Rochester, NY

[coquus]

Sushi...well if you want to travel to Buffalo, a new place opened near the Walden Galleria, Sakura...

Fantastic in my book...although I have never had NYC sushi...but everything is VERY fresh, the tuna is outstanding, had a few rolls, the Philadelphia roll was excellent, a great Spider Roll....

They have a nice "box" lunch...I usually get ths sashimi box...about 8 nice pieces of sashimi, 4 pieces of California roll, a nice light salad with a ginger puree kind of dressing, two pieces of tempura, some japanese marinated vegetables...all for about $12....

I recommend it....

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I'll have to check it out, sounds Japanese, I guess that's positive and it's close to the Gall-urea so my girl can get her shop on while I drink some chilled sake.

[coquus]

Bump in case the other thread starter was too lazy to check it out. I have heard good things about the Rio, and it should meet your requirements.

[therese]

Bump in case the other thread starter was too lazy to check it out.  I have heard good things about the Rio, and it should meet your requirements.

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I've been called a lot of things, but lazy isn't one of them.

So, yes, I'd already checked out this thread, but didn't necessarily want to hijack it with my plea for farthest upmarket possible.

Do you have a link for Rio? There's something called Rio Bambo, but it doesn't look like what you're talking about.

Max at Eastman Place looks like a possibility.

Sienna Grill & Bar looks pleasant, but not as formal as I'm like.

Restaurant 2 Vine also looks very good, but again, not quite as nosebleedingly impressive as I need.

It may well be that what I'm looking for doesn't exist, in which case I'd appreciate your help deciding among the available options.

[coquus]

Yes, I think Rio Bamba is what I am talking about (almost 100%), I haven't been able to find a link for you, and me.

[sisofdiva2]

Yes, I think Rio Bamba is what I am talking about (almost 100%), I haven't been able to find a link for you, and me.

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FYI, the Rio Bamba is now the Bamba Bistro...a more casual take on the Rio Bamba. Pretty good food, but not super fancy.

[Lonnie]

I'll take Rochester over anything Buffalo or Syracuse has to offer. As a native Rochesterian - I'll offer my 2 cents

Dinosaur BarB-B Q is a must -

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Might I humbly remind the writer that Dinosaur BBQ started in Syracuse. Was a success there, expanded to Rochester and then to New York City, where it won New York Magazine's "The Great NYC Barbecue Battle." We often travel from Syracuse to Rochester to get away, drink good coffee, and try to find a good meal. If you're looking for great value, there's not much that can beat a Dinosaur meal. Stick around for the dancing whenever Grupo Pagán is there! The dance floor in Rochester is much bigger than in Syracuse, but you absolutely can't beat the vibe in Syracuse. Check out the beer menu while you're at it.

In the meantime, I'm looking forward to trying out some of the Rochester suggestions.

Lonnie

[GordonCooks]

I'll take Rochester over anything Buffalo or Syracuse has to offer. As a native Rochesterian - I'll offer my 2 cents

Dinosaur BarB-B Q is a must -

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Might I humbly remind the writer that Dinosaur BBQ started in Syracuse. Was a success there, expanded to Rochester and then to New York City, where it won New York Magazine's "The Great NYC Barbecue Battle." We often travel from Syracuse to Rochester to get away, drink good coffee, and try to find a good meal. If you're looking for great value, there's not much that can beat a Dinosaur meal. Stick around for the dancing whenever Grupo Pagán is there! The dance floor in Rochester is much bigger than in Syracuse, but you absolutely can't beat the vibe in Syracuse. Check out the beer menu while you're at it.

In the meantime, I'm looking forward to trying out some of the Rochester suggestions.

Lonnie

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I'll retort with when they opened the Roch-cha-cha Dinosaur - They brought Jamie over from Syracuse to cook the the food was superior. Unfortunatley not the case today.

Edited September 28, 2006 by GordonCooks (log)

[pzjgr]

Well, we had our corporate function Monday evening at Black and Blue, so I thought I'd say a few words...

I noticed no one that I've seen here had much good to say, but I thought it was very good...now, I am not a Hannibal Lecter level epicurean, but I know what tastes good to me, and I was very happy with the experience...

We had "The Boardroom" reserved.....it was a very cozy, pleasant private room that seated our 13 person group very nicely.

The staff seemed very good, very attentive, water glasses constantly kept filled, very helpful, and did a great job...

