Rochester, NYFine Dining

REDD is chef Richard Reddington's modern room in the East End, the first Rochester restaurant with a Michelin-pedigree chef at the helm; Reddington cooked at Michelin-starred kitchens in San Francisco, Paris, and New York before opening his own REDD in Yountville, California. CITY Magazine's review sampled the burrata with panzanella, a prosciutto pizza with arugula and Parmesan, and chicken mole with polenta. Come for the New American cooking and finish with the caramel budino.

Black & Blue Steak and Crab is a modern steak-and-seafood room built around a two-story wine bar. (585) Magazine's feature pointed to a serious seafood menu alongside signature plates like the Kobe meatball and the 21-ounce cowboy ribeye, with staff on hand to suggest wine pairings by the glass. Order the cowboy ribeye and start with the Kobe meatball.

Hedges Nine Mile Point Restaurant has run on the Lake Ontario shore in Webster for more than 90 seasons. CITY Magazine's waterfront-dining roundup highlighted its Finger Lakes wine list and dishes like sweet-and-spicy apricot-Sriracha duck legs and wasabi-and-panko-encrusted Faroe Island salmon with bok choy, red cabbage, and Asian plum sauce. Come for surf and turf with a lake view.

TRATA is stunning, CITY Magazine's Laura Rebecca Kenyon wrote in her dining review of the Culver Road Armory room: three levels under a ceiling that stretches high into the air, industrial metals and grating banisters set against warmer woods, with spherical lights hung between the upper floors. Kenyon takes in the room from the first-floor bar. Order off the seasonal American menu, and take a patio table when the weather allows.

The secret to Angelina's remarkable food is not molecular gastronomy or rare imported ingredients, chef Steven Lara told (585) Magazine's Ashley Mason. It is just salt and pepper. The South Avenue room pairs experienced staff with straightforward technique and a rotating wine-and-cocktail list. Come for a seasonal plate with a glass from the list, and let the kitchen's seasoning do the work it is known for.