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Best Place to See Comedy: Comedy @ The Carlson

Shirelle Kinder performing at Comedy @ The Carlson. - PHOTO PROVIDED
  • PHOTO PROVIDED
  • Shirelle Kinder performing at Comedy @ The Carlson.

Comedy at the Carlson
50 Carlson Road | 585-426-6339
carlsoncomedy.com

Finding a place to see solid standup in Rochester is no joke. Looking for a good belly laugh at an open-mic night too often means suffering through meandering improv and sets of inside jokes for friends of the comic sitting front and center. Comedy @ The Carlson is an exception. The club, which opened in the former Stromberg-Carlson factory in 2017, offers a rotating slate of curated comedy from touring A-list talent and up-and-comers. Some of the cream-of-the-crop comics to take the stage in the last year included Jessica Kirson, Jay Mohr, Kevin Nealon, Nimesh Patel, and Doug Stanhope. The service, atrium bar, and modest menu of mostly finger foods get consistently good reviews. The 325-seat showroom is comfortable as far as comedy clubs go, and the interior design is a nod to the building’s rich history manufacturing iconic audio equipment — like the bulky Stromberg-Carlson microphone made famous by Elvis Presley.

Finalists: Boulder Coffee | Del Lago Resort & Casino | Focus Theater
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  • Best Shoe Store: Fleet Feet

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  • Best Barista: Rory Van Grol (Ugly Duck)

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  • Best Bartender: Tony Hayward (Lux Lounge)

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    Best Beer Selection (Bar or Restaurant): Rochester Beer Park

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  • Best Cidery: Schutt's Apple Mill

    Best Cidery: Schutt's Apple Mill

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    Best Cocktails: Restaurant Good Luck

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    Best Coffee: Ugly Duck Coffee

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    Jan 1, 2023

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    Best Craft Brewery: Three Heads Brewing

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  • Best Toy Store: Millennium Games

    Best Toy Store: Millennium Games

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  • Best Distillery: Black Button Distilling

    Best Distillery: Black Button Distilling

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  • Best Vintage Clothing Store: Little Shop of Hoarders

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  • Best Smoothies/Juices: Just Juice 4 Life

    Best Smoothies/Juices: Just Juice 4 Life

    Health-minded customers order power tonics, smoothies, and juice flights at the counter, or choose from the juices and fermented items in the grab-and-go coolers. A set of juices ideal for a cleanse can be custom ordered.

    Jan 1, 2023

  • Best Wedding Venue: Pomona at Blue Barn

    Best Wedding Venue: Pomona at Blue Barn

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    Jan 1, 2023

  • Best Winery: Living Roots

    Best Winery: Living Roots

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    Jan 1, 2023

  • Best Yoga Studio: Breathe Yoga & Juice Bar

    Best Yoga Studio: Breathe Yoga & Juice Bar

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    Best of Rochester: Food

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    Best Plate: Dogtown

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  • Best Sports Bar: Jeremiah's Tavern

    Best Sports Bar: Jeremiah's Tavern

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    Jan 1, 2023

  • Best Tea House: Tai Chi Bubble Tea

    Best Tea House: Tai Chi Bubble Tea

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    Best Comfort Food: Dogtown

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    Jan 1, 2023

  • Best Late-night Eats: Dogtown

    Best Late-night Eats: Dogtown

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    Jan 1, 2023

  • Best Wine Selection (Bar or Restaurant): Apogee

    Best Wine Selection (Bar or Restaurant): Apogee

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  • Best Bakery: Savoia Pastry Shoppe

    Best Bakery: Savoia Pastry Shoppe

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    Best Wine Selection (Store): Marketview Liquor

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    Best Barbecue: Dinosaur Bar-B-Que

    You can’t go wrong with this award-winning menu rooted in the traditions of Southern barbecue and slathered in spices and sauces that give Dinosaur’s dishes their own flair.

    Jan 1, 2023

  • Best Bread Bakery: Amazing Grains

    Best Bread Bakery: Amazing Grains

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    Best Breakfast: The Original Steve’s Diner

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  • Best Burger: Good Luck

    Best Burger: Good Luck

    A rite of passage for any local and visiting foodie, the Good Luck Burger is an achievement in its simplistic perfection.

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  • Best Calzone: Stromboli’s

    Best Calzone: Stromboli’s

    Stromboli’s calzones are available in mini, 12-inch (small), and 16-inch (large) sizes. How much golden dough and melted cheese you can handle is up to you.

