Since the craft cocktail scene is currently booming in Rochester, it's only safe to say that the gastronomy scene is picking up as well. Branca Basin and Branca Midtown chefs Jim Zobel, Cruz Nieves, and Michael Seifert put together a first in a series of gastronomic, tasting-menu style dinners paired with wine hand-chosen by Rochester Sommelier Gerald "JJ" Cutaia. I was fortunate enough to have a seat at this Sicilian food event last Monday, and I was absolutely floored by the presentation. While the price tag to get in is quite daunting, I will say the night out was worth the trouble, especially if you have a special occasion or celebration you'd like to truly make a night to remember.
My friend and I arrived at about 6:15pm and started with a cocktail. I wanted to see how well Branca Midtown could make one of my favorite cocktails, the Dark & Stormy. Typically, the cocktail is layered with lime juice, ginger beer, and topped with a dark rum float, but I have seen it at some establishments made with the contents mixed together before being served, which ruins half the fun of the alchemic aesthetic. Luckily, Branca did a wonderful job. However, I only managed to snag a less-than-decent photo as the lights above the bar weren't as photo-optimal as the dining area.
When we sat down to eat, I was humored that the dining area was set up in an almost Italian family style layout, with a giant square table and seating all around the perimeter. Essentially, I was at one big table with about twenty other guests, and looking quizzical about the whole thing. At the table behind us were all of the bottles of wine that would be paired with each course. We also received a menu so that we would know what was coming next. After a short speech about the vision for the dinner and for the series, the chefs began to send out the first course.
The first course was Artichokes & Sardine paired with a Feudo Principi di Butera Insolia 2015, a Sicilian white wine with a crisp, nutty taste. Even though I enjoy artichokes and sardines separately, having them paired together was a different experience. Both the artichoke hearts and bite-sized sardine fillets had a similar butter-like consistency to them and the flavor was tangy and salty in all the right ways. From the others at the table, I heard varying remarks of surprise that the sardines were incredibly enjoyable.
The second course was the Langoustine Crudo paired with a Pietradolce Etna Bianco Archineri 2016, a white wine from the Etna region with a citrusy and herbal finish. When I read the word "crudo", the Italian word for "uncooked", I was very excited as I have a huge penchant for raw seafood. Oysters, sashimi, you name it. However, I had never tried langostino lobster in this fashion. It was extremely tender and full of flavor, giving a note to somewhere between a jumbo shrimp and a true lobster. With the citrusy tang of the wine, it paired very well with all the flavors I was tasting. I could tell that each dish pairing would get better and better!
The third course was a Bone Marrow Garganelli paired with the sister red Pietradolce Etna Rosso 2015, which garnered a rustic berry and mineral-like flavor. I was the most curious about this course because of the bone marrow, of course, but this turned out to be my favorite course of the evening. The garganelli pasta is almost like a scalloped penne-shape which holds a lot of the creamy and cheesy sauce in the dish, while the bone marrow took on a truffle-like meaty and salty flavor that just sat at the back of the tongue in such a homecooked kind of way.
The fourth course was Duck, consisting of various forms of duck, confit, and terrine laid in a path decoratively around the plate, paired with one of my favorite types of wine, Feudo Principi di Butera Nero D'Avola 2015. Nero D'Avola is a really fun wine because, while it is a red, it really takes on this tang that is both extremely drinkable and really pairs well with more gamey meats such as duck, rabbit, or venison. Obviously this wine was a match made in heaven with the duck that we had, and I was simply in heaven by the end.
Of course, all Sicilian meals end with a dessert and also a dessert cocktail. In true gastronomic fashion, we were given deconstructed cannoli along with a cocktail crafted by Bitter Honey bartender, Abby Quatro, consisting of Cognac, Mascarpone, and Cafe Amaro. The cannoli were simply little tufts of cannoli cream and pieces of sugared crisps which was not overbearing as a typical cannoli would be. The cocktail gave me a total gelato vibe and so it absolutely completed the meal for me.
Keep an eye out for more of these Chef Dinners in Rochester - Branca has a Twitter, Instagram, and a Facebook - I would highly recommend it to anyone looking to have that tasting menu, French Laundry-type dining experience without having to travel far. Thank you for reading my restaurant review, keep an eye out for more articles like this by following my Twitter or my Instagram for post updates!
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