Lunch at Steadfast, a Gourmet Sandwich Bar in Rochester, NY

       There was lots of buzz behind Steadfast opening up in the old Matthew's East End Grill location on East Avenue in Rochester, NY. I was certainly interested because it was directly on my path to and from work everyday so I was able to see the building get gutted and revamped as Steadfast. As I was walking by one day, I saw one of the workers standing by the door and I happened to ask them what the sitch was and when it was planning to open. The person I talked to had happened to be one of the owners, Nick Garofoli, and he told me a few of the menu items he and his partner, executive chef Chuck Previte, had planned for some of their initial menu items which all sounded drool-worthy. Nick told me that their idea was to open in early April, so I made my plan to return as soon as they did!


       They had a soft opening featuring a limited menu during Eat Up Rochester Week, but only from 10am until 2pm. They plan to keep their normal hours from 10am until 10pm Monday through Wednesday, until 12am on Thursdays, until 2am on Fridays and Saturdays, and until 5pm on Sundays. My coworker and friend and I headed to Steadfast yesterday on their official first full day. I had, of course, already perused their menu and was between getting the Muffaletta, a sandwich created by Sicilian immigrants in New Orleans, which at Steadfast included speck, Genoa salami, mortadella, provolone, mozzarella, and a Calabrian chili & kalamata tapenade, or the Cemita Poblana, which was a Latin-style sandwich with a pork cutlet, ham, avocado, queso blanco, onion, lettuce, and a chipotle sauce.


       The interior of Steadfast is noticeably colorful - a drastic difference from the dark bar that it once was. The tables were made of natural wood planks surrounded by butter yellow rustic chairs. The tin Victorian-inspired ceiling was painted a muted shade of navy blue which matched the seat cushions on the booths. With a pop of red from vintage-looking glass ketchup bottles, the entire restaurant was pleasing to the eye as the colors took on a primary theme. There were also some antique items as decor such as cans of Prince Albert tobacco for another pop of that red color. We were told they picked up of a stash of the tins and the other antique decor at ReHouse Architectural Salvage on West Ridge Road. The windows let a lot of sunlight in and also allowed for some prime people watching looking out, one of my favorite hobbies. There is also a private area in the back for small gatherings like lunch meetings - perfect excuse for a work field trip!

       When at the front counter, you can choose to either make your order there or to take a seat and decide for a bit before ordering. My friend and I found a table and browsed the menu for a bit before going back to the counter to order our food. I decided on getting the Muffaletta and my friend ordered the Cemita Poblana, so I ended up getting to see what my second choice 'wich would have looked like had I ordered it instead, win-win! We also got a choice between housemade potato chips, sweet potato chips, or a green salad. I liked the "healthier" option of the sweet potato chips and went with that as my choice of side. Other interesting menu items included a completely vegan meatball sub with vegan mozzarella and even a traditional Po' Boy sandwich, which I've never tried before.



       When our food came out, I was absolutely floored with how much meat was packed into each of our sandwiches. The flavors of my Muffaletta reminded me of a pepperoni pizza but with a bacon-y flavor coming from the speck. The Calabrian chili & kalamata olive flavored sauce reminded me of a really gourmet pizza sauce. I could definitely see this sandwich being on a menu in an authentic restaurant in Italy, every single one of the flavors was there and it really warmed my Italian soul. The sweet potato chips were sliced in cute elongated ovals which made them curl slightly after being baked, and were topped with an ample amount of salt and pepper that made them just the right amount of savory. My friend enjoyed her sandwich but commented that the chipotle sauce definitely had a warm and spicy kick to it that was unexpected but still tasty.



       I got a chance to chat with Nick as we were finishing our sandwiches, as the lunch crowd hadn't picked up quite yet and we were one of the only ones there, and he told us a little about the concept and design of Steadfast. Nick told us that he worked in business for a while and had talked with a handful of other chefs who were thinking of opening restaurants, but ultimately gelled with chef Chuck Previte and his ideas for the sandwich bar. Nick also appreciated my friend's feedback on the extra spicy chipotle sauce and told us they were thinking of toning it back and making it more of a hint of chipotle mayo-based aioli instead to cut down some of that heat. I ended up not being able to finish the second half of my Muffaletta, but I was very happy to receive an all-paper eco-friendly to-go container - and even happier that it warmed up beautifully the next day for lunch!

In addition to serving sandwiches, the restaurant offers craft and local beers, a hand-selected wine list, and a coffee bag or by-the-cup selection which will feature different roasters on a rotation. Right now they are featuring Counter Culture Coffee, a brand from Durham, North Carolina. Steadfast is located at 200 East Avenue in Rochester, NY and you can follow them on their Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Right now they have events coming up for a grand opening and a Cinco de Mayo party which you can read all about on their events page! 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!
All opinions and pictures are my own.