    Jan 1, 2023

  • Best Candy Shop: Stever’s

    Best Candy Shop: Stever’s

    The candy business never goes out of style. Stever’s, purveyors of homemade chocolate and candies, is a testament to that.

    Jan 1, 2023

  • Best Caterer: The Meatball Truck

    Best Caterer: The Meatball Truck

    The Meatball Truck is a celebration of this simple, rustic, and elegant ground-meat dish.

    Jan 1, 2023

  • Best Chef: Margherita Smith aka The Saucey Chef

    Best Chef: Margherita Smith aka The Saucey Chef

    Margherita Smith calls her offerings, which include jerk shrimp pasta, adobo wings, and lasagna made with sweet plantain, “elevated street food.”

    Jan 1, 2023

  • Best Chinese Restaurant: Han Noodle

    Best Chinese Restaurant: Han Noodle

    Han has been touting its tagline of “No Fusion, No Gimmicks” in Rochester for over a decade.

    Jan 1, 2023

  • Best Cooking Class: Rochester Brainery

    Best Cooking Class: Rochester Brainery

    The Rochester Brainery, a community classroom and event space in the Neighborhood of the Arts, offers a wide variety of culinary courses with local chefs.

    Jan 1, 2023

  • Best Deli Sandwich or Sub: DiBella’s Old Fashioned Submarines

    Best Deli Sandwich or Sub: DiBella’s Old Fashioned Submarines

    Subs are the focus, and the rolls are one reason DiBella’s remains so beloved.

    Jan 1, 2023

  • Best Doughnuts: Ridge Donuts

    Best Doughnuts: Ridge Donuts

    Family-run for nearly four decades, Ridge Donut is in a class of its own when it comes to the fried pastries with the hole in the middle.

    Jan 1, 2023

  • Best Farmers Market: Rochester Public Market

    Best Farmers Market: Rochester Public Market

    You’d be hard-pressed to not find exactly what you’re looking for, no matter how esoteric, in the Public Market’s wide array of fresh local produce, meats, dairy, eggs, and high-quality fresh seafood and imported goods.

    Jan 1, 2023

  • Best Fish Fry: Captain Jim’s

    Best Fish Fry: Captain Jim’s

    Captain Jim’s is one of those unassuming hole-in-the-walls where you just know the food has to be great.

    Jan 1, 2023

  • Best Food Truck: Le Petit Poutine

    Best Food Truck: Le Petit Poutine

    Known as founders of Rochester’s food truck scene, Le Petit Poutine serves its classic Canadian combination of fries, gravy, and cheese curds with a sprinkling of thyme to thousands of hungry customers every year.

    Jan 1, 2023

  • Best Global Foods Market: Rubino’s Italian Food Market

    Best Global Foods Market: Rubino’s Italian Food Market

    Step into Rubino’s on any given day and you’ll be instantly greeted by the most pleasant ménage of scents this side of the Atlantic.

    Jan 1, 2023

  • Best Ice Cream: Pittsford Farms Dairy

    Best Ice Cream: Pittsford Farms Dairy

    The Pittsford Farms Dairy was founded in 1888 and was once best known for its scientific agriculture and prize-winning Jersey cattle. Today, the dairy is best known for its delectable, made-from-scratch ice cream.

    Jan 1, 2023

  • Best Italian Restaurant: The Pasta Villa

    Best Italian Restaurant: The Pasta Villa

    Pasta Villa sets the bar for classic, Italian-American comfort food.

    Jan 1, 2023

  • Best Lunch Spot: Magnolia’s Deli & Cafe

    Best Lunch Spot: Magnolia’s Deli & Cafe

    Magnolia’s menu includes a robust selection of sandwiches and salads, with some soups as well pizza.

    Jan 1, 2023

  • Best Mexican Restaurant: Neno’s

    Best Mexican Restaurant: Neno’s

    Tacos are where to start at Neno’s, but you’ll be back for more.

    Jan 1, 2023

  • Best New Restaurant: Strangebird

    Best New Restaurant: Strangebird

    Strangebird made waves in the local beer world upon its opening, but Chef Nate Stahl’s playful menu of innovative pub classics accompanies the brews.

    Jan 1, 2023

  • Best Outdoor Dining: Genesee Brew House

    Best Outdoor Dining: Genesee Brew House

    From their perch on the patio, diners can soak in a panorama of the historic High Falls District and the Rochester skyline.

    Jan 1, 2023

  • Best Pizza: Pizza Wizard

    Best Pizza: Pizza Wizard

    Specializing in Detroit-style pies, Pizza Wizard serves square pies that hit all the notes a native Michigander would look for and that Rochester obviously wants.

