Nick Tahou Hots: One Man's Trash is Another Man's Treasure

Part of what makes our country so incredible is its diversity, and nothing reflects just how different our country really is better than by its regional foods. Whether its hatch chilies from Albuquerque, deep dish pizza from Chicago or lobster rolls from Portland, these specialties are beloved and endlessly debated by locals and outsiders. Growing up in Rochester, New York, I can't say I truly appreciated my city's most iconic dish, the Garbage Plate, until I moved to away to Ohio for college. Ironic, considering its consumed mostly by college students. My initial encounter with this culinary equivalent of Frankenstein on a plate, was fittingly, where the dish was said to have been created, Rochester landmark restaurant, Nick Tahou Hots.

The Chef's Table at Good Luck

Just last month I posted about a dinner my family and I enjoyed at Good Luck. Rapidly becoming my favorite restaurant in the Rochester area, Good Luck's combination of great cocktails and inspired food more than convinced me that a return was in order. So after seeing that the restaurant recently started to offer a Chef's Table, I immediately began planning my return. In my previous post, I concluded by saying that with Chef Dan Martello's talents, Good Luck would soon establish itself as a heavyweight in the Rochester dining scene, eventually requiring a bit of "luck" just to secure a future reservation. If only I had known how true my own words were at that moment...and as fate would have it, I would end up needing that luck (via a last minute cancellation) to reserve the Chef's Table.

Warfield's at High Point in Rochester: Location, Location, Location

During my last visit home, I recently left a dinner feeling particularly torn. There I was, having just enjoyed a well thought and executed six-course tasting menu with my family... in the middle of a conference room. Never have I felt a meal's enjoyment so compromised by its surroundings, but that's precisely what happened at Warfield's at High Point. Overlooking Eastview Mall on the partially hidden High Point Drive, Warfield's lies hidden on the first floor of the Constellations Brand office building. But within its corporate facade, unbeknownst to all but a few, is perhaps Rochester's best fine dining establishment.

Dogtown: Teaching Old Dogs New Tricks

Far too often it seems that the humble hot dog ends up playing second fiddle to the all-mighty hamburger. Here at Law & Food we love burger. Hell, readers of this blog (that is, if we have any) should be familiar by now with Noah's insatiable appetite for all things burger. But that hardly seems like a fair shake to fans of hot dogs. So after hearing about Dogtown, a restaurant specializing in meats in tube form, a trip seemed inevitable. Although it took a bit longer than I initially planned, I finally made a trip out to this quaint "shack," located off Monroe Avenue. Serving both red and white "hots" - as Rochestarians call them - dressed up with various toppings, Dogtown currently serves the city's best "haute dog."

Good Luck: Proving Bigger Isn't Always Better

In a city where the prevailing mantra surrounding portion sizes is, "bigger is better," the idea of a restaurant specializing in small plates to share might not be the most prudent decision. Yet that's exactly what Mike Calabrese, Chuck Cerankosky and Chef Dan Martello did when they opened Good Luck in 2008. Originally designed as a wine bar that would offer a limited menu, Good Luck eventually evolved into a full-blown restaurant. Good Luck now serves a promising selection of both original and classic cocktails, homemade pastas and an ever-changing charcuterie plate.

Located in the old Fabrics and Findings space off Anderson Avenue, Good Luck represents just one of the many new and dynamic restaurants to grace the city of Rochester. Living in Brooklyn and working as much as I do affords me relatively few opportunities to return home and visit family. So I often turn to my siblings, both of whom live in the Rochester area, for dining suggestions. Having been mentioned by both sisters and spoken highly of by an old friend in the industry was more than enough to convince me that reservations at Good Luck were necessary.

Lento: "L" is for Locavore

My old stomping grounds of Rochester, New York would hardly be mistaken for a culinary mecca. Most famously known for the "garbage plate," my beloved hometown has become infested with one restaurant franchise after another. But there exists a ray of light, as a contingent of new restaurants have recently emerged, bringing with them novel styles of cooking and ingredients to a city overrun with people who dare not deviate from their prime rib and crummy red sauce. One new Turk leading this revolution is Rochester-native, Art Rogers, who in 2007 opened Lento in the Village Gate area. Most recently the chef at JoJo Bistro and Wine Bar, chef Rodgers previously worked at Primo Restaurant in Rockland, Maine honing his craft under James Beard Award winning chef Melissa Kelly and has subsequently reshaped Rochester's fine dining scene with his emphasis on locally-sourced ingredients and constantly evolving menu. Having had the chance to dine there before, I made it a point to schedule a family meal at what I consider to be Rochester's most important restaurant.

Shorless Acres Serious Food: A Burger From My Past

Despite there being many great burgers in New York City (Burger Joint, J. G. Melon and Shake Shack just to name a few), you'll have to travel all the way to Livonia, New York to find my favorite. A converted rail car, Serious Food (formerly known as Hots to Trot), is located on the southeastern tip of Conesus Lake. Only open from Memorial Day to Labor Day, Serious Food is busy serving up burgers and hots to the many families who escape to the lake during the summer months, and while the restaurant's owners could most certainly capitalize on its popularity and stay open year round, they refuse, choosing instead to retire to their house in Jamaica each winter. So on a holiday weekend trip back home you can be sure I was bound to stop by for a burger...or two.