Interview by Emily Hessney Lynch.

Published October 4, 2019.

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

I’m from Syracuse. I moved to Rochester in 2009 to go to RIT. After a brief two years in Boston, I returned to Rochester. I’ve found that Rochester has more to do than Syracuse, and a better sense of community. It also feels like a young people city.

Boston was awesome, and I had wanted a change from living in Upstate New York. The city felt big and disjointed compared to Rochester’s tight-knit sense of community. The stars aligned, and I’ve been back in the area for about a year now.

What is your favorite part of living in Rochester?

The food scene is amazing! I think we have a really diverse culture that celebrates art, and I love the inclusion of the LGBTQ community. It’s so widely accepted here. I also love the sense of community. It feels like so many small businesses are partnering up with and supporting each other, which you don’t see in a lot of places. 

Something I really like about where I live in the city is that I can get to any part of the greater Rochester area in 20 minutes or less. When I was in Boston, it took so much longer. Everything is really easily accessible here.

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

• I love the Silver Iguana brunch. It’s out of this world!
• My favorite nail salon just opened in the Flatiron building; it’s called Que Salon.
• The sunflower fields each summer. 
• Cafe Sasso, one of my favorite little cafes in all of Park Ave. 
• Chocolate & Vines—there’s no one ever there, and I’ll go with my girlfriends and get drinks and desserts and just hang out.

What are some of your favorite local restaurants?

• Han Noodle Bar 
• Starry Nites - I’m obsessed with it. I don’t drink coffee; I love matcha everything and they always have fun matcha drinks on the menu. 
• Netsin’s - The kiddie size is like a jumbo size! 
• The Spirit Room - The banana pudding is crazy and the maple bourbon rice krispie treat will change your life.
• Stingray Sushifusion - They now have a brick and mortar spot, and their food is so awesome. 

What's the most unique or interesting event you've attended in Rochester? 

The Food Truck Rodeo, which is the last Wednesday of every month. I also love the Silent Disco. That’s been my favorite thing recently. I went to my first one last year and it blew my mind. I’ve been to a bunch since. 

Whate are some of your favorite local nonprofits to support? 

I adopted my cat, Nacho, from the Pet Adoption Network, a small cat-specific adoption agency. I love them. 

What's the best place to get a garbage plate? 

Because I went to RIT, my OG spot is Henrietta Hots. I recently did a wine and garbage plate pairing class at Living Roots where they paired Dogtown plates with wine. It was an amazing event, and the best plate I’ve ever had. 

Oh, and the trash can at the Red Wings stadium is a bargain and delicious!

What is your personal coping mechanism for cold/gray weather? 

I’m a Netflix binging professional. I’ll hunker down, get a bunch of blankets, and order Doordash from Thai Mii Up. It’s the best! 

What's one memory you have that captures what Rochester means to you? 

A recent one: the collaboration between Rubino’s and Ridge Donuts. It was so awesome to see two Rochester staples come together and collaborate. They made this thing that escalated to a point that no one was expecting. The donut was so worth it, and it was fun to see everyone excited for it.

What makes Rochester unique? 

There’s a really lovely sense of community. Small businesses all support each other. In larger cities like Boston, that’s not always the case; there’s a lot of competition. It’s very community-focused here. There’s always a push to expand our diversity and inclusion of different cultures. We really celebrate that here. Through moving away and coming back, I realized that’s important to me and special.

What do you think could be improved about our city?

Center City—there’s a lot of room for businesses to grow and thrive. I like that we have festivals in Parcel 5. They’re getting there, but they need a push to get it to the point where it’s as fun and enticing as Park Ave. 

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

Bubble tea. It’s cool, it’s refreshing, and there are little surprises along the way! 

What inspired you to start Feed Me Rochester?

I used to be a really picky eater. I ate strictly chicken fingers and mac and cheese. When I went to college at RIT, there was a lot of food open to me. I started cooking more and trying more. I realized I love food so much. Linh of Sir Rocha Says came to one of my classes to talk about what she does, and it was really inspiring to me. I thought, “I could do that.” I started it in 2016, did it in Boston as @feedmebos, came back, switched to @feedmeroc, and have been doing it ever since. It’s fun for me, and encourages me to go out and try new places. It helps me get acquainted with Rochester, in a specific way that I love. 

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

You just have to be open to trying new things. You can’t go wrong trying new things. The more you try things and put yourself out there, the more you grow with the city as it grows. I’m happy I’ve had that opportunity.