Food

As alluded to many times previously, Rochesterians have a tendency to be hypercritical when it comes to analysis of their surroundings.  Being in the same state as New York City and just across the (great) lake from Toronto, standards are high.  Yet trying to pit Rochester's food scene against that of two of the largest cities in North America is not particularly fair.  Rochester's charm shines when the local offerings are viewed in the context of a great cost of living and generally hassle-free life.  And thus, the food scene needs to be assessed through a similar lens.  How is Rochester's culinary situation when affordability is taken into account? As it turns out, pretty darn good.

This ranking by WalletHub attempted to capture the best cities for foodies on a budget.  Affordability, diversity, accessibility, and quality were measured using 18 metrics.  (Interestingly, Rochester didn't even fare particularly well in affordability yet performed very well overall.)  While such rankings can be questionable, the presence of Portland, OR; San Francisco, CA; and Seattle, WA, seems to legitimize this list.  Here are the Top 10:

1. Portland, OR
2. Orlando, FL
3. San Francisco, CA
4. Oakland, CA
5. Seattle, WA
6. Cincinnati, OH
7. Santa Rosa, CA
8. Tampa, FL
9. Rochester, NY
10. Miami, FL