    Jan 1, 2023

  • Best Restaurant: Good Luck

    Best Restaurant: Good Luck

    Good Luck specializes in rustic fusion dishes drawing influence from Italian, French, Japanese, and virtually every other culinary tradition under the sun

    Jan 1, 2023

  • Best Restaurant for Desserts: Phillip’s European

    Best Restaurant for Desserts: Phillip’s European

    No need to save room, just go straight for the desserts at Phillips European.

    Jan 1, 2023

  • Best Restaurant to Dine Alone: Highland Park Diner

    Best Restaurant to Dine Alone: Highland Park Diner

    Housed inside the iconic 1948 dining-car at the corner of South Goodman Street and South Clinton Avenue, the Highland transports diners back in time.

    Jan 1, 2023

  • Best Ribs: Dinosaur Bar-B-Que

    Best Ribs: Dinosaur Bar-B-Que

    Dinosaur serves its ribs St. Louis style, which means they're flat, fatty, sweet, and juicy.

    Jan 1, 2023

  • Best Sushi: Plum House

    Best Sushi: Plum House

    Plum House has been a Monroe Avenue institution for nearly 20 years, and it has rightfully earned its place as Rochester’s premier sushi stop.

    Jan 1, 2023

  • Best Sweets Bakery: Savoia Pastry Shoppe

    Best Sweets Bakery: Savoia Pastry Shoppe

    Savoia has become well-known regionally for its wedding cakes and seasonal Italian tea cookies, but its pastries are the star of the show.

    Jan 1, 2023

  • Best Thai Restaurant: The King & I

    Best Thai Restaurant: The King & I

    There’s no shortage of spots offering Thai cuisine in Rochester, but this year the mainstay The King & I wears the crown.

    Jan 1, 2023

  • Best Vegetarian/Vegan Restaurant: The Red Fern

    Best Vegetarian/Vegan Restaurant: The Red Fern

    Andrea Parros opened The Red Fern in September 2013 and the restaurant's menu of vegan comfort food was a quick hit. Its popularity has only grown since.

    Jan 1, 2023

  • Best Wings: Jeremiah’s Tavern

    Best Wings: Jeremiah’s Tavern

    Jeremiah's knows what makes a wing a winner.

    Jan 1, 2023

  • Best Bouncer: Lori Lippa (ROAR)

    Best Bouncer: Lori Lippa (ROAR)

    She’s an Avon makeup and skincare sales representative (yes, as in “Avon calling”) who moonlights as a bouncer at one of Rochester’s hottest nightclubs.

    Jan 1, 2023

  • Best Bar: ROAR

    Best Bar: ROAR

    There’s a neon sign over the door at ROAR: “A DJ and a Drag Queen Walk Into a Bar.” It’s the premise for Rochester’s reigning gay-owned nightclub, which scooped up six “Best of Rochester” awards.

    Jan 1, 2023

  • Best Karaoke: ROAR

    Best Karaoke: ROAR

    There’s a neon sign over the door at ROAR: “A DJ and a Drag Queen Walk Into a Bar.” It’s the premise for Rochester’s reigning gay-owned nightclub, which scooped up six “Best of Rochester” awards.

    Jan 1, 2023

  • Best Trivia Night: ROAR

    Best Trivia Night: ROAR

    There’s a neon sign over the door at ROAR: “A DJ and a Drag Queen Walk Into a Bar.” It’s the premise for Rochester’s reigning gay-owned nightclub, which scooped up six “Best of Rochester” awards.

    Jan 1, 2023

  • Best Pickup Bar: ROAR

    Best Pickup Bar: ROAR

    There’s a neon sign over the door at ROAR: “A DJ and a Drag Queen Walk Into a Bar.” It’s the premise for Rochester’s reigning gay-owned nightclub, which scooped up six “Best of Rochester” awards.

    Jan 1, 2023

  • Best LGBTQ+ Bar: ROAR

    Best LGBTQ+ Bar: ROAR

    There’s a neon sign over the door at ROAR: “A DJ and a Drag Queen Walk Into a Bar.” It’s the premise for Rochester’s reigning gay-owned nightclub, which scooped up six “Best of Rochester” awards.

    Jan 1, 2023

  • Best Dive Bar: Lux Lounge

    Best Dive Bar: Lux Lounge

    If Lux's "Pabst Smear" — a $3 order of a can of Pabst Blue Ribbon and a well liquor shot of your choosing — doesn't scream dive bar, we don't know what does.

