VA - Lynchburg, Virginia

Our adventure begins on a warm Wednesday morning; 9am.. so really it's a pretty late start for a road trip. My parents have a mutual friend they lost contact with about 15 or so years ago. He found them again after all this time, asked for some help with his new restaurant, and we were on our way. 10 hours later (the estimated time of traveling was 8.5hours...) we finally arrive in Lynchburg, Virginia. Cue the restaurant!

LOCATION: 20722 TIMBERLAKE RD, LYNCHBURG, VA 24502

Saigon Palace has been going pretty strong for about 2 years (or so that's what I've been told). The owner is my mom's 'foster brother' from their childhood days back in Vietnam. He's my late uncle's best friend, sharing the same name and I'm sure the same trouble making history. Turns out this guy is also the reason my parents met. Without him, I literally wouldn't be born. Thanks dude. 

10 hours in a car with my mom who likes to drive 62mph in a 65 zone the whole way, while my dad insists that the gps and lying - all over the sound of Vietnamese music blasting in the background. We arrive to salvation (kind of) and 'Uncle' Hung, as I call him, gives each of us a bowl of Pho Bo, or beef noodle soup. Now I'm more of a chicken soup kinda kid but I'm not one to complain, and pho is good no matter what protein is in it so I'm good to go. 

Obviously, I'm biased - but to me, this is a damn good bowl of pho; and I grew up eating pho quite often. Salvation in a bowl that fills you up every single time. This is home in a bowl.   

ROC - GRAPPA

My list is becoming helpful! Now whenever someone wants to go out to dinner I send them a picture of my list for suggestions and leave the rest to them. The indecisive person's guide to making other people choose for you.

Which leads me to GRAPPA!

LOCATION: 30 CELEBRATION DR., ROCHESTER, NY 14620

I went out to dinner with my friend Rob and he liked the sound of GRAPPA, and thus we were off! GRAPPA is actually attached to the Hilton Hotel and we entered in through the hotel lobby to the restaurant. A bit drafty with extremely high ceilings which make for interesting acoustics. This place was beautiful. Very modern with super clean lines and lots of smooth hard surfaces. There's an outdoor patio where you can sit and a cute little bar in the center of the restaurant. We were seated inside (kind of wish I brought a sweater!) and we could see the kitchen from where we were. Very cool feeling and a great experience.

I ordered the orecchiette bolognese which had an amazing meat sauce topped with fresh parm. Delicious. I almost ate the whole plate but believe me, I was super happy to have the leftovers the next day. Rob ordered the smoked mozzarella ravioli which I had a bite of. Also really great and the mozzarella filling had an incredible smokey flavor. More cheese than I was in the mood for at that time so I'm happy with my decision but I'm pretty sure he was also happy with his. 

Super nice place. Beautiful and pretty classy. I wish I got more dressed up, but that probably would've been better if we went later in the night. Would for sure go back!    

ROC - TRATA

LOCATION: 145 CULVER RD, ROCHESTER, NY 14620

That's right! I finally made it to TRATA! Julia asked me to go out to dinner with her last night and it was beautiful. The architecture there is, of course, incredible and this place is 2 floors of beautiful decor and really cool rustic lighting fixtures with a great rooftop bar. On such a nice night, Julia definitely wanted to have dinner on the roof and I was in. The only thing is that TRATA has a great bar for people in their late 20s, early 30s. We definitely felt too young to be there and ever so slightly, underdressed. 

This place is a little pricier but the menu is good. There were a few things on the large plates section that caught my eye but being outside, on a really warm day, I decided on a dinner salad instead. Keeping it cool and fresh. I ordered the grilled calamari salad which came out and was really good. It was a baby kale salad with grape tomatoes, mandarin oranges, cucumbers, marcona almonds, and asiago in a ginger-peach vinaigrette. The vinagrette-asiago combo was a great surprise with a sweet kick that matched the mandarin oranges very well. The ratio of veggies to calamari was great and the calamari itself was cooked well. Not too chewy and very fresh. It was perfect. 

