When I was a very, very young child my kindergarten teacher made a point of lecturing my class at least once a week about the benefits of eating a healthy, balanced, nutritious breakfast. She would, on occasion, bring in granola bars, juices of every kind, fresh fruit and the like to reinforce her belief that every day needs to start with a good meal or else, in her words, it's that much harder to have a "good day." I enjoyed this greatly as even in my younger and most formative years I had a voracious appetite for free food, but back then I tended to lean towards the more unhealthy selections like doughnuts, Lucky Charms, bacon, ham and bacon; which never made their way into the fray when my teacher brought us breakfast.
"Ma'am," I said, ever the polite young scamp - complete with bowl cut, overbite and blankey sneaked away in my Spider-Man backpack - "how come you never bring in doughnuts or bacon or anything like that?" Without hesitation she said, "Jimmy, just because it tastes good doesn't mean it's good for you," and went back to the business of poisoning my gullet with essential grains and fruits. Sure, I shoveled them into my mouth, chewed and swallowed, because, hey, food, but I didn't enjoy it.
From the time I was old enough to appreciate a good breakfast, my Mom and Dad would sate my hunger with assorted, wholly unhealthy foodstuffs like pancakes, waffles, bacon, ham and eggs and sausage; all made by hand before I stumbled out of bed towards the various, awe-inspiring smells emanating from our kitchen. I remember these mornings more fondly as time goes by and breakfast has become one of those things that my adult life seems to have no time for. Like most people I know Saturday and Sunday mornings are the only time of the week when life has slowed down enough to allow me the joy of a good, solid, incredibly bad for me but oh-my-god-so-good breakfast.
Luckily for me, the City of Rochester has a veritable glut of wonderful places that serve amazing breakfast to choose from on any given Saturday or Sunday morning (or whenever you're able to venture out into the harsh light of day after a night out on the town; most serve breakfast all day). This city loves it's breakfast and the quality and variety of restaurants to choose from shows it.
My girlfriend and I have, over the course of the past 18 months or so, been frequent visitors to the South Wedge Diner (880 S. Clinton Ave.), because we live in the South Wedge and it's within walking distance of our home; which is nice on those mornings when my head feels like it was split in two by Jack Daniels himself and I need the fresh air and moderate exercise to feel like a person again. It's a big, sprawling diner with ample booth seating and plenty of tables which means you're more than likely going to find a comfortable place to sit and nosh the second you walk in. The servers are pleasant and attentive and always ready with a fresh pot of coffee when your cup is just about empty (this, my reader, is a sure sign of a well run establishment in my opinion). They offer a wide variety of specialty omelets and Benedict style dishes that I've never seen anywhere else; which must be nice for people different than me who like to spice it up and order something they've never had before. I'm not like that at all. I walk in knowing I'm getting the delicious Eggs Benedict or the always sumptuous and filling Chocolate Chip Pancakes. Honestly, if you're living in the South Wedge neighborhood of Rochester and you have yet to dine at the South Wedge Diner, you're really missing out on a treat.
Whenever I feel like going "upscale" with my breakfasting I like to head to Charlie's Frog Pond (652 Park Ave.), and I'm really not positive why I think of it as upscale when the food is so affordable and the space so limited -it's often a tight squeeze when it's busy, but damn it's worth it-, but something about eating "on the Avenue" makes me feel like I could be wearing a top hat and monocle while I dig into my side of bacon. I have yet to get to my favorite breakfast spot in all of Rochester, New York, but Charlie's Frog Pond is definitely in the top tier and should be sought out and respected by my fellow citizens at one point or another, if only for the colorful and wholly unique atmosphere. Though, to be honest, the service could be slightly more attentive, but I don't hold that against them since it's always such a crowded house.
Jim's Restaurant (233 Winton Rd. North) is a staple for my friends and I whenever someone is home from out of town or just visiting, because it's where we always went in high school and college when the need for food outweighed the need for sleep. I cannot honestly say that I've ever had a bad meal there, but the dining experience has always left me scratching my head. The tables are sparse and close together and, often, depending on when you like to eat you'll be sharing with complete strangers and that has always, always rubbed me the wrong way. However, they make up for that in the service department as the waitstaff is super-attentive and conscientious even when there's barely enough space to breathe, let alone carry a tray full of piping hot Eggs Benedict or two pots of freshly brewed coffee. The politeness and attentiveness of the waitstaff, along with the quality of the food and the reasonable pricing makes Jim's Restaurant a wonderful option for diners in the area searching for a hearty and delicious breakfast.
Now, the heavy hitter, the champ, the one, the only... James Brown's Place (1356 Culver Rd.).