    Jan 1, 2023

  • Best of Rochester: Arts & Entertainment

    Best of Rochester: Arts & Entertainment

    Nightlife, music, theater, and art, CITY readers know them by heart . . .

    Jan 1, 2023

  • Best Actor: Penny Sterling

    Best Actor: Penny Sterling

    Penny Sterling burst onto the local performing arts scene in 2016 with “A Spy in the House of Men: A One-Woman Show With Balls,” recounting her decades-long journey of transitioning from a man to a woman.

    Jan 1, 2023

  • Best Art Gallery: Memorial Art Gallery

    Best Art Gallery: Memorial Art Gallery

    Visiting the Memorial Art Gallery of the University of Rochester, better known by its nickname “The MAG,” means journeying through 5,000 years of art history.

    Jan 1, 2023

  • Best Artist: Shawn Dunwoody

    Best Artist: Shawn Dunwoody

    Shawn Dunwoody needs no introduction. The prolific muralist and all-around creative is widely considered the face of the city’s art scene.

    Jan 1, 2023

  • Best Arts Event: Rochester International Jazz Festival

    Best Arts Event: Rochester International Jazz Festival

    For nine days in June, this international event draws an estimated 200,000 people to downtown Rochester. And yes, music is the draw.

    Jan 1, 2023

  • Best Band (Cover): Something Else

    Best Band (Cover): Something Else

    Sometimes you just want to hear the hits, let your hair down, and let your feet loose. Rock trio Something Else can help you get there.

    Jan 1, 2023

  • Best Club DJ: Mighty Mic (ROAR)

    Best Club DJ: Mighty Mic (ROAR)

    With DJ Mighty Mic in charge, expect a fun evening with plenty of energy.

    Jan 1, 2023

  • Best Comedian/Comedy Troupe: Chris Thompson

    Best Comedian/Comedy Troupe: Chris Thompson

    Chris Thompson stomped into stand-up after being goaded by friends who liked his Facebook and Instagram quips.

    Jan 1, 2023

  • Best Theater Company: Geva Theatre Center

    Best Theater Company: Geva Theatre Center

    Rochester has a lot of good theater, and not just “for a city of its size.” But Geva Theatre Center is in a league of its own.

    Jan 1, 2023

  • Best Drag Performer: Dee Dee Dubois

    Best Drag Performer: Dee Dee Dubois

    After 24 years on Rochester’s stages, DeeDee Dubois has moved from a “Best of Rochester” runner-up in this category to top queen.

    Jan 1, 2023

  • Best Published Poet: Chen Chen

    Best Published Poet: Chen Chen

    It’s fitting that Chen Chen is back, living in Rochester, the place where his career as a successful published poet first began to take off.

    Jan 1, 2023

  • Best Film Festival: Rochester International Film Festival

    Best Film Festival: Rochester International Film Festival

    Three days. Dozens of short films. The Rochester International Film Festival is a celebration of movie-making brevity.

    Jan 1, 2023

  • Best Published Author: Justin Murphy

    Best Published Author: Justin Murphy

    Years of pulling thread on the troubled Rochester public school system led to D&C reporter Justin Murphy publishing his first book.

    Jan 1, 2023

  • Best Rock Artist or Group: Joywave

    Best Rock Artist or Group: Joywave

    These homegrown rockers won this category by a ridiculously large margin and deservedly-so — even in a city blessed with many great bands.

    Jan 1, 2023

  • Best Photographer: Jim Montanus

    Best Photographer: Jim Montanus

    Photography is in the blood of this perennial “Best of Rochester” winner, who is perhaps best known for his images of area landscapes.

    Jan 1, 2023

  • Best Music Festival: Rochester International Jazz Festival

    Best Music Festival: Rochester International Jazz Festival

    This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Rochester International Jazz Festival, which promises 325 shows spread across nine stages.

    Jan 1, 2023

  • Best Instrumentalist: Herb Smith

    Best Instrumentalist: Herb Smith

    Trumpeter Herb Smith is as affable as he is stylistically versatile.

    Jan 1, 2023

  • Best Museum: Strong Museum of Play

    Best Museum: Strong Museum of Play

    Many people think of museums as stodgy institutions where touching exhibits is off-limits and fun goes to die. The Strong National Museum of Play is the opposite.

    Jan 1, 2023

  • Best Live Music Venue (Small): The Bug Jar

    Best Live Music Venue (Small): The Bug Jar

    Most live music fans in Rochester have a fond memory of the Bug Jar. Part live-music venue, part quasi-punk bar, the Bug Jar is a local gem.

