Ellwanger and Barry Square: The In Place to Meet, Eat and Shop (Parcel 5 - Ellwanger and Barry Square – Part Four)

 “The shopping center, to be effective, must fulfill more than shopping needs, [Victor] Gruen said. ‘It must afford an opportunity for cultural, social, civic and recreational activities.’”[1]

One of the most common complaints heard is that there’s no reason to stay downtown before or after an event. One drives downtown for a specific purpose (such as a play at GEVA) and then drives home, having no reason to linger in the city center. The Urban Land Institute apparently picked up on this, writing that:

“Sufficient space should be programmed to accommodate restaurant uses that will support the performing arts venues. [Emphasis mine]” [2]

We need more restaurants and clubs downtown … the kind that are so unique and engaging that customers are instinctively drawn to them before and after events. Provide the people with ample opportunities and they’ll learn to see downtown as the most attractive destination for a “night on the town.” Literally.

In 2005, the Urban Land Institute stated that:

“The new public space on the Midtown block should be wrapped with retail. These shops will face Main Street across the public space.” [3]

“The panel feels that downtown Rochester should be reimagined and reborn as the cultural, educational, and entertainment heart of the region. In order to do so, a range of creative, high-tech, and entrepreneurial people need to have great reasons for wanting to live and work downtown, and everyone else needs to have equally strong reasons for wanting to visit there.” [4]

“Downtown Rochester must work to retain its existing office population and to attract new tenants to downtown by offering amenities such as the following:

·        Inexpensive, convenient parking;

·        A variety of restaurants;

·        A safe, congenial, convenient, and entertaining atmosphere;

·        Public parks, squares, and plazas that encourage interaction. [5]

During October 2007, the Rochester Business Journal conducted its own poll on preferred uses for the remaining Midtown parcels of land.

“More than 900 Daily Report subscribers took part in this poll, conducted Oct. 22 and 23. Here is the specific question in this week’s poll:

Which of the following would you strongly support for the portion of the Midtown site not occupied by the new Paetec headquarters? (You may select more than one.)

72% Restaurants

52% Apartments/condos

49% Wegmans or other specialty grocery store

42% Specialty retail (such as IKEA, Bass Pro Shop)

37% Class A office space

37% Nightlife establishments

30% Performing arts/cultural venues

23% Urban park

21% Hotel

17% Casino

12% College campus

8% Other”[6]

In its own study, the Urban Land Institute recommended that the area include convenience and daily needs retail and service businesses such as: ethnic restaurants, nightclubs, a specialized grocery store, pharmacy, dry cleaners, unique shops, electronics stores, jewelers, home furnishing stores, part-time farmers market, and professional services.[7] To this list I would personally add a bank, a Laundromat, a post office, a florist, a bakery, a liquor store, and a copy center/office supplies store, such as Staples.

Locally Based Restaurants

I’d like to propose the following for inclusion on the square. The first group of restaurants is a partial listing of ones that began in Rochester. I’m sure this isn’t an exhaustive listing, but it provides us with a place to start. In each restaurant, décor should include large framed photos of the establishment’s history in Rochester, providing patrons with background on the restaurant as well as a chance to enjoy views of the Rochester of yesteryear. These photos should be accompanied by written explanations and local trivia.

Nick Tahou’s: Nick Tahou Hots is listed as a favorite in Rochester Dining Guides. Nick’s has been featured on Food Network‘s Unwrapped as well as the City in a Box Monopoly based board game showcasing famous Rochester landmarks.

Nicolaos (Nick) Tahou came from Greece to America to look for work after World War I left many Europeans unemployed and displaced. Upon arriving in Rochester in 1918, he opened a restaurant at 296 West Main Street next door to its current location.

Nick invented the Garbage Plate, originally called “Hots and Potatoes,” during the Depression era to offer a generous amount of food (hot dogs or hamburgers and potatoes, with home fries, baked beans and macaroni salad) to his customers for a reasonable price. “It was made as an (inexpensive) plate for hefty eaters who wanted to be full and nourished,” said son Alex Tahou. “But then people started saying, ‘Gimme a plate with all that garbage on it.’ And over the years, it changed to ‘Garbage Plate.’ Finally, after the years, we ended up trade marking it.”

