Around Rochester

Once upon a child

2011-08-14T21:07:00.001-04:00

This store is a gold mine!They have lots of specials from time to time and you can sell your gently used things and either get paid or have store credit! Anyway I scored big this week with their buy 5 books get 5 free! It was great way to increase our library! Go check it out!

Brusters Ice cream

2010-09-08T17:17:00.002-04:00

This is one of our favorite local places to get ice cream. It is super yummy & the best part is they have a Happy hour! All of their Ice cream treats marked down 40%! It is a great deal!
Summer time it is Mon-Fri 2-6pm
Fall/winter Mon-sat 2-6pm

They are located at 2755 East Henrietta Road, Henrietta, NY‎
I hope you all give them a try!

Cartwright's Maple Tree Inn's 15 minutes of Fame!

2010-07-17T12:31:00.005-04:00

I was just on the PBS site and I saw...Cartwright's Maple Tree Inn! For those who haven't been out there yet, it's open about 2 months of the year (late Jan-late March, I think) and it is in the MIDDLE OF NOWHERE near Angelica, NY. It's a bit of a drive from Rochester, but well worth it. Anyway, it is featured on PBS's special on great breakfast places around the US (it's the first one in the special). Check it out!

Watch the full episode. See more Breakfast Special.

Peter's Sweet Shop

2010-05-05T20:17:00.005-04:00

We're moving from the Highland Park neighborhood in a couple of weeks (to U of R housing). We've become very attached to the neighborhood--in case you were wondering, it's the best one in the city! I could go on for a long time.

Of all the sweet things in the HP neighborhood, the sweetest is Peter's Sweet Shop. It's right here on Clinton. Every day, Peter hand-makes chocolates while his wife mans (womans...) the counter. Even the little cards labeling the chocolates are hand-written. In my opinion, their best chocolates are the caramels, the butter-creams, and their specialty "sponge candy" (the inside is crunchy with little air bubbles). If you take a child in with you, there is a distinct possibility that they will leave with a complimentary chocolate-on-a-stick (and if you go in twice in one day, you can kiss your child's dinner-appetite goodbye, as we found out).

Are you looking for a gift for someone? Do you have an intense chocolate craving? Go to Peter's Sweet Shop! You will be very happy you did. (Photo credit: Peter's website, who borrowed it from the Democrat & Chronicle).

Abundance Co-op

2010-03-25T20:22:00.007-04:00

I can't believe I didn't know about the Abundance Co-op until a few weeks ago, especially since it's the closest grocery store to my house (located on Marshall Street, a stone's throw from the Museum of Play).

Abundance Co-op is a "natural products retail grocer" that has organic produce, bulk food and spice bins, and even an organic deli. Organic food stores are usually more (sometimes a lot more) expensive than, say, Price Rite, and Abundance Co-op isn't an exception to this, but they do have some great deals as advertised in their monthly flier.

One of their continuous deals is natural/organic "mystery butter" for 1.99/lb in the bulk foods section--depending on the day you stop by, it could be almond butter, peanut butter, or cashew butter (I'm not sure why they call it mystery butter since you can lift up the bucket and check what it is before you buy it). They also have all-natural honey (no runny bear stuff for them!) for 2.99/lb. Today I bought some steel-cut oats for 89 cents/lb. on a special sale. I've noticed that their organic produce is well priced, as organic produce goes.

Next time you're downtown, you should check them out. As you pull up, it looks like there is only street parking, but the parking lot is actually behind the wooden fence.

Sauder's Store

2010-02-03T20:57:00.005-05:00

Sauder's is a Mennonite-owned dry-goods/meat/lots of other things store outside of Seneca Falls, about a 55-minute drive from Rochester. The variety of products is incredible--every kind of flour you can think of, spices, grains, home-style candies, baking necessities (soda, yeast, cocoa, brown sugar, etc.)--all neatly bagged in different sizes and on the shelf. They also have a deli (I'm not a meat connoisseur, but apparently you can get German specialty meat that is hard to find), inexpensive cheeses, fruit preserves, home-made syrups...the list goes on!

Here's my best price summary: their big bulk items (50 lb bags of sugar, beans, etc) can generally be found for less at other places (Aldi, LDS Storehouse), but Sauder's prices for baking supplies are hard to beat (and they sell them in hard-to-find quantities).

Even aside from all practical matters, Sauder's is a very fun place to visit. The distance is a drawback, but it's one exit away from the Waterloo Factory Outlet Stores, so you could definitely make a day of it (the flour picture is just a random one I found online, but Sauder's is so great I thought it deserved a graphic).