    Jan 1, 2023

  • Best Movie Theater: The Little

    Best Movie Theater: The Little

    The Little Theatre is no mere art deco movie house, it's a beloved icon of Rochester's East End that has stood for more than 90 years.

    Jan 1, 2023

  • Best Live Music Venue (Large): CMAC

    Best Live Music Venue (Large): CMAC

    The large outdoor venues are where the most enticing summer shows are found, and CMAC is the best of them.

    Jan 1, 2023

  • Best Band (Original): Danielle Ponder

    Best Band (Original): Danielle Ponder

    It’s easy to make the case that R&B-soul artist Danielle Ponder won 2022 — and not just because she won five “Best of Rochester” categories.

    Jan 1, 2023

  • Best Blues Artist or Group: Danielle Ponder

    Best Blues Artist or Group: Danielle Ponder

    It’s easy to make the case that R&B-soul artist Danielle Ponder won 2022 — and not just because she won five “Best of Rochester” categories.

    Jan 1, 2023

  • Best Jazz Artist or Group: Danielle Ponder

    Best Jazz Artist or Group: Danielle Ponder

    It’s easy to make the case that R&B-soul artist Danielle Ponder won 2022 — and not just because she won five “Best of Rochester” categories.

    Jan 1, 2023

  • Best Solo Musician: Danielle Ponder

    Best Solo Musician: Danielle Ponder

    It’s easy to make the case that R&B-soul artist Danielle Ponder won 2022 — and not just because she won five “Best of Rochester” categories.

    Jan 1, 2023

  • Best Vocalist: Danielle Ponder

    Best Vocalist: Danielle Ponder

    It’s easy to make the case that R&B-soul artist Danielle Ponder won 2022 — and not just because she won five “Best of Rochester” categories.

    Jan 1, 2023

  • Best Country Artist or Group: Zac Brown Tribute Band

    Best Country Artist or Group: Zac Brown Tribute Band

    Live-music lovers know exactly what they’re getting with this good-vibin’ septet devoted to interpreting the songs of the Zac Brown Band.

    Jan 1, 2023

  • Best Dance Company: Garth Fagan Dance

    Best Dance Company: Garth Fagan Dance

    The world-renowned dance company is known for captivating audiences with dazzling choreography.

    Jan 1, 2023

  • Best Folk Artist or Group: The Honey Smugglers

    Best Folk Artist or Group: The Honey Smugglers

    You can call The Honey Smugglers an Americana band, or even a jamgrass group. CITY readers call the sextet Rochester’s best folk group.

    Jan 1, 2023

  • Best Hip-Hop Artist or Group: Moses Rockwell

    Best Hip-Hop Artist or Group: Moses Rockwell

    Moses Rockwell's songs are observational. If he has an odd conversation or experience, he mines it for comedy and rhymes it in a song.

    Jan 1, 2023

  • Best Mural or Public Art: Murals at MLK Jr. Memorial Park

    Best Mural or Public Art: Murals at MLK Jr. Memorial Park

    Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park is a year-round artistic backdrop with the vibrant Roc Paint Division murals

    Jan 1, 2023

  • Best Media Outlet (Other Than Us, Of Course):13 WHAM

    Best Media Outlet (Other Than Us, Of Course):13 WHAM

    WHAM-TV (Channel 13) has been the dominant local news affiliate for the better part of 40 years.

    Jan 1, 2023

  • Best of Rochester: The winners . . .

    Best of Rochester: The winners . . .

    This year, some 10,349 discerning CITY readers cast 426,656 votes to determine the Best of Rochester winners across 110 categories. Here, we present the top picks of the people, places, and things that make Rochester home.

    Oct 1, 2021

  • Best of Rochester: Arts & Entertainment

    Best of Rochester: Arts & Entertainment

    Nightlife, music, theater, and art, CITY readers know them by heart . . .

    Oct 1, 2021

  • Best of Rochester: Food & Drink

    Best of Rochester: Food & Drink

    Hankering for burgers, baked goods, or beer? CITY readers come here . . .

    Oct 1, 2021

  • Best of Rochester: Recreation

    Best of Rochester: Recreation

    From first dates to dancing and shooting stick to shooting hoops, CITY readers have the scoop . . .

    Oct 1, 2021

  • Best of Rochester: Goods & Services

    Best of Rochester: Goods & Services

    Whether you're looking for flowers, a haircut, or that special gift for a four-legged friend, CITY readers recommend . . .

    Oct 1, 2021

  • Best of Rochester: Who we are

    Best of Rochester: Who we are

    They rise above the crowd, they make CITY readers proud . . .

    Oct 1, 2021

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