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BC’s Chicken Coop has new, bigger location

17 Jul

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After six and a half years on South Avenue, Brandie Rauber and Christina Wasson have finally found a bigger and better location for their popular village restaurant, BC’s Chicken Coop, now at 159 West Main Street.

Brandie and Chris opened The Coop in November 2010, jumping on the chance to take over the old pizza shop at 9 South Avenue shortly after it closed. Since then they’ve been cooking up the tastiest fried chicken and ribs this side of the Mississippi. (That’s not just my opinion. Their wings have won awards.)

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Chris Wasson and Brandie Rauber at the new Coop

In the years since, they became strong Webster supporters, building the kind of rock-solid, community-focused business that Webster desperately needs.

But they also struggled at times with health and financial issues, and the small space they had to work with didn’t make things any easier.

Their perseverance was finally rewarded at the end of June when they moved into their beautiful new, bigger and more visible restaurant on West Main.

There’s a lot to love about the new place. For starters, it’s about twice the size of the South Avenue location, which means a much bigger kitchen and more than four times the seating capacity. That’s plenty of room for people to stretch out and relax with a soda or water while their dinner is being cooked up fresh.

There’s also a public bathroom and plenty of parking right outside the front door, two things they didn’t have at all before.

Chris and Brandie have had to make some adjustments as they settle inIMG_5169. For example, on South Ave., everything was packaged for take-out, but now orders might need to be put in baskets to be served at a table. On the plus side, thanks to more storage space, now they have room to prepare some things ahead and don’t have to worry about running out of food.

What’s remained the same is the Coop’s outstanding menu. I’m a huge fan of their cornbread and juicy fried chicken, with a coating so flavorful I could eat all by itself.  But their ribs and wings are also highly rated. And they cook everything to order, using locally-sourced products.

It’s been a tough road, but Brandie and Chris have finally found themselves — and the Coop — in a pretty good place right now.

Judging from the constant stream of customers in and out of the Coop before and after the Firemen’s Parade last Thursday, it’s clear lots of people are excited about the move. Some were perhaps discovering the Coop for the first time, now that it’s so much more visible and accessible.

It’s been a dream come true for Brandie and Chris, and they’re grateful to Webster for helping them get there.

“This was the end goal, to do something like this,” Brandie said.

“I think that all of Webster from the get-go has pulled for us,” Chris said. “They kept us alive so that we could do this and we were determined not to leave Webster because of it.”

“I think it’s going to be like this forever,” she added.  I certainly hope so.

BC’s Chicken Coop is located at 159 West Main Street in Webster.  Click here to visit their Facebook page, or call 585-265-1185.

 

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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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Bygone blog: An entertaining trip to Bay Side

12 Jul

I was chatting about this blog with my friends the other night, so I thought I would give it the light of day once again.

Keep reading. It’s kind of a delightful story.

(originally published July 18, 2016)

Believe it or not, last night was the very first time my husband and I had ever been to the Bay Side Pub up on Lake Road. Our friends Dave and Patty invited us along when they headed up there for dinner. They warned us there’d be a wait for a table, but that we’d enjoy sitting outside with a beer and listening to some music while we did.

They were right on both counts. The wait was long because — as many of you probably already know —  Bay Side is quite small and apparently everybody in Webster knows that sitting on the Bay Side lawn on a gorgeous summer Sunday evening, drinking a beer and listening to music is THE thing to do.

Before too long we were joined by four other friends. We talked, and laughed, and sang along with a very entertaining local cover band called Vintage.

But the best part of the evening was what will forever be known as the Great Flip-Flop Rescue.

Allow me to paint the scene. We’re waiting at a table right on the water, and as we’re chatting, I watch as a young girl scampers down the short dock toward her family’s small boat. She stops in front of it and kicks off one of her flip-flops, expecting it to land in the boat. Not even close. Instead, it plops into the bay. Undaunted, she kicks off the other flip-flop. Which lands in the bay right next to the first one.

She stands there, looks at them, looks around to see if there’s someone who can help, looks at them again. Finally, she heads back down the dock, probably in search of adult assistance.

Eventually, Dad comes by, heads toward the water, looks at the flip-flops and walks back towards land with a rather peeved expression. Meantime, our victim scampers back and forth on the dock, flip-flop-less, while the wayward footwear continue to float away.

Before long, a small knot of family members and friends from the neighboring boat has convened on the dock, and the adult strategizing begins. Now all four of us, still waiting for dinner, are closely watching the action, anxious to see how the exciting drama plays out.