Jim Dalberth's Sporting Goods

2010-02-03T20:05:00.007-05:00

I'm conflicted about "buying local"--I love the idea of putting money back into the community, but our student budget usually doesn't go very far in mom & pop specialty stores. That's why I was so happy to find Jim Dalberth's Sporting Goods. I bought a pair of running shoes there, and we found out that anytime you buy shoes, all apparel (they have all brands of shoes; most of their apparel is Asics) is 50% off, so we bought some pants and shorts for my husband.

The store is right across the Elmwood bridge from the U of R River Campus. When I walked in I was surprised--it's twice as tall as it is wide, and it looked a little disorganized. The real benefit of the store, though, is the salespeople. They don't hover, but they're incredibly efficient and they know everything about running. Basically, they sell all of their shoes for 15% off the ticket price.

So--if you are already planning to spend the money on some nice running shoes, you should consider Jim Dalberth's. You'll end up with good shoes as well as a good feeling about buying locally.

Buffalo Wild Wings!

2009-11-05T17:47:00.003-05:00

For Jordon's birthday we went to BUFFALO WILD WINGS. It's on the corner of Clay Road and Jefferson in Henrietta, in the same parking lot as Buy Buy Baby. We pass it all the time, and finally decided to try it. Our dinner was PRETTY good (although Jord says the ribs are a no-go), but the wings were REALLY good. Jordon loved their buffalo wing sauce. I don't do well with spicy food so I tried the honey BBQ wing sauce and it was very good. The atmosphere is laid back with lots of TV's showing sports. Similar to Applebee's or Chili's in setup and price. So, if you are in the mood for wings, check it out!

Master Coupon Blog

2009-10-27T08:10:00.006-04:00

At the RS retreat up at Seneca Lake, a lady from Pittsford (I think) came to teach a class about food storage. I never really knew it was possible to store the variety of food that she does (she cans chicken, butter, and M&M's, and knows how to make eggs last a year).

The most intriguing thing about her presentation, though, was that she kept saying things like, "of course, I got them for free with coupons," or "after the rebate it was only 5 cents". Rebates? Coupons?

Well, last night I finally visited her blog: kerricodi.wordpress.com. It's very impressive, and since she's local, she has a lot of local deals. I'm adding it to the links on this blog's sidebar.

Price Rite

2009-10-21T20:21:00.005-04:00

A friend emailed me some information about Price Rite. The highlights of Price Rite are cheap produce, cheap canned goods, and international foods (including an great assortment of Italian favorites at great prices... prosciutto and fresh mozzarella lovers take note!) They also have very inexpensive bulk spices. The nearest Price Rite is the one in Southtown Plaza. Bring your own bag!

Thanks for sharing!

Saturday, Oct. 17 Last Day for Ronald McDonald Household/Antiques Rummage Sale

2009-10-16T12:53:00.003-04:00

A friend called this morning to tell me that tomorrow is the last day of the huge Ronald McDonald rummage sale. It's been going since Thursday, but tomorrow everything is 50% off from 10:00-12:00, and from 12:00-4:00 it's $5 per bag. The sale is across the street from the Marketplace Walmart--here is the link.

Boneless Skinless Chicken $1.79/lb

2009-10-15T08:34:00.002-04:00

Wegman's never-been-frozen, no bullion added boneless skinless chicken breasts are $1.79/lb in their flier this week. I always just freeze them...they're so good.

Free Food from Schwann's

2009-10-14T12:39:00.002-04:00

My friend Jenny just forwarded me this link to a promotion that Schwann's (the frozen food company) is doing to get new customers. You can order anything under$10 and they deliver it for 2 cents. There's no obligation to buy anything again. To quote her:

"I totally ordered the $9.99 bag of cheese tortellini and will only have to pay $.02 (and didn't have to enter in any credit card information... I can give the delivery guy 2 cents when he comes to the door). Who doesn't love free cheese tortellini (or whatever else you can find for ~$10.)"

Do you have a 17-19 month old? Get $75!

2009-10-14T12:30:00.004-04:00

A friend forwarded this to me, and Peter and I did it last Thursday. It was a lot of fun, plus who can argue with $75? The study will be going for another 4-6 months, so if your baby will be 17-19 months in the next little while, you can call and make an appointment.

The Mt. Hope Family Center at the University of Rochester is conducting achild development study. They are currently recruiting mothers with 17-19-month-old children to participate in a research session. Mothers will be asked information about themselves, their child, and their families. The mother and child will complete parent-child interaction tasks, and both will have their heart rate monitored. Eligibility requirements include: Mother completed four-year college or university and is not pregnant, family not receiving public assistance (*the list she read me didn't include insurance, which I'm sure would disqualify a lot of us, it was just WIC, food stamps, etc*), no history of family involvement with Child Protective Services, and no child medical illness or disability. Mothers will receive $75 for their participation in the study. If you are interested in participating, please contact the Mt. Hope Family Center at 585-275-2991, ext 302.

