Rochester's Greek Festivals

koularakia = yum

Rochester is lucky enough to have two Greek festivals, and we just went to the "second" one last Sunday. I had the "vegetarian dinner"--spanakopita, Greek potatoes, Greek salad, dolmades, and pita bread--and then a HUGE baklava sundae. We brought home a little bag of koularakia, too.

The festivals are similar: They're both free, and they both offer plenty of delicious food, including pastries and cookies to take home (and those baklava sundaes, yum). You can enjoy Greek wine and beer, watch traditional Greek dancers, and go on church tours. And you can browse the tables selling food products (like olive oil), clothing (spotted: a T-shirt that says, "One ouzo, two ouzo, three ouzo, floor"), jewelry, and religious items and books.

Here are the details on each:

Rochester Greek Festival 
Where: Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation, 962 East Ave.
When: Around the first week of June
Parking: Limited free parking in the church's parking lot, plus street parking

Greek Fest 
Where: Greek Orthodox Church of the Holy Spirit, 835 South Ave. 
When: Around the last week of August
Parking: Free parking in the garage next to the church

Hogan's Hideaway

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I've wanted to blog about Hogan's since March, and I keep thinking, "I'll wait until I have time to sit down and write a 'real' entry," but that's just not going to happen in the near future. So instead, here is a short version with a few photos from a Saturday lunch there. Hogan's is one of my favorite places for lunch in Rochester, partly because of their perfect onion rings. They're breaded, not battered (just my preference); crunchy; and not too greasy.

Simple but good: grilled (cheddar) cheese and those yummy onion rings

Steak sandwich and fries

Caramel apple crumble pie

Peanut butter pie

Pastry Palooza

Treats from JonJohn's Bakery

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I had heard about Pastry Palooza (at the Genesee Center for the Arts & Education on Monroe Ave.) via Twitter, but I didn’t pay too much attention until I saw a mention in the paper last Thursday. The calendar listing mentioned sampling baked goods from local bakeries, and that’s all I needed to know—I love free samples, and I love bakeries. I cut out the listing and left it on the kitchen counter for Clem to see when he got home, simply writing “nom” in black marker at the top.

Last Saturday was snowy and windy—a great day for staying in—but we decided to brave the storm and go. (After all, this is February in Rochester.) When we arrived, we paid the $5 each to get in (the admission fees benefited the Center) and took a look around at the tables full of cupcakes, cookies, brownies, and other treats. I remember seeing five bakeries represented there, but the event’s Facebook page lists seven, so either I missed two or those people didn’t make it. The bakeries were: JonJohn’s Bakery, Small World Bakery, Elegant Expressions, Donna Marie’s Gluten Free Bakery, and Cakes a Go-Go.

Each bakery offered free samples as well as items for sale. Coffee and tea were available to buy, too. (Milk would have been perfect, considering all the cookies around—hey, after all, it’s scientifically proven!) I tried tidbits of a chocolate chip cookie, brownie, sweet potato pie, peanut butter chocolate cupcake, and a couple others.

We couldn’t resist buying a few things, too. OK, more than a few. While we were there, we ate two cupcakes (peanut butter chocolate for me, and cherry 7UP for Clem, both from Cakes a Go-Go) and took home two cookies and a piece of chocolate cake from JonJohn’s, my favorite of the bakeries that took part. Their food was delicious, and the owners were so friendly, too.

In fact, all the sugar in the building must have been working its magic, because virtually everyone was cheerful at Pastry Palooza. People were smiling, and strangers struck up conversations with each other, like the woman who told me she had the same baby carrier that I was wearing. If the Center puts on this event again next year, I'll be there. (Of course, if you put a plate of free brownies on a card table on the side of the road, I would be there, too—but this really was a fun event.)

Valentine's at the Eastman House

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Instead of going out for dinner this Valentine’s Day, we decided to try the George Eastman House’s annual Valentine’s Day Brunch & Film on Sunday the 13th. I had never heard of this event before finding out about it in January in an email from the museum. This year’s movie was “To Have and Have Not" (1944), with Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall (who fell in love during its filming), and  neither of us had seen that either. We didn’t make a decision right away, and we called to make reservations just in time--we got the very last two tickets ($35 each for the brunch and film).

