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Your mug on a mug of Guinness?

7 Feb

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So I was at Barry’s Old School Irish last night (I see that shocked and surprised look on your face) and was talking with Jess about plans for tomorrow’s Great Guinness Toast. (If you’re a Guinness lover and haven’t heard about this event yet, read more here. You don’t want to miss it.)

One of the highlights of the evening will be a visit by Guinness representatives, who will have what Danny and Jess called a “Guinness design machine.”

When I was there last night I had to ask her what the heck that was.

Apparently, Guinness has this machine that can imprint a sepia-toned photo on the foam of your freshly-poured Guinness. They call it a “STOUTie.” It’s created with a natural malt extract that’s added to the top of the beer, and since it’s malt, it won’t alter the taste of the beer.

Guinness only introduced this technology in November at the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin when they hosted the International Stout Festival. So it’s just now making it over to this side of the pond, and chances are, Barry’s is one of the first pubs to experience it.

And that’s because Barry’s — our little corner pub in our little village — sells more Guinness than any other pub or restaurant in the Greater Rochester area and beyond.

So you can be one of the first to get your head on a head of beer.

Tomorrow’s Great Guinness toast will also feature free Guinness for everyone, entertainment by Billy Herring and other fun stuff. Click here for more information.

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email me at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Twitter and Instagram

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Time to warm up that pint-raising arm

31 Jan

barry's old school

Webster’s favorite little Irish pub will be hosting its annual Great Guinness Toast (a.k.a. “St. Practice Day”) a week from Saturday.

As one of the top Irish pubs in the country (no exaggeration — read this blog here from 2018 for proof), Guinness representatives return every year about a month before St. Patrick’s Day to raise a pint of Guinness with everybody. The event happens all over the world, so participants know they’re part of something very big.

Guinness representatives especially like to come to Barry’s because — I believe — our little pub sells more Guinness than any other establishment in the Rochester area.

It all happens on Saturday Feb. 8 from 7 to 11 p.m. The official toast takes place at 10 p.m., when everyone will get a pint on the house. There will also be lots of giveaways, and a special Guinness design machine will be in the house to create pictures on top of the pints. Billy Herring will provide live Irish music from 7:30-10:30.

Barry’s Old School Irish is located at 2 West Main Street in the village of Webster.

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email me at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Twitter and Instagram

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Barrys get VIP seats to McGregor fight

24 Jan

barrys

So this is cool.

You know how Danny and Jessica Barry, owners of my favorite Webster pub, Barry’s Old School Irish, have developed a pretty close relationship with Connor McGregor?

(Yeah, that Connor McGregor, the one who just gave a 40-second beating to some hapless opponent in the Fight Of The Century in Las Vegas.)

They’d been fans for a long time, and when McGregor introduced his very own Irish whiskey — called Proper Twelve — well, you can imagine how the Barry’s felt about that. The relationship has grown so strong that McGregor GAVE THEM TICKETS TO THE FIGHT. So they flew out, sat with the Proper Twelve team and even went to the after-party.

See the whole story here as reported by WROC Channel 8.

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News from Heritage Christian Stables

10 Jan

heritage

I’m pleased to pass along this press release from one of Webster’s finest community organizations, Heritage Christian Stables.

Heritage Christian Stables, located at 1103 Salt Road, offers therapeutic horseback riding programs to children and adults with disabilities. Their programs have proven results, improving riders’ physical, cognitive, emotional, social, and spiritual well-being.

Late last year, Heritage hosted a holiday party for their outstanding group of dedicated volunteers. More than 70 attended, and spent the evening playing games and enjoying food, drinks, and desserts. Volunteers received special gifts and prizes, and a chance to redeem their “volunteer bucks” (earned for every hour spent volunteering) for items like apparel, gift cards, and lessons.

There are lots of opportunities for you to become a volunteer as well. You can volunteer one time at special events, commit regularly for a whole season to help with gardening, staff the thrift store, or become a therapeutic riding volunteer as a side walker, horse leader or other helper.

For more information about all these opportunities and more, log onto the Heritage Christian Stables website.

