Local Eats | Rochester, NY
I think the hardest thing about living in a hotel is not having a kitchen. I will never take my fridge or oven for granted again! A good chunk of my day probably goes to researching restaurants that we can eat at. Thank you Yelp. The toughest part is trying to find restaurants that offer healthy options and use fresh ingredients. Eating out can take a toll on your body if you aren't careful! Unlike my husband who burns thousands of calories a day (literally, they tracked it the other day) and can eat whatever he wants, I have to be more aware of what I am consuming. Some days I throw in the towel and eat whatever I want, but most days I try and stay relatively healthy. Luckily Rochester has restaurants to satisfy both! I have honestly been so impressed with the food scene here. Very on trend with lots of gluten free, vegan and healthy options - as well as your classics for people like my husband :).
Below are a few of the restaurants I have really loved and what we tried off of their menu (click their name to go to their website!):
Greek Salad with Falafel
Great family atmosphere, huge menu and portions, family run and they use really fresh ingredients! They have a few locations around the city as well.
Mediterranean Salad, Tuna Poke Grain Bowl, Broccoli Cheese Soup
This is truly healthy "fast food"! They serve salads, grain bowls, broths and soups. They have a great selection of their own creations, or you can make your own. Ingredients are SO fresh and everything tastes amazing! They have a few locations around the Rochester area.
Green Smoothie, Mediterranean Salad, Farm Table Salad with Basil Chicken Salad, B.A.L.T, Oatmeal
This is a cute little cafe with several locations, they make homemade bread for their sandwiches and their salads are huge!
Calamari (so fresh!), Smothered Chicken, 262 BBQ Pizza
Small Italian restaurant in a trendy neighborhood, great food and cozy romantic atmosphere.
The B. Anthony Veggie Burger, The Hoffman Burger, Sweet Potato Fries
Casual open design concept, known for their gourmet burgers and their brick-oven pizzas. Great atmosphere to go with a group!
Pepperoni Pizza
This is like a fast food gourmet pizza joint. They form your crust with fresh dough right in front of you, you pick any kind to start (ex. pepperoni), and then they let you add any extra toppings you would like at no extra cost (seriously not sure how they make money). Then they put it in their brick oven and it comes out crispy, thin, chewy, bubbly and everything you expect from a pizza! Closest thing I've had to pizza I ate in Italy.
Harvest Salad with Lentil Burger, Ginger Cookie
Vegan underground cafe with lots of unique menu choices. Love their protein options and cheese substitutes using cashews! The cookie was also amazing with chunks of candied ginger in it!
Sante Fe Salad
I got my salad to go, but the restaurant seemed bright and open. The menu is full of fresh options, but also indulgences like fish and chips. Something for everyone!
Greek Salad w/ Seared Tuna or Chicken, Chocolate Chip Pancakes
Local cafe that has been around for 60 years! When the weather is nice they have a great little patio on Park Ave. Lots of selection and great for breakfast/brunch.
The Club Salad
An old house converted into a modern tea house. Beautiful decor and great menu and tea selection. I will be going back to try their high tea!
Cannoli Donut
Retro donut shop that also sells pizza. Seems odd at first, but then you try their donuts and all else fades away!
More recently we have spent more of our nights grabbing dinner from Wegmans, the local grocery store here. It has a great prepared food section at a reasonable price and they also have an amazing bakery with fresh donuts and cookies =)! It's good on nights when Everly is a little cranky and won't last at a restaurant.
I like finding healthier restaurant choices so that I don't feel as guilty about getting a sweet treat after! Those of you that know me know that my love for sweets is REAL, and cutting them out just isn't an option. There are a lot of other restaurants on my list here, and I can't wait to keep exploring!
Best,
Stacey