A helping hand from a neighborhood business owner

I have to take a minute to talk about a really great local business owner I met last night. My husband and I were on our way home from David Sedaris at Hochstein School of Music & Dance, a great night made possible at a discount through Writers & Books. On the way, we stopped for gas at the Honeoye Falls Sunoco station, about 8 miles from our house.

Just my luck, my battery died. It’s the original battery in a six-year-old car, so I guess the death was inevitable, and dying at a gas station on a warm fall night is better than dying anywhere in mid-winter, but it was still pretty frustrating, especially since it was approaching 11pm. The gas station attendant didn’t have jumper cables, so we called my insurance company and waited while they dispatched emergency road service. From Chili. 45 minutes away. Then 11PM hit and the gas station lights went off, leaving us in total darkness and still waiting for the tow truck.

A few cars came into the station before it closed, but no one had jumper cables. Scott asked one more person, who also didn’t have cables in his car, but he sped off and told us he’d be right back. Surprisingly, he was! His name was Enzo and he owns Slices Pizzeria a few doors down from the gas station. Enzo was incredibly friendly and helpful; he gave us a boost and we were able to call and cancel the roadside assistance before he even made it outside of the Chili town limits. Enzo didn’t even accept a thank you six-pack for his efforts.

Scott and I need to order a pizza from Slices soon—perhaps my faithful readers will help me thank him for his kindness??


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Do you have any good Samaritan stories to share? Comment!

We're off to see the wizard

Occasionally, my husband has a good idea.

We've been married four weeks now, and for our wedding he suggested we visit Wizard of Clay in Bristol to purchase our thank you gifts for the wedding party. I'm not sure why Wizard of Clay occurred to him as neither of us have been there before, but it turned out to be a great choice.

Wizard of Clay looks like a store you'd see in a Peter Jackson movie - small, round, and hobbit-like. The interior is actually pretty overwhelming at first: row after row of beautiful, handmade pottery.

The "Wizard" is actually one man, apparently a former high school social studies teacher, who moved to Bristol and set up shop making endless jars, vases, pie plates, picture frames, bowls, birdhouses, candle holders... the list is endless. In addition to the retail shop, the Wizard of Clay wholesales to art galleries, museums, and retail locations nationwide.

The sheer volume of inventory in the store was shocking; in addition, I was surprised to see that the hours were actually very accommodating. Wizard of Clay is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week, with only a few exceptions for holidays. The drive to the shop is beautiful, especially in the fall, and the handmade pieces make great gifts for anyone on your holiday shopping list or for birthdays, weddings, or whatever.

Definitely check out the full Wizard of Clay album. I couldn't stop snapping pictures so there are more than usual, but it's worth the extra minute to see this amazing work. And as a former pottery student, I was even more impressed (no, I am not posting photos of my own wretched handmade bowls).


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Bison Ranch

Quick note: I found a bison farm only a few miles from my house called Wild Side Ranch, LLC. Their website is a little outdated and I didn't see anything more recent when I googled, so Scott and I took a drive by to scope it out the other day. Here's what we saw:

Holy wild west! I haven't had a chance to try the meat yet, but hopefully will be able to soon.

Eat your local fruits and veggies (and meat!): Part 1

With wedding planning consuming my entire life, my blogging has been spotty at best. This one isn't going to redeem me for a month-plus of inactivity, but I wanted to take a quick moment to sing the praises of some local all-natural meat farms, the first blog in an installation that highlights meat farms, CSAs, and fruit farms as nature's bounty starts to rev into high gear during the harvest season.

As mentioned previously, Seven Bridges Farm in Lima is a fantastic source of all-natural beef. Patrons can order online or in person at the Rochester Public Market. Barrita and Jeff Shanks, the owners, are tremendously considerate people who care for their animals, the earth, and their customers possibly more than any other business owner I've met. On top of beef, Seven Bridges sells specialty meats including ham and pork, chicken, turkey, and other products from time to time.

Another great natural meat farm in the area is Kyle Farms, an all natural lamb farm in Avon. Although I haven't ordered from Kyle Farms yet, I have been following their blog for the past few weeks and am impressed with what they have to offer. To this point in my life, I haven't had great experiences with lamb (supermarket purchased, that is) and I am curious to try this local, all natural version and explore the differences.