I started with the Blue Crab Cocktail, and a Pinot Grigio....the crab was excellent in my book, the two Stone Crab claws were small, but sweet and delicious also.....

For the main course I chose the 12oz NY Strip done "blue", a nice rare steak, well seared on the outside, topped with lump blue crab, and I chose the black truffle butter. I really enjoyed it, the steak was delicious, and perfectly trimmed and cooked. The blue crab was a great topper. For a side I chose the seared andouille and pineapple....a very nice contrast between the spicy andouille and sweet pineapple. I had a nice Cabernet with the steak....

Desert I went with the Apple crisp, which was good, but not spectacular...and a nice 20 year old vintage Port to top it all off...

The rest of the crew all had various appetizers, and entree's, and everyone seemed to be very happy with the experience...

Just my $0.02

Edited September 28, 2006 by pzjgr (log)

[ErinB]

Just had an amazing bulgoki lunch box from Seoul Garden. Some of the best korean I've had in a long time.

I'm working in Rochester for the next few weeks, so I'm going to try a few of the dishes.

[GordonCooks]

Just had an amazing bulgoki lunch box from Seoul Garden.  Some of the best korean I've had in a long time.

I'm working in Rochester for the next few weeks, so I'm going to try a few of the dishes.

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There is a (much)better place in the regional market on Jefferson Rd - Korea House!

[SMW]

I just moved to Rochester and haven't explored the local food scene much beyond Wegman's, but we did stumble across Seoul Garden and were very happy with our meal and the service. I'm looking forward to trying Korea House, I love Korean food!

[victornet]

I spent the weekend in Rochester celebrating my 30th U of R reunion. While I must report that Genessee Cream Ale has not improved, and both Smitty's and it's progeny Snuffy's are gone (though it only took visiting 3 Wegmans to find one with some Snuffy's sauce on the shelf while rabid, nostalgic U of R alumni were in town), I will affirm all the above positive comments about Tastings at Wegmans. Good food, good wine list and prices way below those I suffer through in NYC. While my delicious short ribs there was not on the level of WD-50 or Craft, for example, it cost $18.00 and I had to take half of it home! Others in my group had the sushi and it was quite good. I'd be a regular there.

I can tell you that while food everywhere 30 years ago paled next to today's options (on the average), Rochester had farther to climb than some cities (many of my friends were waiters so I tasted a lot) and it has excelled.

[Sneakeater]

If Genee Cream ever improved, we'd all complain, right?

[H. du Bois]

I spent the weekend in Rochester celebrating my 30th U of R reunion. While I must report that Genessee Cream Ale has not improved, and both Smitty's and it's progeny Snuffy's are gone ...

You have no idea how much I miss Smitty's. It's been gone many years now, and I still crave it. Some stubborn part of me still hopes that when I go back to visit, it will be there again.

[coquus]

Just had an amazing bulgoki lunch box from Seoul Garden.  Some of the best korean I've had in a long time.

I'm working in Rochester for the next few weeks, so I'm going to try a few of the dishes.

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There is a (much)better place in the regional market on Jefferson Rd - Korea House!

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Is this the same folks from the Bflo. establishment of the same name? Much?

[GordonCooks]

Just had an amazing bulgoki lunch box from Seoul Garden.  Some of the best korean I've had in a long time.

I'm working in Rochester for the next few weeks, so I'm going to try a few of the dishes.

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There is a (much)better place in the regional market on Jefferson Rd - Korea House!

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Is this the same folks from the Bflo. establishment of the same name? Much?

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Don't think so - my mother knows the owners and she would have mentioned the Buffalo association.

[philadining]

I ended up having much less time than I'd expected over the holidays, and did very little eating out around Rochester. But I did hit a few of my old favorites.

Got take-out from Korean House in the Regional Market in Hennrietta. It's hidden back in a non-descript building near Lori's Natural Foods, and it doesn't look too welcoming from the outside. Inside, it isn't exactly fancy, but it's pleasant enough, if a little plain.

Seoul Garden nearby on West Hennrietta Road has a bit more atmosphere, and the great advantage of grilling at the table. Korean House has a wider selection of soups and noodles, and a homey feel to the food. They offer grilled items, but they do them in the kitchen.

I realize that most of what I ordered is WAY better fresh and hot, some of it probably shouldn't even be ordered for take out. Even though I was only going a very short distance, items like the Pajun really didn't take to being boxed-up, but I've had it at the restaurant before, and it's rocking good straight out of the pan.

