Wholesale dessert manufacturer Crème de la Crème has moved its facilities from Fairport to the former downtown post office headquarters and opened a new retail outlet there last week. Crème brulee cheesecake, Chocolate Oblivion torte and other signature desserts are available whole or by the slice. This is Crème de la Crème's first retail offering since current owner Marc Newman bought the business in 1993. Crème de la Crème began as a pastry shop on South Avenue in 1979, and Newman says he hopes its move back to the city will help with downtown's revitalization. (250 Cumberland St.; 399-0680. Mon-Fri 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Sat 9 a.m.-1 p.m.)

Joilette Pearsall opened her take-out focused Jamaican eatery, Pearsall Family Restaurant, in September after years of cooking for her church. A self-described "visionary cook," Pearsall doesn't use recipes, instead experimenting with island flavors and spices, she says. The menu nevertheless features classic oxtails, brown stew, curry, and jerk chicken, plus a rotating selection of side dishes. A small communal table is available for sit-down diners. (1151 Lyell Ave.; 254-5470. Tue-Thu & Sat 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Fri 11 a.m.-11 p.m.)

Dervon Richman cooked for the previous owners of Jerkers Original Take-out on Main, Lake, and Genesee streets before taking over its current location on Jefferson in September. The take-out-only restaurant's simple menu offers from-scratch entrees in three sizes, with sides of rice and beans, cabbage, and dumplings. Other sides and a vegetarian entree are available. Desserts-everything, in fact, except the patties, Richman says-are made in-house. (651 Jefferson Ave.; 436-9766. Mon-Sat 11 a.m.-9 p.m.)

"You're going to smell me before you see me," says Greg "Chicken Hawk" Smith, who left Wegmans after 18 years in its prepared foods section and meat center to open Greg's House of Chicken with business partner Lunzer Evans. Smith offers rotisserie, fried, and specially prepared chickens (baked with Dijon-honey sauce and broccoli on a recent day) either whole or as an entrée with side dishes from a rotating hot bar selection. The smoky-spicy, tangy house-made G's sauce enlivens sandwiches from the steak bomber to the chicken wrap, for which Smith says he grills the rotisserie chicken for extra flavor. After learning to cook from his grandmother in Walterboro, South Carolina, Smith cites a stint at Rund's Seafood on Lyell Avenue as an important learning experience. (1014 Hudson Ave.; 266-5840. Mon-Sat 11 a.m.-7 p.m.)

The Beach House will remain open throughout the winter with shorter hours and a pared-down menu of burgers, sandwiches, and appetizers. Owner Mike Catalano, who also co-owns the Jukebox in Spencerport, says plans for entertainment include live music on Saturday nights and promotions every Thursday. The Beach House opened in June; during beach season it will open every day at 11 a.m. (4776 Lake Ave.; 663-1280. Thu-Sat 5 p.m.-2 a.m.)

News & Events

Brown Hound Bistro head chef Gretta Pagorek has left to pursue "an amazing opportunity to start and run a new kitchen," owner Trish Aser says. Stepping into her spot is Brian Alvaro, who has run the kitchens of Canandaigua's Eric's Office and Thendara. Pagorek's last meal at Brown Hound was its November 28 Harvest Wine Dinner. Alvaro will design and prepare the bistro's New Year's Eve dinner, Aser says. (6459 Route 64, Naples; 374-9771)

Lola Bistro & Bar hosts a bourbon tasting dinner on Monday, December 10. Jean Logan of Pernod Ricard USA will present bourbons for tasting at a 6:30 p.m. cocktail reception followed by a dinner whose four courses all feature the spirit. Highlights include chorizo-stuffed quail over grits with a bourbon-pomegranate molasses and sweet potato bread pudding with a bourbon-vanilla creme anglaise. Tickets are $60, and reservations are required. (630 Monroe Ave.; 271-0320.)

As part of its first series of cooking classes, Tasteology offers "Healthy Soups 101," a four-session course beginning Wednesday, December 5. The hands-on classes, taught in the restaurant's studio kitchen, focus on nutritious recipes ready in 30 minutes or less. The $60 tuition includes take-home recipes and an instructional DVD. The course concludes on January 2. Enrollment is limited and registration is required. (3400 Monroe Ave.; 385-0708.)

Make and Take Gourmet, a Syracuse-based meal preparation store, recently opened its fourth franchise in the Rochester area in Henrietta. At sessions scheduled by phone or online, customers choose menus and quantities (a 12-meal sequence costs $220; entrees each feed four to six adults). Make and Take staff prepare the meals, with or without customer participation, which are then packaged for freezing and/or reheating. The Henrietta store joins locations in East Rochester, Webster and Victor. (1475 East Henrietta Rd., Suite A, Henrietta; 292-5930.)