La Vida Gumbo

Marty:  We are doing SO well at blogging…so well that we’re going to fast-forward through a half-dozen (or so) of our Monday night one-and-dones, to let you know what we thought of some places we have tried over the past couple of months.

Nancy, why don’t you start out with Tournedos?

Nancy:  Thanks, Marty.  You’re right. We’ve been enjoying our Mondays out, and shame on us for not letting people know about the one-and-dones we’ve enjoyed.

I had never been to Tournedos but I had heard several people rave about it.  Once we got there I realized that if I were a criminal and wanted to hide in plain sight (while wining and dining), Tournedos would be the perfect location.  It has a great little bar tucked off the lobby, and it is really, really dark…

Marty:  Yes…really dark.  Even my camera was almost blinded.

Nancy:  … but it is cozy.  While they had a TV going over the bar (my least favorite attraction in a bar), the volume was low and some music was playing softly in the background.  As I recall, the bartender was recently from the Strathallan, and the music was from his personal iPod.  He was attentive, and the appetizer service was very nice.

Marty, why don’t we move down East Avenue and around the corner to One?

Marty:  Alright, but not before I send a tornado over Tournedos.  Yes, the bartender was recently from the Strathallan, but the Martini was slightly less than ordinary – a weak three olives, and not worth half the $14 price.  Guess he passed the Strath’s course in watering the gin.  The music was from his personal iPod at the demand of his boss – it’s a condition of employment that bartenders provide the music, which makes me wonder what the boss does with all of that money he gets for lousy cocktails and pricey steaks.  Yes – have some Raspberries Tournedo.  The best I can say is that this was the first time I saw John Holtz’s eyebrows in person;  I thought he was a palm tree at first, in that low light.

But on to One.  Word on the street is that this is a happening night club, but we were there at the Rochester cocktail hour, so it was more like a very large, very empty saloon – and I loved it.  The expansive first-floor bar (there are a couple more upstairs, including an open-air version) features a panoramic slide show, but most importantly had a solicitous bar staff that made a solid, four-olive Martini – even though they had to walk the mile up to a second-floor bar to retrieve some Bombay Sapphire.  I would return happily.

Nancy: And I also want to say that One had one of the best bar service experiences so far.  You know how you’re sitting at the bar and order an app and they throw you some utensils, napkins and a couple of plates? Oh no, this came with some Sandy Chilewich placemats, linen napkins, great bread and constant bartender service.  It makes me want to go back to One for dinner.  (And that’s step 2 in this process.)

Marty:  Okay, sweetie…what did you think of Max Chophouse?

Nancy:  Well, I love all the Maxes in town – and that’s a nod to Tony Gullace and the great restaurants that he owns.

Marty:  There you go – name dropping again.

Nancy:  Well, he deserves it.  He’s opened a lot of great places in town.  The Chophouse has had several lives – Brown Derby, Boom, Dish – but there’s one thing that doesn’t change, and that’s the bar.  It’s intimate, built of glossy mahogany with small banquettes running along the wall behind.  Ben, the bartender, was entertaining, yet aloof enough to let us enjoy our drinks together, but he was eager to help us choose our entrees when we decided to stay and have some dinner.  (Yes, sometimes we break our “just one drink and an app” rule when we get a good vibe and decide to check out the menu and order dinner – or I’m too lazy to go home and cook.)  The burger was very remarkable and is a benchmark of superb ground steak in town.

Marty, Rocco is up Monroe Avenue toward downtown.  Want to give that a try?

Marty:  Sure, but I need to give Ben’s Chophouse Martini four olives before we move on.

Osteria Rocco is a good Italian restaurant (we need more of those around Rochester?) with a tiny bar.  Nancy called the Chophouse bar, “intimate,” and Rocco’s bar demonstrates the difference between tiny and intimate.  Intimate means you feel comfortable and well served but can converse without fear of entertaining other customers.  Tiny means you’re crowded.  Not the same.

That said, Rocco’s bar is above average in competence.  The bartender, Chris, knew his wines and inventory, and he poured a top notch Martini – four-bordering-on-five olives, and they get a partial “twist” for presentation because of the cute olive pick.  Have to say that they do not carry Bombay Sapphire, so my Martini was Plymouth Gin – a perfectly fine brand, but not my favorite.  When I asked Chris why they don’t carry Bombay, he tapdanced around an answer that sounded something like, “We don’t have enough space for all the brands.”  I’d go with Bombay instead, but I was happy with the experience.

Honey, feel free to weigh in on Rocco’s wine and apps, and then why don’t we go over toward the Little Theater and check out Eros?

Nancy:  Good call, Marty.  As we’ve hammered through our one-and-done venues, it seems that a lot of places in town feature arancini –Italian, stuffed rice balls.  It’s tasty and appears to be a hugely popular Rochester dish (and I’m not complaining by the way).  Rocco’s arancini app was the best that I’ve tasted in town.

Now on to Eros.  I’ve eaten there for lunch and dinner and the food has been very good.  When we were there for our one-and-done, we enjoyed a superb hummus app while chatting with the bartender, Reid, and you gave him a very enthusiastic four olives for his Martini.

Marty:  I did.  And the place has wonderful ambience – especially at 6 p.m. when there’s only one other couple there.  It’s one of my very favorite Martini photos from 2011, too.

Nancy:  It’s been interesting getting feedback and suggestions for other venues from the bartenders when we tell them all about our Monday quests for drinks and apps.   It’s always fun to learn about the places that they like to go to when they get off work and where they feel most comfortable.  Reid, who had time to chat as we sat at the bar, gave us some great recommendations of other places to try.  Still, I have to say that every time I’m there, there are no more than 2 tables occupied.  What’s up with that?

So Marty, now that we’ve hit the humbler restaurant in the neighborhood, why don’t you weigh in on the 800 pound gorilla in town, Restaurant 2Vine?

Marty:  Riiiiight….do you know how smelly and unpleasant an 800 pound gorilla is???  I mean, I know I’ve not had many kind things to say about 2Vine since that day (about seven years ago) that they rang up several other tabs on my credit card, but they’re not that smelly and unpleasant.

Okay, okay – seriously…I have not been a big fan of 2Vine, but the pommes frites and Martini on this visit were awesome.  But (reporters, don’t miss this) Doug, our bartender that evening, delivered the only five-olive Martini I have had in a Rochester restaurant all year.  We bonded instantly when I got to my, “…not shaken – just swirled gently…” part, and he told us he’s been preaching that to other bartenders for years but was still amazed to have a customer request it.  I only hope 2Vine keeps him around.

Nancy:  I’ve never considered myself a bar-fly but I do consider myself a bar-lover.  When I walk into the bar, I can instantly grasp the feeling and the experience that I’m going to get when I see the color of the wood (or marble), the lighting, chairs, size and general ambience.  I first learned that from my friend, Rosey, who is all about the pre-dinner.  The dinner is just “the dessert.”

At 2Vine, they have a new marble top on the bar, and it totally changed the feeling of the space.  With the large dining area behind the bar and the open windows, it makes for a very appealing imbibing (and dining) experience.

So Marty….we’ve managed to eat and drink ourselves through a half dozen venues.

Marty:  Mostly drink…. Cheers!