Food + Beverage

Rochester's Roadside Legends

Hand-Pressed, Hand-Sliced, Hand-Me-Down: The Recipes Rochester Never Let Go Of Article by Katrina M. Randall | Photography by Jonathan Keyes Every regional food comes with an origin story that no one quite remembers—until you go looking. A sauce that can’t be beat. A burger named after its creator until Hollywood came calling to borrow it. A dish with so many copycats there’s too many to count. Onion rings hand-sliced and battered fresh daily, next to burgers still hand-pressed in a Pyrex pie...

Food + Beverage

Breaking Chocolate Bars

How One Square of Chocolate Became a Decade-Long Practice in Presence and Rest Article by Katrina M. Randall | Photography by Rebecca Davidson For most people, the idea of eating cheesecake every day may sound delicious, but it’s not realistic. That’s what Melissa Mueller-Douglas’s friends told her when she brought them together on her 30th birthday in a rented yoga studio to test an inspired idea on a trusted circle. She led her friends through a mindfulness practice, rewarding themselves...

Food + Beverage

The Personal Touch

Personal Chefs and Curated Dining Experiences on the Rise Article by Marie Gillette | Photography by Warren McGrail and Submitted A special-occasion dinner generally means making a reservation at a favorite restaurant, while a busy weeknight might call for takeout. Increasingly, however, diners want restaurant-quality food but with privacy, flexibility, and personalized experiences. The personal chef industry reflects that shift. According to Grand View Research, the global industry was...

Life + Culture

Growing Leaders, Not Just Gardens

Inside the Rochester Nonprofit Turning Garden Beds Into a Training Ground for Civic Leadership. Article by Katrina M. Randall | Photography by Submitted Of the 44 teenagers who spent this summer working in gardens connected to Taproot Collective, maybe one will grow up to be a farmer. But that’s fine with Nathaniel Mich, the organization’s executive director. The goal has never been to inspire more farmers, but to give local youth the opportunity to build skills, understand their stake in the...