Nick Tahou’s Garbage Plate is the signature dish of the Rochester area. The restaurant deserves a place of honor on the square. The official website for Nick Tahou’s is https://www.garbageplate.com.

Abbott’s: Abbott’s is one of Rochester’s favorite places to patronize and definitely deserves a place of honor at the square. According to the official Abbott’s website,

“The ‘lore’ of Abbott’s Frozen Custard dates back to 1902 when a young Arthur Abbott traveling with small carnivals along the eastern seaboard, began perfecting a recipe for a frozen concoction we know today as frozen custard. …

In 1926, tired of the constant travel he settled in the port town at Rochester New York. He opened up shop at the corner of Lake and Beach Avenues, just across the street from Ontario Beach Park, which at the time was a bustling amusement park that drew crowds of people from all over the state. Soon people started linking up by the hundreds to enjoy the super creamy frozen custard that Arthur had worked so hard and so long to create.”[8]

Bill Gray’s: Bill Gray’s is another local establishment that deserves a place on the square. According to the official Bill Gray’s website:

“In the spring of 1938 a young family man, working at Eastman Kodak Company for 17 cents an hour, decided he needed to supplement his income in order to support his family. He accomplished this by working weekends selling hot dogs and soda pop out of a small road side stand near his home in Webster, NY. That young man’s name was Bill Gray. Bill and his wife Alberta worked as many as eighteen hours per day on the weekends to maintain their fledgling business. Four years later, making more money on the weekends than he did at his full time job at Kodak, Bill decided to go into the restaurant business full time. This is the story of how the Bill Gray’s Restaurants got its start.”[9]

Rohrbach’s: In addition to its dinner and drink menus, Rohrbach’s is one of the proud supporters of our local sports teams. According to their official website:

“Rohrbach’s was founded in 1991 as a small; family owned and operated microbrewery and restaurant. Rohrbach’s opened its first restaurant and small seven-barrel brewery in 1992 in the Historic German House in Rochester’s South Wedge neighborhood. In 1995 Rohrbach’s purchased and renovated a building on Rochester’s west side, and opened a 120-seat restaurant, and a larger twenty-barrel brewery in its current operation on Buffalo Road. … In 2004, 2005 & 2006 Rohrbach’s Restaurant & Microbrewery was the winner of the Democrat and Chronicle’s – Rochester’s Choice Awards for best local beer.”[10]

The Distillery: In addition to its dinner and drink menus, The Distillery is another one of the proud supporters of our local sports teams. According to their official website:

“Since we opened the doors at our original location at 1142 Mt. Hope Avenue in 1980, our guests have told us that our great-tasting food and drinks, friendly service, digital sports entertainment and casual atmosphere are the reasons they keep coming back to The Distillery... Our mission has always been to provide our guests great food, great drinks and an enjoyable dining experience so that they could not wait to come back and enjoy.

We work hard to create a fun, and wholesome atmosphere. One you’ll feel comfortable bringing your family and friends to seven days a week. Dine inside, or out on our spacious deck or patio. When the weather’s good, we know you want to be outside... so come and enjoy. The Distillery. It’s all good here.

A lot of people think of us a sports bar. Some people say that we are the Best Sports Bar in Rochester, New York... it’s true, we do have 30+ large screen TVs and we do a pretty terrific job of serving up the wings and burgers and beers you’d expect. What you may NOT know is we also serve some of the best ribs, steaks, seafood, and pasta in town... For way less than a stuffy white tablecloth restaurant. Come as you are and come hungry.”[11]

Salvatore’s: Not only is Salvatore’s one of the proud supporters of our local sports teams, it’s become a sports promoter in its own right due to the effort of Soccer Sam. In Rochester, when you think of soccer, you think of Sam. They’re inseparable. According to the official Salvatore’s website:

“Eastridge H.S. is where the whole Salvatore pizza idea came from. Founder and CEO, Salvatore ‘Soccer Sam’ Fantauzzo was a senior at Eastridge in 1978. He and some friends took a home economics class for some extra credit and a project on pizza in Rochester gave him the direction into the pizza business. The first Salvatore’s location was opened on July 5, 1978 at 1985 East Main Street.”[12]

Otmens Jazz Bar / Meat Market: The original Otmens was a jazz club located on Front Street. According to Robert Koch,

“… mainly I remember [Front Street] for exuberant jazz caught there with my college friends, Ralph Gray and Jim Feely. Otmens was a jazz bar that had been a meat market and looked it. It was alleged to be the original home of the ‘white hot,’ the pork sausage that is part of local lore.

