Whenever I’m in the mood for some kick ass mexican-type food, I head over to John’s Tex-Mex Eatery in the South Wedge. I’ve been there over a dozen times in the last few months and have always had a positive experience.

Wether you’re in the mood for a huge stomach-stretching burrito or just some tasty chips and salsa, you can’t go wrong. I usually order a combo with some tacos and a drink- make sure you try a Boylan soda..

The staff is always friendly and upbeat, and there’s usually a college radio station tuned-in playing quirky songs overhead. Space may be limited, but that only adds to the ambiance. If you can’t grab a table, just wait a bit and one will open up.

Everything is priced very reasonably, making this a great lunch spot. Check the little black board on the wall for daily specials or be sure to ask the staff..

Today as I wandered through Wegmans shopping for dinner ingredients, I ran into some friends. They were sitting at this mini-restaurant inside the market cafe, waiting for their lunch. I had eaten a late breakfast, but hadn’t had lunch. At this point it was almost 2pm, so I quickly abandoned my shopping and sat down to join them.

As I soon learned, Wegmans has installed at least 3 of these mini-restaurant kitchens in the market cafe at their Pittsford store. There is a vegetarian one in the fresh produce section, a seafood one directly in front of the seafood department, and a sandwich and steak one near the meat department.

Let me enumerate a few of the reasons why these mini-restaurants woop:

1. Real silverware
2. Cloth-like napkins
3. Real glasses
4. Water with freshly sliced lemons
5. FRESH ingredients
6. Watch your meal being made

After ordering a cheeseburger, I watched in amazement as our chef Mary walked over to the meat department, grabbed some fresh ground beef, fashioned it into a delicious burger and grilled it to perfection directly in front of us.

The burger was served on fresh roll, toasted to perfection, with crisp lettuce, ripe tomato and a crunchy pickle on the side. Absolutely delicious. Arguably the best burger I have ever had outside my own home. Where else can you get a fresh burger cooked right in front of you for $5.99?!

Gusto is a lovely Italian place on Alexander, right next to the Toad and across from Bamba Bistro. Housed in the gorgeous Medical Arts building, I’ve driven past/walked by Gusto often, making mental notes to stop by. Its almost impossible to resist the temptation to step into this charmingly stylish cafe. The interior is full of vibrant colors and interesting little tchotchkes. The high ceilings and windows make all the difference. I like the layout - there isn’t a bad table in the house. You could sit facing the other diners or you could be looking out the window. Alexander Street is a good place for people watching - so its a win-win situation!  

 My inner cautious-ness led me to suggest Gusto for lunch.  Most places are less crowded and less pretentious over lunch! I had one of their daily specials: Baked Acorn Squash with Parmesan Risotto, served with a Baby Spinach Salad. It was very good. The portions were perfectly sized. The acorn squash was cooked to perfection, soft, golden and fragrant without going overboard on the butter. The parmesan was fresh and not greasy. Both these features earns Gusto many points in my book. Too often, restaurants try to over-compensate for lack of flavor by slathering food in butter and/or olive oil. The salad was extraordinarily simple - baby spinach and little shavings of parmesan. Every leaf was fresh and crisp, the cheese was creamy and tart, not overly salty. My dining partner (my boss!) tried the Chicken Pastina soup and the Italian sausage panini. Both were fresh and flavorful. 

 All in all, its the kind of place that you could go to with your co-workers for lunch in the middle of a weekday. Reasonably priced, flavorful food with enough choices to please everyone. Our waitress (who was, incidentally, unusually chatty but not in a creepy way) pointed out that its also a popular date place, especially in the evenings. I could see why - the interesting-looking chandelier and sumptuous curtains somehow set the right mood: casual yet intimate. There you have it - Gusto has my blessing! Go try it!

Gusto on the web:

1. Reviews on RocWiki

2. Official Gusto website

3. Originally posted at Gusto