We hope you all had a great Thanksgiving celebration yesterday. Joe and I hosted our families at our place for the celebration, and everyone had a great time. (Living in an apartment makes this a bit of a challenge, but we've managed to pull it off for three years now!)
Once you're out of your food coma, you may want to begin your Christmas shopping. You may have begun earlier today--or even last night--so if malls and big box stores are your thing, you'll probably skip over this entry. If you're sane, like me and Joe, and you don't want to get into a fight over a waffle iron, you're probably staying in today or at least staying as far away from anything retail-related as possible. Today is Buy Nothing Day, after all! (As another alternative, if you're unlucky, you were working today. I hope that you were treated nicely and that you're getting some rest now!)
Tomorrow is the continuation of Buy Nothing Day, but it's also a day when some plan to support small and local businesses. Rochester has so many great local businesses that it's hard to list them all, but they are definitely deserving of your hard-earned dough. Here is a list of some of our favorites. Think of it as our Rochester Gift Guide!
Parkleigh
Parkleigh is on the corner of Park and Goodman in the city, and they're known for some of their high-end gifts and jewelry. They also carry Vera Bradley purses and accessories (great for moms and grandmoms!), luxury cosmetics and bath supplies, and delicious gourmet coffees, teas, and chocolates. They even have cute toys and gifts for the kid or inner child in your life!
Record Archive
If you're in your twenties or thirties, you probably remember seeing this store advertised on TV during Saturday morning cartoons; it's kind of hard to forget a guy dressed as a giant record! Even if you're not into collecting records (although I am), the Record Archive has all kinds of kitschy gifts, t-shirts, and even art. They have plenty of DVDs and (yes) CDs and records for the film buff or music fan in your life! Check them out at 33 1/3 Rockwood St. (how cool is that address?).
Lift Bridge Book Shop
Not only does this great little store in Brockport carry plenty of books--they also have games for all ages along the back of the store. Lift Bridge is the perfect place to find something for any kids you may have in your family (especially if you're in the market for something educational or interactive). (While you're visiting Lift Bridge on Brockport's Main Street, be sure to check out the other shops in the area. You can find antiques, clothing, comics, and more!)
ARTISANworks
Artisan Works doesn't just host great events and have a gallery that's unparalleled in the Rochester area, but they also sell gifts and original art pieces. Resident artist Mark Groaning has a studio inside the gallery where he sells jewelry and stained-glass housewares in addition to his paintings and sculptures. If buying art isn't your thing, or it's out of your price range, consider a membership for you or a loved one as a gift this holiday season to support this wonderful organization! You can find them at 565 Blossom Rd.
Village Gate Square
Want to do your shopping all under one roof without going to the mall? Check out Village Gate Square at 274 N. Goodman St. for vintage clothing, books, records, and collectibles, or pick up a gift certificate to one of their fabulous restaurants (Salena's, Lento, Gate House, and California Rollin')--a great couple's gift!
Beers of the World
Beer! Need we say more? With this store, you get exactly what's on the label: beer from countries all over the world as well as those from microbreweries around the US. You can create a custom six-pack or pick up a gift card. You can even get home brew supplies there! From experience, I can tell you that this place has plenty of great gifts for boyfriends, husbands, and dads (but the female beer drinkers and amateurs brewers in your life may like the place, too).
We hope you find what you want to give for the holidays with our guide! Have a great holiday season! Be sure to tell us what your favorite Rochester area business are in the comments or on Facebook!
Jen and Joe
Friday, November 25, 2011
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Review: The Old Toad - 9/4/11
Has it been a while since we’ve had a review on here? Sadly, it has. Life gets in the way sometimes. How about this warm November weather we’ve been having, though, right? Who can think of sitting at the computer when we have such surprisingly great weather for this time of the year?
We hope you enjoyed our last list, which was a unique guide to dating (or just hanging out) in Rochester. If you have any extra ideas, send them our way, and we can always put together a Volume 2 for the Date Guide. With the holidays coming up, we're bound to have more suggestions for you!
