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Flyover Plates Podcast

Flyover Plates Podcast

By: Dr. Mike Brondon
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About this listen

This show is for people who've escaped Rochester, NY, but miss the city's signature cuisine, the PLATE. Hosted by Rochester expat Dr. Mike Brondon, we reminisce about the weather, the people, and the institutions of Rochester of yesteryear. You know, back when we had industry... and hope.Everybody has a friend who escaped Rochester, so tell them about the podcast!

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Social Sciences Travel Writing & Commentary
Episodes
  • 32 What would you bring back?
    Oct 29 2025

    Tonight on FOP! It's a tangent-filled nostalgia fest filled with the usual food and folly.

    Scandals

    • What two high-ticket items Rochester people throw away every fall
    • Pumpkin spice... pumpkins?
    • Buffalo Bills uniforms and logos in church
    • UofR tries to anti-improve its brand
    • Savastano's & Papa Joe's robbed
    • Rochester, North Korea, or Gaza: Which is worse?


    Reviews

    • Top 10 Italian restaurants
    • Top 10 delis
    • Japanese centenarians vs. Rochester workers
    • Wegmans saving leftovers for UofR students
    • Mike's IA trip, including BBQ BUFFET
    • Toll House Pie
    • Sibley the Christmas Mouse
    • Shen Yun: Rochester Edition
    • We forgot to review a plate, so we review Mark's Pizzeria's latest not-totally-original innovation
    • Cedar's Lebanese restaurant, Monroe Ave.


    Reminiscing

    • Portable CD players
    • Lou Gramm and Foreigner entering the Natl Rock n Roll Hall of Fame
    • Metallica and Gary the Happy Pirate started... where?
    • Mike waxes poetic about Wegmans and their video dept
    • The Cookie Monster Club
    • The Sunday Morning Showcase of Homes on local TV
    • What glorious 80s institution would you bring back?


    In Memoriam

    • The Stereo Shop (one location still exists)
    • Happy Joe's Pizza in Iowa
    • Kinko's
    • Toys R Us is back!
    • Schaeller's West Henrietta Rd
    • Sibley's, McCurdy's, B. Forman Company


    Thanks for telling inmates and escapees about the show!!

    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 39 mins
  • 31 The Second Homecoming
    Sep 30 2025

    Tonight, on the long-awaited Sept episode of Flyover Plates, we review:

    • Pumpkin Spice flavored... WHAT?
    • NY State does the most ironic thing in history
    • Mike actually likes keeping some foods from mixing
    • Flaherty's
    • Nick's Italian Feast Buffet
    • Great American Ballpark's Doctor Appreciation Buffet
    • Frontier Field
    • The Flagship Friendly's Restaurant
    • Chik Fil A + Country Sweet: A Match Made in Heaven?
    • GenericBurger, Omaha Airport
    • Mike's Christmas Present to Himself
    • Chester Cab Pizza


    Mike's Trip to Rochester

    • Holiday Inn Express
    • Strong National Museum of Play
    • Tully's Good Times
    • LuGia's Ice Cream
    • Gia's Pizza Kitchen
    • Clubhouse Minigolf
    • Abe's: An Honest Meal (Featured Plate of the Month!)


    We Memorialize

    • Silver Stadium
    • Paetec Park
    • anyone who was shot outside of Paetec Park
    • The Rochester Rhinos


    New Mini Interview!

    • Cousin Dom gives us his hot take on Vasko's plate, a new place on Park Ave
    • We then have a hearty debate about Mark's Pizzeria
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 17 mins
  • 30 Hazardous Summer Festivals
    Aug 23 2025

    Tonight on FOP!

    • Why Marc was actually happy to come home to Roch
    • We bemoan the return of Pumpkin Spice Everything
    • Rochester Schools start later because there's no risk of being too hot next spring
    • NY State Fair celebrates charity and fights hunger by wasting 800 lb of food
    • Cruise Ships landing in... Buffalo?
    • New mini-segment: "Will Marc Eat It?"
    • Olive Garden Life Hack
    • Our town names and their unusual pronunciations
    • What 3 things are required to make you a midsize city?
    • Nonrochester construction projects being under time and under budget.
    • The Skycoasters play at Lugia's (and all other venues)


    Reviews:

    • Char at Strathallan
    • Pod Computers
    • Centric Hots - tonight's featured food
    • Trucchi's Cod Cakes
    • Buffalo Wild Wings
    • Blu Wolf Bistro
    • IRISH MAFIA
    • MicGinny's


    In Memoriam:

    • The Niagara Tour Bus
    • Carbone's Greece
    • Pontillos' Greece Ridge (went out of business that day!)
    • Staples in Middletown OH
    • LDR Char Pit in Charlotte NY (pronounced differently)
    • Scrantom's Stationery
    • Altier's Shoes
    • Burgundy Basin Inn (and its current state)
    • Piehler Subaru-GMC
    • Tent City


    Festivals

    • Lilac Fest (artichokes, turkey legs, and cinnamon roasted almonds)
    • East End Fest
    • Jazz Fest
    • Egyptian Fest
    • Polish Fest (best food ever)
    • Insert Vegetable Name Here Fest
    • Cari Fest
    • Car Shows


    As always, thanks for telling your fellow inmates and escapees!

    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 30 mins
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