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email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Twitter and Instagram

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The Village Quilt Shoppe is back!

8 Jan

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Vanetta Parshall, Monique Liberti and their cute little quilt shop are back in business on East Main St.

They’ve been closed for a little more than a month, thanks to a water leak in the apartment above them which significantly damaged the shop and destroyed a good chunk of their inventory. Along with many friends and family members, they’ve been working hard in recent weeks to bring the shop back up to par. (Check out the photos to see for yourself!)

Vanetta and Monique have even managed to turn a very negative event into a lot of positives.

When I stopped in yesterday, their first day back in business, I saw that the shop is not only back in full swing, but in many ways is better than before. The ladies saw the forced-renovation opportunity to add more and better shelves, increase their inventory, and put down a whole new floor. This week they also introduced their new loyalty program and a monthly gift certificate drawing for customers who pay with cash or check.

Also, during the month of January for every sale over $25 customers will receive a sealed Red or White Fabulous February envelope, which can then be returned (unopened) in February to find prizes inside like gift certificates and discounts.

To celebrate their reopening, The Village Quilt Shoppe will host a “We’re Back” party this Saturday Jan. 11 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. There will be raffles, sales, treats and a hot chocolate bar.

The shop is located at 21 East Main, at the corner of Lapham Park. Find out more on their website here and Facebook page here.

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email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Twitter and Instagram

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

 

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Great news from the Village Quilt Shoppe

29 Dec

quilt shoppe

As many of you know, the Village Quilt Shoppe on Main St. in Webster, which only opened in September, has been closed for almost a month because of water damage caused by a leak in the ceiling. It was very unfortunate timing, because the shop missed out on White Christmas in the Village, an excellent opportunity for the community to discover this charming new business.

But GOOD NEWS, quilters and cute-new-business lovers: the Village Quilt Shoppe will be re-opening on Tuesday January 7.

Owners Monique Liberti and Vanetta Parshall are celebrating the occasion with what they’re calling their “We’re Back Party,” complete with sales, raffles food and a hot chocolate bar. (Read more about that on their website here.)

Even if you’re not a quilter, it’s worth stopping in to check out this new shop. Monique and Vanetta are incredibly nice people who have created a wonderfully welcoming shop. Please consider popping in during their We’re Back Party just to say hi and welcome to Webster! (Then buy a late Christmas gift for that quilter in your family.)

The Village Quilt Shoppe is located at 21 East Main St. in the Village of Webster. Visit their website here and their Facebook page here for more information.

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email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Twitter and Instagram

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The Village Quilt Shoppe is closed — but NOT FOR LONG

21 Dec

quilt shoppe

Earlier this month, during the Village of Webster’s White Christmas celebration, I stopped by one of our newest businesses, the Village Quilt Shoppe, which is located at the corner of Lapham Park and East Main.

When I looked through the window, my jaw dropped and my heart sank.

The place was stripped bare. No rolls of fabric. No cutting tables. No … anything … except bare walls and a few commercial fans. I was flabbergasted. What could have happened to them? Their business was (seemingly) thriving! I  mean, every business struggles a bit when they start, but had they failed already? Had they skipped out on their rent in the middle of the night?

Then I saw a sign on the front door which explained everything. The apartment above the shop had a water problem, which leaked down into the shop and did a lot of damage. Sure enough, I looked up and saw several ceiling tiles missing. So they’ve had to close for a while to do some clean-up and renovations.

The timing was unfortunate, right during one of the busiest village days of the year. I am disappointed they were not able to be open for even more people to discover what a wonderful shop this is.

BUT THEY WILL BE BACK. Owner Monique Liberti told me that they’re still trying to nail down some contractors to do the work and hope to open again in early January.

So they’ll be seeing everyone again soon!

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email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Twitter and Instagram

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Photos from White Christmas

8 Dec

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Perhaps it was because it wasn’t raining, or windy, or bitterly cold, but it seemed like last night’s White Christmas in the Village festival was the best attended in recent memory.

At least the parade was. Early on, when activities like the book shop mini-concert and story-time started and the festival wagon started making its rounds, the crowds were a little thin.