One of the flip-flops had not yet floated too far away, and somehow they retrieve that one rather quickly. The other one is more problematic.

There is much discussion on the dock. Someone pulls a pike pole out of one of the boats, and extends it to its full length before realizing that it would take about 10 of them to reach the flip-flop at this point. Someone starts uncoiling a road attached to a toddler’s floaty.  Someone else tries casting a fishing rod in its direction.

There is much discussion at our table, too. Like football fans questioning a poor call on the field, we’re wondering why SOMEONE doesn’t think to throw a tube into the water (there’s one tethered to flip-flop-family’s boat) and paddle over to it.

Perhaps she hears us, but it is flip-flop girl who finally also has that brilliant thought. Now hopping around in one flip-flop, she hops into her boat, pulls the tube up next to the side of the boat, and starts trying to climb in. As soon as she puts one foot on it she realizes that without help, she’ll also be in the water. So instead, she yanks on the rope and, all by herself, wrestles the tube into the boat.

Apparently no one else thinks it’s a brilliant idea, because it just sits there.

FINALLY, neighboring boat-owner-family figures they might as well head home. So they pull all their kids and stuff together, back their boat out of the dock, putter over to the flip-flop, retrieve it and return it to flip-flop girl.

There was actual cheering.

Next time Dave and Patty invite us to dinner and a show at the Bay Side, it probably won’t be quite the same. But I’ll definitely be back.

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Webster Community Mailbag

8 Jul

mailbagThis week’s mailbag is packed with news from the St. Martin Lutheran Church, the Webster Village Band and the town and village of Webster. So grab your calendar, and keep reading!

 

Pulled Pork Drive Thru BBQ

St. Martin Lutheran Church is holding a Pulled Pork Drive Thru barbecue on Saturday, July 15 from 4:30 until gone at the church on 813 Bay Road, Webster. Pull into the parking lot, place your order, and the dinner will be delivered to you in your car.

The take-out dinner includes pulled pork, roll, salt potatoes, cole slaw and cookie for $9.00. Proceeds support the church’s annual Christmas Stocking Project, which reaches more than 500 children and teens in Monroe and Wayne counties.

Webster Village Band 

The Webster Village Band‘s summer schedule is off to a strong start thanks to recent nice weather. Their most recent concert was held at the United Church of Christ last Wednesday, and was well attended.

Their next two appearances are their regular Thursday night gig at the band shell on Phillips Road, Thursday, July 20 beginning at 7 p.m., and their always popular Christmas in July concert at the Joe Obbie Farmer’s Market (Kohl’s/Target Plaza) on Saturday morning, July 22 beginning at 10 a.m.

The Webster Village Band is directed by Tom Indiano and Associate Director Sue Siegmund. Their concerts are always free and always open to the public. Here’s a quick slideshow of photos from last Wednesday’s UCC concert and last year’s Christmas in July.

Town Hall Renovations are Progressing

Supervisor Nesbitt has provided an update on the Town Hall renovations. He writes:

All of the exposed asbestos has been removed, and now the crews have started on demolishing walls, ceilings, and floors.

There will be new restrooms for men and women installed, along with the updating of offices and the common rooms all around town hall. The new door entries are being installed so the wind does not catch the doors and break them anymore. There will also be more security put in place for our employees’ safety. Cameras will be installed in the building common areas and overlooking the parking lots for security of all.

The Police Department is seeing a complete face lift of their operation complete with cameras, new booking area, new locker rooms for the officers, upgrades to the detention area, and new flooring throughout the department.

So far, operating from the temporary offices in the Van Ingen Court Building seems to working out well. Remember that all Town Hall functions have been moved to the Van Ingen building (behind Town Hall) until construction is completed later this year. So bring all your business there, and make sure to have a smile for all the Town Hall employees who are enduring through it all!

Webster Waterfront Art Festival

Make sure to mark your calendars for the third annual Waterfront Art Festival, scheduled for Saturday, July 29 and Sunday, July 30 at North Ponds Park. Dozens of vendors will gather with high-quality craft items and good food, and entertainment will be provided throughout the day.

The best place to find parking is at the Xerox lot off of Phillips Road, where a free shuttle bus will take you to the park and back.

Summer in the Village

The summer village music scene is heating up. There have already been three concerts at the gazebo, and the Friday night series continues for the next two months, the next one scheduled for July 28 at 7 p.m., featuring the fusion sounds of The Ryan Johnson Project.

On the weekend prior to that, the 10th annual Webster Jazz Festival returns to Main Street on July 21 and 22.

