Faces of Rochester

The Gala Goer: If you're asking yourself why Laura Ventura's face seems so familiar, it may be that you've run into her at one of the countless charity events she's attended over the past year.

The Table Setters: For longtime fans of Michaels, it's hard to fathom a time before the tag team of Richard Rogers and Holly Grubb-table setters extraordinaire—became hard-working fixtures in the restaurant’s elegant dining room.

The Hot Dog Guy : One more reason to look forward to spring-it triggers the return of "Murph," the friendly face behind Diamond Dogs, the hot dog cart in downtown's Peace Plaza. "I'm shooting for April 20," says Rick Murphy.

The Ticket Taker: "I've always loved movies," says David Danielson, although he then offers a not-so-happy example one of the first films he'd ever seen. "I was about six and my older brother took us to the old State Theater in Lanesboro." It was a wonderful experience, he recalls. That is, until Frankenstein lurched onto the screen and the frightened young boy leapt from his seat, ran up the aisle, out the door and back to the safety of his home.

The Coffee Lady: Many coffee shop workers can match a customer to their regular order at first glance. Lynn Wong, co-owner of Rochester's two Dunn Brothers stores, can do it at first sound. "I can recognize peoples' voices on the [drive-through] microphone," says Lynn, who has been memorizing voices (and faces) from behind the counter at Dunn Brothers North (and its predecessor coffee shop, Java Cafe) for almost 13 years.

The Biz Blogger: It's no surprise that Rochester's most popular blogger, Post-Bulletin business columnist Jeff Kiger, is recognized around town by the buttoned-down types who live and die by his timely scoops on everything from real estate deals to restaurant closures to layoffs.