But as night fell, families started streaming into town in anticipation of the main event, the Electric Parade.

Kudos to Robyn Whittaker and the Webster BID for pulling together another nice event. I especially liked the brand new idea of the gingerbread house-making contest for the businesses and I look forward to this being expanded next year.

It’s unfortunate that more people don’t realize that this celebration is not JUST the parade. More people should make White Christmas in the Village an entire afternoon and evening event. Come into the village early when you can actually GET a parking space somewhere, do some shopping, visit the museum, have some dinner, and actually  take part in all of the great family activities.

As usual, I took a ton of photos. Together with a bunch that I received from a few other people, here’s a gallery of more than 150 photos from last night’s activities and the parade. (If you have any additional photos that you would like to share, like of your kids, please email them to me — address below — and I’ll add them to the gallery!)

And by the way, just because White Christmas is over does NOT mean that our village businesses are closed for the holidays. Make sure to come into town and check out all of the gorgeous decorations, and stop by the museum to vote for your favorite Christmas tree!

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email me at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Twitter and Instagram

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Big changes in store for Good Smoke

26 Nov

good smoke

Since Good Smoke BBQ opened last January on West Main Street in the village of Webster, it has become one of my favorite village restaurants. I don’t believe I’ve ever enjoyed barbecued anything so much. Good Smoke’s sweet sauces are delightful, their side portions ample and their corn bread is delicious.

So when I heard recently that Good Smoke would be undergoing some major changes — including a significant menu shift — I was disappointed. But intrigued.

In short, before the end of the year, Good Smoke will become known as Roc Style Chicken and Burger, featuring a brand new menu with a lot less barbecue and a lot more, well, chicken and burgers.

Good Smoke management officially announced the changes on social media yesterday. Roc StyleTheir post read, in part,

We have a concept that we have been developing for years which we believe will be perfect for these locations. We are still working out the last details but would love to share the concept that we are incredibly excited about: Roc Style Chicken and Burger.

Roc Style is a celebration of Rochester’s culinary traditions. It is a celebration of our great city and the incredible lifestyle it affords us. Sweet and Sour sauce, Meat hot sauce, White hots… and much much more. Triple dipped, hand breaded to order, butter milk marinated chicken sandwiches. Over a dozen home made sauces for your wings, bone in or house made boneless. Hand pressed burgers and Zweigles dogs, plates with our super popular meat hot sauce. Awesome appetizers to share. A new menu but the same Good Smoke drive for ridiculous food quality and incredible customer service.

Small changes are already in the works. Table service was introduced a few weeks ago, and the restaurant is serving a limited beer menu. Major renovations will begin after Thanksgiving, including replacing the front counter with a bar, and swapping out much of the bench seating for high-top tables.

The owners will close the restaurant after Wednesday night’s (Nov. 27) dinner hours and hope to re-open within just a few weeks.

When I spoke with general manager Jeremy White a few days ago about the plans, he was excited about the additional service opportunities the new arrangement will offer, especially the new table service.

“With table service we can actually interact with the guests,” he said. That will allow a more personal experience for the guests, and more flexibility for them to add things, like beer and wine, to their order.

Reaction to Good Smoke’s announcement on Facebook has been mixed. Many people are very disappointed (and in true Facebook tradition, are being rather snarky about it). Others are more supportive.

I’m going to go with supportive, and I wish them luck. Having fallen in love with Good Smoke, I can handle traveling to their East Rochester location to get my three-meat platter, baked beans and corn bread. It won’t be just steps from my home anymore, but I can’t fault a business owner for making a business decision that seems right for the market.

Bottom line, we need reasonably-priced restaurants in the village, and if this change will help Good Smoke stay here and help our village remain strong, then more power to them.

Good Smoke BBQ is located at 5 West Min Street, Webster. To keep updated on the changes, visit their Facebook page. You can also email questions and comments to info@goodsmokebbq.com.

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email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Twitter and Instagram

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It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas in Webster

23 Nov

IMG_20191122_202514083The village is sparkling.