A narrow rectangular room thrust into a storefront building, Otmens still had much-scuffed white tile flooring. A small raised bandstand was on the left; the bar ran along the right wall. Tiny tables, indigenous to jazz joints, provided must enough room for our beers, and served as rattling drumheads for our improvised accompaniment. Front Street was convenient to city buses and if we arrived by automobile, we parked, safely, on the street itself or just around the corner. Otmens pulsated with swing era small combo sounds that attracted by word of mouth a wide range of people from across greater Rochester.”[13]

Let’s bring Otmens back, both for the food and for the jazz.

Seth Green’s Fish Market / Seafood Restaurant: Seth Green, born in Rochester, established the first fish hatchery in the United States. Inside were huge tanks where he began his famous research in fish hatching and where he would ultimately perfect artificial propagation. By that time, most hatcheries were getting about a 25% hatch rate but by using dry impregnation Seth was able to achieve over 97% success rate. No sooner did the story of Seth and his fish hatching become known than suddenly trout ponds sprang up almost over night in all parts of the country. In fact, it became the fashion to raise trout.

By 1848 Seth believed he had saved enough money from the sale of fish to open a fish market on Front Street. It was not long before Rochesterians could boast that Seth Green’s clam chowder was the tastiest in the city. Green has been credited for inventing the fishing reel. His fish business continued to increase to such an extent that by 1857 he became one of the largest dealers as well as one of the greatest fishermen in the state.

He employed nearly one hundred men who caught and sold fish. The quantity of fish that they were able to haul in daily while he was in this thriving business varied from one-half to three tons.

By now Seth Green’s name had spread far and side, from coast to coast, and throughout the world. A Westerner visiting in Rochester asked a Post Express reporter, one day, whom he considered the best known Rochesterian. The reporter mentioned several names, but the stranger answered: ‘No, your best known man is Seth Green. Why, he is a thousand times more famed out of Rochester, I judge, than in it. The newspapers in other parts of the country have something about him every week or two, but I see no extracts of the same sort from the Rochester papers.’”

Seth was shown the appreciation of this country and that of France and Germany in the form of tangible awards. In 1872 and again in 1875 the Société Impériale d’Acclimatation of France sent Seth a solid gold medal for his work in pisciculture. In the early autumn of 1876, the United States Centennial Commission gave Green a certificate of award at the International Exhibition held at Philadelphia. And in 1880, the German Fishermen’s Club at Berlin awarded Seth a gold medal for his work in fish culture.[14]

Seth Green is one of the most underappreciated of our famous residents. He currently has a trail named after him and a brick fish in the middle of an intersection. This should be remedied immediately so we can take advantage of his contributions.

The Rochester Museum and Science Center should be contacted to see if they have items in their collection that can be contributed to the décor of the restaurant. The RM&SC collaborates with the Monroe County Library System to preserve historical photos. Such photos should be prioritized for scanning and inclusion in the décor.

Rochester is known for its Friday night fish fries. This restaurant would be a natural and, being on the town square, could easily become the place to purchase a Friday night fish fry.

Restaurants to Carry the Theme

Ellwanger’s German Restaurant: The Odenbach endeavors of yesteryear featured family-oriented entertainment in luxurious locales with down-to-earth prices. I propose that we include a new German restaurant, following in their footsteps, so we can enjoy fine German and American cuisine, dance to music performed by the best of bands, and experience the atmosphere of a great part of our history.

The Odenbach ventures in Rochester resulted in some of the finest eating establishments in the history of our hometown. Odenbach’s Hofbrau Haus on South Avenue near Main Street, for example, was universally recognized as one of the finest restaurants between New York and Chicago, and it became patronized by gourmets from near and far. When Rochesterians were in the mood for dining out in elegant atmosphere, they often selected the Odenbach Restaurant and Hofbrau Haus. Its closing in 1937 marked the passing of one of Rochester's famous landmarks and in its palmy days a showplace for visitors to the city.