There's not much that looks great in take-out containers, so my apologies about the pics, it's more attractive if you order in!

Pa Jun

This was a regular veggie pancake, they offer a Hae Mul Jun and a Kimchee Jun, both of which are good.

Man Du

Nice and crispy, with a ground beef filling.

Duk Man Du Guk

Sorry, that picture doesn't really communicate, but there were little sliced discs of rice cake, dumplings and veggies in a mild broth. The home made rice cakes are really good if you like that chewy, slightly gummy texture, I do... The broth was OK, but I realize I was really craving a Ji-Gae, but didn't think my dining partner would dig the spiciness.

Bul Gogi

This was much better than it looks here, there was a good portion of tender, flavorful beef. Of course it's many times better hot off a grill right in front of you, so even though this was tasty, I think I'll go to Seoul Garden for Bul Gogi, Kalbi, and the like from now on.

Banchan was pretty minimal, but good:

I think each Korean place has its strengths, I'll certainly be back here for soups, and anything with the Duk rice noodles. But everything was good, even after being abused by steaming itself in take-out containers.

Korean House

900 Jefferson Road

Building #1 (Near Lori's Natural Foods)

585-475-9810

Mon-Thr 11am-10pm

Fri-Sat 11am-10:30pm

Edited January 5, 2007 by philadining (log)

[philadining]

I also made a stop at Chen Garden in Brighton. As I think I've posted before, there are few big surprises here, it's just solidly good Chinese food, with a deeper menu than most places around Rochester. We ordered a little conservatively for the sake of sharing around a diverse table, but everything was very good.

Fried Pork Dumplings

Black Pepper Pork

Hunan Shrimp and Scallops

Shredded Chicken in Brown Sauce

Beef Chow Fun with Black Bean Sauce

Beef and Snow Peas

Young Chow Fried Rice

It was all extremely fresh and carefully-prepared, even basic dishes such as the chow fun or beef and snow peas were quite good in their own simple way, due to good ingredients cooked properly. There are a few more-daring things to be ordered, I'll be sure to do that next time. It's not the most exciting Chinese I've ever had, but always an enjoyable meal.

Chen Garden

1750 Monroe Ave

(585) 241-3070

[GordonCooks]

You're a Rochester Guru!

[philadining]

No, no, I'll defer to you for that honor! One of these days 'll have some time and we'll do some serious damage around town....

I noticed a little Afghan place on South Clinton called Ariana. Looked pretty ragged from the outside, but hopefully it's a little better inside. Heard anything? The City Paper reviewed it pretty positively:

The menu offers Qablipalow, aromatic hunks of lamb shank served with rice pilaf ($12.95). The shank came apart with a fork, and was rich without a hint of gaminess. The house special lamb kabobs were made from a different cut ($12.95), juicier and took more of the flavor of the seasonings (rosemary, perhaps?). Also excellent.

Most dishes come with basmati rice prepared with small threads of sautéed carrots, raisins, and what Sarah Katawazi called zireh (cumin, I believe). Delicious pilaf is more rare than it ought to be; you seldom have it at restaurants. Usually, the rice is dried out, and the flavors don't blend. This stuff is outstanding. My friend, Marwan, raved about it, saying how happy he was to have found a place for a great plate of meat and rice.

full City Paper Ariana review

[GordonCooks]

No, no, I'll defer to you for that honor!  One of these days 'll have some time and we'll do some serious damage around town....

I noticed a little Afghan place on South Clinton called Ariana.  Looked pretty ragged from the outside, but hopefully it's a little better inside.  Heard anything?  The City Paper reviewed it pretty positively:

The menu offers Qablipalow, aromatic hunks of lamb shank served with rice pilaf ($12.95). The shank came apart with a fork, and was rich without a hint of gaminess. The house special lamb kabobs were made from a different cut ($12.95), juicier and took more of the flavor of the seasonings (rosemary, perhaps?). Also excellent.

Most dishes come with basmati rice prepared with small threads of sautéed carrots, raisins, and what Sarah Katawazi called zireh (cumin, I believe). Delicious pilaf is more rare than it ought to be; you seldom have it at restaurants. Usually, the rice is dried out, and the flavors don't blend. This stuff is outstanding. My friend, Marwan, raved about it, saying how happy he was to have found a place for a great plate of meat and rice.

full City Paper Ariana review

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I spoke with Adam Wilcox about it - he has one of the best ethnic food noses I've ever come across. He says the place was great so I'll take his word as gospel.

