Anyone with even just a casual familiarity with modern chefdom would be
impressed with Charles Saccardi’s resumé, which includes helping Thomas Keller
open Yountville, California’s
Bouchon and prepping for Mrs. Child herself on the Boston-based PBS series “In
Julia’s Kitchen with Master Chefs.” And after stints at local spots like
Tastings and Jojo, the well-traveled industry veteran is now in charge of the
open kitchen at Benedettos, the latest venture from the ONE
Restaurant & Lounge team of owner Tim Tompkins and executive chef Jay
Cohen, and the newest addition to Alexander Street’s
Restaurant Row.
Benedettos, to help you get your bearings, is in the two-story brick building
that most famously once housed Lloyd’s; now it’s home to a beautifully
remodeled eatery made of warm woods, a few fantastic red chandeliers, and
garnished with art that reflects the Italian-inspired menu.
“It’s the food I grew up with,” says Chef Saccardi, a Long Island native who
evokes his coastal roots with appetizers like Rhode Island lobster chowder ($8)
and an andouille-and-peppadew-laced take on the classic baked stuffed clams
($8.50), as well as specialty plates like shrimp linguini ($19), with
mint-basil pesto and heirloom cherry tomatoes. And at the other end of the
protein spectrum, Benedettos brings back the old-school prime rib dinner,
available in 16 oz. large ($32), 12 oz. small ($25), and panini sizes ($14)
Wednesday through Saturday 5-8 p.m.
Note the bread that arrives at the table not long after you do; it’s crafted
in-house (and accompanied by a positively drinkable mixture of salty parmesan,
bright-green olive oil, and a few deeply caramelized cloves of garlic), as is
the flavorful dough for Benedettos’ pizzas, in varieties like a traditional
margherita ($10) and a white pie with pancetta, red onion, capers, and arugula
($11). Chef Saccardi plans to expand upon his pizza and seafood selections in the
future, as well as the pasta offerings, though it will be tough to top that
luscious Bolognese ($18), which tosses orecchiette with velvety braised short
ribs and comes with a quartet of condiments for gilding purposes. The
Italy-heavy wine list includes an attractive option for a three-glass carafe
($15), and the top-shelf signature cocktails, like the Sazerac-ish Alleycat
($10), are at once familiar and distinctive.
Benedettos is located at 289 Alexander
St. It is open Tuesday-Thursday 4:30 p.m.–midnight; Friday-Saturday 4:30 p.m.-2 a.m. Full menu served
5-10 p.m., lounge
menu until midnight.
Food prices range from $6 to $24. For more information, call 454-5000 or visit
benedettosrochester.com.
On the road
Looking to scram out of town for a bit before summer ends, maybe hit a
winery or just monkey around in the Finger Lakes? Here
are a few food-centric destinations…
The sauerkraut factories may be gone, but the Town of Phelps
still holds its annual World Famous Sauerkraut Festival,
which, in addition to parades, rides, music, and fireworks, features uniquely
Phelpsian activities like a sauerkraut-eating contest, cabbage bowling, and the
ceremonial cutting of the sauerkraut cake. It all goes down Thursday-Sunday,
August 2-5. Head over to phelpsny.com for a schedule of events.
Hoist your pinky and take tea on the mansion veranda at Canandaigua’s
stately SonnenbergGardens as part of their Thursday Teas, happening each week in August. Victorian maids
and butlers in period costume will serve finger sandwiches, scones, sweets, icy
shrubs, and, of course, hot tea. Tickets are $20, $8 for ages 4-12. Call
394-4922 or visit sonnenberg.org for reservations.
Fox Run Vineyards in Penn Yan hosts its 20th Annual Glorious Garlic
Festival Saturday, August 4, and Sunday, August 5, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., with lectures, cooking demos, music, and
dozens of artisans selling their wares throughout the grounds. Perhaps best of
all, the festival’s a la carte menu has been created by Chef Tony Gullace,
owner of Max at Eastman Place and Max Chophouse. Admission is free; visit
foxrunvineyards.com for more details.
So you’ve done the wine-tour thing; maybe it’s time for a cheese tour? The Finger
Lakes Cheese Trail is throwing its summer open house 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on
Saturday, August 25, with more than a dozen producers of farmstead cheese
scheduled to welcome the public into their creameries for walk-throughs and
tastings. For more information, click over to flcheesetrail.com.
Casa Larga’s “Worldly Approach To Wine” series continues at
6 p.m. Monday, August 27, as guest speaker Holly Howell guides attendees
through a seminar and accompanying multi-course dinner by Chef Cassidy Broman
in which the so-called rules of pairing white wine and red wine with certain
foods will be put to the test. Tickets are $55; call 223-4210 or visit
casalarga.com.
Openings
“BBQ with a Spanish flair” is how Charlotte’s new Steel River BBQ
Bar & Grill (421 River St., 360-2311, steelriverbarandgrill.com)
describes its offerings, a claim bolstered by items like St. Louis-cut ribs and
half-chickens sharing menu space with pulled-pork empanadas and a Cuban
roast-pork platter.
It shouldn’t come as any surprise that Burger Stop (3872
Lyell Road, 730-8816, burgerstopny.com) serves a
variety of burgers. But it has also got chicken sandwiches, hot dogs, salads,
subs, Greek grub, Mexican chow, and lots of other vittles. What’s more, Burger
Stop is open 10:30 a.m.-2 a.m. every
day, and until 3 a.m. Friday and
Saturday.
Chow Hound is a food and restaurant news column. Do you have a tip? Send
it to food@rochester-citynews.com.
This article appears in Aug 1-7, 2012.