Finally, Chicken Thistle Farm in Walworth NY embodies all that is good and right with local farming: fresh eggs; pasture-raised pork, chicken, and turkey; and a hearty CSA that provides fresh vegetables. Chicken Thistle Farm has a terrific web site and blog that even include how-to instructions for do-it-yourself farming. And you've got to love the live Coop Cam.

Start filling your freezer for a long winter today, and do it with fresh, natural, local meats. Check back soon (I promise!) for another installment in the series, Eat your local fruits and veggies (and meat!).

I'm on the lookout for a good, local bison farm. Any suggestions?

Need a cocktail? Try Edibles!

For obvious reasons, I'm always on the lookout for restaurants that serve locally grown, seasonal food. Likewise, I am always on the lookout for places that serve up killer cocktails. Luckily, Edibles Restaurant and Bar on University Avenue does both with style.

Edibles, nestled in the Neighborhood of the Arts next door to Starry Nites Cafe, Edibles has an immediate rustic charm derived from the exposed brick walls, the oddly shaped interior, and the tasteful furnishings, including the stuffed antique chairs in the bar area. Although the bar is small, it has a wide assortment of liquors and frankly, it has one of the best cocktail menus in the city. I prefer their pomegranate cosmo, a mix of Svedka Citron vodka, Rose's pomegranate, and cranberry juice that is just the right combination of sweet and dry. Recently, my lunch date ordered an orange mojito that received critical acclaim, and several months ago I took my cousin for cocktails, who enjoyed several gummy bear martinis (Bacardi Limon Rum, Svedka Raspberry Vodka, Southern Comfort, Peach Schnapps, cranberry juice, sour mix, and yes, gummy bears) before proclaiming it his new signature drink.

Once your palate has been tickled by a delicious beverage, move into the elegantly simple dining room for lunch or dinner. Many of the dinner items are fairly unique, including the starters Ukrainian borscht, lobster mac and cheese, and crispy duck drumettes. Edibles' entrees are very original, seasonally inspired, and favor local ingredients whenever possible. The 704 burger uses Lima-based Seven Bridges Farm grass-fed beef, a Public Market regular and one of our favorite neighbors.

Lunch is another adventure in deliciousness. My lunch date, Sheri, and I have been daydreaming endlessly about their amazing butternut squash soup, a perfectly flavored and textured bowl sprinkled with almond slivers that seems way too small once it's gone. Edibles also has a host of fresh salads with a variety of fruit and cheese toppings. Perhaps one of the most noteworthy items is the restaurant's tater tots, which are described on the menu as "porcini and truffle-dusted." Mmmmmm.

Last time I visited Edibles, I found the service to be a little slow at the lunch hour, but I have always found the bar staff to be cordial and engaging. Last time I frequented the bar with a friend, we were caught in a torrential downpour and had to wait it out in the bar area (oh, darn). Edibles is a great place for date night, cocktails, or lunch—check it out!

View the full Edibles Restaurant and Bar album


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What's your favorite cocktail? Drop a comment and share your secret recipe!

Rainy days and Mondays always get me... up?

When I was in about fifth grade, my family took a trip to Letchworth State Park. In between playing stupid word games with my sister and our cousin and getting extremely car sick in the back of my aunt and uncle's enormous conversion van, I remember looking out the window at the town of Mt. Morris and being largely unimpressed. Even as a 10-year-old, I couldn't understand how a town with a natural attraction like Letchworth and the Mt. Morris Dam could be so degenerate. From that point forward, I used to comment from time to time on how I should be the mayor of Mt. Morris. (I also thought I should be the mayor of Batavia, but that's a story for another post. And recently I've thought I should become the mayor of Canandaigua. But again, I digress...)

I don't make it down to Mt. Morris very often, but lately I've heard rumblings in the local media about positive changes to the village. So when a work event took me to Livingston County, I made a brief side stop in Mt. Morris to see for myself. I have to say, as a former top mayoral candidate, I'm quite impressed so far.

