Finger Lakes Region
The Top 5 Fine Dining Establishments…
Here are our Top 5 places to go when you want to have the best food money can buy…
Maillard Club - Corning
We have eaten at many fine dining establishments and had 3, 4, or 7 course pairing meals, but our experience at the Maillard Club set the bar much higher! We had a 13-course pairing meal that started with Caviar and Creme Fraiche and ended a couple of hours later with a full belly and a big smile on our faces! Chef Chris Bates is not only a phenomenal cook, he also kept us entertained and informed about the endless courses that just kept coming! Of course there were great wine pairings from around the world that were perfect with each course. We have to say that this is one of the best meals that we have ever had. If you like fine dining, you definitely have to put this on your “must do” list!
Tournedos - Rochester
Besides the elegance of this fine dining restaurant and bar that is nestled into an upscale boutique hotel in downtown Rochester, something else awaits - the best steaks in the area and perhaps all of New York. The steaks are dry aged on premises or prime Waygu Beef. Not to downplay the dry aged, but the Waygu Beef is like biting into a slice of heaven. Meals are served ala carte and the wonderful sides include our fave - an amazing Creamed Spinach. For the tame ones or those preferring a comfort food for a side, we suggest the Pancetta Home Fries or the Parmesan Seasoned Onion Rings with Cajun Mayonnaise. The beverage pairings for each course appropriately high-end, but if you order the 40 year-old Port to pair with your Creme Brulee, be prepared for a bit of a sticker shock.
FLX Table - Geneva
Imagine sitting with 12 total strangers at a communal table for a 5 Course Pairing meal that ends 6 hours later at the bar next door with 12 friends who you have pledged to have dinner again with soon. That was our experience at FLX Table. With only two serving times each evening, the experience is unlike any other meal that we have had. A camaraderie and comfort with your co-diners and staff develops quickly as you are all immersed in a culinary bubble with incredible food, exquisite wines, and great conversation. The meal is different every week, with five courses of savory treats that are unique to the evening. Seasonal vegetables topped with a loaf of bread for each couple along with 3 butter choices to slather on the homemade treat, Japanese oysters with a tasty sauce to alleviate any fishy flavor, and mousse topped with Pop Rocks to finish the experience. Those were three of the highlights of the best meal we have ever had in the Finger Lakes area.
Black & Blue - Pittsford
In 2005 the first Black and Blue Restaurant opened in the wealthiest suburb of Rochester - Pittsford. Right from the beginning it was a very upscale dining experience with great options for Steak and Seafood (hence the name Black and Blue). We have eaten there numerous times and the crab is the best in the Finger Lakes region and the steak is a close 2nd behind Tournedos. It isn’t cheap, but it is worth the price. Oysters, lobster, crab, shrimp - yes, yes, yes, and yes. All very fresh, all very good. In fact, the only place that we’ve had better crab was at a restaurant in Seattle that had the crab flown in from Alaska that day. Black & Blue’s success has allowed them to open additional restaurants in Buffalo, Albany, and Burlington, MA, but we will only put them in the “Best of” list for Rochester because that is where it all began.
Velvet Belly - Rochester
This is truly a unique and fantastic restaurant. The best way to characterize it is gourmet Seafood Asian Fusion. The ambience here is fresh and modern just like the food. Like most great restaurants, the wine and digestif options were spot on. The sushi had a twist - the perfect amount of wasabi already added to our Specialty Roll that we simply dipped into the soy and saved a step. For the fresh seafood lovers out there, raw oysters, shrimp, and crab are all on the menu (and the oysters were awesome). You can also get a small plate featuring oysters with charred jalapeño, bourbon, parmesan, bacon, ritz cracker crumbs. Every course we had kept getting even better and the Port that we had with the pumpkin cheesecake dessert was the perfect finish for a perfect meal.