Back in September, Joe and I went to a place I’d been wanting to try for a long while, but I had put it off thinking that they wouldn’t have much in the way of vegetarian fare. Being a bit of an Anglophile (that is, somebody who loves all things British), I was intrigued by The Old Toad for quite some time. Much of their restaurant either comes from Britain (like the bar) or is heavily influenced by the classic English pub. They bill themselves as “a pub from over there, over here.” Even their staff members hail from across the pond!
Joe and I went on a somewhat gray Sunday afternoon for a late lunch (or perhaps early dinner?). This place was on our “to try” list for a while, and after viewing the menu on the pub’s website, we ventured out that day. I loved the charm—and I don’t use that word often—of the place as soon as I set foot in the door. From the Penny Lane sign near the entrance (Beatles fan here!) to the homey feel of the cute cushioned benches, the atmosphere immediately makes you feel at ease. Since we were there early, we probably didn’t get the full effect of the place on its busier evenings (when they host pub trivia games and sometimes even a Beatles tribute band). Something I also found refreshing was the lack of big flat TVs (or tellys here) all over the place blasting sports or news (or both) at you while you’re trying to have a relaxing meal or a night on the town. Could every place just do away with those? Our experience at The Old Toad certainly didn't suffer from having no screens around.
Since we were there fairly early, we got right in, but we noticed that several tables had cards on them showing that they were reserved for dinner (many for 8:00, likely for pub trivia shortly after that!). Our booth was a small corner near the bar, which I thought was sort of cute. Our waitress was British, likely a student (since The Old Toad recruits them to work there). The bar must have been freshly waxed because Joe and I could smell it when we arrived. We ordered our food and drinks shortly after while some Brit rock-sounding bands played quietly overhead.
Joe ordered a Brooklyn Brown Ale to drink while I had a Fuller’s London Pride. Joe didn’t really like the Brooklyn Brown much and described it as skunky, so he ordered a Guinness afterwards. This, he said, was much better, even if a bit warm like the Brits prefer it. My beer, actually British, was delicious; after all, why order domestic in a place like this?
For dinner each of us ordered Shepherd’s Pie, but with one obvious difference if you’ve been keeping up with this blog. Joe had a traditional Shepherd’s Pie; mine was an Old Toad specialty of vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie (something I didn’t think existed). Joe’s dish, as he said, was well-executed. The mashed potatoes in both of ours were definitely homemade—none of that packaged stuff. However, Joe said the bottom of his dish lacked the gravy it was supposed to come with. Perhaps it was too early in their service to make a fresh gravy? (Vegetarian here, so I could be totally off base.) He also said there was some oregano in it, which might be okay for most people, but Joe is adamantly opposed to using oregano in his cooking. He added Worcestershire sauce in order to add a bit of saltiness to the dish.
For me, this was the first time I had never eaten a dish like this before, even back when I ate meat a decade ago. It was a definitely a sort of comfort food. The mashed potatoes were delicious and the meatless crumbles were cooked perfectly. My dish actually seemed to have more cheese than Joe’s did, which was a bit too much, but not bad. My dish also plenty of spice to it, and unlike Joe’s, I thought it had enough salt (not too much but not too little either). Maybe the meatless crumbles, as they were referred to on the menu, added those flavors, or perhaps Joe has a more sensitive palate than me (okay, he definitely does when it comes to spices, but in a good way). Overall, I thought the meal was delicious, and our server was quick and attentive.
As for our review, it’s tough to come up with a number here. Since I don’t really want to give out half stars (it’s all or nothing), I almost feel that this place would get a 4.5 overall. Joe gave a 3.5 (3 or so for the meal and a bit extra for the atmosphere). Since I, however, am a biased anglophile and a vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie first-timer, I would give it a 4.5. For now, though, we’ll go with a tentative 4 stars since we were there at a more relaxed time. If we go back sometime for a pub trivia night, I have a feeling that rating will go up!
