You might have noticed a new business at the corner of Main and Clinton downtown named Food. As you might imagine from the title, it's a restaurant that serves up a variety of comfort and fast food to downtown diners for lunch and breakfast.

Although its owner says that Food has been open for takeout for the past two months, it will celebrate its grand opening on Friday, June 11, and its soft opening on Thursday, June 3. The restaurant is located in a building at 1 N. Clinton Ave. that was originally slated for demolition as part of the now-defunct Renaissance Square project. Both the building and the new restaurant are owned by local real-estate developer Neil Bauman.

"I think it's a pretty good statement that the private development is moving along so nicely down here," says Bauman. "Three new businesses in just three months after the announcement of the demise of Ren Square - the Ren Square project spent a lot more money than we have and never opened a single business."

The space Food occupies formerly housed Bauman's father's business, EJ Bauman Jewelers, which was there for more than 50 years. When Bauman made the decision to convert the space into a restaurant, he spent more than $100,000 in renovations and took several months to convert the space into a sit-down diner in an attempt to bring some life back to the area. Bauman has plans to totally overhaul the edifice of the building, transforming it into a chic storefront.

"I admit I got a bit teary-eyed and emotional as I watched those display cases from my father's jewelers go out to the dumpsters," says Bauman. "But I am excited about what I envision will be a great success, because we're the only place on Main and Clinton where someone can come and sit down to enjoy their meal."

Food's menu, which was devised by Bauman's partner Tom Amore and his son, David Amore, includes many traditional diner items, including breakfast sandwiches and platters, hot dogs, cheeseburgers, cheesesteak subs and two types of "plates," including a barbeque pork plate. Prices range from $3 to $8.

Several storefronts down, Bauman is also acting as leasing agent for the space which holds the new Metro Market, which will celebrate its grand opening Thursday, June 3. The 4,620 square-foot space, which formerly housed a McDonald's, has been rehabbed and remodeled into a downtown grocery market by owner Valerie Akinlawon, who has also owned the Metro Mini Mart at 318 E. Main St. for 17 years.

"I'm happy to provide a service to all of the people who live downtown who don't have any place to do their grocery shopping," says Akinlawon. "You can come in and purchase anything you would purchase at Wegmans, just on a smaller scale."

In addition to a wide variety of fresh meats, produce, and traditional grocery items, Metro Market also offers a small café where diners can grab subs, salads, breakfast sandwiches, and more while taking advantage of the café's free WiFi.

Food is located at 1 N. Clinton Ave. It is open Monday-Friday 6 a.m.-4 p.m. For more information call 325-7373 or visit foodrochesterny.com.

Metro Market is located at 172 E. Main St. It is open Monday-Saturday 6 a.m.-9 p.m. For more information, call 232-6515.

Openings

Just in time for the nice weather, Katrina's Mediterranean opened May 10 in Fairport, and offers waterfront seating on a large outdoor deck along the canal. The new restaurant offers mostly Greek cuisine, including moussaka, baklava, and gyros, as well as some other popular Mediterranean specialities like falafel, hummus, and calamari. Prices range from $5 to $10. Katrina's Mediterranean is located at 6 N. Main St. in Fairport. It is open daily from 11 a.m.-9 p.m. For more information, call 377-9090.

Kakachi Japanese Restaurant opened last month, offering Penfield residents a wide variety of sushi and sashimi. Some of the specialty rolls include the Kakachi special, a shrimp tempura and avocado roll topped with spicy crab meat and chopped shrimp, and the red bank roll, a soft-shell crab tempura tobiko (fish roe), topped with eel and avocado. The restaurant also offers sushi made with brown rice, a healthful alternative to the more traditional white rice sushi. Kakachi is located at 1825 Penfield Rd. in Penfield and is open Monday-Thursday 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m., Friday-Saturday until 10 p.m. For more information call 381-8999 or visit kakachisushi.com.

F. Oliver's Oils and Vinegars celebrated its grand opening May 22 in Canandaigua. The new shop offers an extensive selection of imported hand-crafted olive oils and balsamic vinegars that customers are encouraged to taste right from the tank before making a selection based on their culinary needs. The store also hosts private tastings, either in-store or in-home, and offers custom gift baskets and a private label program for corporate gifts or special events. F. Oliver's is located at 129 S. Main St. in Canandaigua. It is open Monday-Friday 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m. For more information call 396-2585 or visit folivers.com.

Mexican restaurant El Dorado re-opened last month after being closed for nearly two months for renovations. The newly redesigned restaurant features a window-side cement bar with stools, brand new countertops, tables, and chairs, and optimized seating. In addition, it has started offering a lunch buffet Tuesday through Thursday 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. featuring quesadillas, flautas, enchiladas, and rotating specialty items for $7.99. El Dorado is located at 2513 E. Henrietta Rd. It is open Tuesday-Saturday 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m. For more information call 486-4170.

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