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Fresh mountain air eases through the windows, ushering in the kind of calm that makes for a perfect nap. But I only close my eyes for five minutes before a beckoning in the distance shatters my peace. The shouting gets closer: “AUNTIE TAY!” I giggle as my five-year-old niece, Mae Mae, sprints toward my bedroom, repeating my name the whole…
1.01.2026
If you’ve spent a winter in Rochester, you know the struggle. The gray skies linger, the wind bites, and sunlight becomes a rumor. By February, even the hardiest locals start daydreaming about someplace warm, vibrant, and lively. Luckily, such a destination now exists right in the city—and you don’t even have to pack any bags. Easy Sailor, a tiki-inspired bar…
1.01.2026
(585) photographers Michael Hanlon, Renée Veniskey, and Tomas Flint Who doesn’t love a good stiff drink on a snowy January evening? The photographers at (585) sure do. Each was asked to pick his or her favorite cocktail in the Rochester area—their go-to, ride or die. . . their hygge drink of choice. Of course, it’s hard to pick just one…
1.01.2026
Trudging through the snow during a Western New York winter is better when your destination is fireside. An old-fashioned bonfire can feed your soul when you’re longing for sunshine and warmer weather, and outdoor relaxation can help break up the monotonous feeling of cold, dark, and wet days as exposure to daylight and sunshine is reduced mid-winter in the (585).…
1.01.2026
There’s a raw honesty to a farm-to-table restaurant in January.  For nearly two decades, chef Art Rogers has transformed the bounty of our region into something extraordinary. His restaurant Lento, tucked in the Village Gate Square, has become the unofficial embassy of the Finger Lakes agricultural scene. The menu reads like a roll call of farming’s local celebrities—duck from the…
1.01.2026
Dr. Keisha N. Blain is an acclaimed historian, Brown University professor, and best-selling author. Her new book, Without Fear: Black Women and the Making of Human Rights, tells the stories of Black women who were at the forefront of movements for social change, including several whose place in history is being unveiled for the very first time. Fannie Barrier Williams,…
1.01.2026
My husband, Mike, and I moved into the historic DeLand House in the village of Fairport in October 2018. The home we left behind, a perfectly nice 1970s colonial in Perinton, had all the basics most people look for: central air, reliable electricity, and decent plumbing. Our “new” house, built in 1856, greeted us with quite the opposite: knob-and-tube wiring…
1.01.2026
Volcanic soil is rich in minerals that can nurture plants. For one innovative and dedicated husband-and-wife team, that fertile soil can also be turned into handmade pigments, and those pigments can be turned into stunning works of art. Hayley Dayis and Alexander Fals of Foraged Pigment Art occupy a unique place in the contemporary art scene. The couple splits their…
1.01.2026
Lift Bridge Yarns is more than just a yarn store. It is a hub for the fiber arts community to gather, a rare third space where people come to connect, converse, and create. Lift Bridge began just four months before the pandemic hit, founded by two friends, Dawn Verdugo and Jessie McNaughton. The store sits along the Erie Canal in…
1.01.2026
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Breaking bread: The story of Pittsford’s decades-strong dinner group

Breaking bread among family, friends and neighbors dates back centuries and is likely the most globally ubiquitous form of social gatherings. From street block parties to town picnics to dinner clubs, nothing seems to bring us together more than good fare and drink. Food is clearly the focal point of planning and often the topic …

How sweet it is

Paula Stadtmiller and Philip Duquette met by chance in 1987. The duo, owners of Premier Pastry on South Avenue in Rochester, both happened to have jobs at what was once a fixture for premium desserts, Crème de la Crème on Alexander Street. Classically trained chef Stadtmiller—hired as the café’s pastry chef—and Duquette—an optical engineer looking …

Cooler than cool

One integral ingredient to a sophisticated drink—often overlooked—is premium ice. Not the cracked and cloudy variety. Ralph DiTucci, founder of Cristallino Premium Ice, aims for crystal-clear cubes (or spheres) with no lines, clouding, or imperfections.  “When you’re spending $10 to $12 for a cocktail, you want the best possible version. A premium drink with premium ice should make you feel special when …

The Blue Gardenia: Ground zero for the Rochester mob’s Alphabet War

Soldiers of fortune will tell you—you’ve got to go where the war is. The same is true for pro killers. That’s why on December 17, 1981, Joseph “Mad Dog” Sullivan found himself on the Thruway in his peach-colored Caddy, heading toward Rochester. Here was where the war was. Sullivan was already a legend, deadly and …

The East Avenue Grocery Run

Since 2010, on the first Saturday in November, the annual East Avenue Grocery Run 5K race brings runners, volunteers, and sponsors together to raise money for local food cupboards and emergency meal programs. Food insecurity is a pervasive problem affecting children, adults, and senior citizens. If you aren’t familiar with the term, consider yourself lucky. …

Fruit on the vine

Wine aficionados in the (585) who enjoy the many tastes and varieties that the Finger Lakes has to offer may not be familiar with another wine-producing region, located in the northwestern part of Pennsylvania, known as Lake Erie Wine Country. LEWC comprises 30,000 contiguous acres of vineyards and is the largest grape-growing region east of …

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