Blue Cactus Mexican Grille, Fairport, NY

Vegetarian Restaurant Review by Jennifer Kumar.

Meet and Greet
We arrived at the hostess station about 7pm on a Sunday evening. We were immediately taken care of and sat down. The table we were originally given was not comfortable, mostly for me. After a few tries, we finally were sat in a corner table in the front of the establishment.

Mise en Scène
Honestly, I was surprised the place was so void of people. In the past year, no matter the day of the week we tried over the last year, the waiting list to enter the eatery seemed inexhaustible. Lines of eager patrons would exit the doors and down the street. Today, there were no lines, no waiting and very few people inside the establishment as well. Seemed to be in a way good for us on our first visit to the Blue Cactus. Those inside seemed to be enjoying very casually. Several couples and a family were having dinner. Appeared that most people were dressed in casual dress.

Though the interior seemed to have small square footage, the modern, colorful décor seemed to open up the space and make it much more inviting. The windows that cover the façade of the building, where we sat, also add to this effect.

**We did not have to use restrooms, so no comment on that ambiance!

Choosing a Veggie Treat
The menu at the Blue Cactus Grille had some unique items as compared to other Mexican eateries we have frequented. I would categorize the following menu items as ‘unique’: Sopa De Chile Poblano (cold soup made from poblano peppers), Ensalada De Nopal (cactus mixed salad), platanos with crema agria (fried plantains with cheese), elote (grilled corn on cob with cheese), empanadas (These “Mexican samosas” were actually not vegetarian, but we have rarely seen them outside of Rochester’s famous Juan and Maria’s Empanada Stop in Rochester Public Market. Incidentally Juan and Maria do serve a vegetarian empanada.), and chile relleno. This chile rellano at Blue Cactus Grille is unlike the others I have encountered, especially my most cherished found at Rio Tomatlan filled with cheese. This one here at Blue Cactus Grille is filled with corn and some spices. (At a loss for tempting words to describe this dish, as photographed above.) Actually, as the photo shows, corn refers to corn kernels. I had assumed a corn pudding type of filling when I read about it on the menu. The chile poblano was my main course, while hubby enjoyed

Preceding our main course we enjoyed appetizers- corn chips with two types of salsa (salsa de mesa and salsa habanero), along with the elote and tamales. The chips and dip are really ‘nothing to write home about.’ This location seems to like pureed type salsas, where as we prefer salsas with tiny chunks of vegetables, and chopped cilantro leaves. We noticed neither cilantro leaves in the salsa nor any dish at Blue Cactus. The elote, corn on the cob, must be one of their specialties. I feel a shame I could not try it because of having braces, but I’d prefer it without the cheese. The tamale was reminiscent of the ‘sweet corn tamale cakes’ we had at the Cheesecake Factory. Though I don’t prefer Cheesecake Factory, as communicated in my review, I would go back for this dish, especially after having it at Blue Cactus. Like the salsa, the tamale seemed to have all tastes mixed together and the fresh juiciness of the tastes as I remember it in this dish in Cheesecake Factory did not exist in the Blue Cactus version.

Checking In
The wait staff was very responsive to seating us in a comfortable place in the eatery. We had to change the table twice before we were comfortable. We do appreciate that. However, as we sat and were offered appetizers, it took the waitress longer than I think is normal (maybe 15-20 minutes) before she came to collect our main order. Though this is atypical, I am curious if this could be a routine for this particular place because we thought possibly drinks and appetizers may be more sought after here than the ‘meals.’

See you later
Near the end of our stay, the table was cleared and we were given the bill. Payments were collected swiftly.

Pay Scale
$25-30 per person – includes an appetizer and main course per person. Also noted is that chips and dips are not complementary. Nachos are $1.00 and salsas are .50 or $1.00 depending on taste.
Tips
10% was sufficient.
Star System 2/5
Though we may come back to try some of the other specialty items, we are not in a rush. We actually rather prefer to drive fifteen miles further to Rio Tomatlan. I would also venture to say I did like Chilango’s better, but would not prefer to drive out there, 20 miles further.

To find/Contact
Blue Cactus Mexican Grille
5 Liftbridge Lane E
Fairport, NY 14450
(585) 377-9590
Get directions

Have you eaten at Blue Cactus Mexican Grille? If so, please share your thoughts below.
Thank you for reading!

