Crab Shack

Over the weekend, Jason and I had to give Crab Shack a try!  Since we were out and about, we were starving and ended up getting there around 5:30, and even though the parking lot was already full (always a good sign on a Saturday night) we still got right in and only had a 10 minute wait!
The Food:  We started off with the buffalo crab dip. Delicious!  Lots of lump crab meat and wow, it had a nice kick to it too!  For our entrees I ordered fish tacos with mango and avocado.   I was a little disappointed with my meal.  It said avocado, but they meant avocado cream...not quite what I was hoping for.  It also was prepared with grilled salmon, not my favorite choice for fish tacos.  Jason ordered the shrimp boat, it was a mix of fried popcorn shrimp and coconut shrimp.  Jason's shrimp were hot and delicious and it really was a "boat load" of shrimp!  The coconut shrimp came with a coconut dipping sauce that was sweet, yet yummy!  Both dinners were served with crab chips (homemade potato chips) that were delicious.
The Place:  I would have to say that my favorite part of the meal was the atmosphere.  I love Cape Cod, and I felt like I was there!  I loved all the sea side decor :) The Crab Stack is a fairly new restaurant in the Rochester Area.  It opened over the summer and I have heard mixed reviews about their food.  It has a great location in Henrietta, off East Henrietta Road, across from MCC.

http://www.crabshackrochester.com/

Champps

I am always looking for that perfect hamburger.  You know, the hamburger that is thick, juicy, melts in your mouth, cheesy, bacon is cooked to perfection with the exact thickness and crispiness that makes your arteries say more please, hamburger!  Well, Jason and I went to Champs this past Monday.  GREAT decision!  Mondays are half price burger night.  Thats right, two enormous, delicious, juicy burgers with their famous waffle fries, only $10!  What a steal!


Mondays are great for two reasons, half price burgers and NO wait!  Jason got the pepperjack bacon stack burger, two patties, pepperjack cheese and applewood-smoked bacon.  It was HUGE and I enjoyed the queso sauce that came with the fries as well!  I ordered the Champps cheeseburger with bacon and asked for a side of their chipotle mayo.  The mayo was perfect with the juicy burger stacked with lettuce, tomato, cheese and bacon.  This burger is in the finalists in the area, but I am still on the quest for the best burger in Rochester. Of course I love Don's Original, but I am looking for a thick juicy burger!

Champps Website

Zarpentine Farms

It was the perfect fall day!  Jason and I decided to take a drive out to one of our favorite fall destinations...Zarpentine Farms in Hilton, NY.  They have a LARGE maize maze.  This year the maize maze was in the shape of the game Clue.  You could chose to play the game or just get lost in the maize and find pipe cleaners, which is the route we chose!  Either way it is tons of fun.  After being lost in the maize for 1 1/2 hours or so, we treated our selves  to some yummy treats back in their farm house.  They make tons of delicious homemade treats. OH, and of course we couldn't leave without a bag of apples!

Apple Fritters, Apple Carmel Bread, Apple Butter AND Apple Cider!

Zarpentine's Apple Cider is DELICIOUS!

Aladdin's

The village of Pittsford has many restaurants, one of my favorites I keep going back to is Aladdin's.  Aladdin's Natural Eatery, has Mediterranean style dishes.  They use only fresh ingredients and serve fresh, healthy meals very inexpensively.

The Food:
This is a great place for both lunch and dinner, but this weekend I met a friend for lunch.  I ordered the tuna pita and Jen ordered the eggplant pita wrap.  I usually order the eggplant but was craving tuna! Jen warned me that the tuna was large and impossible to eat, and well, she was right!  It is packed with way to much lettuce and large pieces of tomato and cucumber, but after I got over the large factor, it was delicious.  I just had to eat it with a fork.  It also came with cheese and dressing on the side.  Each meal was only $5!

Recommendations:  If you are going for dinner, you must try an appetizer platter, I am a big fan of their tabouli, baba and hummos!  If you are looking for more of a hearty meal, try the Moussaka, layers of meat, mashed potatoes, and spices, topped with sliced eggplant and their bechamel sauce is just delicious!  Did I mention it also comes with a greek salad on the side all for only $8.75!

The Service:
Great service, great food, great prices!  Try it out!

Aladdin's Natural Eatery

Benucci's

Benucci's is located off Monroe Avenue in Pittsford Plaza.  Last year, they renovated their restaurant and now has a great new layout and food!  The only thing that is not convenient is the parking! UGG!

The Food:

We started out with the Fried Risotto for an appetizer.  They were delicious, but could be a bit cheesier in the middle since they come with sauce.
Jason ordered the penne vodka with chicken and I ordered the pear gorgonzola pizza (without walnuts).  Both entrees were delicious!!

The Service:

The hosts were very friendly, but our waitress however, was not.  She did not come to our table after our entrees came out and when she did she would only look at Jason...hmm.  Jason wanted to order another drink, but each time she would go by our table she would not make eye contact or look, so he gave up.

Benucci's is very reasonable, perfect portion sizes and good food overall.  I would recommend making a reservation on the weekends and getting there early to find decent parking!

Benuuci's Website