elected, and the idea that things could revert to their old, bad habits, well,that scares the hell out of me.
As a card carrying independent, I have little to no patience for the pomp and circumstance that surrounds modern day politics. I'd like to think I make my decisions based on logic and rationale, but even when President Obama was running his "game changing" campaign I found myself feeling a little disgusted by the rock star-esque methods being used to make him seem like he was more than a politician, but I bought into the hype and hoped for change and reform and whatever else was on the posters at the time. After 8 years of being miserable I would've voted Democrat if they had run an actual donkey. Now I find myself in a similar situation in the state of New York and my city as well.
In my highly uneducated opinion, politics are cyclical. When one party has had 4-8 years to try and get things right and, as usual, fails miserably or only does a "sort of good" job it becomes time for the next party to step in and give it a shot. It happens at every level from villages to towns to cities to states to nations; it's just the way it is and it's so predictable and boring I'm pretty sure we could eliminate voting and just say, "Okay, what year is this? 2010? That's a Republican year, bring in the G.O.P" and no one would really notice. It's what happens now anyway. Sure, you'll have your fervent advocates on the one side and your beleaguered pioneers on the other clashing over "issues," but if you're level headed and looking on from a distance it's pretty plain to see that it's just a big show.
Politicians do not listen to the people, they listen to politicians.
I still do not perceive Mayor Duffy to be a part of this, and I could have told you he was going to be elected for a first and second term the minute his name was thrown into the hat because the prior administration brought us the spectacular failure that was the fast ferry and a school system so unbelievably terrible that it makes me mad to even think about. I'm not positive about the graduation rates, but I know at one point it was about 30% and since Mayor Duffy has been in office it's gone up to just under 50%; which is a big, gigantic improvement, but still pathetic and a failure in my eyes. It seems that Mayor Duffy understands this as the most pressing issue on his incomplete agenda, as he has for quite a while championed the idea of "mayoral control" of the schools since the school board is doing the children of the city of Rochester such an awful disservice by merely existing and letting things continue on the way they have been. Duffy still wants to make that change, but it's going to be a hell of a lot more difficult to do so in Albany, though you'd think it would be easier, that's really not the case. Albany has a history of catering to downstate and, because of the money involved, that just won't change any time soon, but... one can dream.
On a more positive note, what the city of Rochester should take away from this is the fact that it is responsible for the development and rise of one of the most promising figures in politics the state and, possibly, the country has seen in quite some time. Hey, Rochester, we did this. Mayor Duffy is largely a product of our lovely city; which proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that we are capable of producing leaders and intelligent people of the highest quality. That, my fellow citizens, is a remarkable accomplishment to think about. Our current mayor could one day be governor of this entire state, or a senator, or a congressman or who knows what? It all started here, in Rochester.
Think about it: a graduate of The Aquinas Institute (my McQuaid allegiance distresses writing that, but I digress), member of the police force since 1976, graduate of Monroe Community College and the Rochester Institute of Technology, Police Chief of the Rochester Police Department from 1998 to 2005 and, currently, our Mayor and the state-wide candidate for Lieutenant Governor. That is pretty awesome, and, begrudgingly, something to be very proud of.
My biggest concern is that the progress that has been made in my hometown will, somehow, someway unravel and we'll be back to making bad business deals about huge boats that nobody wants to ride on and our school system will fall even deeper into the abyss than it already has. These things just cannot happen. There are little pockets within communities that have worked tirelessly to cut down on all the negative aspects that once plagued them and that largely has to do with Mayor Duffy's progressive attitude and his natural charisma which almost forced people to follow him. Now, he'll be leaving us should he and Attorney General Cuomo be elected, and the idea that things could revert to their old, bad habits, well,that scares the hell out of me.
First Things First
Dear Future Visitors, New Residents and People Pondering Coming To Rochester,
You don't know me and I don't know you -this is the internet after all- and there's really no reason whatsoever you should take my zeitgeist for all things Rochester so seriously as to allow it to sway your opinion in one direction or the other, but I promise you this: you will love it here. (Why do I hear a chorus of surly city dwelling denizens laughing right now?) I'm not kidding, this city that I love so much may be the best place in the world despite some of our shortcomings and problems.
Yes, we have problems - lots of them - and if you're coming here from a place that isn't riddled with issues please let me know where you live and I'll rename this blog, move to your hometown and stay there forever. I'm not talking about a "one horse, no stoplight" town in the middle of some rural area that seems like paradise because there's nothing going on and your neighbors are 10 miles away. I love places like that too, don't get me wrong. One day, when it's time to retire and settle down I plan on finding a place like that for my very own. But, and this is a big, stinking, really odd but, those places have problems too. There's the crystal-meth boom that's sweeping through rural areas of the entire country, not to mention the dwindling hopes and financial gains of independent farmers who -not very long ago, mind you- were once a very, very important part of our economic structure as a nation. Times have changed, as they are want to do on occasion.
