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ROC: Red Osier

I've written before about the Red Osier stand at Rochester Airport, but it's so good that I couldn't pass up another opportunity to eat and write about it. For those of you who think that "western New York" is an oxymoron, remember that 200 years ago, Rochester was the frontier. It's a very different place from the five boroughs and the home of a lot of great food.

This is my beef on weck, which is roast beef on a kemmelweck bun. The pickles are standard and I added a little bit of horseradish. Every element of this meal was wonderful and they played together to make a wonderful tune. The roast beef is outstanding, meaty in taste, soft but toothy in texture. The kemmelweck bun provides a big contrast in texture. The combination of pretzel salt and caraway seeds gives two very distinct flavor notes. The pickles add the sour note and a nice firm texture. The horseradish adds just the right amount of heat. I slept happily on my flight back thanks to this meal.

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