1. Bar Bad Ending – 875 Monroe Ave., Rochester
When walking into the Bar Bad Ending, guests can be greeted with live music, cocktails and food.
"It’s a neighborhood bar that is in a building that has housed a lot of fairly well-known taverns in Rochester," co-owner Frederick McCoy II said.
McCoy and his wife Melissa Feldman opened the bar on Leap Day. The food menu includes a variety of items inspired by 24-hour diners in New York City.
"We wanted to bring a little bit of what we grew up with, both in New Jersey and Long Island, as well as where we met in New York City, so we have things like chopped cheese and Matzah ball soup," McCoy said.
Another popular item is a sandwich that McCoy refers to as a "Sloppy Joe."
"It’s actually a double decker turkey and roast beef sandwich with coleslaw, [and] Thousand Island dressing, served on rye bread," he said.
The drink menu features typical drinks of a dive bar, but made a little more interesting by using ingredients like fresh fruit and juices to put a twist on traditional cocktails, McCoy said.
Featuring arcade games, a pool table and a stage for live music, McCoy said they wanted the space to feel warm.
"You walk in the door, and you’re in a very cozy kind of space that reminds me of your uncle’s living room or something like that, but I love that transition from truly a hole-in-the-wall to something that’s actually pretty cool and fun on the inside," he said.
2. Jack’s Extra Fancy – 825 Atlantic Ave., Rochester
Filling a space previously occupied by a well-known neighborhood bar, Jack’s Extra Fancy is bringing brunch and a mix of beers and cocktails to Rochester.
"I tell everybody that this place is the exact same, but different floors. We just made it a little bit more funky and really turned it into that ’70s disco vibe," co-owner Eric Rozestraten said.
He opened the bar with friends, Dan Herzog and Kelly McDonald, who now work as the beverage director and executive chef. They wanted to create a neighborhood bar that could accommodate a variety of different customers.
"We want everybody to be able to come in, relax and get an experience that normally feels like it would be in a big city or feels like you’d have to go to a fine dining restaurant to get whether it’s the quality of service or level and quality of food and drink, but something that doesn’t make you feel like you have to save up a month’s wages to go out," Rozestraten said.
Jack’s Extra Fancy serves both food and drinks that range in price. For instance, the pastrami short ribs dinner is a $38 plate of food, but Rozestraten said it serves two people.
"You’re supposed to be able to get a dirty $10 cheeseburger all the way up to a $40 plate of food. That’s what the neighborhood needs," he said.
Drinks are served with the same mindset.
"We have everything from an $8 cocktail, which is pretty much unheard of in this town, all the way up to jokingly what we call $100 appletini, which is an apple flavored milk punch that Dan has perfected," Rozestraten said.
The menu is designed to have something that everyone can afford.
"It’s the level of quality that people in this community deserve. They don’t deserve to be ripped off, they deserve to get something great at a price they can afford," he said.
3. Ardor Park Artisanal Pizza – 117 Park Ave., Rochester
Park Avenue is home to many bars and restaurants. However, Ardor Park Artisanal Pizza is filling the need for a restaurant on the opposite side of the avenue.
"The other side of Park is always popping. There’s a lot of restaurants over there, but this side is a lot quieter and more residential," owner Kody Derhak said.
Two bars have opened on the same block, but there haven’t been any food places, Derhak said. Ardor Park Artisanal Pizza is open seven days a week from 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.
"Our bread and butter are our wood-fired pies, but we have a selection of items that we do cook in the oven like a woodfired meatball and spinach-artichoke dip, and then we’ll be focusing on specials and stuff rotating the menu around seasonally," Derhak said.
They make their own dough and mozzarella for the pizzas, he said. One of their signature pizzas is a kielbasa sausage pizza featuring local smoked sausage, mozzarella, provolone and herbs.
"We have a cacio e pepe pie, which we’ve done in some of our pop-up events, that’s been very popular. It is just a play on the cheese and pepper Italian pasta dish," Derhak said.
Ardor Park Artisanal Pizza opened for take-out last Thursday, and they also serve their pizzas out of the bar next door, Pourin Joy.