Interview by Emily Hessney Lynch.

Published August 30, 2019.

Where are you from? How did you end up in Rochester?

I was born in India and came to Rochester at age two. My dad was living in New York City and driving cab. He sponsored my mom, me, and my brother to come over. He opened an Indian restaurant on Clinton when we moved to Rochester. My little brother was born at RGH. We had a gas station/convenience store on Main Street. The Indian community here is very close-knit. My mom used to work at Irondequoit mall; my uncle had a store there.

I went to Buffalo for college, and liked the diversity there, but it never really felt like home. I was excited to leave New York State after college, but I came home, explored, and found that Rochester has a lot of cool stuff. I met people everywhere I went, and people were so welcoming. I’m looking forward to growing here in Rochester, and being content. We have parks and hiking that you might not have access to in larger cities, and I love taking my dog out in nature.

What are some hidden gems you've discovered around Rochester?

• 80W- I’ve been going there frequently. It’s a high end bar when you walk in, but the crowd is old, young, and just not what you’d expect. It’s off East Ave on Lawrence. They have really nice bartenders. 
• Old Pueblo Grill, obviously. Josh is from Arizona, and the restaurant came out of Nosh. It’s really important to support small businesses. 
• Naantastic as well- I know the owners, they grew up in Rochester. They went to Buffalo and Austin for awhile, but home brought them back to Rochester. One got an MBA and one studied physical therapy, but no matter your background, you can do whatever you set your mind to. Age doesn’t matter either. They are incorporating big city trends into Rochester. 
• Cheesy Eddie’s—the carrot cake is my favorite thing to get, hands down. I always find a reason to celebrate just so I can eat their carrot cake! 
• Mendon Ponds Park—I take my dog there a lot. Many of my friends have never been there. It’s clean, quiet, and there are always lots of horses and dogs around.
• Flavors of Asia is great. 
• Swillburger is the best—I bring my cousins from out of town there when they’re visiting. I love the vegan sloppy joe they did. They had a great falafel burger once!

What are some of your favorite local nonprofits to support?

• The Sikh Society of Rochester—they do a lot of blood drives and food drives. It’s important for the younger kids who are figuring out their identities. I hang out with the younger kids and help answer their questions. 
• Foodlink - I’ve helped out with their food drives. The amount of donations they get is huge, but still not nearly enough for all the people in need.

I was raised on the principle of always giving back, so that’s something I keep in mind.

If you had $100 and a day to spend in Rochester, how would you spend the time/money?

I’d get the iced chai from Cafe Sasso. Then I’d go to Bones and get a treat for my dog. For lunch, I’d head to Dogtown and get a vegan dog or plate. Then, I’d go to the MAG and hang out there for a few hours. I’d grab a drink at Nox afterwards, then just walk around NOTA and enjoy the free art. I’d visit the Highland Park Conservatory too, especially if it was a winter day, so I could just feel like I’m not in snow. If it was a Wednesday, maybe I’d head to the Public Market in the evening and get some food truck eats. Then I’d head to Java’s and hang out to close out the day.

What one memory do you have that's quintessentially Rochester? 

Back when we used to have a gas station/convenience store on Main, Nick Tahou’s was right next door. One 4th of July at the convenience store, I remember watching the fireworks with a plate in hand. I was maybe 8 or 9 years old.

A more current memory is walking down the Genesee River with the view of the city at Corn Hill with my dog.

What makes Rochester unique? 

The diversity—the people, from all different backgrounds. Rush Henrietta would take in refugee students. I have friends from Sudan, Pakistan, Iraq—and I can just call them up and say, “Hey, wanna go to Java’s for coffee?”  Buffalo was very segregated. Rochester has some segregation but it’s not as severe. You see people from all backgrounds. The food scene brings us together here—Thai, Viet, and so many others. I’ve been a vegetarian for six years now. At first, not a lot of restaurants were vegetarian friendly, but businesses have adapted since then. I was blown away when I saw the Impossible Burger around here.

What do you think could be improved about Rochester? 

Tolerance. People get along and are respectful, but some changes need to be made. People should embrace helpful feedback rather than seeing it as a personal attack. Going out with Muslim friends who wear the hijab and hearing them get snarky comments makes me so mad. My brother wears a turban and has a beard, and he gets comments and looks too. People are a product of their environment, and say what they will based on that, but others need to speak up and say something to educate people. 

If Rochester was a food or drink, what would it be? 

Food—a charcuterie board, with a bunch of different meats, veggies, nuts (we have some crazies), dried fruit (some people are sweet), and potato and mac salad, and salt. 

Drink—a cocktail, because it has a little bit of everything. Maybe a Rochester Iced Tea, like a Long Island Iced Tea, but for Rochester. And it would be garnished with a white hot.

How do you find new restaurants to check out?

Social media. It’s a great way to find out about and support new/small businesses. Check out location tags. If you have dietary restrictions—don’t worry, you’re not the only one. And lastly, talk to people! Don’t be scared to start a conversation.

What advice would you give to someone who is new to Rochester and looking to get to know the area?

Put yourself out there. Don’t be scared to do stuff. Roc is the perfect amount of friendly. Say hi! I’ve never had a bad experience talking to someone. Talk to business owners, servers, baristas, bartenders—they’ll either know the area and have recommendations or be new to Rochester and you’ll make a new friend! Go to events and festivals, there are lots of free events where you can get a feel for the city.

Friends who are from here and live elsewhere now are often like, “I didn’t know Rochester had all this stuff!” when they see me posting about it. You have to look for this stuff though! Network and make new friends.

Any final thoughts?

Show compassion. Respect people’s differences. If you have a platform, use it to help minorities or people who are different. Acknowledge and respect each other.