Rating: 4 stars
We hope you enjoyed our last list, which was a unique guide to dating (or just hanging out) in Rochester. If you have any extra ideas, send them our way, and we can always put together a Volume 2 for the Date Guide. With the holidays coming up, we're bound to have more suggestions for you!
 |
| The outside of The Old Toad |
Back in September, Joe and I went to a place I’d been wanting to try for a long while, but I had put it off thinking that they wouldn’t have much in the way of vegetarian fare. Being a bit of an Anglophile (that is, somebody who loves all things British), I was intrigued by The Old Toad for quite some time. Much of their restaurant either comes from Britain (like the bar) or is heavily influenced by the classic English pub. They bill themselves as “a pub from over there, over here.” Even their staff members hail from across the pond!
 |
| Penny Lane is in my ears and in my eyes |
Joe and I went on a somewhat gray Sunday afternoon for a late lunch (or perhaps early dinner?). This place was on our “to try” list for a while, and after viewing the menu on the pub’s website, we ventured out that day. I loved the charm—and I don’t use that word often—of the place as soon as I set foot in the door. From the Penny Lane sign near the entrance (Beatles fan here!) to the homey feel of the cute cushioned benches, the atmosphere immediately makes you feel at ease. Since we were there early, we probably didn’t get the full effect of the place on its busier evenings (when they host pub trivia games and sometimes even a Beatles tribute band). Something I also found refreshing was the lack of big flat TVs (or tellys here) all over the place blasting sports or news (or both) at you while you’re trying to have a relaxing meal or a night on the town. Could every place just do away with those? Our experience at The Old Toad certainly didn't suffer from having no screens around.
 |
| Awesome bar! |
Since we were there fairly early, we got right in, but we noticed that several tables had cards on them showing that they were reserved for dinner (many for 8:00, likely for pub trivia shortly after that!). Our booth was a small corner near the bar, which I thought was sort of cute. Our waitress was British, likely a student (since The Old Toad recruits them to work there). The bar must have been freshly waxed because Joe and I could smell it when we arrived. We ordered our food and drinks shortly after while some Brit rock-sounding bands played quietly overhead.
Joe ordered a Brooklyn Brown Ale to drink while I had a Fuller’s London Pride. Joe didn’t really like the Brooklyn Brown much and described it as skunky, so he ordered a Guinness afterwards. This, he said, was much better, even if a bit warm like the Brits prefer it. My beer, actually British, was delicious; after all, why order domestic in a place like this?
For dinner each of us ordered Shepherd’s Pie, but with one obvious difference if you’ve been keeping up with this blog. Joe had a traditional Shepherd’s Pie; mine was an Old Toad specialty of vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie (something I didn’t think existed). Joe’s dish, as he said, was well-executed. The mashed potatoes in both of ours were definitely homemade—none of that packaged stuff. However, Joe said the bottom of his dish lacked the gravy it was supposed to come with. Perhaps it was too early in their service to make a fresh gravy? (Vegetarian here, so I could be totally off base.) He also said there was some oregano in it, which might be okay for most people, but Joe is adamantly opposed to using oregano in his cooking. He added Worcestershire sauce in order to add a bit of saltiness to the dish.
 |
| Joe's Shepherd's Pie |
 |
| My Shepherd's Pie |
For me, this was the first time I had never eaten a dish like this before, even back when I ate meat a decade ago. It was a definitely a sort of comfort food. The mashed potatoes were delicious and the meatless crumbles were cooked perfectly. My dish actually seemed to have more cheese than Joe’s did, which was a bit too much, but not bad. My dish also plenty of spice to it, and unlike Joe’s, I thought it had enough salt (not too much but not too little either). Maybe the meatless crumbles, as they were referred to on the menu, added those flavors, or perhaps Joe has a more sensitive palate than me (okay, he definitely does when it comes to spices, but in a good way). Overall, I thought the meal was delicious, and our server was quick and attentive.
As for our review, it’s tough to come up with a number here. Since I don’t really want to give out half stars (it’s all or nothing), I almost feel that this place would get a 4.5 overall. Joe gave a 3.5 (3 or so for the meal and a bit extra for the atmosphere). Since I, however, am a biased anglophile and a vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie first-timer, I would give it a 4.5. For now, though, we’ll go with a tentative 4 stars since we were there at a more relaxed time. If we go back sometime for a pub trivia night, I have a feeling that rating will go up!
Rating: 4 stars
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