I won't steer you wrong, potential visitor/tourist/resident; which is why I'm letting the first post be the only post I'm going to write that has some negativity to it regarding my hometown. See, like a lot of cities that have been upended by economic turmoil and the semi-regular mini-collapse of businesses that once powered Rochester (see: Kodak, Xerox), we've got some (how do I put this nicely...)dicey areas that one would be best to keep away from. You'll find these destitute areas filled with detritus in just about any city in America. You wouldn't want to take a midnight stroll down a dark alley in Harlem, would you? You wouldn't think to wear anything but a Phillie's jersey while attending a game in Philadelphia, would you? No, you wouldn't, because bad things would happen to you and that's just not cool, man. We're not so bad off here in Rochester though, compared to a bunch of cities, towns, villages and trailer parks that were ravaged by the latest economic anti-boom, so don't let my depressing diatribe sway you, I'm just laying the cards on the table so I can be as honest as humanly possible. Which brings me to my next point...
... don't spend your time in downtown proper when you come for a visit, because you won't find much to do and there's a pretty decent chance you'll see a fight at the liberty poll, or stumble into what used to be the biggest shopping mecca in the city, only to discover a sallow looking DMV, some stores that are barely hanging on by a thread and a guy named Rob who likes to dance the shuffle-shoe for a few dimes a song. It's sad. Really sad. So, stay away from the "center city" if you want to enjoy yourself and not get depressed the instant you walk out of your hotel.
Before I get to the good stuff, let me warn you about our citizens here in Rochester, because we like to complain (see the past few paragraphs for proof). Whether it be about the weather or taxes or this dog we saw that had a weird looking tongue, Rochestarians are born and bred to be gripers of the highest level. If there was an award handed out each year to the city that most closely resembles Droopy, Rochester would be in the running and probably win more than I'd care to admit. The funny thing is, we don't really mean it, and most of the time we're pretty damn funny about it too, because you'd have to be with the type of weather we have in this city, and all the taxes, and the dogs with weird looking tongues.
Oh, right, the weather... heh... well, I've lived her my entire life and I'm still not used to it. Here's an example: It snowed 2 weeks ago and it's 90 degrees outside as I type this, but I'm a masochist by nature so I don't mind the fact that we can, literally, have all 4 seasons in a week. It's kind of great, really. We, as a people, have a tremendous appreciation for the outdoors and nature because of our ridiculous weather. If the sun is shining, Rochestarians are going to be outdoors doing something. We're big on gardening and dog walking and strolling through some of the awesome parks we have (like Highland Park, which was designed by the same guy who designed Central Park). We like to eat at restaurants that have tables under umbrellas, or, minus the umbrellas, it doesn't matter we like to be outside when we can because the winter can be brutally demoralizing (or, mild and lacking the amount of snow you barricade yourself into your house expecting). Honestly, we're nuts for nice weather in this city and it shows on the faces of even the most cynical residents when they are out and about on a nice day. It really lifts your heart when you see one of us smiling for no reason other than the sun is out and there's no snow on the ground. It's probably why we're so golf crazy.
Seriously, this city and it's surrounding areas have more golf courses than we know what to do with, and I love it. If you're a golfer and want to play at, say Oak Hill (host of past majors, the Ryder Cup and future host of another PGA Championship in a couple years time) there's a very good chance you'll be able to get on. Or, if you don't want to pony up the dough for a course of that caliber, you can check out Greystone, Mill Creek or any of the several dozen local courses in the area. It's the Western New York equivalent of Myrtle Beach, and I wouldn't want it any other way.
So, what do you like to do? Independent Movies? Go to The Little. Baseball? We have our very own minor league team and a fantastic, gorgeous stadium full of the best fans in the world (this is "baseball city USA" after all). Classical Music? We've got places for that too, The Auditorium Center (which I've heard has some of the best acoustics in the world... get it?) and the Eastman School of Music. Do you like really good food? Shoot, there are so many spectacular restaurants in Rochester I can't even think of the best one off the top of my head; no, wait, yes I can, 2 Vine. There you go. Are you into tattooed, hipster guys and girls that wear ironic t-shirts, skinny jeans, too much gel in their hair and drink Pabst Blue Ribbon ironically? Well, head to Lux Lounge on South Ave. on a Friday or Saturday night and it's like walking into the heart of Williamsburg. Do you like great beer in a pub atmosphere and some really good food at the same time? There's this place called Tap and Mallet and it is exactly that.
