Noshing on ROC

I fall hard for home. If we’ve talked before, you might be familiar with the Sarah-ism that is *referring to everywhere as home* — My current home, my childhood home, my grandparents house, the AirBnB we happen to be staying in at the time of the conversation. I crave coziness and comfort and create home in it when I can. It’s a wonderful thing… and also confusing if you need my help with directions!

This May, as we hit six months settled in our new Boston home, I find myself craving a place that was home to me for four and a half years. I love it here, don’t get me wrong. But I’m missing, just a bit, the spring nights we’d walk to our favorite bar, sit out on the patio at our favorite restaurant, and pop out for coffee before our Sunday farmers market. I miss Rochester, folks. I knew I would. But here we are, and I’m having some serious FOMO.

So today we’re doing this a bit differently. Welcome Rochester Bite by Bite… where I, a former Rochestarian and current Boston transplant, give you a guide to one of my favorite places… through your stomach, of course! Oh, and as I write? I’m drinking an iced chai – courtesy of The Chai Guy. I love you, Chai Guy. Thanks for sending us on our way with taste of home in the form of a make-at-home kit.

Rochester Bite by Bite

• Vern’s – Joy of all joys. We made it to Verns my first pandemic birthday back in 2020 and fell in love with them for their kindness, spunk, love of food, and care for our allergies. We bring our friends and family, order dish after dish, and dream about the flavors every time. Vern’s is spectacular for its food, lovely for its vibe, and most of all wonderful for its people. Years back, as we pondered the menu craving a departure from our usuals, the kitchen banded together to play with their specials and make them allergy friendly just for us. If I could fall deeper in love, I did it then. I’ll return again and again – and I’ll order: the Bee Sting and Red pizzas, Spicy Lettuces, Fried Olives, Lost Meatball Ragu, Chicken Thighs however they are doing them.
• Leonore’s – My very favorite place to visit when Alex is out of town. With Thai influence, their kitchen is peanut laden. BUT, for folks with allergies, their service is unmatched (we’re talking hand written guides to every dish that fits you and your needs). Leonore’s is a an experience of food elation. Gorgeous flavors, ingenuity on every plate, fun infused with every bite. Like Vern’s, these folks are a dream. The bar staff is what hooked me, and my heart is happiest when I request a newly-invented just-for-me mocktail. Leonore’s is my happy place – for a night out with friends or a self-date. I’ll devour: Pork Belly with Hot Miso Mustard, fried rice of the season, Short Rib Tteokbokki in the winter, Chewy Noodles from Yan, Coconut Sticky rice, and ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS dessert.
• The Chai Guy – I’ll chai until I die. The Chai Guy is a dream, cozy on a cold winter morning, refreshing in the depths of summer. Dump your Starbucks “chai” and go find your favorite order on Park Ave. Give your body the cardamom it wants!!! Also, Chelsea. My girl. I love you and I miss you. My order: Iced, decaf, sugar-free chai, oat milk, agave.
• Nosh – Just go and get the Korean Sit Down, okay? This is a top spot to bring a group, order a bunch of big plates, and die of happiness. What I’m sharing with the table: Ahi Noshos, Korean Sit Down, Milk and Honey Salad, the Banana Bread Pudding when they’ve got it!
• Velvet Belly – A gem in the Public Market. I would bathe in their togarashi mocktail, the Bait + Switch. Come here for a taste of the sea. I promise you’ll leave invigorated and happy. My favorites include: Jesse’s Salt Bread, Roasted East Coast Oysters, Electric Feel, BAMF, and ROC City rolls, Smoked Gouda and Cauliflower Gratin. Oh… and the cardamom and date bread pudding when it’s in season.
• Bodega – Visit for your breakfast sandwich needs and you’ll find the most succulent BEC in Rochester. May I recommend: the Mortadella, Wasabi, and Mushroom sandwiches.
• Ugly Duck – My favorite coffee in all of Roc. I will not accept arguments. Here you’ll find the most delicious coffee, unique drinks, and kind people. The baristas here are so sweet, so cognizant of needs, and all around delightful. You’ll find me sipping on: hot or iced decaf vanilla latte with oat milk, The Snug, a baked good for the soul.
