I heard a few great things about The Owl House in the southwest corner of Park Avenue in Rochester, NY - one being that they serve an array of menu items to agree with any diet such as vegan or gluten-free. I figured that the cuisine would be similar to what I tried when I went to The Red Fern on Park Avenue. However, when I went the other week with my friend for a fancy night out, they had some really spectacular entrees that were more farm-fresh and homestyle cooking than I had expected. The restaurant is on the corner location of Monroe Avenue and Marshall Street by the Marshall Street Bar and Grill, and quite literally looks like a cute and cozy house upon first glance.
When my friend and I entered, we were greeted by the hostess immediately and, although we came on a Tuesday night and without a reservation, we were still seated immediately in an adorable corner booth. The interior was very eclectic and totally my vibe; it was as if an antique-collecting grandmother clashed with a sleek red-and-black style. We took a while to glance over the extensive drink lists, which had a great variety of wine at all different price points, amongst craft beer and cocktail options. I was in the mood for wine and selected a Rioja that was second-cheapest on the reds list - the Bodegas Muriel Reserva 2011. Our waitress, Sara, was super sweet and helped me pick it out from the broad selection of reds. This was a great wine to sip on its own before our food came out because it was a bit fruity while not being a fully sweet wine and had a nice vanilla-noted aftertaste. My friend ordered the Dark Horse 4 Elf craft beer which was a smooth-tasting dark, wintery brew perfect for a chilly March night.
For an appetizer we shared a plate of the crostini which was topped with roasted pumpkin chevre cheese, pickled apples & fennel, and a roasted walnut & apple cider butter sauce. Honestly, if you're looking for a vegetarian version of a prosciutto caponata, this really hit the spot. The picked apples and fennel totally reminded me of thinly cut carcuitterie and honestly was my favorite part of the night. Maybe it was also in part from the excellent pairing of my Rioja, but the layers of flavor and sweetness was a pleasant firework in my mouth when combined with the umami of the chevre cheese.
I always tell myself, "Self, never order the Fettuccine Alfredo on the menu otherwise your poor, Italian soul will be devastated by the bland flavor and sickly-sweet cream sauce." However, when I saw the ingredients list on Owl House's take on a Fettuccine Alfredo, I was simply colored intrigued. The pasta was made from the local brand Flour City and was tossed with a cauliflower-based Alfredo Sauce, roasted Smugtown mushrooms, rapini, leeks, and a vegan parmesan cheese. I have a deep love for mushrooms and rapini - a type of long, thin broccoli - and truly appreciated a dish made from locally sourced (and vegan to boot!) ingredients.
My friend ordered the mac and cheese which, to his slightly dairy-intolerant delight, was made with an aged cheddar cheese and not the typical lactose-ridden Velveeta-type variety. The dish was also made from Flour City pasta and had an inclusion of Swiss chard - seemingly to make you feel at least a little healthy about eating mac and cheese. All in all it seemed like a superb idea to turn this classic dish into more of a "grown-up" version for a cozy night out. Our main dishes took a little while to come out, but it was appreciated because my friend and I got to have a really great conversation in the meantime. I actually dislike when servers rush you through your meal by bringing out the main dish too quickly after an appetizer - balance is key and The Owl House had it!
Our food came in large bowls which added to the homestyle feel - I felt as though my mom just served me up some pasta to eat by our fireplace on a rainy night. Although the cost of food at The Owl House is in the middle to upper-middle range, the amount of food they gave us was immense! I ate as much as I could but still had to take home a complete other half of my meal. Overall, between the great selection of beverages and huge, farm-fresh portions of food, I would definitely recommend The Owl House as somewhere to take your relatives or friends when they come in to visit Rochester. The atmosphere is conversation-friendly and you'll probably get a second meal out of your night out for lunch the next day! I'd definitely want to bring my mom next time she visits me from Syracuse, NY - I'm sure she'd approve as well.
The Owl House is located at 75 Marshall Street in Rochester, NY and is open from 11:30am until 9:30pm on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 11:30am until 10:30pm on Thursdays and Fridays, 11am until 10:30pm on Saturdays, and 11am until 9:30pm on Sundays, while being closed on Mondays and also from 3pm until 5pm on their open days. I would suggest making a reservation, unlike what we did, if you go on weekend days as the restaurant was quite small inside. However, you might be fine on a weekday night, especially if you're just going for drinks and appetizers since they do have a small bar area. 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!
No comments:
Post a Comment