A coffee shop to open, a diner to close

Hello friends,

This is the time of year when most people are thinking about Halloween, but food writers are full-on into Thanksgiving and the various holidays.

To that end, I am working on a story about the tradition of saying grace, or another kind of blessing, over the Thanksgiving meal. I would love to represent many cultures and traditions (both spiritual and secular). Do you have a special tradition that you'd be willing to share? If so, please email me at TracyS@Gannett.com.

Now, onto the latest food news:

19th Ward coffee 

Bicycle Brothers will open at 162 Arnett Blvd. this weekend. It is worth a visit, if only to check out the murals from graffiti artist Cruk, best known for his work with The FUA Krew. 

It will serve coffee and espresso beverages from Joe Bean Roasters. Baked goods will be made from scratch, and gluten-free options are planned.

It will serve free drip coffee and bagels and host musical performances Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 23 and 24.

Here are the details.

Webster diner to close

Time to get one last burger, turkey dinner or eggs Benedict. Maa's Diner in Webster will close at the end of the month.

The family-owned restaurant, 2215 Empire Blvd., will permanently shutter on Oct. 31, the owners announced over the weekend on social media, citing "unforeseen circumstances" in relation to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Here are the details.

Genesee Brewing retrospective

If you're a subscriber and haven't read it yet, Will Cleveland did a deep dive into the history of Genesee Brewery, the state's oldest and still one of the 10 largest breweries in the country. It has been producing beer in Rochester since the late 1800s, and its beers are as iconic to the city's food and drinks scene as Nick Tahou's Garbage Plate or Zweigle's hot dogs.

Read it here.

A Garbage ... bowl?

It's usually fun to see Rochester's culinary mascot get some national attention, but the most recent article completely missed the mark.

Salon ran a story and recipe that called for a frozen potato of your choice — it used tots — served alongside mac salad and topped with ground meat enlivened with a tablespoon of tomato paste and pinches of cumin and paprika. This conglomeration was served in a bowl and garnished with scallions. 

Rochesterians took umbrage and commented on Twitter about the errors in the story. 

For me, a plate is a flexible thing. I will go out on a limb and say that tots are a delicious substitution for home fries, if they are deep fried and crunchy. The recipe did not include a protein of some kind on top, which is a serious omission.

But where this recipe went terribly wrong was that it described meat hot sauce as a cross between bolognese and a sloppy joe, which is absolutely incorrect. It is a HOT sauce, and its closest cousin is Cincinnati chili (not to mention that ground meat with a little bit of tomato sauce and a pinch of a couple spices wouldn't have much flavor at all).

If you want to read some quality Garbage Plate content and you're a subscriber, we did a deep dive in March:

• Why Rochester can't afford to lose Nick Tahou Hots delves into its history of Nick Tahou's and why it holds a special place in our hearts.

• How the Garbage Plate became Rochester's culinary muse has lots of variations on the plate, but none as offensive as the Salon story.

• A guy who eats a plate a day — and he's still ticking.

Hope you have a delicious week!

Tracy Schuhmacher, food, drink and culture reporter

Until next week, here's where you can keep up with Rochester's food scene:

RocFlavors section of the D&C

My Twitter: @rahchachow

My Instagram: @rahchachow

My Facebook page: facebook.com/RahChaChow

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