Tags: “Restaurant Reviews”,” Rochester, New York Restaurant Reviews”,” Rochester, NY Restaurant Reviews”,” Rochester Restaurant Reviews”,” Rochester NY Mexican”,” Mexican Food Rochester NY"

The Lodge at Woodcliff, Fairport, NY

Vegetarian Restaurant Review by Jennifer Kumar.

Meet and Greet
Walking into the Woodcliff Lodge is always an amazing experience. I always feel larger than life when I enter this place because it is so shiny, grand and full of well-dressed business men and elegant ladies. This occasion has to be the third or fourth visit we have made to this restaurant. With each visit, the staff always greets us with a smile; seat us without reservations (though I think they recommend reservations).

Mise en Scène
The lodge sits on the side of a hill, where looking to the North and West, one can experience the views of Rochester. Though window seats are preferable, most tables in the restaurant will offer a good view. However, this time we were placed at a prime location for a viewing of the setting sun. Luminous dark blues, purples, yellows and oranges encompassed us as we ate our anniversary meal.
On a side note, we joke that ‘Mr. Sun’ is always teasing us. Whenever we plan to meet him setting or rising with camera in tow, he doesn’t shine or show his face to us. However, on these occasions when we don’t have a camera, there is Mr. Sun full, bright and eager to show off to us! The beauty of the sun only is shown to us when we can actually experience it eye to eye and not through the eye of a camera!
Looking around the restaurant, one will see the well dressed business men and graceful women in elegant dresses. Though it is true it’s best to dress to impress, we have seen people wear semi-formal and business casual while enjoying their time here. I would not recommend wearing jeans and a t-shirt here. I don’t think they would turn you away, but one may feel out of place dressed down. A bar is attached to this restaurant, where I believe the dress code is a bit more lax. In fact, one has to enter the restaurant through the bar only.
Sitting down, the table is set for a three course meal full with different size of wine glasses. Since we aren’t wine drinkers, we still have yet to figure out why there are different size wine glasses. In any case, the waitress finds out we want coffee (which is one of the tastiest cups in the area), and quickly clears the wine glasses.
Upon desert time, the waiter will bring a plate of deserts so you can see what they look like. Up close and personal, who can deny themselves? Because of this, on several occasions visiting this location, we have had a “backwards meal” (having dessert first, main course, followed by appetizer).

**We did not have to use restrooms, so no comment on that ambiance!

Choosing a Veggie Treat
They have updated their menu from the one on their website. The new, improved menu has small tags saying ‘veggie’ next to them if they are vegetarian. There were at least 4-5 veggie appetizers and one veggie entrée.
For appetizers, we got a corn flan and black bean spicy cakes. Both were nice and tasty. I usually don’t like flan, but since I had never seen flan for anything but a dessert item, I chose that. It turned out to be nice. It has its own taste, which was very smooth. But, we liked the spicy black bean cakes better as they were like small spicy handmade veggie burgers.
Since there was only one veggie entrée, we chose the spicy Udon noodles. We were told that this menu item was not available and were given other options that would have been handcrafted just for us by the chef. These choices were mainly other types of pasta dishes. Luckily, for the Udon dish the only thing missing was the actually Udon noodles, but the veggies and sauce was available. So, we got the same dish but substituted the Udon noodles with linguine. We had ordered only one serving and asked to share it. When it was served, it was served to us on two different plates, ready to eat. The taste was amazing. We savored it to the last drop of sauce.
For dessert we got a banana bread/ice cream dish and a peanut butter mouse type of dessert. Both were very good. In fact, I was impressed by the smoothness of the peanut butter. The only problem I had with the peanut butter dessert was the size. I am not sure who could eat that much peanut butter at one sitting. It was truly a shame to have left some behind, though.

Checking In
One of the reasons we return on subsequent visits to this location is because of the prompt, friendly and individualized service. It is truly the service that makes the higher price of this location an afterthought.

See you later
Receiving the bill and waiting for payment to return is timely.

Pay Scale
$6-10 per person for appetizers each and desserts
$15-25 per person for the entrée
**We spilt the main course. I think they charged us a fee of about $4 to split it. They did serve the entrée split in half on two plates.
Tips
15-20% is recommended due to superior service. Service is always great.
Star System: 4 or 5 out of 5.
4 out of 5 if this above your budget because it is pricy.

5 out of 5 if it falls within your budget or you can save up and have a nice night out.

To find/Contact
Horizons Restaurant
199 Woodcliff Dr
Fairport, NY 14450
(585) 248-4825
Mapquest location map

Other reviews at Google.