When we arrived, we saw tables and chairs set up along the entire long hallway (the Potter Peristyle) that starts at the back entrance to the museum. Before we sat down, we had to check out the table of chocolate pizzas that the Eastman House was selling as a fundraiser. The heart-shaped chocolate slabs were covered with peanuts, almonds, cranberries, and raisins, and sold in small pizza boxes. (I admit to later using a knife to chisel out the cranberries and raisins from my pieces.) We were told that one of the boxes held a gold necklace worth $1,000 (donated by a jewelry store). Given my abysmal record with contests and prizes, I was pretty sure I was not going to win this, but Clem bought me a pizza as a Valentine’s gift anyway. (They had me at “chocolate.” … And “pizza.” And “necklace.”)

Probably because we reserved seats so late (oops), our seats were at the very last table in the back. (Fortunately, that meant that we were the first to be called for the buffet line.) By the way, if you’re looking for a romantic Valentine's meal, the Eastman House brunch probably isn’t for you--you’ll be sharing a table with several other people. Our tablemates included Karen, a Dryden Theatre docent, who dressed for the occasion in a ’40s-style outfit.

The buffet offered plenty of sweet and savory items, including fruit, fruit breads, home fries, bacon, sausage, omelets (cheese and spinach/feta), cranberry-focaccia French toast, ham, and turkey. I would have loved to see some pancakes or waffles, but I suppose those may not hold up too well when kept warm in a buffet. Each place setting had a glass of orange juice already poured, and servers offered coffee and tea.

Not too long after we finished, we left to grab front-row balcony seats at the Dryden to watch “To Have and Have Not.” Before the movie started, everyone who had bought a chocolate pizza was asked to open them at the same time. I was not surprised not to find a necklace in my pizza box! Oh, well. Karen, the docent, gave a really interesting introduction to the film, which I had known nothing about. I enjoyed the movie, although I did giggle at Bacall’s odd singing voice and let out a (quiet) laugh each time someone addressed Bogart’s character as “Captain Morgan.” Plus, Captain Renard = the French Comic Book Guy. Although our attendance at the brunch gave us free admission to the museum, we had to leave after the movie to pick up our son. We’ll have to save “Between the States” for another day.

High Falls/Brown's Race

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We all have our favorite spots to take friends and family who visit Rochester. For us, they've included the George Eastman House, the Susan B. Anthony House, the overlook at Cobb's Hill, and Wegmans, to name a few. The last two times friends have visited, we've driven them around downtown for our own "guided tours." The one place we've stopped the car and explored each time, winter and summer, is High Falls.

Besides checking out the 94-foot falls from the Pont de Rennes bridge, you can walk down Brown's Race to the Visitor Center, where you'll find a Rochester-themed gift shop, exhibits about Rochester history, and an art gallery. I like the "Power of the People" interactive exhibit, which tells you a bit about the lives of many prominent Rochester figures, like George Eastman, Frederick Douglass, Susan B. Anthony, Kate Gleason, and Sam Patch, who met his end at the falls on November 13, (Friday the 13th), 1829.

To learn more about the area, check out the Center at High Falls' website, which has an "online walking tour" with photos of each spot and historical details about the area in the 19th century, when it was home to several factories (churning out shoes, tools, buttons, and more) and mills. Unfortunately, when it comes to current information about the area, the website is at least a few years out of date, but you can read a bit about what's in the works for High Falls on rochestersubway.com.

TIP: Check out the free laser/fireworks shows at High Falls. The next two take place tonight and Thursday, September 3.

NEARBY: Tribeca, Spin Caffe, New Unto Others

Donating Blood

This Rochester experience is a bit different from others I've written about -- even though it does involve eating!

If I had to sum up my blood donation experience with one word, it would be "easy." It was easy to make the appointment online, easy to slightly change the scheduled time (online) when I needed to, and easy to prepare for and go through with the actual donation. It made me wonder why I had waited ten years (oops) since the last time I gave blood.

It's also easy to find out if you're among the 60 percent of Americans eligible to donate blood -- just check the Red Cross website. If you make an appointment, you'll be told how to prepare, too -- I made sure to drink more water than usual during the 24 hours leading up to my donation and didn't eat any high-fat foods that morning (because doing that can interfere with a certain test they may have to perform later on your blood donation).

