I'll second
Dinosaur Bar B Que in Rochester.
The Dinosaur is a Syracuse tradition with a couple sadelite locations, one of which is in Rochester (the other is in NYC). Well, I'd say drive to Syracuse for the original, but really it's not necessary. While the atmosphere in Rochester's outlet is different than Syracuse, I've heard from my many Syracuse childhood friends who now reside in the Greater Rochester area, each of whom give the Rochester location a go. One such buddy, goes once per week for lunch.
I spent a week on Canandaigua Lake last summer. Didn't get out too much (since we were renting a house with a kitchen), but based on our stay, and my experiences form some years ago when I lived in CNY and had good friends living in Canandaigua, here are my recommendations:
If you like German food:
Rheinblick German Restaurant - there's a thread on roadfood about "where have all the German Restaurants gone?" - well, this is one that is relatively new, and raises the bar on the old stick in the mud German restaurants. Great for dinner! Food is excellent, service is excellent, beer is excellent, atmosphere is Bavarian - you can't lose here.
Lunch:
Casa Italiana, part pizzaria, part deli, part imported italian food mart, I wish this place was on Capitol Hill here in DC. The subs are really great (can't speak to the pizza, since we had subs). this is the perfect place, to grab food - a sub, or maybe even some cheeses and anti-pasta items like roasted red pepper, olives, etc, and have a picnic along the water, just a few blocks away.
Refreshment:
And by refreshment, I mean,
beer:
Mac Gregor's - over 50 different beers on tap - it's a nice local watering hole.
Tip: Sit at the bar for better service. Otherwise, expect slow service. Food = regular bar/pub food. Stick to burgers and wings.
or Wally's Pub - you lose the beer selection of Mac Gregor's, but the food is a little better at this seemingly gruff place. But what it lacks in classiness it makes up in gritty character. Service depends on you, since there's no waitstaff - you order and pick up everything from the bar. Personally, it's a little too towny for me compared to MacGregors, but I have fond memories of both places from way back when some good friends lived in Canandaigua.
Breakfast:
Patty's Place - short menu, long on quality. They do one thing: breakfast. I don't even think it's open for lunch anymore. so, what they do, they do very well. Aside from the usual eggs, homefries, pancake usual suspects, they have yummy, comforting "homemade" bread - which, if you like, you can buy a loaf to take home. I recommend doing that!
Now, I don't know your plans for your trip, but if you have time and want something a little more high scale, a little less towny, but still keeping within the experience of enjoying the Finger Lake region and a trip to NY State, try some wine and food at the
New York Wine and Culinary Center - The
Taste of NY Restaurant brings to you the best of NY wines, brews and foods that are, if not unique to NY, distinct to NY. From Long Island Oysters, to NY artisan cheeses, to NY strip steak and free range chicken, paired with fine NY wines and beers representing the Finger Lake Region and the rest of NY State as well.
If you have even more time, you can do more expansive wine and/or beer tastings and even take a class in cooking, wine and spirit tasting classes, and more. For that, though, you'd need to plan ahead.
Hope this helps - and enjoy your trip. We had such an amazing time in Canandaigua and the Finger Lakes, we're planning the same trip (only in a different house on a neighboring lake) for this summer.
<message edited by Scorereader on Mon, 04/26/10 3:24 PM>