If you’ve been “downtown” in the last few days, you’ve seen that the trees are adorned with twinkly white lights and the star decorations have been hung on the streetlamps. Now all we need is a little snow to make the village really look like it’s holiday time.

The village has hosted a few special events in the last few weeks, but it’s almost like everything else is just anxiously waiting in the wings, ready to pounce as soon as Thanksgiving passes.

Here’s a quick run-down of just some of the events coming up in the next few weeks thanks to the Webster Herald for alerting me to a few of these):

Breakfast with Santa

Santa will make one of his first Webster visits on Sunday Dec. 1, when the Webster Lions Club hosts Breakfast with Santa from 8 a.m. to noon.

The breakfast, which takes place at the Webster Golf Club (440 Salt Rd.), is FREE, but  donations will be accepted to benefit the Webster Community Chest, Santa’s Workshop and other local charities.

Community holiday party 

If you can’t make that trip to see Santa, he returns to Webster on Friday Dec. 6, when he visits St. Martin Lutheran Church on Bay Rd. for the church’s annual holiday party.

The entire community is invited to see Santa arrive by fire truck at around 6 p.m. He’ll visit with children until 8 p.m. and free photos will be taken (but feel free to bring your own camera).

Other activities that evening include cookie decorating, games, crafts, and the opportunity to make a reverse Advent calendar (I do this every year). Free pizza and beverages will also be provided for all.

Admission is free but please bring a canned good for the Little Free Pantry at the church, which provides food 24/7 for our neighbors in need.

St. Martin Lutheran Church is located at 813 Bay Rd.

Webster Village Band holiday concerts

The Webster Village Band has three upcoming holiday concerts on their schedule:

  • Thursday, Dec. 5, at Eastview Mall, Victor, 7 p.m.
  • Saturday, Dec. 14, Webster Schroeder High School, 3 p.m.

The concert program will contain some all-time holiday favorites and a few newer compositions to delight audiences of all ages. Performances are free of charge and light refreshments will be served following the performance at Schroeder High School.

And make sure to watch for the band on their float during the Parade of Lights on Sat. Dec. 7, which begins at 6:30 p.m. (More info to come about that!)

Webster Village Band Photo 2018

Country Gardeners sale

The Country Gardeners of Webster, Klemwood Garden Club and the Webster Arboretum will hold their annual Garden Club Holiday Sale on Saturday December 7 from 9 am to noon at the Webster Recreation Center, 1350 Chiyoda Drive.

This huge sale features fresh wreaths, arrangements, poinsettias, centerpieces and gifts that are created by hand by the club members for this sale. This is always a very popular event, so you want to get there early.

The sale is the Country Gardeners’ annual fundraiser, so think about decorating your own home, and purchasing gifts for family, friends and holiday hostesses.

Admission is free.

Another breakfast with Santa 

Santa will also be a special guest at the First Baptist Church of Penfield’s December Flapjack Benefit Breakfast on Saturday Dec. 14. From 8-10 a.m. they offer an all-you can-eat breakfast with pancakes, maple syrup, scrambled eggs, sausage and beverage for just $6 per person. All proceeds will benefit the Open Door Mission.

The First Baptist Church of Penfield is located at 1862 Penfield Rd., at the four corners.

Cookies, cookies, cookies!

Two local organizations are ready to help you with your holiday baking this year.

St. Martha’s Guild will hold its annual Gourmet Cookie Fundraiser on Saturday Dec. 7 from noon to 2 p.m. at Holy Cross Anglican Church, 615 Bay Rd.

Cookies, pastries and brownies of all kinds will be offered for sale.

The following weekend, on Saturday Dec. 14, the Women’s Club of Webster will host its 27th annual Christmas Cookie Sale in the community room of the Webster Public Library, on Van Ingen Drive.

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There will be more events to come, and more information about some of these in future blogs. So stay tuned, keep adding them to your calendar, and get ready for a very busy holiday season.

As for me, I’m getting an early start — I’m heading down to LaLa this afternoon to do some Christmas shopping. 

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email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Twitter and Instagram

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

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