Nationally acclaimed Fusion Jazz great Cabo Frio headlines the weekend, with other acts including The Mambo Kings, Walter Chatman, Jimmie Highsmith Jr, Paradigm Shift, El Rojo Jazz, Marco Amadio and many more.

Movies in the Park is also celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. Upcoming features include Tuesday night movies for kids like The Batman Lego Movie, and Disney’s Big Friendly Giant, and Saturday night date-night movies like Casablanca and the Out of Towners. The movies take place in Gazebo Park on North Avenue.

The music and movies are all sponsored by our local businesses, members of the Webster Business Improvement District. Click here for more details about all of these special events, and many more.

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New WhichCraft brewery comes to Webster/Penfield

3 Jul
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WhichCraft Brews is located in Baytowne Plaza on Empire Blvd.

There’s a new brewery in town and I think this one’s going to be really neat.

I had the opportunity to stop by the new WhichCraft Brews this afternoon, and even though it’s not open yet, owner John Moscato welcomed me inside to chat for a short time in the middle of the final-days-before-opening disarray.

WhichCraft is located in Baytowne Plaza, and it’s difficult to miss as you drive down the north side of the plaza. It’s right on the corner of that “street of shops” the plaza owners have tried to create, its bright white letters like a beacon calling everyone to gather for a pint.

Moscato co-owns the new brewery with three other family members. While none of them actually has owned a brewery before, Moscato also does own the 585 Rochester Beer store in Brockport.

Opening a brewpub wasn’t actually part of his original plan. They had originally wanted to open an “east-side bottle shop,” he said, but “it morphed into not what we really tried to do.”

What they wound up with is a 3-barrel brewery where you can also buy New York State wines, beers and spirits, plus to-go beers from all over the country.

There’s a lot to like about the new place. For starters, there are 55 taps behind the 27-foot bar. Five of them will feature WhichCraft’s own brews. The first round will include a Hefeweisen, a Scotch ale, two IPAs (a west coast and an east coast), and a stout. Future home brews, Moscato said, will be determined by what his customers want most.

For the other 50 taps, you can expect beers from all over the world, two wines, and a cold-brew nitro coffee. Plus, five to ten of them will be tapping brews from other local brewpubs like Stoneyard, Swiftwater and Empire Brewing. Moscato promises nine craft cocktails and a craft soda as well, plus plenty of non-alcoholic choices.

You hungry? No problem. There’s a food truck parked INSIDE the pub which will serve as the kitchen, and with seating for 160, there’s plenty of room in the rest of the place to accommodate diners and drinkers alike.

The food truck idea came from Moscato’s wife, whose full-time job takes her to New Hampshire and Vermont, where “you can’t go to a craft place without a beer truck” outside, Moscato said. “I thought, why not bring it inside? No one’s ever done it before.”

To continue with the stick-to-local theme, framed photographs by local artist Kevin Tubiolo will fill the walls, and many of them will be for sale.

WhichCraft will open its doors on Saturday July 8 at 10 a.m. Regular hours will be Sunday through Wednesday 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., Thursday 10 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to midnight.

Read more about them on their website here,  and “like” their Facebook page here.

Click here to read a more complete D&C article about the new WhichCraft Brews written by Will Cleveland.

 

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The Knuckleheads are kickin’ it again

30 Jun

knucklehead-logoKnucklehead Craft Brewing in West Webster is re-introducing a seasonal favorite

The Kick-It seasonal imperial IPA will be released on July 5. It gets its name from the fact that Knucklehead owners Len Dummer and George Cline will be donating proceeds from its launch to help fight cancer.

Len and George describe the brew:

We used Chinook, Columbus, and Cascade hops during the boil and dry-hopped it
with Willamette to finish at 94 IBUs. The sweet malt body is complemented by a mild hop bitterness (8.5% ABV).

The Knuckleheads first introduced their Kick It IPA back in 2015, with its proceeds benefiting the American Cancer Society. This time around, they’ll be donating $1 from each beer sold to the Breast Cancer Coalition of Rochester.

Back then, Len explained their reasoning:

Both of our families have been touched by cancer as well as many, many of our customers and close friends’ families. This is simply our way of saying ‘thank you’ to our supporters and it gives them a chance to enjoy a pint while knowing their money will go to a wonderful cause.

They ended up raising $5300 for the American Cancer Society. Let’s see if we can do even better this time.

 

Knucklehead Craft Brewing is located at 426 Ridge Road in West Webster. Check out their Facebook page and website 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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Webster Tuesday mailbag

27 Jun

mailbagHere are a few community notes of interest.