Have you eaten at The Lodge at Woodcliff? If so, please share your thoughts below.

Thank you for reading!

tags: 4 stars, 5 stars, "Fairport NY"," great views", "reservations recommended", "great service", "individualized sevice", "backwards meal", "hilltop dining", "restaurant in a hotel", "restaurant review",“Restaurant Reviews”,” Rochester, New York Restaurant Reviews”,” Rochester, NY Restaurant Reviews”,” Rochester Restaurant Reviews”

NapaGino's Penfield, NY

Vegetarian Restaurant Review by Jennifer Kumar.

Meet and Greet

We came by on a Sunday night about 7pm. We were happy to see it still open as few cars were left in the parking lot. Upon entering, we were promptly seated. Inside about 10 tables were occupied. We were sat in a booth.

Mise en Scène

What I noticed first was the paintings hanging on the wall. Maybe it was a collection of a local artist. The painting of a girl on a beach next to our table was for sale for $400. Besides the paintings on the wall, the area was tastefully decorated and I was surprised to see later there were two Christmas trees fully decorated and lit up in the dining area closer to the exit doors. One was a typical green Christmas tree, the other a shimmering white, reminiscent of the color of glistening ice. In addition, there was a wall size mural of the tower of Pisa.

We had entered in semi-casual. I was wearing a salvaar kamiz, and hubby a pant and nice collared shirt. Most inside were dressed similarly, not too fancy of a dress, nor too casual a dress. All ages were seen enjoying meals here.

**We did not have to use restrooms, so no comment on that ambiance!

Choosing a Veggie Treat

Soon as sitting, we were offered drinks and complementary bread rolls. The coffee with our normal additions of cream and sugar was very nice, as it wasn’t too bitter. The bread rolls seem to be very tasty dipped in the olive oil left on the table with pepper and red pepper flakes added.

As a main course, I ordered Artichokes Napoli (pictured at the beginning of this review). The main dish was preceded by a house salad which I got with peppercorn Parmesan dressing. The salad was nice as in addition to the normal vegetables and lettuce they added garbanzos (chick peas). When the Artichokes Napoli arrived to the table, it looked very exotic to me. It was unlike any dish I ever had at any Italian restaurant. The pasta was a thick noodle bathed in an olive oil/buttery sauce and escarole with chopped white onions and delicately placed strategically on the top were artichokes French (artichokes dipped in eggs and fried). I really liked this dish and the portion size, though too much for me to finish, was smaller than other Italian restaurants in the area that we have been to. Hubby ordered the ‘white pizza.’ I think it is called ‘white’ because it has olive oil as a base under the toppings and not tomato sauce. That was also tasty. As a side and appetizer, we had got the garlic bread. The garlic bread, though tasty is an after thought to the main course.

Upon completing the meal, we were told by the waitress that on Sundays they offered a free desert buffet to all guests. We walked over to find two kinds of upside down cakes and some fruit. Neither seemed very appetising to us, so we skipped out.

Checking In
Our waitress checked in on us on regular intervals, the service was prompt and courteous.

See you later
Soon as it seemed we had completed our meal, another waitstaff (not our waitress) came to ask to box any leftovers and take dirty plates away. Swiftly our waitress came to ask if we wanted anything else and bought the bill. Also, on the way out the manager was present at the door to bid us adieu.

Pay Scale
$11-15 per person
Tips
10-15% is suitable
Star System 3.5/5

We really liked this location. The service was prompt and friendly. The place was clean and tidy. Sundays parking is ample, being that the other shops in Penfair Plaza were closed. The choices of dishes for vegetarians is wide and exotic compared to other local Italian eateries. And, most of all the taste compels us to want to try this location again in the future.

To find/Contact
Napa Gino's Pizza
2200 Penfield Rd
Penfield, NY 14526
(585) 377-5530
Get directions

Special Notes

Do you want to make a date out of going to NapaGino’s? If it is nice weather, after having a hearty meal a nice walk in Linear Park, a five minute drive from NapaGino’s is a perfect end to the evening.

See our photos from our 2007 visit to Linear Park. (Photo to left, credits: Krishna Kumar.)

Directions from NapaGino’s to Linear Park Road, parking for walking trails.

Have you eaten at NapaGino's? If so, please share your thoughts below.