Here, ladies and gentlemen of the Rochester area is the best breakfast in the city and I'm willing to say that because it's never let me down and I absolutely love everything I've ever had there. It get's crowded, sure, and sometimes you've got to wait, but dag nabbit it's worth it! Unlike some diners in the area that make you feel like a sardine trapped in a can when it's busy, James Brown's Place doesn't. When you sit down, even if you're right next to another table, you're not in their lap and that's a great, great thing. The staff is fantastic and friendly and always, always ready with a fresh cup of coffee for you when yours is just about done, and the food is, well, out of this world. I don't make it to James Brown's Place as often as I would like, because I don't want to ruin the experience by becoming a regular (I have a tendency to get bored with places I visit too much), but whenever I do make my way over there it's such a brilliant treat that I can't really begin to explain how good it is except to tell you there is a little bit of drool on my keyboard right now.
The ingredients are fresh, and the bread is baked daily on the premises which is really, really rare for a diner in our area. I love that you can watch the cooks make your food while you're waiting at your booth sipping on coffee and having a nice (usually groggy) conversation with whomever you've decided to dine with that morning. It's breakfast done the way it should be done and for that I commend them. I've never been anything short of totally impressed when I've eaten there and I've never heard a bad word about it from anyone I know that's been there. (In this town, that's really saying something since we have a tendency to complain about, literally, everything) I cannot endorse this diner enough when it comes to breakfast food, because it really is far and away the best place for breakfast in all of Rochester (in my opinion at least, I know more than a few people who will take me to task for not putting Jim's Restaurant at the top of the list).
As always, eat well and often, my reader. You deserve it! See you around town.
6/4/10
Friday Night Bites in the ROC: Tap and Mallet
I'm an unashamed anglophile. I love almost everything British that I've ever had the pleasure of experiencing without actually setting foot in the UK. One of these days, I'm going to take a trip to England with the woman I love and the two of us are going to be the touristy Americans I'm sure the people there probably despise. We'll be easy enough to spot. I'll be quoting "Monty Python" and "Peep Show" about every 3 minutes and she'll be trying to drag me to the popular, "must-see" parts of the country that I'm only vaguely interested in. What I really want to do when I get to England is find a pub with an awesome name like, "The Yellow Fang," "The Pig and Kidney" or "The Fox and Donkey," and just settle in with a nice pint of lager, have a good conversation with some strangers and finally try to understand "footie" or soccer as we call it in the states. Until then, I'm lucky enough to live a block away from what I'm going to say is the best pub in the entire state, let alone the city of Rochester, New York: Tap and Mallet (381 Gregory St., Rochester, NY).
One snowy, February night following open-mic stand up at The Mez (now closed) my girlfriend and my best friend, Matt, decided to pop in for a post set pint or two to help the adrenaline from performing ease it's way out of my body. I was in a fantastic mood because my set had gone off extremely well and produced the most laughs I'd ever gotten since starting up my ill-fated venture weeks before. I can't tell you what beer I ordered, but it was an earthshaking experience. It was like I'd never had a beer before -at least not a real beer- and the bartender that night was so pleasant and conversational we stayed far longer than we expected just tasting the myriad, amazing brews on tap.
Since then, I've been such an unabashed fan of Tap and Mallet that it borders on an odd form of yet to be diagnosed mania. Whenever I have a friend or friends coming home to visit I don't even give them the option of going anywhere else. It's "Tap and Mallet or bust" in my book, because why would we take them anywhere else? Sure, Lux is fine and dandy for sitting amongst the hipsters drinking PBR, talking about things they really don't understand and feeling like you're nowhere near as cool as the people who run the joint, but picnic tables and a haughty atmosphere only go so far. (Still, some nights, I truly, truly love Lux when all of us are sitting around, shooting the breeze, but I digress...) At Tap and Mallet you get to have a conversation (or not, if you don't want to) and you're not surrounded by distracting television sets or an overly loud PA system playing music you haven't listened to in years. It's a genuine pub atmosphere that, aside from The Old Toad (owned by one of Tap and Mallet's co-owners, oddly enough), Rochester is severely lacking in.
SIDEBAR! The music selection at Tap and Mallet is extremely, extremely awesome. I'm always pleasantly surprised when I walk in there and hear a tune you'd never hear in a bar anywhere else in Rochester. The people who pick the music at Tap and Mallet have oodles of taste and then some. SIDEBAR CLOSED!
Tap and Mallet really is the epitome of a contemporary pub and for that I cannot thank them enough. I love that you can pick a table near the bar and drink the best beer in Rochester with a few friends and that you can actually hear what they are saying and there's no one bumping into you and there's no people 20 feet away getting so rowdy they make the entire pub uncomfortable. Even when its crowded, Tap and Mallet never seems to be overflowing, annoying or out of touch with the customer. Which is remarkable considering how crowded it gets during happy hour.