Hold up, I'm going to say this now (my first, official recommendation!): if you come to Rochester, you have to go to Tap and Mallet. Go on a Saturday afternoon when Jeana is waiting tables and you will be in for such a treat I can barely stop myself from emoticonning all over the place right now. Order the poutine for an appetizer, but be sure you head in with an empty stomach, because you will get full... very full. They get fresh draft beer in almost daily and the variety and quality is mind-boggling. I can't say this strongly enough, you must go to Tap and Mallet if you are visiting Rochester.
Now, future visitor/tourist/resident you have a very little taste for some of the great things Rochester has to offer and, unfortunately, a better, more robust taste for some of the negative aspects of our city. I didn't want to lie to you, though, after all this is our first date and I'm just getting to know you and you really aren't sure whether or not I'm the type of guy you can trust or take home to meet your parents. So, I'm pretty sure you're not sold about Rochester, yet, but that will change as I continue to bring you, my faithful readers and future visitors/tourists/residents all the stuff in my city that happens that people need to know about. We get kind of a bad rap around here sometimes, and I don't like that, and I'm going to try my damndest to change it! I'm not doing this for money or personal gain or anything like that, I'm doing this because I really, really love my city.
Remember this,though, before you click away to something more interesting and better written, Rochester really is a fantastic city full of amazing people. It's surprising, even to me after all these years, how much Rochester has to offer and I hope to bring the people of the internet so much Rochester goodness that you'll have no choice but to come to my city, say hello, we'll grab a drink somewhere. It'll be great.
-Jim L.
ps- if you live here, in Rochester, I would love to post some pictures or news or anything really that you would seem fit to share with the public in general. I'd like to link to other similar sites as well, so don't be basfhul!
You don't know me and I don't know you -this is the internet after all- and there's really no reason whatsoever you should take my zeitgeist for all things Rochester so seriously as to allow it to sway your opinion in one direction or the other, but I promise you this: you will love it here. (Why do I hear a chorus of surly city dwelling denizens laughing right now?) I'm not kidding, this city that I love so much may be the best place in the world despite some of our shortcomings and problems.
Yes, we have problems - lots of them - and if you're coming here from a place that isn't riddled with issues please let me know where you live and I'll rename this blog, move to your hometown and stay there forever. I'm not talking about a "one horse, no stoplight" town in the middle of some rural area that seems like paradise because there's nothing going on and your neighbors are 10 miles away. I love places like that too, don't get me wrong. One day, when it's time to retire and settle down I plan on finding a place like that for my very own. But, and this is a big, stinking, really odd but, those places have problems too. There's the crystal-meth boom that's sweeping through rural areas of the entire country, not to mention the dwindling hopes and financial gains of independent farmers who -not very long ago, mind you- were once a very, very important part of our economic structure as a nation. Times have changed, as they are want to do on occasion.
I won't steer you wrong, potential visitor/tourist/resident; which is why I'm letting the first post be the only post I'm going to write that has some negativity to it regarding my hometown. See, like a lot of cities that have been upended by economic turmoil and the semi-regular mini-collapse of businesses that once powered Rochester (see: Kodak, Xerox), we've got some (how do I put this nicely...)dicey areas that one would be best to keep away from. You'll find these destitute areas filled with detritus in just about any city in America. You wouldn't want to take a midnight stroll down a dark alley in Harlem, would you? You wouldn't think to wear anything but a Phillie's jersey while attending a game in Philadelphia, would you? No, you wouldn't, because bad things would happen to you and that's just not cool, man. We're not so bad off here in Rochester though, compared to a bunch of cities, towns, villages and trailer parks that were ravaged by the latest economic anti-boom, so don't let my depressing diatribe sway you, I'm just laying the cards on the table so I can be as honest as humanly possible. Which brings me to my next point...
... don't spend your time in downtown proper when you come for a visit, because you won't find much to do and there's a pretty decent chance you'll see a fight at the liberty poll, or stumble into what used to be the biggest shopping mecca in the city, only to discover a sallow looking DMV, some stores that are barely hanging on by a thread and a guy named Rob who likes to dance the shuffle-shoe for a few dimes a song. It's sad. Really sad. So, stay away from the "center city" if you want to enjoy yourself and not get depressed the instant you walk out of your hotel.