Wind Ensemble This Saturday Night!

2009-10-14T12:23:00.004-04:00

Ohhh...there I go again talking all about orchestra concerts and forgetting about the Eastman Wind Ensemble. Their opening concert is THIS SATURDAY NIGHT! It's at 8PM, it's free, and they're doing Rhapsody in Blue with fabulous pianist Tony Caramia. Even I, as a violinist, have to admit that it will be at least as good if not better than the symphony concert on the 26th.

Kodak Hall at Eastman Theater

2009-10-12T14:22:00.005-04:00

The second-to-last phase of the Eastman Theater renovation project is finished! The hall has always been beautiful, but now it sounds as good as it looks. The Eastman Philharmonia Orchestra (juniors, seniors, and grads) had their opening night on Friday; the Symphony Orchestra (freshman/sophomore) plays there on Monday, Oct. 26 at 8PM. As always, student orchestra concerts are free, and so is parking after 7PM! You can read more about the theater renovation here.

Free Museum and National Park Day!

2009-09-23T21:56:00.003-04:00

Thanks Gillian for letting me know about this blog and for getting it started. I thought I would add a contribution that I found out off of www.thefreebieblogger.com. This Saturday the 26th is free Museum/National Park day. You can go on the website above and get linked to the Smithsonian website and search which museums and parks are free. I discovered that the George Eastman house is free this Saturday so go and check it out.

Christmas Tree Shops, All Year Long

2009-09-23T13:55:00.005-04:00

I had never been to a Christmas Tree Shop before we moved to Rochester (I think it's mostly an east coast store). They carry all sorts of things-- home decor, kitchen equipment, specialty foods, some toiletries, toys, etc. I think they have the least expensive picture frames/mirrors/seasonal decorations anywhere around. Granted, the quality sometimes isn't that great, but if you're buying something that just gets hung on the wall, it won't matter too much. We've been really pleased with the big wall mirror we got there, and yesterday we got a laundry basket for $3.

Letchworth Craft Fair Coming Up!

2009-09-11T16:05:00.003-04:00

The Letchworth State Park Arts & Crafts Show and Sale is on the weekend of October 10th (Sat-Mon). Even if you don't really like arts and crafts, there are a lot of fun things to see/eat, and besides, it's hard to resist Letchworth Park this time of year. Though the craft sale is huge and crowded, the waterfall hikes further down in the park are peaceful (at least when we went). They waive the park entrance fee for the weekend.

U-Pick

2009-09-11T15:17:00.005-04:00

A few weeks ago we went to Green Acre U-pick Fruit Farm in Greece. If you're hoping to save tons of money on fruit you'll be disappointed, but if you want some great family fun and a pretty good deal on fruit, then u-pick is for you.

There are lots of u-pick fruit farms all around Rochester, and a surprising variety of fruit is still in season (Green Acres has raspberries, peaches, plums, nectarines, and apples). Apple and pumpkin picking last until November.

Corn 7 ears/$1 at the Public Market

2009-09-11T14:59:00.005-04:00

The public market is open all year, but I think it's best during the early fall when the local farmers are there with all of their corn/peaches/apples/tomatoes/potatoes/etc. Last week I bought some sweet corn, 7 ears for $1!

The market is open in the mornings on Tuesday (smallest number of vendors), Thursday (larger), and Saturday (an adventure! Tons of vendors, thousands of shoppers, competitive parking).

Plenty of vendors are selling the same kind of produce you'd buy in the store (avacados from Chile, etc), but the local farmers are easy to spot with their "harvested yesterday" and "home grown" signs. It's fun to see the farm trucks manned by entire families at the Saturday market.

Beyond produce, we've gotten some great cheese from the Saturday cheese vendor (he might be there on Thursday), cheap spices, delicious baked goods from the Amish stand, and some good fish (inside the building).

All About Eastman

2008-11-20T09:57:00.007-05:00

I've noticed that there are lots of people in Rochester who aren't that familiar with Eastman School of Music. Since our world sort of revolves around Eastman, I'm always happy to tell them anything they want to know (and usually a whole lot more...). Eastman is one of the best music schools anywhere! Newsweek rated Eastman as the "Hottest School for Music" in 2008 (not to reveal any personal bias, but they were probably referring to the attractiveness of the grad students).

Here's the amazing thing: ALL of Eastman's student recitals and concerts are free! (they do charge for visiting artist recitals and for operas). It costs $20-50 to see Rochester's professional orchestra (the RPO ) but Eastman's two symphony orchestras each perform once a month (on a Monday, Wednesday, or Friday night) and it's free! You can also attend concerts by Eastman's wind ensemble, percussion ensemble, new music ensemble, chorale, and individual student recitals. These events are great for dates or for kids over the age of 8. The concert calendar is posted online. After 7PM, parking in the East End Garage (which you can enter from Main Street or Scio) is free.