Oh, the beer. The wonderful, wonderful, out of this freaking world beer at Tap and Mallet is, in my humble opinion, unequaled by any bar or restaurant in town. Sure, some places may have some of the same beers available on a regular basis, but they don't have the selection that Tap and Mallet has when it comes to their rotating list of 30 drafts and, literally, uncountable amount of delicious bottled beers available at any given time. I'm a sucker for anything that Great Divide and Ommegang have to offer and much to my endless delight, Tap and Mallet usually has them both available in some form or another. When I check the draft list online from time to time I start to drool uncontrollably, and if I'm at work when I'm doing so there's a pretty good chance the rest of my day will be spent wondering how I can leave and go have a glass of whatever draft piqued my interest enough to start me daydreaming. (I'm starting to realize I have a "god this is amazing beer" problem, but, whatever, it's worth it.)
SIDEBAR! On tap, right now, at this very second is Great Divide's Espresso Oak Aged Yet Imperial Stout and Ommegang's Rare Vos, both are outstanding beers that I cannot suggest enough. If you are able to venture over to Tap and Mallet to try them out before the kegs are kicked, please do so. You won't regret it at all.SIDEBAR CLOSED!
Shoot, I haven't even mentioned the food yet and this was supposed to be about that, not the wonderful, awe inspiring beers available... there I go again.
Food, right the food, here we go:
Pub food has always had a slightly negative connotation attached to it and I can see why. Lots of bars in the area specialize in serving fried everything and anything that may or may not come with a side of ranch dressing (which may also be fried), but Tap and Mallet is not that kind of bar. Their menu is so diverse and delicious that I'm almost thinking calling it "pub food" is a sort of in joke the owners are playing on the unsuspecting diners. For what it's worth, I've never eaten at a pub that offers Vegan Chili, an Olive Sampler or Shrimp Tacos. Shoot, I haven't eaten at 5 star establishments that offer that kind of food selection. It really is incredible considering the lack of creativity affecting most bar-restaurants in Rochester; which makes it all the more a breath of fresh air when I sit down in a booth and have to decided between the Sirloin Cheese Steak or the Tuscan Chicken to accompany whatever incredible beer I'm sipping on.
Let's talk about the service at Tap and Mallet while I'm at it (rhyming!), because whenever my lady love and I go in late on a Saturday afternoon we've always had the distinct pleasure of being waited on by Jeana; who just may be the best waitress I've ever had or ever will have. I'm pretty sure she's see's us coming and puts the order for Poutine in before our butts hit the seats of the super comfortable booths in the dining area. Not to mention she puts up with my dawdling over the beer selection with grace and aplomb and is so knowledgeable about the different types of beer and their distinct flavor I'm sure she could write her own guide. Impressive, impressive stuff.
It doesn't matter if I'm there with my girlfriend or a group of guys, the waitstaff and bartenders are always attentive and polite and ready to help us out. We can be sitting at a booth on the inside or at a table on the patio outside, it doesn't matter. Someone always stops by to see how we're doing and if we need anything, and a lot of the time, there not even our waiter or waitress. How awesome is that? (Answer: Very.)
Now, what I'm going to say next is somewhat of a daring exclamation on my part, so be prepared: Tap and Mallet has the best desert I've ever had. Period. Full stop. It's the Scotch Ale Creme Brulee and it's quite possibly the last thing I'd ever want to taste before shuffling off this mortal coil once and for all. Some days I day dream about it while I'm working, while other days I text my friend Matt just to remind him of how unbelievably awesome it is.
So, my friends and readers, I wholeheartedly endorse Tap and Mallet with all my might and encourage you to go there any day of the week to partake in some of their fine beers or amazing cuisine.
Cheers!
One snowy, February night following open-mic stand up at The Mez (now closed) my girlfriend and my best friend, Matt, decided to pop in for a post set pint or two to help the adrenaline from performing ease it's way out of my body. I was in a fantastic mood because my set had gone off extremely well and produced the most laughs I'd ever gotten since starting up my ill-fated venture weeks before. I can't tell you what beer I ordered, but it was an earthshaking experience. It was like I'd never had a beer before -at least not a real beer- and the bartender that night was so pleasant and conversational we stayed far longer than we expected just tasting the myriad, amazing brews on tap.
Since then, I've been such an unabashed fan of Tap and Mallet that it borders on an odd form of yet to be diagnosed mania. Whenever I have a friend or friends coming home to visit I don't even give them the option of going anywhere else. It's "Tap and Mallet or bust" in my book, because why would we take them anywhere else? Sure, Lux is fine and dandy for sitting amongst the hipsters drinking PBR, talking about things they really don't understand and feeling like you're nowhere near as cool as the people who run the joint, but picnic tables and a haughty atmosphere only go so far. (Still, some nights, I truly, truly love Lux when all of us are sitting around, shooting the breeze, but I digress...) At Tap and Mallet you get to have a conversation (or not, if you don't want to) and you're not surrounded by distracting television sets or an overly loud PA system playing music you haven't listened to in years. It's a genuine pub atmosphere that, aside from The Old Toad (owned by one of Tap and Mallet's co-owners, oddly enough), Rochester is severely lacking in.
