A taste of some old and some new

Over Christmas weekend I flew back to good old Rochester, NY to spend time with family and friends, and to catch a glimpse of the snow that motivated my move to the south. However, it remained out of sight until I was en route to the airport, and I quickly left that behind!

One of the spots I MUST stop at when I visit is Tony D's Coal Fired Pizza. It opened a few years ago, where I frequented often before I moved. 3 things on the menu that are my faves:  Greens and Beans, Arancini, and Meatballs al Forno. This time around, I was able to get in the first two during lunch with my friend Paul. We also ordered a red pizza with pepperoni, banana and sweet red peppers, spinach, and mozzarella.

                                                       Arancini and lunch pizza special

I was also able to experience my friend Marco's new restaurant, which opened in early December.
It's called Nikko, and it's tucked away in a newly growing area of downtown. I've followed Marco in several different kitchens during the years, including Tony D's, and I'm very pleased he was able to take his talent to a whole new level! Our friend Tony also joined Marco in his new venture, and he created the beautifully crafted cocktail and wine menu.

The atmosphere is sexy and cool, with not a touch of a pretentious vibe. The space an open setup so you can view the dining area, bar, and kitchen from almost any angle (this happens to be my favorite type of setup).  Having had many years of drinking history with Tony, I gave him the freedom to choose what drinks to make for me. My first was a basic Sidecar, with a lavender honey syrup. After that went down rather easily, I was intrigued to order his original Gingers Always Win (pictured). This one did, made with sake and house infused pear vodka, muddled lychee, ginger syrup, lime and sparkling water. It was garnished with a sugared ginger stick, which proved to be a nice snack.

The dining menu is a perfect blend between sushi and New American style. There is nice selection of small and large plates, sushi rolls, and sashimi. This can make ordering either very easy or very difficult, depending on who you are. Being an indecisive chooser when it comes to this (without ordering the entire menu), it was more on the difficult side for yours truly. It finally came down to the Chili Squid Salad, some Escolar sashimi, and Slow Roasted Pork Belly.  It was nothing less than impressive and terrifically delicious, although there was no doubt from the get-go!  We were sent out a complimentary dessert, which was a work of art thanks to Rebecca, another friend and co-worker of the past.  I believe it consisted of a hazelnut chocolate torte and a lemon meringue tart (never got a description or peek at the dessert menu). Either way, the plate did not look as pretty when we were done with it!

So, to sum it up, I had a pretty successful weekend of eating back in the hometown.  Although it's only once in a blue moon, I always look forward to my old favorites and trying the new!