Early last year, longtime Monroe Avenue neighborhood bar and restaurant Woody's came under new ownership. The venue underwent alterations and renovations, including adding new plasma televisions, a remodeled outdoor patio, new seating, and a private party room, among other changes. Last month the owners launched a new menu and completed their 14-month rebranding of the business by introducing its new moniker, Brickwood Grill.

"We had a vision for what we wanted it to become all along," says partner Christine Isselhard. "But we wanted to make everyone feel comfortable and ease our previous patrons into the changes."

Isselhard and co-owner Jeff Limuti, along with their business partners, have tried to include their patrons every step of the way, including launching a contest to let customers pick the establishment's new name. After fielding suggestions for months, a poll was posted online and the Brickwood Grill was born, named for the bar's rich woods and exposed brick walls.

The new menu features a wide selection that caters to the bar crowd, as well as the lunchtime business crowd and even some more upscale dinner fare. Those looking for pub grub will appreciate classics like wings (served buffalo style, sweet and sour, barbeque, or garlic parmesan), potato skins, and onion rings, as well as some more unique finger foods like Adirondack chips (natural-cut chips drizzled with house-made balsamic bleu cheese sauce and topped with scallions and applewood smoked bacon) or the Canadian classic poutine (French fries smothered in gravy, topped with cheese curds).

The menu also features the standard 3 Ss - soups, salads, and sandwiches. Notable inclusions include a Waldorf salad (with sun-dried cranberries, crumbly bleu cheese, candied walnuts, and green apples) or the Irish burger (topped with shaved corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, and Thousand Island dressing). Dinner entrees include a 16 oz. ribeye steak, chicken parmesan or French, and a lobster ravioli covered in a sherry wine-cream sauce.

The restaurant has also launched a Sunday brunch buffet ($14.95, $5 kids 12 and under) which runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and features made-to-order omelets, Belgian waffles and a variety of breakfast and lunch sides. Late night patrons can enjoy karaoke on Thursdays, acoustic music on Fridays and live bands on Saturdays.

To find Brickwood Grill in City Newspaper's online Restaurant Guide - including a map, user reviews, and more - click here.

Brickwood Grill is located at 250 Monroe Ave. Prices range from $6 to $23. It is open Monday-Saturday 11 a.m.-2 a.m. and Sundays 11 a.m.-10 p.m. For more information, call (585) 730-8230 or visit brickwoodgrill.com.

Spot on

After being closed for nearly seven months for renovations, Spot Coffee has reopened on East Avenue. The remodeled coffeehouse-restaurant favors a more contemporary look instead of its previous eclectic vibe. Look for wood floors, new (matching) furniture, muted colors on the walls (beiges and terra cottas), chrome fixtures, and, most noticeably, a partition that cuts off the former lounge area. The leftover space is currently available for rent.

In addition to the remodeling, Spot now offers gourmet 11" pizzas on top of its prior menu of breakfast foods, sandwiches, and salads. The pizzas are prepared in the newly renovated kitchen, as are the other menu items (except some desserts) whereas previously many of the items were pre-made at a kitchen in Buffalo. Some of the pizza varieties include the mediterrano (squash, zucchini, and peppers, covered in goat cheese, mozzarella, and a sun-dried tomato olive oil), the pollo and pesto (chicken breast, artichokes, marinated roasted peppers and pesto) or the funghi (three varieties of mushrooms, mozzarella, and a drizzle of truffle oil).

To find Spot Coffee in City Newspaper's online Restaurant Guide - including a map, user reviews, and more - click here.

Spot Coffee is located at 200 East Ave. Food prices range from $5 to $12. It is open Monday-Thursday 6 a.m.-11 p.m., Friday 6 a.m.-midnight, Saturday 7 a.m.-midnight, and Sunday 7 a.m.-11 p.m. For more information, call (585) 613-4600 or visit spotcoffee.com.

Cooking lessons in a dream kitchen

If you're looking for inspiration in the kitchen - from cooking techniques to remodeling ideas - the Culinary Center situated in the showroom of Vella Bath and Kitchen (237 Pittsford-Palmyra Road) offers both. For the first time, a summer schedule of cooking classes is being offered featuring a variety of lessons taught by local culinary luminaries.

The season kicks off on Monday, July 11, 6-8:30 p.m., with a class titled "Truffles, Truffles & More Truffles," taught by Tina Bennett, executive pastry chef and owner of Vanilla Swirl Cakery (1000 Turk Hill Road). The class will focus on how to make and decorate artisan truffles, including red velvet, chocolate, and vanilla. The class costs $65. On Saturday, July 16, 1-3:30 p.m., pit master Brian Wemett (co-founder of the Roc City Rib Fest) will teach a class entitled "Good Smoke BBQ," which will focus on the art of "low and slow" cooking, as well as techniques to smoke some of the more challenging cuts of meat. The cost to attend is $69.

Several sold-out classes are also running this summer, including a course taught by Chris Januzzi (executive chef of the Rabbit Room in Honeoye Falls) on Monday, July 25, and one from Chef Tin Tran of Webster's Prime Steak House on Wednesday, August 3. Those interested in sold-out classes can be added to a wait list. A full course schedule as well as registration information can be found online at vellaculinarycenter.com.

Cheap eats in style

The New York Wine and Culinary Center is offering a backyard BBQ dinner every Thursday this summer through September 1. The event runs 5:30-9 p.m. in the center's garden tent; tickets cost $12 and include a buffet of sides plus a choice of two meats (these vary throughout the season). Each night will also feature live music and will be sponsored by a different New York State brewery, which will have staff on-hand to pour featured brews at $3 apiece. Wine, non-featured beers, and soft drinks are also available a la carte.

The New York Wine and Culinary Center is located at 800 S. Main St. in Canandaigua. For more information and a schedule of entertainment and sponsoring breweries, call (585) 394-7070 or visit nywcc.com.

(Cup)cake and ice cream

Dollop Gourmet Cupcake Creations, which just celebrated its one-year anniversary, has partnered with Pittsford Farms Dairy to begin serving ice cream alongside create-your-own cupcakes. The cupcakery now also offers outdoor seating in time for the summer, as well as a mobile cupcake bar that can be reserved for events.

Dollop is located at 1865 Penfield Road. It is open Tuesday-Friday 11 a.m.-7:30 p.m. and Saturday 11 a.m.-6 p.m. For more information, call (585) 205-8628 or visit dollopgourmet.com.