Before I get to the good stuff, let me warn you about our citizens here in Rochester, because we like to complain (see the past few paragraphs for proof). Whether it be about the weather or taxes or this dog we saw that had a weird looking tongue, Rochestarians are born and bred to be gripers of the highest level. If there was an award handed out each year to the city that most closely resembles Droopy, Rochester would be in the running and probably win more than I'd care to admit. The funny thing is, we don't really mean it, and most of the time we're pretty damn funny about it too, because you'd have to be with the type of weather we have in this city, and all the taxes, and the dogs with weird looking tongues.
Oh, right, the weather... heh... well, I've lived her my entire life and I'm still not used to it. Here's an example: It snowed 2 weeks ago and it's 90 degrees outside as I type this, but I'm a masochist by nature so I don't mind the fact that we can, literally, have all 4 seasons in a week. It's kind of great, really. We, as a people, have a tremendous appreciation for the outdoors and nature because of our ridiculous weather. If the sun is shining, Rochestarians are going to be outdoors doing something. We're big on gardening and dog walking and strolling through some of the awesome parks we have (like Highland Park, which was designed by the same guy who designed Central Park). We like to eat at restaurants that have tables under umbrellas, or, minus the umbrellas, it doesn't matter we like to be outside when we can because the winter can be brutally demoralizing (or, mild and lacking the amount of snow you barricade yourself into your house expecting). Honestly, we're nuts for nice weather in this city and it shows on the faces of even the most cynical residents when they are out and about on a nice day. It really lifts your heart when you see one of us smiling for no reason other than the sun is out and there's no snow on the ground. It's probably why we're so golf crazy.
Seriously, this city and it's surrounding areas have more golf courses than we know what to do with, and I love it. If you're a golfer and want to play at, say Oak Hill (host of past majors, the Ryder Cup and future host of another PGA Championship in a couple years time) there's a very good chance you'll be able to get on. Or, if you don't want to pony up the dough for a course of that caliber, you can check out Greystone, Mill Creek or any of the several dozen local courses in the area. It's the Western New York equivalent of Myrtle Beach, and I wouldn't want it any other way.
So, what do you like to do? Independent Movies? Go to The Little. Baseball? We have our very own minor league team and a fantastic, gorgeous stadium full of the best fans in the world (this is "baseball city USA" after all). Classical Music? We've got places for that too, The Auditorium Center (which I've heard has some of the best acoustics in the world... get it?) and the Eastman School of Music. Do you like really good food? Shoot, there are so many spectacular restaurants in Rochester I can't even think of the best one off the top of my head; no, wait, yes I can, 2 Vine. There you go. Are you into tattooed, hipster guys and girls that wear ironic t-shirts, skinny jeans, too much gel in their hair and drink Pabst Blue Ribbon ironically? Well, head to Lux Lounge on South Ave. on a Friday or Saturday night and it's like walking into the heart of Williamsburg. Do you like great beer in a pub atmosphere and some really good food at the same time? There's this place called Tap and Mallet and it is exactly that.
Hold up, I'm going to say this now (my first, official recommendation!): if you come to Rochester, you have to go to Tap and Mallet. Go on a Saturday afternoon when Jeana is waiting tables and you will be in for such a treat I can barely stop myself from emoticonning all over the place right now. Order the poutine for an appetizer, but be sure you head in with an empty stomach, because you will get full... very full. They get fresh draft beer in almost daily and the variety and quality is mind-boggling. I can't say this strongly enough, you must go to Tap and Mallet if you are visiting Rochester.
Now, future visitor/tourist/resident you have a very little taste for some of the great things Rochester has to offer and, unfortunately, a better, more robust taste for some of the negative aspects of our city. I didn't want to lie to you, though, after all this is our first date and I'm just getting to know you and you really aren't sure whether or not I'm the type of guy you can trust or take home to meet your parents. So, I'm pretty sure you're not sold about Rochester, yet, but that will change as I continue to bring you, my faithful readers and future visitors/tourists/residents all the stuff in my city that happens that people need to know about. We get kind of a bad rap around here sometimes, and I don't like that, and I'm going to try my damndest to change it! I'm not doing this for money or personal gain or anything like that, I'm doing this because I really, really love my city.
Remember this,though, before you click away to something more interesting and better written, Rochester really is a fantastic city full of amazing people. It's surprising, even to me after all these years, how much Rochester has to offer and I hope to bring the people of the internet so much Rochester goodness that you'll have no choice but to come to my city, say hello, we'll grab a drink somewhere. It'll be great.
-Jim L.
ps- if you live here, in Rochester, I would love to post some pictures or news or anything really that you would seem fit to share with the public in general. I'd like to link to other similar sites as well, so don't be basfhul!
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