Webster Brownie Troop Makes Blankets for Children in Need

Webster Girl Scout Brownie troop 60392 recently made knotted fleece blankets to donate to Project Linus, which then distributes them to children who are critically ill, have been traumatized, or are experiencing another form of need.

The 11 third-graders from Plank South Elementary made this a featured part of a sleepover event. They then donated them to Project Linus through Cafe Sewciety Quilts on Empire Blvd.

Troop 60392 Blankets

Pictured in the photo (from bottom left clockwise) are Megan Kelly, Ella Ellsworth, Kate Sayers, Becca, Dolan, Gianna DeMarco, Sophia Hachee, Olivia Salafia, Ashley Huss, and Avarie Chalachan. Not pictured: Mackenzie Mihalitsas and McKenna Simmons.

Webster Marching Band Boosters Host Food Truck Rodeo

The Webster Marching Band Boosters have announced their second annual Food Truck Rodeo, scheduled for Friday July 21 from 5 to 9 pm in Webster Schroeder High School’s front parking lot.

The Marching Band Boosters sponsor various fundraising events throughout the year to help pay for the Webster Marching Band’s equipment, show productions, and competition-related trip expenses.

Eleven food trucks have already signed on for the event, including Macarollin, Tuscan Wood Fired Pizza, Rob’s Kabobs, The Meatball Truck Co., Midnight Smokin’ BBQ, Meat the Press, Le Petit Poutine, WingNutz, Abbott’s Frozen Custard, Kona Ice, and Smoothies Plus.

There will also be face painting for the kids, a visit by a West Webster Fire Department truck, and live music provided by the Aaron Rizzo Trio. Admittance to the rodeo is FREE, and all proceeds from the food trucks will benefit the Marching Band Boosters and Webster Marching Band members.

Webster Schroeder High School is located at 875 Ridge Road.

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Webster Hots has new owners

14 Jun
Mutschlers

Webster Hots’ new owners Kelly and Bill Mutschler, with their son Aidan.

Have you driven down Webster’s East Main Street lately?

Lately it’s been looking like a ghost town, with more “For Rent” signs than “Open for Business” signs in the storefront windows. Aside from the fact there’s usually a lot of good parking spaces available, there seem to be fewer reasons every day to head down there.

Bill and Kelly Mutschler, the new owners of Webster Hots, want to change that.

The Webster residents took ownership of the restaurant just a few weeks ago. For Bill, who was looking for a career change, it was the culmination of a long-time dream to open his own small business in Webster. When he and Kelly, found out that Webster Hots was for sale, they jumped on the opportunity.

Bill and Kelly decided to keep the name Webster Hots because that’s what people have come to know. But they readily admit they’re fighting against the negative reputation hots places can sometimes have of being small, and dark and catering to the young, late-night crowd who only want plates.

They want to be known for more than just plates. But don’t get them wrong. “I think our plates are really good,” Bill said, made better in that they make their hot sauce and mac salad on site. But he points out that their menu features so much more.

There are burgers and dogs, of course. But there are also plenty of sandwiches, wraps, appetizers, and even a beer-battered fish fry. Plus, they’re already planning to expand that menu, adding more options for kids, among other things.  And it’s all served in a bright, spacious environment.

Then there’s the ice cream. “The village has been missing ice cream since Hank’s left,” Bill noted, so the Mutschlers know how important it was to bring it back. They’re especially proud to have been able to contract with Purity Ice Cream, a very well-known and highly respected shop in Ithaca. (And if the sea salt caramel is any indication, it’s pretty fantastic.)

As Webster residents, Bill and Kelly are already involved with the village, but now they want to make sure that community connection also extends to their new business. They’re hoping especially to build stronger ties with the high schools, and start hanging photos of local sports teams and businesses. You can also expect to see them getting involved with village events like the Wine Walks and the Jazz Fest.

So when you walk into the new Webster Hots, you actually won’t see many differences … yet. But rest assured that now that Bill and Kelly Mutschler are at the helm, Webster Hots is stronger than ever, a great family spot for lunch or dinner, and will definitely help revitalize East Main Street.

Webster Hots is located at 55 East Main Street in the village of Webster. Connect with them on Facebook and call (585) 265-0824. 

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insideWH storefront

 

 

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Community Blood Drive returns this week, with a new twist

4 Jun
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A peek at some of the prizes that can be won at this week’s Webster Community Blood Drive

The Webster Community Blood Drive will return to St. Paul’s Church and the Webster Rec Center this week,  and it’s got a brand new feature this year.

The semi-annual two-day blood drive, heralded by the huge white signs placed all around town, is always one of the most popular and best attended drives of the entire year. It stands out among all others by the tremendous support it receives from Webster businesses.

