We were on a brief excursion out of town, and decided to treat ourselves to staying at the Hyatt. They have completely revamped the restaurant in their Rochester location. It was pretty nice before, but now they have completely overhauled it. I’m not always the biggest fan of modern architecture, which can be trendy and sterile. But they’ve done a nice job with it here. The atmosphere, colors, and lighting are pleasant, stopping just short of slickness. Tasteful music was playing, mostly consisting of what they’re calling ambient or chillout music these days. I like this style very much, and in the restaurant I think it works very well, giving a modern, urbane feel without being pushy enough to interfere with conversation; it relaxes and stimulates rather than shouts. (more…)
My wife and I are huge fans of going to cafes in any city we visit. But there are exceptions.
We were enjoying a sunny day off last Monday in Rochester and were heading out for breakfast at the popular Highland Diner, but had talked about trying to find locally roasted coffee. Purely by chance, I happened to notice the Boulder Cafe on Alexander St. as we drove by. It looked as though it was good-sized, and its sign and decor seemed to indicate a good product and atmosphere, so we decided to stop.
A few weekends ago we spent the day in Rochester with friends. To finish off our visit, we took a stroll around the historic Corn Hill district and had dinner at Tony D’s. I’d found them on egullet-org – great recommendations for restaurants just about anywhere in the world there – so we took our chances and were not disappointed. To sum up:
- Their coal-fired oven makes awesome pizza. It’s got a very thin crust that becomes nearly crispy. The flavors of the toppings are the star because they’re not being swallowed up in a inch of bread dough.
- The ambiance is fun, warm, friendly. The place is small, so we found ourselves sitting close to other humans (horrors!). If you don’t like feeling as though you’re in Europe, you’ll probably want to go back to Pizza Hut.
- The location at 288 Exchange Blvd. is great, on the Genesee river, right at the edge of the Corn Hill district, so nice for a stroll before or after stuffing yourself. (This is only about three blocks from the Rochester Dinosaur Barbecue. Eat at Tony D’s, go dancing at the Dino – you can eat at the Syracuse Dino any time!)
- They have great wine and beer selections.
- You can get a seat at the counter overlooking the chefs’ station. Now that’s fun.
- The prices can’t be beat.
- Oh, and did I say the pizza was awesome? Don’t miss it. And for God’s sake, don’t complain about the bit of charring that makes this pizza unique. It’s part of the flavor profile. If you don’t like that, try a different dish. You will not be disappointed.
Now the last thing Syracuse needs is one more pizza joint. But I want to know if anyone in Syracuse can duplicate this pizza. I don’t require that you have a view of a river. Just get that oven incredibly hot and the crust thin and really crispy. For God’s sake, know what you’re doing with a pizza. Be from Brooklyn. 
A glass of good chianti or even a shiraz would make me happy, too. Can anyone in Syracuse do this?