• Strangebird – I found Strangbird far too late in the game, and I urge you to jump on it NOW! This place is a diamond. Tucked away from the city, Strangebird is a playground for beer enthusiasts and anyone looking for a place to chill and enjoy. If you know me, you know I hardly drink. Least of all beer! And that right there is why this place is so near and dear to my heart. Strangebird is about community, and man oh man if that doesn’t include both the most wonderful house made sodas and a superb kitchen! You’ll find some of the most delicious noshes the city has to offer right here. And your beer people will adore it too 🙂 I’m digging in to: a house-made Hibiscus Soda or any other flavor they’ve got that day, Fries (lovingly referred to as “a literal bathtub of fries”), Seasonal Vegetable Caesar, any and every special. Always.
• The Red Fern – This whole place is a wonder, but I’m not here to talk about the vegan Steak Bomb or the Compost Plate. I’m here to talk about dessert. The Red Fern is a warm hug for the allergic folks in your life. There’s something special about being able to walk through the door and gaze longing at a full case of gorgeous baked goods knowing full well that YOU can eat some of those goodies! Each item is equipped with a full list of ingredients and labeled to denote treats that are nut free, gluten free, and more. We’re getting a sugar rush from: the Mint Oreo Chocolate Cake, Carrot Cake Cookie, Caramel Apple Cake in the fall, Citrus Cake in the summer.
• Iron Tug – Once again, I do not drink beer. BUT I will sit at Iron Tug any day with a buddy and their beer. I’ll pet dogs. I’ll talk ad nauseam with the wonderful folks at the bar. I miss this place. AND, just once in a blue moon, I’ll go all in for the only beer in the world that I enjoy at all and actually really truly love: Pineapple Upside-down Cake. Come ON!
• Half Pint – Part three of “I HARDLY DRINK!!!” Okay but this place is for the people. For the puppies. For the late nights out on the sidewalk patio with friends. For Liverpool games at like 9:30 in the morning. For the actual half pints that are short little drinks for short little gals like me. I love this place so much it’s framed on my wall.
• Roux – There are many places in Rochester that will tell you they make the best chicken cutlet. I’m so sorry to tell you they are wrong. But I am so happy to tell you that Roux holds that title. Once again, we’re talking delightful ambiance, dear people, and “oh HOW is this so good” level bites. Roux is also one of my favorite spots for a self-date. I’ll be on the patio with a book ordering: Baguette and Salted French Butter, Beet Salad when it is in season, Smoked Trout Pate, the Chicken Cutlet.
• Bitter Honey – A spot that holds my heart as the first meal I ate upon moving into my Rochester apartment years back. The bartender gave us free shots and we settled down with tacos and guac and filled our bellies after a long day of moving. Alex and I have gone back for our anniversary every year. The menu has grown but I still love – Chips + Salsa + Guacamole, Al Pastor and Baja Tacos, and the Chile Relleno.
• Pearson’s Market & Café – Pearson’s opened just days before we moved and I got to visit just once, but I promise it’ll take just that long to get hooked. Coffee? Check. Mind-blowing noshes? Check. I got – Decaf Black Sesame Latte, Vern’s Found Meatball (wink wink).
• *The Miscela Project – This one is a big ol’ bonus! I have yet to attend the Miscela Project, as they started just recently. BUT, I know this experience is the heart of what Rochester’s food scene is: community, ingenuity, scrappiness, and joy. Housed at Pearson’s, join Miscela and their founders Natasha (the most wonderful force in the Rochester food world) and Joe for a hands-on food experience. And then tell me ALL about it. I’m ordering: you to sign up and go!

Well friends. That’s all for now. There’s only so much you can think about a Rochester nosh before your heart leads you to your car and your soul drags you 6.5 hours West on 90 and plops you into a chair outside at Vern’s.I’ll wrap up today thinking about home. The little nest we built up in Rochester and the food that sustained our bodies and our hearts. The friends we got to share it with. The memories we made. I love you, Rochester. I’ll be back.