Well-remembered, too, was the Manitou Beach Hotel, located 16 miles west of Rochester on the shore of Lake Ontario. Fred "Cap" Odenbach bought the hotel and the steamer Rosalie in 1904. The Odenbachs remodeled the hotel, enclosed the porch, enlarged the dining room and brought in orchestras from New York, Philadelphia and elsewhere. Parties and banquets for as many as 500 persons were held, as the Manitou became an "in" place to dine and dance.

In 1921, the Odenbachs acquired the Whitcomb House at Main and Clinton and two years later, opened the famed Coffee Shoppe and Peacock Room. It soon became the hottest spot in town. The orchestra was hot, the dance floor spacious, and the dancers put on the last word in complicated steps.

Barry’s Irish Pub: In honor of Patrick Barry, I propose a pub on the public square. “Pub” is short for “Public House.” The publican opens part of his or her “house” to the public. The home-like qualities of the British pub are perhaps why tourists often find pubs more cozy and welcoming than bars and cafés in other parts of the world.

One British website explains:

“Pubs are an important part of British life. People talk, eat, drink, meet their friends and relax there. Pubs often have two bars, one usually quieter than the other, many have a garden where people can sit in the summer. Children can go in pub gardens with their parents….

There are over 60,000 pubs in the UK (53,000 in England and Wales, 5,200 in Scotland and 1,600 in Northern Ireland). One of the oldest pubs, Fighting Cocks in St. Albans, Herts, is located in a building that dates back to the eleventh century….

Nearly all pubs sell pub lunches. One of these is the Ploughman’s Lunch, which is a great wedge of Cheddar cheese, some bread, some pickle, and an onion. Other typical pub foods are scampi (kind of shellfish) and chips (fried potatoes), pie and chips, and chicken and chips.”[15]

If you’d like to see a typical pub menu, go to: https://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/questions/pubfood.htm

Traditional games are played in pubs, ranging from the well-known darts, skittles, dominoes, cards and bar billiards, to the more obscure Aunt Sally, Nine Men’s Morris and ringing the bull. In recent decades the game of pool (both the British and American versions) has increased in popularity, other table based games such as snooker, Table Football are also common.

National Hotspots to Enhance Our History

I mention the next two establishments not because they’re traditional Rochester restaurants, but because we could tie them into our history if we could convince them to customize their décor.

International House of Pancakes:[16] If IHOP could be convinced to alter their décor for us, this would be a natural for the square. Rochester was long known as the Flour City. Appropriate décor for this branch of IHOP would include numerous large framed photos of Rochester’s history as the Flour City, accompanied by written captions and materials that would explain our importance to the nation at that point in time. These photos could also promote the importance of Brown’s Race and the Johnson-Seymour Millrace in the history of Rochester.

The milling era began with Indian Allen in 1789. By 1810, Colonel Nathaniel Rochester and his partners had purchased Indian Allen’s site and more flourmills were built, their water wheels powered by the river. As early as 1818, Rochester millers were shipping 26,000 barrels of flour to Canada and in 1820 a whopping 67,000 barrels went north.

After construction of the Erie Canal, Rochester became America’s first “boom town” as long lines of barges loaded with flour, lumber, and other goods moved along that first canal. On October 29, 1822, the first boatload of flour left here on the canal. Indeed, the Erie Canal was responsible for the success of Rochester and our reputation as the Flour City.

By the late 1830s, the eyes of the hungry world had turned to Rochester, which had become the greatest flour-milling center in the nation, and to the Genesee Valley, the breadbox of the nation. The excellent wheat of the rich Genesee lands and the skillful application of the newest milling devices won a high reputation for Rochester flour. The construction of two large mills, described as the largest in the world, and the operation of a score of smaller mills enabled the city to turn out upwards of 500,000 barrels annually during the period. For two decades Rochester produced and shipped more flour than any other port. Even Baltimore, where the product of the mills of Maryland and parts of Pennsylvania were marketed, didn’t produce as much flour within the city limits as Rochester, and the quality of southern flour couldn’t equal that of the Genesee millers.