I got to the Red Cross building on Prince Street a few minutes before my appointment on a recent Saturday morning, checked in, and showed my ID. A volunteer gave me a binder of information to read as well as a coupon for a free container of Friendly's ice cream (nice bonus), and then a staff person took me to a small room. She took my pulse, checked my blood pressure, and pricked my finger to get a bit of blood to check the iron level. Next, she left the room while I used her laptop to answer 50 questions about my health, which were very easy and didn't take long.

Then she directed me to a very comfy recliner-type chair in the donation area. She cleaned my arm, found a good vein, and put the needle in, which honestly only caused me a little pain. When I was "hooked up" to everything, I had to squeeze a little foam ball for five counts and then relax for five counts, and the Red Cross person stayed close by and made sure I was feeling OK. I had planned to use my phone to go online while I waited, but the counting kept my brain busy enough!

About ten or fifteen minutes later, I was done! I had to hold up my arm for a couple minutes to stop any bleeding, and then the staff person bandaged my arm with gauze and tape and sent me to the snack area. They had lots of sugary and salty snacks to choose from, and I picked the chocolate one, of course -- can't pass up Oreos. The very friendly volunteer got me a can of juice and made conversation with me and the other donor at the table. She showed me a little book of facts about giving blood -- that's where I learned the 60 percent figure. Unfortunately, just 5 percent of people donate each year.

The whole process took about an hour, and I hope to go back as soon as I'm eligible to donate again. (You're required to wait 56 days between whole-blood donations). How about you?

TIP: You can schedule an appointment online. If you donate before the end of this month, you'll get a carton of ice cream like I did, according to the website.

NEARBY: The Memorial Art Gallery, George Eastman House, and more.

Archimage

When I was a teenager, I spent a lot of time hanging out in the area near the corner of Monroe and Oxford, stopping at places like Good Company, Village Green, and Brownbag Bookshop. A decade and a half later, those stores -- and several other independent shops -- have closed. The area looks very different, especially with the unfortunate addition of national chains like Pizza Hut and Subway. One store that has survived is Archimage, and I'm glad it did. I most recently stopped by the store on Friday after work.

The best word to describe Archimage is "eclectic." It sells

- clothing and accessories (including hats, scarves, bags, and jewelry)
- incense and candles (in fact, the whole store smells of incense, as will your purchases)
- drums, tambourines, and other musical instruments
- paper goods (like Moleskine, notecards, origami paper, and gift wrap)
- toys and other fun items ("novelty" stuff, for example, inflatable toast; magnetic poetry kits; and things from Fred & Friends)
- home decor and accessories (paper lanterns, batiks, wall art, sushi plates, decorative wooden boxes)
- many other things, from political buttons to Uglydoll to a Vincent VanGogh action figure

Since it had been months since I last went to Archimage, I spotted a couple of new things I hadn't seen before -- pretty boxes made to look like old, leather-bound books, and scarves "recycled" from saris.

I was looking for a tank top -- now that real summer weather is here -- and I found a pretty pink one from a company called Eucalyptus. The tag on the shirt said that the company donates 10% of pre-tax profits to an organization that improves health care and education for women and children in a small Guatemalan village. It was included in the store's current sale, so I got it for about $18, down from $28.50.

Since I got a deal on that, I also picked up a silk short-sleeved top, made from sari-type material, from Jedzebel, a fair-trade company based in Santa Cruz. That was also on sale for about $18. I noticed a few other Jedzebel items at the store, as well as Flax pieces.

TIP: Archimage is a great place to find gifts.

NEARBY: Astoria and Aladdin's, just to name two.

The City Walk

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The City Walk can give you a good opportunity to accomplish those "meaning-to" items on your list of things to do: "I've been meaning to try that bar," "I've been meaning to try that restaurant," etc. Other things always seem to get in the way, but if you go to the City Walk, which takes place on the first Thursday of each month, an evening of visits to Rochester spots is completely planned out for you. All you have to do is walk.

Last Thursday, the City Walk started at one of the Eastman House's Garden Vibes outdoor concerts (featuring the Hi-Risers). I had heard about Garden Vibes at the beginning of the summer but didn't know if I wanted to pay the $10 admission fee. Fortunately, City Walkers got in free. We'd continue the night at Starry Nites and Edibles (which are next door to each other on University Ave.) and then Pomodoro.

We gathered inside the Eastman House entrance and waited around a bit until we all had a raffle ticket and City Walk stickers to wear. Then we were free to browse the museum and listen to the band until 7:25 p.m., when it was time to meet again to leave for our next stop.

