For more than 15 years, Read's Ice Cream on East Henrietta Road has offered a special April 1 treat for those brave enough to taste the unusual. Last year Chow Hound gave a brief mention of the shop's "Picnic Supreme" flavor, which featured an array of condiments like ketchup, mustard, and relish, plus picnic pests like "flies" and "ants" folded into the mix. This year we decided to find out a little more about this April Fool's Day tradition from owner Lee Read.

Crazy ice cream concoctions are nothing new, and people around the world have been doing it for years, according to Read. The challenge is finding something original that hasn't been attempted before. Read's process starts every year on April 2, and it takes time to come up with something unique - Read will often bounce ideas off his wife, Jeanne, who is also a fixture in the store. Read seemed amused by my shock over the thought of fish-fry ice cream, or pizza flavor, both of which have already been attempted.

While none of the April Fool's flavors have caught on for permanent rotation at Read's, some flavors have proven popular enough for customers to take home and enjoy, like the chicken wing ice cream a few years back. Gallons of last year's "Picnic Supreme" were sold, and comments ranged from interesting to, well, disgusting.

This year's April 1 flavor is "Old Ball Game," which includes all of your ballpark favorites, like hot dogs, cracker jacks, and peanuts swirled into vanilla ice cream. The crazy mix should get you ready for the Red Wings home opener, coming up Saturday, April 11.

Read's Ice Cream is located at 3130 East Henrietta Road. Hours are flexible, but generally run Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m. For more information call 334-5520.

"Big city" sandwich joint

Sereno's is a small shop in Fairport that opened in mid-February, adding another option for all things fried and fabulous. This is the type of place Rochester loves: the hots spot around the corner where you get your greasy fix. Sereno's rivals many restaurants in friendliness as well. While waiting for my to-go order, I overheard a phone conversation concerning an incorrect order for another customer. Not only was there genuine concern and an offer to replace and re-deliver the meal, but the professionalism continued after the call was over. Good food is great, but service is just as important, and it's nice to see a place take it seriously.

Owned by husband-and-wife team Michael and Wendy Sereno, the location was specifically sought as a homecoming of sorts. Michael was born and raised in Fairport, and always intended to come home to raise his family. A former fine-dining chef in Arizona, he made a complete 180 in running more of a family joint, and loves the unpretentious, comforting food and atmosphere. The reasoning behind his decision is simple: this is the food he loves, and seeks out when visiting other cities.

Sereno's specializes in "big city" sandwiches and subs, a nod to urban centers that have a signature taste. You can visit Pittsburgh by ordering a huge ham, cheese, fried egg, French fries, and coleslaw sandwich stuffed between thick Italian bread. New Orleans will get you a hearty muffuletta, complete with signature olive salad. And Chicago translates to Italian beef, topped with giardiniera (a marinated relish), and is served "wet" or "dry."  And those are just a few of the options.

I chose to stay closer to home and tried a Buffalo - beef on weck. The prime rib-style beef, which is slow-roasted in house, was appropriately juicy, and the horseradish sharp. What I fell in love with was the roll; a kimmelwick with a generous dose of salt on the top that elevated the taste of the sandwich. The Serenos order those rolls from a Buffalo bakery, Costanzo's, evidence of the couple's aim to make all their sandwiches as authentic as possible.

Sereno's also has the Rochester favorite, a plate, with one unexpected optional addition: tater tots instead of the more common fries.

Sereno's is located 541 Whitney Road West in Fairport, and opens for lunch and dinner at 11 a.m. Mondays through Saturdays. For more information call 385-5775.

Café Vas re-opens

Merchants Road coffee shop Cafe Vas is scheduled to reopen its doors Wednesday, April 1. Thanks to the normal snags of the restaurant business, alcoholic beverages and a full kitchen are still to come, says owner Vinny Rovitelli. However, he is ready to re-open with reduced hours, and welcome back clientele with a selection of coffees and sandwiches.

Cafe Vas is located on 564 Merchants Road, and open Mondays-Saturdays 7 a.m.-5 p.m., but those hours are subject to change. Call 482-7861 or visit cafevas.com for updates.