Despite this early success, the road of the flour millers wasn’t always smooth. The depression of 1839 nearly ruined the business; a six-week rain in 1855 destroyed the crop. During the 1850s, low water in the river idled at least two important flourmills, and cut the others to half capacity. The weevil and plant diseases descended and the quality of wheat was diminished. When the wheat crops failed for three successive seasons during the mid-1850s, trade with the Flour City dropped off.

After the Civil War, Midwestern cities, nearer the great producing areas, kept encroaching on Rochester’s supremacy. Millers became dependent on western wheat even though new methods and machinery were invented locally. In 1878 the industry here had passed its zenith although the city remained an important milling center into the twentieth century. Rochester was no longer the queen of flour cities as farmers turned to the cultivation of other crops.

In 1931, only three mills were working in the city proper: McCauley, Fien & Co. on Aqueduct Street, the Ven Vechten Company on Smith Street, and Mosely and Motley Milling on Brown’s Race. The milling era that began with Indian Allen in 1789 closed in 1942 when the Van Vechten Company ground its last bushel of grain.

Subway:[17] If Subway could be convinced to alter their décor for us, this would be a natural for the square. Appropriate décor for this branch of Subway would include numerous large framed photos of Rochester’s subway system, accompanied by written captions and materials that would explain the construction and history of the Rochester subway.

It could be said that subway service began and ended at the City Hall Station. At seven o’clock in the morning on December 1, 1927, the subway was opened for public use. Car No. 171 of the Rochester & Sodus Bay departed from City Hall for the loop at Winton Road.

The well-lit station featured a long platform between the tracks with the staircases at either end. The station had waiting rooms, washrooms, a ticket window for the sale of tickets for the interurban railways, and a baggage room for checked baggage. It was from this station in particular that one could descend a stairway and arrive at the outskirts of the city within minutes, or one could reach destinations as far away as Geneva, Syracuse or Buffalo. The City Hall Station was truly the heart of the system.

It was proposed in July 1954 to build a connecting tunnel between the station at City Hall and the new War Memorial auditorium that was then being completed at the corner of Exchange Street and Court Street. The subway was seen as a primary method of funneling the expected large crowds to sporting events and exhibits that would be held there. This plan never came to fruition. The idea, though, still has considerable merit and is one of the main reasons for my proposed streetcar system.

On Saturday, June 30, 1956, the last day of service, the public was out in force to bid farewell to the subway. At 12:54 in the morning on July 1, car No. 68, on the last official run, left City Hall station under the control of motorman Harry A Beach. An exciting era in Rochester’s history had come to a sad end.

In General: Each of these restaurants would have outdoor patios for the customers’ enjoyment. This would make dinner downtown even more enticing by allowing the customers to eat an excellent dinner while enjoying an evening of entertainment on the square.

[1] “Planning Held Need For Downtown Revival,” Times-Union, April 7, 1960.

[2] Urban Land Institute, “An Advisory Services Panel Report: Rochester, New York,” 2005, p. 21.

[3] Urban Land Institute, “An Advisory Services Panel Report: Rochester, New York,” 2005, p. 21.

[4] Urban Land Institute, “An Advisory Services Panel Report: Rochester, New York,” 2005, p. 13.

[5] Urban Land Institute, “An Advisory Services Panel Report: Rochester, New York,” 2005, p. 22.

[6] “Restaurants top Midtown wish list,” Rochester Business Journal, October 26, 2007.

[7] Urban Land Institute, “An Advisory Services Panel Report: Rochester, New York,” 2005, passim.

[8] https://www.abbottscustard.com

[9] https://www.billgrays.com

[10] https://www.rohrbachs.com/

[11] https://www.thedistillery.com/

[12] https://www.salvatores.com/

[13] “Remembering Front Street,” Rochester History, Vol. LV, Summer 1993, No. 3, edited by Ruth Rosenberg-Naparsteck, p. 19.

[14] “Seth Green Father of Fish Culture,” Rochester History, Vol. VI, July 1944, No. 3, by Sylvia R. Black, passim.

[15] https://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/questions/pubs.htm

[16] https://www.ihop.com/

[17] https://www.subway.com/

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