Rent your cart, buy your bag

2008-11-11T18:14:00.009-05:00

Aldi is a quirky little grocery store. The selection is limited, but the price is right! Aldi claims that its store brand products are often made by the same manufacturers that make regular national brands. For instance, we think that their tomato soup tastes like Campbell's, but it costs a lot less. Here are some other things that we like from there (with very approximate prices):

1) Tortilla chips for $1.

2) Cheap baking supplies & spices (generally less expensive that Wegmans/Walmart)

3) Bags of fresh spinach for $1.30.

4) Sour cream, butter, cream cheese for...cheap (I can't remember)

5) Diced canned tomatoes for 45 cents

6) Frozen ground turkey for 1.80/lb

7) Apple juice concentrate for 90 cents

If very low prices make you nervous (is this really turkey?) you should read their explanation of how they cut costs. One way is to have you pay a quarter to rent your cart (you get it back!) and bring your own bag (or you can buy one for 6 cents). The whole cart-deposit/use your bag model is a very European thing to do...which is why you should feel very chic and cosmopolitan when you shop at Aldi.

Pizza!

2008-10-31T17:52:00.001-04:00

From the mailbox:

"Mr. Shoes Pizza located on E. Henrietta & South Ave corner- have a special on a large cheese pizza every night carry out for $7.99 and it is a big large. - you can add additional things for a bit more-Their # 442-3000 We really love their pizza."

Good to know!

Haircuts

2008-10-17T15:12:00.006-04:00

This just in from the e-mail box:

"I was recently trying to find a cheap and good place to get my hair cut because I refuse to pay a lot for something that will need to be re-done in 6 weeks. My friend told me she had found a great deal. There is a Vietnamese lady in Scottsville who cuts hair for $13 if you don't have her wash it and style it. My friend and I both have very straight, fine hair and mistakes show up easily. Both of us really liked the job she did and he price is fantastic.

She has a shop called Dan-Ni's. It is easy to find: 43 Main Street in Scottsville. Her phone number is (585) 889-8580. Her prices and services are listed at dan-nis.com. She also has coupons, but I noticed they expired in 2007 :-). You could ask if she still honors them."

Thanks for telling us!

mmmm...Autumn

2008-10-15T16:29:00.016-04:00

There are plenty of places around Rochester where you can go to soak up that fall feeling. The ALL-KNOWING Rochester kids' activity page (recommended by a wise friend) has a complete "Fall Page" that lists all of the farms, orchards, etc. that have fun fall festivities (FFFs for short).

Last year we went to Powers Farm Market in Pittsford. We picked out a pumpkin, petted the animals, and walked through three giant corn-husk teepees that are full of lit jack-o-lanterns. We also went on the haunted hay ride through the woods. The hay ride was a lot of fun, but it's hard to remember if it was really worth $3.25/person (kids 1 & under ride free).

We're going to try somewhere different this year, for variety's sake. Maybe somewhere more farm-y than Powers (which isn't a farm). What are your favorite places?

Road Running

2008-10-15T15:48:00.008-04:00

When our Road Runner internet jumped from it's great introductory rate to $45/month, we started looking into other options. From what we could see (between Time Warner, Frontier, and ClearWire) $45/month was a pretty normal price.

We were complaining about it to our wise friends B & H, and they told us about Road Runner Basic (it's not mentioned on their website...). It's a LOT cheaper than the regular Road Runner, and the speed difference is almost unnoticeable (you would probably notice if you like to download big things...like "Ben Hur" or something). Road Runner Lite is an even slower, less expensive version than Road Runner Basic.

Even if you combine TV/phone/internet, I think that you can request RR Basic and get a better deal. That's all I know about that.

Freihofer's Bakery Outlet

2008-10-07T14:51:00.004-04:00

What:

A bakery outlet that sells many varieties & brands of bread, english muffins, bagels, etc. Any time you go you can find 100% whole wheat bread for about $1.70 a loaf, and, if you're lucky, you can get 3 loaves for $3 (they'll be on a table by the door). Around December they hand out Freihofer's calendars that have monthly coupons (like a free loaf of bread with any purchase). They also have "frequent buyer" stamp cards.

Where:

Genesee Valley Regional Market on Jefferson (map). It is a big row of warehouse-looking buildings that house things like an organic food market, coffee outlet, etc. Because of construction, the entrance is temporarily around the corner on Clay Rd. After you drive into the warehouse area, look for the Freihofer sign in the window of one of the middle buildings. TADCO Spices, which is two buildings down, is a good place to buy bulk spices (but not a great place to buy bulk grains).