[Lonnie]

I noticed a little Afghan place on South Clinton called Ariana.  Looked pretty ragged from the outside, but hopefully it's a little better inside.  Heard anything?  The City Paper reviewed it pretty positively:

The menu offers Qablipalow, aromatic hunks of lamb shank served with rice pilaf ($12.95). The shank came apart with a fork, and was rich without a hint of gaminess. The house special lamb kabobs were made from a different cut ($12.95), juicier and took more of the flavor of the seasonings (rosemary, perhaps?). Also excellent....

full City Paper Ariana review

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I spoke with Adam Wilcox about it - he has one of the best ethnic food noses I've ever come across. He says the place was great so I'll take his word as gospel.

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Can anyone who's gone to this place recommend their favorite dishes?

Also, we're looking for Vietnamese in Rochester, preferably open for lunch on Sunday and serving Ca Phe Sua Da (iced Vietnamese coffee, although I might take it hot if it's still this cold outside!). Got any pointers for a visitor?

Lonnie

[GordonCooks]

No, no, I'll defer to you for that honor!  One of these days 'll have some time and we'll do some serious damage around town....

I noticed a little Afghan place on South Clinton called Ariana.  Looked pretty ragged from the outside, but hopefully it's a little better inside.  Heard anything?  The City Paper reviewed it pretty positively:

The menu offers Qablipalow, aromatic hunks of lamb shank served with rice pilaf ($12.95). The shank came apart with a fork, and was rich without a hint of gaminess. The house special lamb kabobs were made from a different cut ($12.95), juicier and took more of the flavor of the seasonings (rosemary, perhaps?). Also excellent.

Most dishes come with basmati rice prepared with small threads of sautéed carrots, raisins, and what Sarah Katawazi called zireh (cumin, I believe). Delicious pilaf is more rare than it ought to be; you seldom have it at restaurants. Usually, the rice is dried out, and the flavors don't blend. This stuff is outstanding. My friend, Marwan, raved about it, saying how happy he was to have found a place for a great plate of meat and rice.

full City Paper Ariana review

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I spoke with Adam Wilcox about it - he has one of the best ethnic food noses I've ever come across. He says the place was great so I'll take his word as gospel.

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Still need suggestions of am I a day late?

[Lonnie]

Still need suggestions of am I a day late?

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Yes and no! Yes, please, send suggestions for your faves at Ariana or at any other really good ethnic dining in Rochester, and no, you're not late. We'll be out there next weekend for dancing at the Dino, which has the only decent dance floor Grupo Pagán plays at any more. We travel for food, coffee and Latin music. :-) We'll return to Rochester as long as there's one more place in which to try even halfway decent food.

Lonnie

[philadining]

Le Lemon Grass on Monroe Ave does a kind-of upscale, elegant, expensive Vietnamese.

942 Monroe Ave - (585) 271-8360

Dac Hoa is the typical small, divey place, but with pretty good food. Service is S--L----O----W---

230 Monroe Ave - (585) 232-6038

Those places will be your best bets for good Vietnamese food and Iced Coffee.

Gordon, do you know anything about Pho Duang Dong on Otis St? Sounds like a weird tiny shop, but some of the best Pho places are!

For other ethnic, there are a few recs in this topic.

There's also a new Thai place in Corn Hill, not far from the Dino, but I haven't eaten there yet.

Siam Fine Thai

280 Exchange Blvd - 585.232.SIAM (7426)

Oddly, they serve Pho.

There seems to be a strange blurring of the distinction between Vietnamese and Thai food in Rochester, I've even noticed a best-of list with a category of "Best Vietnamese/Thai" as if it were all the same thing. One extended family that owns many of the "Thai" places around town is originally from Laos, which is in-between Vietnam and Thailand geographically, but I don't think it's actually due to that, those places don't tend to have Vietnamese food on the menus.

If you weren't from Syracuse, I'd say to just eat at the Dino, but I can see why you might want to branch out while in Rochester. The Korean places, The King and I, the Indian places Thali and Tandoor are all just a little out in the burbs, not close to the Dino, but not far out of the way if take the Thruway to 390 north. (Who'd have imagined that one might stop in Henrietta for good food? )