11 MORE RESTAURANTS
THAT BELONG AMONG BEST IN THE US
Redd in Rochester recently was named one of 47 restaurants in the 2024 USA TODAY Restaurants of the Year list. • USA TODAY Network food journalists from across the country pooled their expertise to select the restaurants, which includes the places they know, love and recommend. • The criteria for the recognition: “A restaurant must be one that excites, surprises and delights us, one we would recommend to friends and family, one that would impress someone from out of town. They never disappoint and always deliver. We never hesitate to go to them, again and again.” The fine print was that they to have been open at least a year. • But there are so many other restaurants worth celebrating in our area. Here are 11 other spots that we wish were on the Restaurants of the Year list.
Restaurant Good Luck
Restaurant Good Luck is one of the few restaurants in Rochester where you need to make a weekend reservation weeks in advance, which is quite an accomplishment given that it’s been around for 15 years. The menu is made for sharing. A must try: the Good Luck burger, made with a pound of house-ground local beef, served on brioche with New York cheddar cheese alongside vegetable slaw and a mound of addictive fries. Cocktails are a standout. The one drawback: It can be deafeningly loud when busy. 50 Anderson Ave.; restaurantgoodluck.com, (585) 340-6161.
Lento
Lento opened in 2007 with a mission to serve farm-to-table cuisine. Chef Art Rogers has held firm to the philosophy, even when it has seemed like Rochester diners didn’t share his priorities. He is one of the very few chefs in town to be nominated for a prestigious James Beard Award. The seasonal menu changes frequently but the fish fry is always a standout. Even the excellent cocktails incorporate farm-fresh produce. Great days to go: Tuesdays for $1 oysters, and Thursdays for $2 oysters and no corkage fee. Village Gate Square, 274 N. Goodman St.; lentorestaurant.com, (585) 271-3470.
Atlas Eats
Atlas Eats Kitchen & Bake Shop, owned by Diane and Gerry Brinkman, has a unique concept: a five-course prix fixe menu that changes every two weeks, each menu highlighting a different cuisine from around the world. During the pandemic the couple adapted the concept to three courses for takeout, and that offering continues. But dine if you can; the 24-seat space is cozy and the service friendly. Dinner is served with breads from the in-house bakery, and it’s hard not to walk out with a loaf or a dessert to enjoy the next day. Brunch is served Fridays and Saturdays. 2185 N. Clinton Ave., Irondequoit; atlaseats.com, (585) 544-1300.
Levantine’s
Levantine’s Syrian Cafe & Cuisine in Gates is a casual counter service café that consistently serves excellent authentic Middle Eastern food. It is owned by Mohammad AlFayad, who is originally from Syria, and his wife, Beth AlFayad, who grew up in Webster. Many of the dishes originate from Damascus, which is often called the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world. You’ll find familiar dishes — hummus, tabbouli salad, baba ganoush, shawarma, kebabs, beef kofta — but try a fetteh bowl, a popular comfort food in Syria. The baklava is outstanding. 750 Elmgrove Road in Gates; levantinescafe.com, (585) 434-0441.
Nosh
Nosh has been a popular Neighborhood of the Arts gathering spot for inventive cuisine, wood-fired pizzas and craft cocktails since 2016. The trendy restaurant in a renovated factory space has a menu that evolves seasonally. Favorites since the beginning are shared suppers: a giant Tomahawk steak and the Korean sit-down, both served with lots of accoutrements. A wild card is that it has a new owner: Vicky Chanthavisinh-Carey, who has been working in Rochester’s restaurant scene since age 15. She vows no changes, other than adding some dishes that reflect her Thai-Lao heritage. 47 Russell St.; noshroc.com, (585) 445-8700.
Vern’s
The wildly popular Vern’s is small, packed and therefore loud. The kitchen is tiny, too, and the dishes, meant to be shared, come out as they are ready. The seasonal menu leans Italian and changes frequently; the bee sting pizza is a customer favorite. It is owned by the Swan family, who owns eight establishments around town. Vern’s doesn’t take reservations, so if you want to snag a table without a long wait, you’d best arrive before 5. The good news is that the cocktails are terrific (if you like espresso martinis, order theirs). The wine list highlights natural wines. Outdoor tables are fun in the summertime. 696 Park Ave.; iloveverns.com, (585) 3406689.
Cure
Visiting the gorgeous Cure restaurant in the Rochester Public Market is like stepping into a chic French eatery. The menu focuses on seasonal interpretations of French farm cuisine like rillette, pâté, coq au vin, steak frites, beef bourguignon and more. Sunday brunch, also fabulous, strays more beyond the French influence. Cocktails are always impeccable. Cure is run by chef Dan Martello and hospitality whiz Chuck Cerankosky, who own other spots in town (including Good Luck, above). 50 Rochester Public Market; curebar.net, (585) 563-7941.
Carnegie Cellars
Carnegie Cellars Wine Bar & Kitchen, owned by hospitality industry veterans Mike Clarcq and John Albert, serves roughly 50 wines by the glass and by the bottle, as well as beers and ciders. It is very much a wine bar rather than a fullservice restaurant, but the menu, with chef Steven Lara at the helm, is surprisingly good. The seasonal fare, meant to be shared, is delivered to the table as it’s ready. The chicken cutlet is always good, but it’s hard to make a bad choice. The look is bright and airy. 247 N. Goodman St.; carnegiecellars.com, (585) 206-8611.
Swan Market
Swan Market, which has been around for more than 80 years, is simply a local treasure. It’s a cozy meat market where you can purchase sausages, hot dogs, deli meats and various sundries; be sure to try the liverwurst. In the middle are communal tables where you can lunch on classic German fare like schnitzel, goulash and sauerbraten, served alongside red cabbage, sauerkraut, potato salad and beer. There’s often an accordion player on Fridays. The only drawback are its limited hours; it serves lunch 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. 231 Parsells Ave.; swanmarket.com, (585) 288-5320.
Peach Blossom
At the unassuming Peach Blossom Authentic Mexican Restaurant downtown, the mother-and-son team of Minerva Martinez and Marco Murcia serve dishes that are true to their native Mexico. Tacos, quesadillas and sopes are made with handmade corn tortillas, cooked to order on a flat-top, then filled with carne asada (beef), al pastor (pork and pineapple) and pollo asado (chicken) and garnished simply with cilantro, onions and wedge of lime. Depending on the day, you may find dishes like birria, pozole, albondigas and empanadas. Because it’s a small family joint, it closes when a family member has an appointment, and there can be a wait for the food. 9 E. Main St.; Instagram; (585) 287-6314.
Radio Social
Radio Social is the restaurant I’m most likely to take out-of-town visitors simply because there’s no place like it, anywhere. Under one roof in a cavernous former warehouse are 34 bowling lanes, an assortment of retro games, craft cocktail bars and two separate restaurants. One is a snack bar that makes commendable Detroit-style square pizzas but the real draw for foodies is a high-end Israeli restaurant nestled amid the action. My favorite meal there is brunch, which has a menu that changes from week to week. Whenever you visit, get an order of the crispy potatoes, which come with black garlic mayo and tomato amba. It has a full calendar of special events and live music. 20 Carlson Road, radio-social.com, (585) 244-1484.
Tracy Schuhmacher covers food and drink for the D&C. Keep up to date with her food finds by subscribing to her weekly ROCFlavors newsletter.