SIDEBAR! The music selection at Tap and Mallet is extremely, extremely awesome. I'm always pleasantly surprised when I walk in there and hear a tune you'd never hear in a bar anywhere else in Rochester. The people who pick the music at Tap and Mallet have oodles of taste and then some. SIDEBAR CLOSED!
Tap and Mallet really is the epitome of a contemporary pub and for that I cannot thank them enough. I love that you can pick a table near the bar and drink the best beer in Rochester with a few friends and that you can actually hear what they are saying and there's no one bumping into you and there's no people 20 feet away getting so rowdy they make the entire pub uncomfortable. Even when its crowded, Tap and Mallet never seems to be overflowing, annoying or out of touch with the customer. Which is remarkable considering how crowded it gets during happy hour.
Oh, the beer. The wonderful, wonderful, out of this freaking world beer at Tap and Mallet is, in my humble opinion, unequaled by any bar or restaurant in town. Sure, some places may have some of the same beers available on a regular basis, but they don't have the selection that Tap and Mallet has when it comes to their rotating list of 30 drafts and, literally, uncountable amount of delicious bottled beers available at any given time. I'm a sucker for anything that Great Divide and Ommegang have to offer and much to my endless delight, Tap and Mallet usually has them both available in some form or another. When I check the draft list online from time to time I start to drool uncontrollably, and if I'm at work when I'm doing so there's a pretty good chance the rest of my day will be spent wondering how I can leave and go have a glass of whatever draft piqued my interest enough to start me daydreaming. (I'm starting to realize I have a "god this is amazing beer" problem, but, whatever, it's worth it.)
SIDEBAR! On tap, right now, at this very second is Great Divide's Espresso Oak Aged Yet Imperial Stout and Ommegang's Rare Vos, both are outstanding beers that I cannot suggest enough. If you are able to venture over to Tap and Mallet to try them out before the kegs are kicked, please do so. You won't regret it at all.SIDEBAR CLOSED!
Shoot, I haven't even mentioned the food yet and this was supposed to be about that, not the wonderful, awe inspiring beers available... there I go again.
Food, right the food, here we go:
Pub food has always had a slightly negative connotation attached to it and I can see why. Lots of bars in the area specialize in serving fried everything and anything that may or may not come with a side of ranch dressing (which may also be fried), but Tap and Mallet is not that kind of bar. Their menu is so diverse and delicious that I'm almost thinking calling it "pub food" is a sort of in joke the owners are playing on the unsuspecting diners. For what it's worth, I've never eaten at a pub that offers Vegan Chili, an Olive Sampler or Shrimp Tacos. Shoot, I haven't eaten at 5 star establishments that offer that kind of food selection. It really is incredible considering the lack of creativity affecting most bar-restaurants in Rochester; which makes it all the more a breath of fresh air when I sit down in a booth and have to decided between the Sirloin Cheese Steak or the Tuscan Chicken to accompany whatever incredible beer I'm sipping on.
Let's talk about the service at Tap and Mallet while I'm at it (rhyming!), because whenever my lady love and I go in late on a Saturday afternoon we've always had the distinct pleasure of being waited on by Jeana; who just may be the best waitress I've ever had or ever will have. I'm pretty sure she's see's us coming and puts the order for Poutine in before our butts hit the seats of the super comfortable booths in the dining area. Not to mention she puts up with my dawdling over the beer selection with grace and aplomb and is so knowledgeable about the different types of beer and their distinct flavor I'm sure she could write her own guide. Impressive, impressive stuff.
It doesn't matter if I'm there with my girlfriend or a group of guys, the waitstaff and bartenders are always attentive and polite and ready to help us out. We can be sitting at a booth on the inside or at a table on the patio outside, it doesn't matter. Someone always stops by to see how we're doing and if we need anything, and a lot of the time, there not even our waiter or waitress. How awesome is that? (Answer: Very.)
Now, what I'm going to say next is somewhat of a daring exclamation on my part, so be prepared: Tap and Mallet has the best desert I've ever had. Period. Full stop. It's the Scotch Ale Creme Brulee and it's quite possibly the last thing I'd ever want to taste before shuffling off this mortal coil once and for all. Some days I day dream about it while I'm working, while other days I text my friend Matt just to remind him of how unbelievably awesome it is.
So, my friends and readers, I wholeheartedly endorse Tap and Mallet with all my might and encourage you to go there any day of the week to partake in some of their fine beers or amazing cuisine.
Cheers!
5/28/10
Friday Night Bites in the ROC: Mise En Place
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."
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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