Rochester Writers

    I've wondered how long it would take for a critical mass of Rochester bloggers to coalesce into some form of meta-blog with multiple contributors and a general theme.  I've also wondered who would be ambitious enough to put it together, knowing full well that the logistics of such a task were one that I was ill suited to perform.  I think all the contributors here owe Rottenchester a good deal of gratitude for lending voice to thought and getting this going, at the very least, into its first generation.

    So to some extent, you've got to look at what is currently being done here not as the sum of what is put on the page, but instead of what it could all potentially become.

    Anyway, enough of the flowery prose.  Let's get into something with a little more substance, but ironically in the same vein.

    Rochester has been trying hard for the last decade to give itself a little update akin to “Extreme Makeover- Home Edition” except without the obnoxious antics of Ty Pennington and a pre-paid Sears card.  The results and the reception of the attempts have been somewhat mixed, if considered without the Fast Ferry.  When you throw the big boat into the mix, well it's difficult to see the good through the bad. 

    I think it's something worth looking at.  I intend on looking at Ren Square, housing, area promotion, and businesses.  But we should start at the heart of the matter.  The meeting place for those both young and employed.  Let’s look at the bar scene.  Let’s discuss High Falls.

Last week, Man About Town  discussed a story in the D&C about the spat between the new country bar in High Falls and Daisy Duke's.  What caught my eye  in that piece was the $400K of low-interest loans, along with $30K of outright gifts, that the High Falls owners received.

That bothered me, but I couldn't put my frustration into words until I looked in my closet the other day.  This picture shows three of the growlers I had stashed there.  In addition to the obvious story behind them ("I have a drinking problem"), they have another tale to tell.

"Welcome to Burger King, may I take your order?"
"Yeah, I'd like a Veggie Whopper...make that a combo, with a Coke, please."
"One Veggie Combo with a Coke."

The luminous order sign flashes back at me: "1 VEGGIE"

"Anything else?"
"That's all."
"That'll be $4.19, please drive through to the first window."

At the first window, a girl takes my cash.

"Did you order the Veggie Whopper?"
"Yes."
"Well, we don't have Veggie Whoppers."
"Wha...did you run out?"
"No. We don't have Veggie Whoppers."
"Wha...but the sign -- "
"We don't have Veggie Whoppers. We have Veggie Burgers."
"..."

I am embroiled in burger semantics!

"Please pull up to the second window."

"Here you go, sir, here's your Coke!"
"Thanks."
"Can you please pull ahead into the lot? It takes a minute to make those Veggie Burgers."
"Uh...sure."

I pull up into the lot, and park close to a rear entrance from which I assume an employee will momentarily emerge carrying my VEGGIE BURGER®. After a few minutes, I see a woman in a Burger King uniform, wandering confused around the front part of the lot, carrying a paper sack. I pull up to the front part of the lot, give her a friendly toot and wave at her.

"Did you have the Veggie Buwgew?"
"Yes."
"You'we suppowsed to puww up by the fwont doow."
"Nobody told me where --"
"Just wemembew that fow newxt time."
"..."

I instinctively open my mouth and raise an index figure to argue, but at about the same time that I realize that arguing with developmentally disabled fast food employees is just not right, she turns on her heel and stomps back to the front door.

Maybe I should start eating meat again.

If you want to see the difference between a critic and an enthusiast, or if you just want to learn about bars in our area, check out Monroe County, NY Bars.  Your host, Rochester Bar Man, started his blog in March with the goal of visiting a bar every day.  Though he hasn't quite achieved that lofty goal, he's still going strong two months later.  This blog has become one of my favorites because he visits an eclectic set of neighborhood bars and finds something interesting, positive and unique in each one.

Yet another reason to stick to beer.