Thank you for reading!

tags: "make it a date", 3.5 stars, exotic dishes, italian,restaurant review, pasta, penfield ny, pizza, rochester-ny,"restaurant review",“Restaurant Reviews”,” Rochester, New York Restaurant Reviews”,” Rochester, NY Restaurant Reviews”,” Rochester Restaurant Reviews”

Hawthorne’s, Rochester, NY

Restaurant Review by Jennifer Kumar.

Meet and Greet
As we entered on a Friday night about 7pm, it was quiet. There were no lines and no waiting. I had called for a reservation a few hours previous, though I was told reservations are not required. That was very true on this night, because besides us there were only three other tables occupied inside and about 4-5 occupied for outside dining.

Mise en Scène
Driving to this place, one may miss it unless you are observant. It is located on East Avenue in Rochester north of St. John Fisher College and just past Bretton Woods drive on the right side (coming into the city on East Ave/ 31F from Fairport). This restaurant is in a well known, upper- class residential area. The building of Hawthorne’s itself can be mistaken for a home. One needs to take care to look for the sign and the entrance to the parking lot.

Inside it was nice and serene. The area was spacious and tastefully decorated. I think I remember seeing a fireplace inside, but not quite sure. Past our room was a room with French doors where they served a buffet or brunch. It was not open for dinnertime.

Wearing casual or semi-formal dress is sufficient. Though looking around, it seemed we were the youngsters in the house as most others were older or elderly. The party next to us, comprised of about 12, was throwing a birthday party for a cute baby turning 1. But, beside the baby at the table, all others appeared to be older than us.

**We did not have to use restrooms, so no comment on that ambiance!

Choosing a Veggie Treat
Before making the reservation, I checked the menu on their website. I was surprised to find a few interesting vegetarian options, such as the Raspberry Brie appetizer and the Eggplant, Tomato and Goat cheese stack. (We went for the Raspberry Brie, pictured in the beginning of this review, which was very tasty indeed!) And, for the main menu items, few items seemed very intriguing in addition to the pasta dishes which can usually easily be made vegetarian if required.

For main course, I chose the “Eggplant and Asparagus Roulades Grilled marinated eggplant, Boursin cheese and asparagus roll ups with fire roasted red pepper sauce.” I tried to snap a picture of it, the best I got is shown below. I liked the presentation- very artistically done, but somehow the taste of the dish was very confusing. The asparagus was wrapped in grilled eggplant. The inner roll of this was smothered with some creamy sauce (I guess the Boursin cheese) and the ‘fire roasted red pepper sauce’ was on the outside of the roll. The Boursin cheese sauce was very creamy and too much a contrast with the red pepper sauce. I think one sauce would have sufficed- preferably the red pepper sauce. The price for the dish seemed to be a bit steep, but the presentation itself takes some labor and patience, I suppose. Above and beyond the main course, the sides of mashed potatoes and steamed zucchini were amazingly fresh and tasty!
The other dish on the menu that seemed intriguing was the “Mixed Field Greens with Pear and Blue Cheese.” Somehow I like the thought of these contrasting flavors- semi-sweet pears with bitter blue cheese. It was a chilly day that day and I felt the blue cheese and pears would make me feel too cool. The eggplant and red pepper sauce really warmed me up.

Checking In
We were attended to in regular and prompt intervals. Service was very good.

See you later
I remember waiting for the bill and waiting for it to be paid was seamless. By the time we paid, we were one of the last customers left in the building at 9pm. Seems they close very early for a Friday night.

Pay Scale
$16-20 per person / $21-25 per person
This location can be slightly too very pricy depending on your eating habits.
If you eat like us, by sharing an appetizer and having your own entrée, it’s possible to exit for as low as $20 a person (about our costs).
If you come here for a four course meal, enjoying an appetizers, salad, entrée, and desert, it would be very pricy (most likely from $40-$60 per person).
Tips
10-12% was sufficient.
Star System 2.5/3

Though we have no overt complaints, this location just does not fall within our typical taste buds or price range. It is a nice place to come to try exotic western dishes that I would not attempt to make at home and it’s a nice place to come to relax and eat, no doubt. We may come again to try the brunch/buffet and possibly for that pear salad!

To find/Contact
Hawthorne's Restaurant
3500 East Ave
Rochester, NY 14618
(585) 385-4959
Get directions

tags: 2.5 stars, residental eatry, rochester-ny, restaurant review,"restaurant review",“Restaurant Reviews”,” Rochester, New York Restaurant Reviews”,” Rochester, NY Restaurant Reviews”,” Rochester Restaurant Reviews”

Chilango’s, Spencerport, NY

Restaurant Review by Jennifer Kumar.