This year, instead of receiving a packet of coupons, every presenting donor will be handed ten raffle tickets, which can be used to take chances on 30 different prizes provided by local businesses.

The raffle prizes will include:

  • Gift cards from Abbott’s Frozen Custard
  • Gift certificates from Barry’s Old School Irish
  • Paul Mitchell products from Beyond Cuts Salon
  • Gift certificate from The Chicken Coop
  • Gift card from Eastway Liquor
  • Free hair cut certificates from Great Clips
  • Gift basket from Hegedorn’s
  • Gift basket from Kittelberger Florist
  • Grumblers and pint glasses from Knucklehead Craft Brewing
  • Free month of classes from Matsunami Karate
  • Gift certificate from Natural Alternatives
  • Gift certificate from Ron’s Auto Repair
  • Gift certificate from Rubino’s
  • Fruit gift basket from Schutt’s Apple Mill
  • 10 free classes from Strike Back Martial Arts
  • Decorative vase and Lenox candle holders from The Garage Sale Store
  • A free ice cream cake from The Goodie Shoppe
  • Free month’s membership from World Gym

And there will be even more prizes that aren’t on this list.

Donors will also be pleased to hear that not all the coupons are history. One of the most popular coupons of all — from Bruster’s — will be returning. Every presenting donor will receive Bruster’s “Pint for a Pint” coupon, good for a free pint of ice cream or a free ice cream cone.

Wait! There’s  more! On top of all that, each donor will also be handed a free t-shirt from the Red Cross (while supplies last).

The Webster Community Blood Drive is scheduled for Wednesday June 7 at St. Paul’s Church, 783 Hard Road, and Thursday June 8 at the Webster Recreation Center, 1350 Chiyoda Drive, from noon to 7 pm each day. Make an appointment by calling 1-800-REDCROSS (1-800-733-2767) or by logging onto http://www.redcrossblood.org. Walk-ins are also welcome.

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D&C reporter Gary Craig introduces new book

22 May

History and mystery buffs will be interested in a book-signing event scheduled for Barnes & Noble this Saturday May 27.

My Democrat and Chronicle colleague Gary Craig has just published a new book, titled Seven Million: A Cop, a Priest, a Soldier for the IRA, and the Still-Unsolved Rochester Brink’s Heist.

Gary has spent several years researching and writing the book, and the result is a fascinating, in-depth exploration of one of the twentieth century’s most notorious unsolved crimes.

Here’s some more information about Seven Million, from Amazon.com:

On a freezing night in January 1993, masked gunmen walked through the laughably lax security at the Rochester Brink’s depot, tied up the guards, and unhurriedly made off with $7.4 million in one of the FBI’s top-five armored car heists in history.

Suspicion quickly fell on a retired Rochester cop working security for Brink’s at the time—as well it might. Officer Tom O’Connor had been previously suspected of everything from robbery to murder to complicity with the IRA. One ex-IRA soldier in particular was indebted to O’Connor for smuggling him and his girlfriend into the United States, and when he was caught in New York City with $2 million in cash from the Brink’s heist, prosecutors were certain they finally had enough to nail O’Connor. But they were wrong.

In Seven Million, reporter Gary Craig meticulously unwinds the long skein of leads, half-truths, false starts, and dead ends, taking us from the grim solitary pens of Northern Ireland’s Long Kesh prison to the illegal poker rooms of Manhattan to the cold lakeshore on the Canadian border where the body parts began washing up.

Seven Million is a fascinating real-life tale of cops and FBI agents, prison snitches, the IRA, and the unfortunate fate of one Ronnie Gibbons, a down-and-out boxer who was in on the early planning of the heist, only to disappear after he came to Rochester to demand his cut.

You can learn more about the case, and meet Gary Craig in person this Saturday when he holds a book-signing from 2 to 3 pm at the Webster Barnes & Noble, Towne Center Plaza. Read more about the event on the Barnes & Noble website and event Facebook page.

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Post office helps Hope House Stamp Out Hunger

18 May

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Hey everybody, if you participated in last weekend’s annual Stamp Out Hunger food drive sponsored by the post office, I thought you might be interested in seeing where some of your donations wound up.

I got these photos from my friends at Hope House in Webster, a social justice ministry supported by Holy Trinity Church. Hope House provides food, clothing and other assistance to individuals in need.

Hope House staff members estimate that postal workers collected over 4,000 pounds of food, helping to fill the shelves.

Thank you to Kerri Kiniorski for these photos.

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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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