Life + Culture

More Than a Holiday Food Drive

How a Modest Goal to Feed 10 Families Grew Into a Nonprofit Organization Providing Steady Support for Rochester’s Food Pantries Article by Sarah Keeler | Photography by Submitted In 2019, Dana and Brian Mayeu, working through The Mayeu Financial Group in Fairport, gave themselves a modest task: provide Thanksgiving meals for local families. The couple launched a food drive that exceeded its goal, providing holiday meals for 15 families at risk of food insecurity. The next year, it was 30. This...

Arts + Culture

The Healing Canvas

Artist Michelle Roberts on How Painting Helped her Rebuild, and Why Every Piece She Sells Has a Story Article by Katrina M. Randall | Photography by Submitted Michelle Roberts has been creative for as long as she can remember, whether it was drawing, building, or even serving as an interior designer for her Barbie dolls. She took one oil painting class in college, but it would be years before painting became more than a hobby. Around the time the pandemic hit, Roberts was working as a...

Food + Beverage

Hospitality Starts Here

At Carmella's Wine Bar, owner Joseph Lapi Says the Warmth Guests Feel Starts With How His Team Treats Each Other Article by Staff | Photography by Submitted For Joseph Lapi, owner of Carmella's Wine Bar at Schoen Place in Pittsford, hospitality means more than making customers feel welcome, and it begins with his team. That sentiment shows up in the culture he has built and in how the team looks out for one another, resulting in a genuinely supportive environment. We spoke with Lapi about the...

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...

Education

Conversations That Save Lives

You Never Know What Someone Is Going Through Article by Sarah Keeler | Photography by Submitted We often hear about organizations and people building awareness around important causes, but it's the impact that awareness creates that's most profound. Samantha Standing, area director for the Western New York American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), points to a story shared by one of the chapter's board members as an example of how education can change lives. After learning about...

Style + Beauty

Worth a Second Look

How Sarah Pavia Built a Rochester Boutique on Sustainability, Style, and Second Chances Article by Katrina M. Randall | Photography by Submitted Ever since Sarah Pavia was a little girl, she's loved the thrill of the hunt—thrifting, hunting down hidden treasures, and of course, a good bargain. When she decided to share her passion for pre-loved finds on a blog as an adult, she found an audience that soon began asking if her finds were for sale. That's when she started selling online. But a...

Style + Beauty

A Business Built on Love

Stella Jones, of Stella's Bridal, Built a Business on Risk, Resilience, and the Belief That Women Deserve to he Seen Article by Katrina M. Randall | Photography by Stella's Bridal When Stella Jones was only 21 years old, she was approved for $25,000 on a Discover credit card and promptly maxed it out to make a dream come true: opening her own bridal shop. Her shop first opened its doors in the town of Leroy, followed by a second location in Pittsford, which she opened in the thick of COVID...