Meet and Greet
Soon as we walked in, we were greeted by two different hostesses who were eager to seat us.

Mise en Scène
It was a small establishment. Inside was space for maybe 40 guests, and outside was a patio with 4 tables. The walls were painted with dark red on the bottom half and a golden hue on the top, similar to the color scheme of their website. There were tasteful decorations on the walls. Guests seemed to be dressed casually. Very few were dressed semi-formally. We came in after a bike ride, and we felt comfortable in our jeans, shorts and t-shirts.

While waiting to take your order, the hostess brings corn chips (which are toasty warm) and a watery salsa that is very good. Most Mexican eateries will also have a bean dip at an extra charge. This location did not have this, though we were offered a side of refried beans, which seemed to satisfy this need.

**We did not have to use restrooms, so no comment on that ambiance!

Choosing a Veggie Treat
Compared to other Mexican restaurants in the Rochester area that list more vegetarian based options on their menu itself, it seemed this location may do more substitutions. For meat eaters, this would be a haven of carnivorous treats as the dinner menu side was a list full of such choices. Being that I did not feel like asking for substitutions and I was not all that hungry for a main course, I went for the Ensalada de Nopales- a salad made from cactus! Hubby got a beans chimichanga with sides of beans and rice.

Upon seeing the salad of cactus pieces, I wasn’t sure if I’d get past the aesthetics of the dish to experience the taste. When looking at it, it could look like very thick spinach pasta- maybe linguine. It definitely has an exotic look which many may not be able to pass. However, it is not just passing the looks of it that makes you hardcore! You must past the taste test too! I think if you’re a fan of slightly bitter and spicy dishes you’d really like this. The cactus pieces seemed to be soaking in a jalapeño type juice which gave them an unexpected kick. But, since I am used to eating and cooking a lot of Indian food at home, to me it did not seem at all spicy or hot. It was a kick to keep me interested in eating more. However, I admit, eating half of the dish became hard (mostly because it’s monotonous) and I ended up packing the rest and taking it home.

See the Chilango’s menu.

Checking In
Our waitress checked on us in regular intervals and refilled our coffee promptly.

See you later
Receiving the bill took a little longer than usual (compared to other places). Waiting for the bill to be returned with credit receipts was average time.

One of the notable items on the bill was the charge of $1.50 for the chips and salsa. I was a bit surprised to see this charge as other Mexican eateries that give this while waiting for food do not charge for it on the bill.

Pay Scale
$11-15 per person
(Our totals are skewed as the cactus salad I got is listed as an appetizer, and I did not choose a meal. The dinner plates ranged from $10.50-$13. Personally for Mexican vegetarian I find this rate a bit high, but for non-vegetarian items it may be a good deal. For the non-vegetarian eater, they had a variety of chorizo dishes, which seems to be a Mexican non-veg favorite that not all Mexican eateries provide.)
Tips
10% was sufficient
Star System 2.5/5
(A low rating has been given mostly due to no fault of their own besides distance from our house. The service, friendliness and promptness of the staff was impressive.)

To find/Contact
Chilango's Mexican Restaurant
www.chilangosmexicanrestaurant.com
42 Nichols St (Behind McDonald’s on Route 31 near 31 & 259 intersection)
Spencerport, NY 14559
(585) 349-3030

Get directions

September 14, 2008 update.
We visited this location last week. It was after viewing the menu, I remembered why I gave such a low rating, though others in my group like this place a lot. There are very few if any vegetarian options and for many menu items substitutions do not make sense from a taste perspective as well as a financial one. The waitress also mentioned the rice side dish also has chicken broth in it. Shocking for a Mexican eatery how few vegetarian options are on the menu. I think I got a burrito. We both had an odd feeling of fullness afterwards. THe plus point of this location was on a Sunday evening when we showed up about 8pm, there were no lines and no waiting and the waitstaff were knowledgeable about the menu, prompt and friendly.

tags: 2.5 stars, mexican, spencerport ny, restaurant review,"restaurant review",“Restaurant Reviews”,” Rochester, New York Restaurant Reviews”,” Rochester, NY Restaurant Reviews”,” Rochester Restaurant Reviews”," Rochester NY Mexican”,” Mexican Food Rochester NY”