Shortly after F. Oliver's Oils and Vinegars opened in Canandaigua last year (129 S. Main St.), my husband and I drifted in one day while window shopping. Upon entering we were offered a tasting, and we expected bread or crackers to dip into the nearly 40 varieties of flavor-infused oils and vinegars. Instead we were walked to a fusti (a large stainless steel tank with a spout) where an employee began mixing various flavors of oil and vinegar into a small plastic cup for each of us and handed it over. "You want us to drink it?" I asked. My husband looked horrified.

The clerk instructed us on the proper way to sample oils and vinegars - somewhat akin to tasting wines - with a process of sniffing followed by merely touching the mixture to our lips and licking it off to sample the combined flavors. He began with typical flavor combinations, like an oregano balsamic with a heady garlic olive oil, and slowly worked us up into seemingly odd pairings, like smoky chipotle olive oil with dark chocolate balsamic. About 15 minutes in, we got comfortable enough to begin making our own concoctions and left with our favorite: cilantro with roasted golden onion olive oil paired with a ripe fig balsamic.

"Our customers are our best inventors," says F. Oliver's owner Penelope Pankow. "You can't believe people are still finding new combinations, but they are. They choose flavors that fit with their lifestyle."

After more than a year of success in Canandaigua, Pankow has opened a second F. Oliver's location on Park Avenue in Rochester, in the space formerly housed by Roman Holiday Gelato. The new location offers customers the same opportunities to sample and create. As for what to use the oil and vinegar for, Pankow has a long list of suggestions, including traditional ideas like marinades and salad dressing to mixing balsamic with sparkling water for a refreshing drink or using oils as a drizzle on meats right before serving them.

"What we really want is to have the highest-quality product so it can appeal to a chef, but we also appeal to people who are just learning to cook and want to put together a meal easily and healthily with great flavor," says Pankow.

The new location of F. Oliver's Oils and Vinegars is located at 747 Park Ave. Bottles of oil and vinegar are sold for $14.95; tastings are free. It is open Monday-Friday 11 a.m.-7 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-6 p.m., and Sunday noon-4 p.m. For more information, call 244-2585 or visit folivers.com.

Bed and breakfast, lunch and dinner

The Hyatt Regency Rochester has opened a new restaurant and bar as part of a multimillion-dollar redesign of the downtown hotel. The new restaurant - which replaces the former Italian-style restaurant Palladio - is called Scene on Main, and focuses on upscale modern-American and fusion cuisine. The restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner and also offers a lounge menu featuring a variety of wines, beers, and cocktails as well as a variety of signature share plates that are similar to tapas. Some of the share-plate offerings include duck quesadillas with porcini mushrooms, white cheddar, and smoked gouda ($16); charred upstate tomatoes and cilantro salsa served with blue corn tortilla chips ($12); and a snack platter of roasted figs, gorgonzola-stuffed dates, candied nuts, and wasabi peas ($14). Dinner entrees include selections like smoked pork mini tacos with honeycrisp apple slaw and sofrito ($16); lobster mac and cheese with fried parsnips, Canadian smoked bacon, and chanterelle mushrooms ($20); and a pastrami-style salmon flatbread sandwich served with mustard, relish, and gruyere ($20).

Scene on Main is located at 125 E. Main St. Breakfast is served Monday-Friday 6:30-11 a.m., Saturday-Sunday 7 a.m.-noon. Lunch is served weekdays 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and noon-2 p.m. on weekends. Dinner is served daily 5-10 p.m. The bar is open Sunday-Thursday 5 p.m.-midnight and opens at 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday. For more information, call 794-4800 or visit rochester.hyatt.com.

Beer and wine bits

The New York Wine & Culinary Center is hosting its fifth annual Rendezvous with Riesling event on Friday, August 12, 7-10 p.m. During the tasting, guests will have the opportunity to taste Rieslings from more than 30 New York State wineries, all of which are paired with seasonal, local cuisine. Some of the participating wineries include Dr. Frank Vinifera Wine Cellars, Glenora Wine Cellars, Knapp Winery, and Sheldrake Point Vineyard. For more information, call 394-7070 or visit nywcc.com.

The event coincides with the Finger Lakes Riesling Festival, which runs Saturday and Sunday, August 13-14, and held along Lakeshore Drive in Canandaigua. The festival includes wine and beer tastings from New York State wineries, a 5k Riesling run, food stands from area restaurants and vendors, an arts and crafts show, live music, and a farmer's market. The event benefits the Canandaigua Family Y's Caring for Kids campaign. Entrance to the festival is free; the wine tasting passport costs $15 for a festival wine glass and Riesling from up to six wineries while the beer tasting costs $10 for a sampling mug to taste beers from up to 10 breweries. For more information, visit rieslingfestival.com.

Newcomer to the local brewer business, Rogers Beer - which launched its first brew, Rogers Pale Ale, last October - is celebrating the launch of its second brew, Rogers India Pale Ale. The launch party will be held at Jeffrey's Bar (3115 E. Henrietta Road) on Friday, August 5, 7 p.m.-2 a.m. Both the Rogers Pale Ale and Rogers India Pale Ale are brewed by Custom Brewcrafters in Honeoye Falls. For more information, visit rogersbeer.com or jeffreysbar.com.

The Flour City Brewfest will return this year on Friday, September 23, after taking a hiatus in 2010. The popular event will again be held at Frontier Field. Advance tickets can currently be purchased at a discounted rate of $35 for general admission ($40 regular price) and $75 for VIP admission ($100 regular price); tickets must be purchased by Thursday, August 4, to receive the discount. Only 250 VIP tickets will be sold; VIP tickets include special parking, early entrance to the festival, catered food and access to exclusive beers. For more information, visit fcbrewfest.com. You must sign up as an "insider" on the homepage for access to advance tickets.