Of course dinner with Julia wouldn't be a really good time unless we were at least a little weird. And Julia always lives up to it. She looks at the menu and being the picky eater that she is decides the Salmon Salad looks great. If only it weren't made with salmon. Thats right. Julia orders the salmon salad. Without salmon. Instead she asks if she can switch it with chicken, and the waitress says of course, and Julia does her happy dance, and I'm cracking up. Dinner is good. We also have a fun time post dinner trying to figure out what kind of nuts were in my salad because the menu's are gone and we have no idea. We spend the next 15 minutes on our phones searching the all knowing google for tree nuts. Apparently they're marcona almonds. We're smart. Always a fun time with the two of us.  

ROC - McCann's Local Meats

LOCATION: 730 SOUTH CLINTON AVE, ROCHESTER, NY 14620

Typically, Friday's are half days for me here at Wegmans and this week was a super half day with me getting out at 1. This meant that I didn't take a lunch and decided that I would work straight until I got out then get lunch after. I was planning on going somewhere but pulled into the parking lot and it turned out, they're temporarily closed. Thus my Friday lunch adventure began and came to a screeching halt! Empty stomach and all I decided that I would just look for a new place on my list that I could check out on my own.

Cue McCann's Local Meats. Right around the corner from where I was, I went to go check it out. McCann's is like a warehouse/shipping container kinda hybrid that beyond cool. Meats of all kinds hanging in refrigerators with windows facing customers, glass cases stocked full of a variety of cuts, this place is minimalistic in a wonderful way.

I walked up to the counter where others were ordering foods and saw a sign for the lunch special of the day which happened to be The McC. I Swear I lucked out because this was perfect. The McC is a burger coarse-ground right there at the meat market with lettuce, tomato, thinly sliced onions and pickles (perfect really), and topped with cheese. I added a little mayo on top (condiments might slowly be growing on me after all these years...) and ordered a side of their Beef Fat Fries. And boy and I glad I did.

Let me just say, that the drive home with this takeout in my car was pretty much torture. I was so hungry and this food smelled amazing I should've just eaten it there. This burger was cooked perfectly, just the way I wanted it. The melted cheese on top was fantastic and the ratio of shaved onions and pickles was on point. I don't know how they do it, but it was the best burger ever. Now, the burger is the special of the day, but you can add sides for $1.00 each which works great. They have a really wide selection which was fantastic. Of corse I went for the signature beef fat fries which are actually $4.00 but believe me, they're worth it. These are the best fries I've had in a super long time. I don't know how they do it and just to preserve the magic of it, I don't want to know. But these fries tasted like childhood and I never wanted it to stop. May just go back for the fries. Honestly. 

McCann's gets a 10/10. The perfect spur of the moment burger. I need to stay up to date on their instagram to catch it again next time it's the daily special.  

ROC - Aunt Rosie's Cafe and Bistro

Megan is back in town!!!! And this means I have a lunch buddy even when my regular lunch buddies are away or busy. So, she agreed to have lunch with me and I gave her my list to see if she liked anything and she chose Aunt Rosie's! 

LOCATION: 350 EAST MAIN ST. ROCHESTER, NY 14606

Aunt Rosie's is this cute place right in the middle of the city which a clean open feel and great space. Of course we got there and the whole place was full of business professionals on their lunch breaks which was slightly hilarious to us, but I supposed for the day I am one of them! 

First off I ordered the daily aranchini as an appetizer for the two of us to share. For being a fried rice ball, it was super light and fresh. They made it with citrus and fresh herbs, topped lightly with cheese. It was a fantastic combination and the flavor was super clean and mild which was actually really cool. As a main course Megan ordered a chicken panino and I got wild mushrooms in polenta with parmesan topped with a fried egg. I swear - anything topped with a fried runny egg is my kind of dish. It was beautiful. The flavors were so fresh and clean and I loved the rich wild mushroom flavor. I'm not sure that I've ever tried polenta so this was my chance and it has a pretty neutral flavor but a slightly grainy texture. Honestly, I'm feeling I'm more of a mashed potatoes texture kinda person. At least I tried! 

Megan and I both agreed - cute place, good food, go us. Proud of our decision!