Clem and I walked to the gardens and checked the food. Near the band were booths from Abbott's, Dinosaur Bar B Que, and the museum cafe (which was open in the museum, too -- mmm, gelato). The concert was pretty well attended, and people of all ages were sitting on blankets and lawn chairs and enjoying the wine and picnic dinners they'd brought -- everything from bags of potato chips to brie. We found a spot to put our chairs on the edge of the garden, (On the way there -- of course, since this is Rochester -- we ran into a couple people we knew.)

Not too long after, it was time to meet up with City Walk back inside the museum. The evening's organizer raffled off some door prizes to places like Rock Ventures (which I'd like to try sometime!) and Starry Nites. Clem actually won one! (I think the last time I won a door prize was about ten years ago, seriously.) We now have a $10 gift certificate to Roma Cafe on University Ave.

After the drawings, the Eastman House's director of communications and visitor services talked briefly about the next Garden Vibes concert, the Picturing Rochester exhibit, a concert by Michael Feinstein to celebrate the museum's 60th anniversary, and the Eastman Young Professionals Group.

We walked along University Avenue to Starry Nites and Edibles, and there was just enough sunlight for me to get some photos of ARTWalk. Clem and I hadn't had dinner yet, so, faced with the choice, we picked Edibles, which offered a Thursday two-for-one drink special. It was a perfect night to eat outside, so we did. Not only was the weather nice, but we could easily hear the live jazz outside Starry Nites. Clem ordered the grilled pork tenderloin, and I got the pierogies with caramelized onions and sour cream. I will definitely be going back someday for those.

When it was time for everyone to move on to Pomodoro, we weren't finished with dinner, so we stayed at Edibles and ordered dessert instead (hazelnut creme brulee and chocolate lava cake). Someday we'll make it to Pomodoro -- their menu looks pretty promising.

TIPS: The City Walk has a Facebook group where you can find out about future events.

NEARBY: It depends!

Park Avenue Summer Arts Festival

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On Saturday, I returned to the scene of my last blog entry with a trip to the Park Ave. Fest. We spent hours there, which was easy to do since the festival covers a one-mile strip of Park Ave. with booths on both sides.

If you've never been, it's definitely worth a trip. The 300 artists offer work for sale that includes the cute, the beautiful, the kitschy, and the odd (example: paintings of various dog breeds sitting in martini glasses). You don't have to spend much to go home with a festival souvenir; I bought a package of blank gift tags in assorted colors for $1 and spent $4.50 on a rubber stamp.

Of course, besides browsing through the booths of art, you can EAT! Park Ave. offers typical fair/festival food like fried dough and kettle corn but also crepes from Simply Crepes, samosas from India House, and some healthy selections from Freshwise Kitchen, just to name a few. Next time, I just might have to try the chocolate-dipped cheesecake on a stick.

If you're hungry, you can also stop at one of the many restaurants lining the street. For a nice air-conditioned break, we had lunch at Hogan's Hideaway (after just a 5-minute wait to sit inside), which had a special -- meaning limited -- festival menu. Later on, we shopped at a very crowded Parkleigh and ordered gelato (hazelnut with chocolate sprinkles for me) at Roman Holiday Gelato.

About 30 bands and artists perform at the festival stages, which are set up throughout the street. We didn't stop for long at any of the stages, but I did visit the greyhounds from Greyhound Adoption of Greater Rochester, NY. If we didn't have four cats, I would seriously consider adopting one of their dogs!

TIP: Wear comfortable shoes! Also, parking at one of the shuttle lots is pretty convenient if you arrive early enough to nab a spot. We parked at Gleason Works and paid $1 for a round-trip shuttle, which I would do again.

NEARBY: Lots of places, festival or not!

Parkleigh

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Selling everything from coffee to jewelry, Parkleigh is one of my favorite places for gifts (and the wrapping paper, gift bags, and greeting cards to go with them). It's hard to characterize the place in a few words, but "Urban Outfitters meets Dean & Deluca, Rochester-style, with a Crabtree & Evelyn store inside" is a good start. (I mean that last part literally -- there is actually a C&E inside Parkleigh.)

