Vera Petty-Brown

BEST FISH FRY

Captain Jim’s

2329 East Main St. | 585-482-3640 facebook.com/cptjimsfish

Captain Jim’s is one of those unassuming hole-in-the-walls where you just know the food has to be great. Mostly a fish market, the shop routinely has a line out the door for its Friday fish fry special. Rightfully so. The fish is a high-quality haddock battered in a divine beer and flour concoction, fried to a perfect golden brown. Its crispy, crunchy shell contrasts perfectly with the flaky, tender fish it envelops. Complement your indulgence with a side of fried smelt. Finalists: Bill Gray’s | Braddock Bay Inn | Palmer’s Market

BEST FOOD TRUCK

Le Petit Poutine

44 Elton St. | 585-461-2224 petitpoutinerie.com

It has been the opposite of a petit year for Le Petit Poutine owners Lizzie Clapp and Ronnie McClive, who recently expanded their business to the brick-and-mortar Petit Poutinerie at 44 Elton St. while still running their multiple food trucks. Known as founders of Rochester’s food truck scene, they serve their classic Canadian combination of fries, gravy, and cheese curds with a sprinkling of thyme to thousands of hungry customers every year. Sunday mornings at the Brighton Farmers Market are not complete without picking up a carton of Le Petit Poutine’s ooey-gooey goodness, and neither are late nights at Lux. This food truck makes Rochester a better place. Finalists: Effortlessly Healthy | The Meatball Truck | Neno’s

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Give this a try, also . . .

Tryon City Tavern

2300 East Main Street | 585-654-9122 tryoncity.com

Located just across Main Street from Captain Jim’s in the North Winton Village section of the city, this neighborhood bar specializes in understated, but extremely well-done pub classics. The fish fry is the coup de grace. It’s a massive filet of haddock with a crust that turns the crunch factor up to 11 atop a bed of perfectly cooked battered fries. It doesn’t tread new ground, and it doesn’t try to. A good fish fry is not about innovation, but execution, and the execution at Tryon City is second to none. Combine that with a well-curated beer list and you have all the fixings for a gluttonous Friday evening. GINO FANELLI

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Another option could be . . .

Roll’n Deep

rollndeeproc.com

Grabbing a bite from Roll’n Deep at a local festival seems to elevate your social cache — everyone wants to talk to you. “Excuse me, where did you get that?” people ask, pointing to your meal. Scott Phomvongsa, the owner and founder of the popular food truck, immigrated here with his family from Laos when he was 15, and he integrates many Asian flavors from his native country into Roll’n Deep’s creative menu. His ode to Rochester’s delicacy, the “Garbage Roll,” has the familiar egg roll vessel stuffed with macaroni salad, tater tots, American cheese, and truck-made meat hot sauce. The result is an instant classic. Pop-ups at other Asian-owned businesses, like Happy Gut Sanctuary, have drawn new patrons and regulars who can’t get enough of dishes like the Crab Rangoon nachos. Wash it down with one of the truck’s 14 varieties of bubble tea, which come equipped with a “fat straw” for those tasty bobas. DARIO JOSEPH

BEST GLOBAL FOODS MARKET

Rubino’s Italian Food Market

1304 East Ridge Road | 585-544-5680 rubinos.net

Step into Rubino’s on any given day and you’ll be instantly greeted by the most pleasant menage of scents this side of the Atlantic. Fresh bread, olive oil, decadent sweets, and savory peppers all mingle in the air. The humble market on East Ridge Road is known for its subs, particularly its muffuletta, complete with capicola, mortadella, salami, and olive tapenade. But don’t just stop at the sandwich counter — Rubino’s carries an eclectic and expansive mix of Italian groceries, including a truly excellent butcher shop with fresh-made sausage. Finalists:Asia Food Market | Lee’s Oriental Foods Namaste Cash & Carry

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Also consider . . .

Asia Food Market

1885 Brighton-Henrietta Town Line Road | 585-292-9888 asiafoodmkt.com

I discovered Asia Food Market while expanding my culinary repertoire to include Szechuan and Cantonese cuisine, but it quickly became my main grocer. The store is gigantic and brimming with assorted odds and ends difficult to find elsewhere. A universe of different rices, every variety of southeast Asian curry and condiment under the sun, exotic fruits and vegetables, and a massive array of frozen dumplings and bao are just a sampling of what’s on the shelves. But the real star of the show is undoubtedly the fish market. The sheer scale of what the shop offers is mind-boggling. From live frogs to giant clams and any fish you can think of, it’s all here. GINO FANELLI