Change is definitely brewing in the village: transportation improvements and landscape design have added significant character to Main Street. Fewer empty storefronts make the village less of a ghost town and more interesting than I ever remember seeing it, even when I was a SUNY Geneseo student just five years ago. I stopped into a place I didn't remember seeing before, Rainy Days Cafe & Bakery, to grab a bite to eat before my meeting.

Rainy Days Cafe & Bakery was a freaking cool place to eat. First, it was about a month old when I was there, so everything was very new, clean (remember, I have germaphobe tendencies), and modern-looking. There were flat panel TVs combined with a grand piano and stone fireplaces. With two large rooms, Rainy Days Cafe & Bakery has plent of seating. The large windows and light decor made for a sunny atmosphere, even on a (fittingly) dismally grey, rainy day.

I ordered a typical delicious lunch by my standards, grilled cheese and a smoothie. I asked for wheat bread and cheddar cheese and opted for the banana smoothie. Now I think I've said this before: I like smoothies. And I have had some amazing ones in my day. But the banana smoothie at Rainy Day Cafe & Bakery was certainly in the running for one of the best. The grilled cheese was also delightful: not too soggy, but not overly toasted; perfect flavor with just the right amount of grease from the cheese; perfectly complimented with a firm and flavorful dill pickle. Even the chips, which I could normally do without, were fresh and salty.

Although I didn't indulge in a coffee, the cafe offers a wide assortment of coffee beverages as well as a full menu. My only hope is that they revise the napkins they offer. For a truly delicious meal, I need a real napkin, not a translucent 2" x 2" sheet that tears when pull it out of the dispenser. However, napkins aside, Rainy Days Cafe & Bakery is a great new endeavor that has all the makings of ongoing success. Check it out on your way to Letchworth State Park—and see what other changes are happening in Mt. Morris!

View the full Rainy Days Cafe & Bakery album


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WNY Locals is always recruiting guest bloggers! Leave a comment or email me to test the blogging waters.

WNYLocals... down on the farm

So I finished grad school and thought FOR SURE I'd have plenty of time for blogging, and it turns out I'm posting even less frequently than when I was writing my final research paper/final project/Christmas shopping/crying myself to sleep. Someone please hold me accountable for this.

One reason for my lack of effort of late is my new endeavor: horseback riding. My fiance and I started taking lessons at Wynn Farms in Lima/Livonia and we could not be happier with our experience to this point. We're both trotting—although our posting is still very shaky—and we look forward to our bimonthly lessons. However, our amazing instructor recently informed us that our shoes... well, sucked. This revelation led me to the Barn Door Tack Shop.

Beyond the facts that they're big and beautiful, I don't know anything about horses. So walking into a tack shop made me feel kind of like I felt walking into Millenium Games—waaay out of my league. Luckily, the counter worker at the Barn Door was incredibly cool. I basically told her I needed help and she did the shopping for me. New boots? Check. Ventilated, adjustable helmet? Check. Extremely cool riding jacket? Uncheck, but it was a close call.

My only disappointment was finding out that I didn't need to get the knee-high riding boots because they're only used for shows and crazy things like this, which is not quite my skill level. So I bought some geeky ankle high boots that were only $30.

The Barn Door has a lot of other cool equestrian gear, including saddles and other tack, crops, bell boots, fly spray, and more. There is a wide assortment of riding apparel for women, although they did not have as much of a selection for men.

As far as I can tell, the Barn Door doesn't have a web site, which is a bit irritating, but they've been in business for 10 years so they must be doing something right without one. They are located in the Mark's Plaza on Pittsford-Palmyra Road in Fairport. I was most impressed by the casual-helpful demeanor of the salesperson and the vast array of items for a woman rider my size. And by the Barn Door dog who never moved a muscle while I was there.

So now when I go back to the barn, I will be dressed smartly and look like a true equestrienne. And I can sneak into the back stall to pet Nugget, one of two new foals born at Wynn Farms this spring. Adorable!!!

View the full Barn Door album

Special thanks to my ace photographer Abbey Divens, who roamed the store and shot while I shopped.


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Do you have a hobby that takes you to specialty stores in western New York? Let me know about them!