There are a few spots in Rochester that some may believe are cursed for all restaurateurs who dare enter. Consider 89 State Street, which has seen four restaurants in just three years - from Tijuana Tokyo's to Cafe 89 to CJ's Southern Soul (which has relocated to 701 Lake Ave.) - and is now home to Lunch, which opened last week.

"I'm not nervous," says owner Magan Pilato. "One thing we've done is start from scratch by gutting it all the way down to the studs so we could make it a new place, whereas others just tried to make the space work as it was. We're excited and think the location is perfect for what we offer."

What Lunch offers is seemingly a perfect fit for its location amidst the downtown business district: an ostensibly simple, although actually quite unique, menu of sandwiches, soups, and salads at reasonable lunch prices. While choices like a turkey, roast beef, or ham might sound expected, Pilato has upped the offerings by adding homemade spreads, a distinctive bread selection, and nontraditional toppings. Some of the signature sandwiches include "The Goat," which includes goat cheese, avocado, celery, and walnut pesto served on multigrain bread, or "The Dreamy Veggie," with chickpeas, roasted red peppers, black olives, tomato, romaine lettuce, and lemon mayonnaise on sourdough.

In addition to sandwiches, Lunch serves up six types of panini (all made with bread from Baker Street Bakery) including "The Seaside," a fresh take on a caprese salad featuring sliced avocado, fresh mozzarella, tomato, and basil mayonnaise, and "The Turkey Mango," turkey breast with fresh mozzarella, cilantro, and mango salsa. Four salads (notably, the "Napa," made with baby spinach, fresh apples, walnuts, crumbly blue cheese, and raspberry vinaigrette) also grace the menu, along with a rotating selection of soups. The menu is also simply priced: salads and sandwiches cost $6.95, paninis cost $7.49, and soups cost $3.25.

Lunch also offers outdoor seating for up to 18 people, delivery within walking distance, and a catering menu. In the future, Pilato plans on expanding hours to include breakfast offerings.

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

Lunch is located at 89 State St. It is open Monday-Friday 11 a.m.-3 p.m. For more information call (585) 325-5453 or visit lunchrochester.com.

From toasty to tostadas

A new Mexican restaurant opened in Henrietta last week in a former Quiznos location. Agave Mexican Restaurant offers authentic Mexican cuisine for lunch and dinner, along with combination plates and a menu for kids. According to manager Rogelio Espinosa, a grand opening will be scheduled soon to celebrate the restaurant, which is still undergoing design changes to makeover the former national sub chain. In the meantime, the full (and extensive) six-page menu is available to diners.

Lunch options include burritos (with either shredded or ground beef, pork or chicken), huevos rancheros with chorizo, chile relleno, enchiladas, fajitas, and chimichangas. Dinner specialties include Texanas (a chimichanga and quesadilla with shredded beef or chicken, topped with lettuce, tomato, sour cream, and guacamole), mazatenango fish (a grilled fish fillet with ranchero sauce topped with onions), chiles cancheros (cheese-filled poblano peppers with ranchero sauce), and pork chuletas (grilled pork chops topped with� green sauce and jalapenos). Combination plates mix choices of tacos, enchiladas, chalupas, tostadas, tamales, and burritos. Children can choose from one of seven dishes including quesadillas, tacos, or grilled chicken with rice.

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

Agave Mexican Restaurant is located at 2820 West Henrietta Road. Prices range from $5 to $14. It is open Monday-Saturday 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m.-8 p.m. For more information, call 270-4376.

Wings, cars, and things

Rochester's first location of the national chain Quaker Steak & Lube has opened. Originally started in 1974 in Pennsylvania as a "cook your own steak" establishment, and named for its display of vintage muscle cars, the chain is now better known for its wings, which come in more than 20 flavors at varying degrees of hotness. Some flavors include the triple atomic, Cajun, tequila-lime barbeque, Asian sesame, parmesan pepper, and honey mustard.

The menu also features appetizers (including Bavarian soft pretzels, chipotle quesadillas, and fried pickles), salads, flatbread pizzas, steaks, burgers (with toppings like saut�ed mushrooms, bleu cheese, bacon, and jalapenos) and sandwiches (from gyros to a Yuengling-battered fish filet).

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

Quaker Steak & Lube is located at 2205 Buffalo Road. Prices range from $8 to $20. It is open Sunday-Monday 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Tuesday-Thursday 11 a.m.-11 p.m., and Friday-Saturday 11 a.m.-1 a.m. For more information, call (585) 697-9464 or visit quakersteakandlube.com.

Viva huevos

When Arturo Martinez reopened his popular Mexican eatery, Paola's Burrito Place and Mexican Grill, last November in a new location, he vowed that he would not only bring back the classic dishes that his fans craved, but that he would also soon be adding breakfast items and Mexican baked goods, fulfilling his dream of owning a Mexican bakery. That dream has been fulfilled, as the restaurant now offers an extensive breakfast menu (available on Saturday and Sundays 8-11 a.m.) and a dessert menu with several Mexican confections.

The daunting breakfast menu includes a wide selection of breakfast burritos, omelets, and traditional Mexican breakfast plates. The giant breakfast burritos are offered in five varieties - steak, chicken, chorizo, pork, and veggie - and are stuffed with eggs, pico de gallo, ranchera sauce, cheese and cilantro. Omelets are all made with three eggs and come in the same five varieties; all are served with a side of refried beans. But the truly notable options are in the Mexican Breakfast Plates section of the menu where diners will find dishes like huevos rancheros (three fried eggs topped with ranchera sauce and cheese), migas (scrambled eggs topped with tortilla strips, diced onions, tomatoes, cilantro, ranchera sauce, and cheese), and egg flautas (eggs served with chicken-fried taquitos, topped with guacamole and sour cream).

For dessert, Martinez is offering up flan (Mexican custard served with caramel and whipped cream), tres leches cake (a traditional Mexican cake made with evaporated, condensed and regular milk), sopapillas (flaky pastry puffs powdered with cinnamon and sugar), and borracho cake (a brown cake made with rum).

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

Paola's Burrito Place and Mexican Grill is located at 1011 Culver Road. Prices range from $5 to $10. It is open Monday-Friday 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m.-9 p.m., and Sunday 8 a.m.-8 p.m. For more information, call (585) 271-3655 or visit paolasmexicanrestaurant.com.