Soon after walking in, you'll see the candy counter. Parkleigh sells truffles, candies, and other sweets, including locally made Hedonist chocolates. Today I picked up two boxes of truffles (two chocolates in each) for gifts. I hope they taste as good as they look, because they're very cute -- two dogs ("chocolate" Labs) and two white cats. They're handmade in Oregon by Moonstruck Chocolatier.

Walk a bit further into the store and you'll find more edibles: Barefoot Contessa mixes, Stonewall Kitchen products, coffee, tea, and more. In the same room are fun kitchen tools like wooden salad servers that look like wrenches, or "Ice Invaders": Space Invaders ice cube trays.

If you're looking for a new tote or reusable shopping bag, you might find what you're looking for here. Parkleigh carries brands like Lug, Baggalini, Emilie Sloan, Blue Q, and others. The cutest one was probably a Bungalow 360 bag with an owl design by Susie Ghahremani.

Fun and funky selections are everywhere, including things from Uglydoll, Knock Knock, and Fred & Friends. I liked an alarm clock from Fred & Friends that can wake you with the sounds of birds chirping. There's also a small area displaying kids' stuff like backpacks, cute dish sets, bibs, and tiny sweaters.

If you know someone who's a fan of Vera Bradley, you've come to the right place -- there's a large selection. Parkleigh also sells Kiehl's, Burt's Bees, and McKenzie-Childs.

TIP: Join Parkleigh's mailing list and you'll get occasional coupons.

NEARBY: Hogan's Hideaway, Jines, and a lot more in the Park Ave. area.

Zoo Brew

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A few minutes ago, I signed up for the Seneca Park Zoo email list. That'll improve my chances of catching one of their "Zoo Brew" events this summer. At Zoo Brew, visitors who are 21 and older can explore the zoo after hours, have a drink or two and maybe some food, and listen to a local band.

We skipped tonight's event because there was a 50 to 60 percent chance of rain. OK, it was also because we had to watch our DVD of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" before seeing the next Harry Potter movie this weekend. But we did make it to Zoo Brew last year and took some photos.

Admission is $3 for zoo members and $5 for non-members, while a beer costs $3 and a glass of wine, $4. (Those were last summer's drink prices; they may have changed.) Zoo Brew is a great way to spend a summer evening -- you'll have fun while supporting a local organization and getting some fresh air after a day at work.

TIP: The remaining two Zoo Brews this summer are August 14 and September 11.

NEARBY: Bruster's is a few miles away.

The Little Theatre

The Little Theatre, now in its 80th year, is one of my favorite places in Rochester. I spent a lot of time there as a teenager, seeing movies like "Clerks," "To Live," "Cold Comfort Farm, "Four Weddings and a Funeral," and many that have disappeared from memory. Since moving back to Rochester, I haven't visited as often as I'd like, but now that we're members, that'll probably change.

Depending on the level you choose, membership brings perks like discounted tickets and merchandise, free movie passes, and a great coupon book (for deals at places like Java's and the Eastman House). Since the Little is a nonprofit, you can even write off the membership fee on your taxes. The student level costs $35 a year, while being an associate member will run you $50 ($75 for two people), and regular membership costs $100 ($125 for two). We used our free passes yesterday to see "Moon."

Last night, and every Friday this month, Don Mancuso and Regi Hendrix (Jimi's cousin) played in the cafe, where we could choose from soups, sandwiches and wraps, salads, quiche, and panini. Yum. At least six bottled beers were available, as well as one on tap--Rohrbach's Red Wing Red Ale--and a glass of wine costs 6 dollars.

I picked a slice of hazelnut torte (good, but without enough hazelnut flavor for me), and Clem had an iced vanilla caramel latte. (Total with tax was $8.50.)

At 9 p.m., the cafe was almost full. The walls were decorated with art, and they likely will be for years to come; the Little keeps a very long waiting lists of artists who'd like the prime space.

As always, the selections at the concessions counter outside the cafe easily top any chain's snack options. The cases were full of cookies, macaroons, pecan bars, raspberry bars, goodies from the Nut House, and more. If I hadn't already had the torte, I think I would have picked the giant M&M cookie. When we saw "My Life in Ruins" recently (unfortunately), I tried one of the pecan bars. Yum.

TIP: Member or not, pick up the Little Theatre "Beat the Heat" discount card at the locations on this page for deals on movie tickets (buy four, get one free) and snacks.

NEARBY: The Little Bakery (no relation), and the Old Toad.