Perlo’s Italian Grille, East Rochester, NY

Vegetarian Restaurant Review by Jennifer Kumar.


Meet and Greet
We initially had a hard time finding the building. Arriving from the south on North Washington Street, there was no clear signs or lighting to locate the building easily. Coming back around the block, we noticed Perlo’s on the corner of Walnut and North Washington. Visiting this place two days before Christmas, we were surprised to see the parking lot overflowing onto the side streets. It seemed impossible to find a parking spot. After locating one on the north side of the building, we noticed a Perlo’s sign board that could be spotted if driving from the north on North Washington. The entrance greets you in the bar lounge, which was just jam packed full of people. Though it appeared chaotic, and there did not seem to be a localized area where guests were greeted, a hostess found us within a few minutes and we were seated in one of the two tables open.


Mise en Scène
It was crowded, chaotic and a bit cramped inside. We were not sure if this was a typical weekday crowd or a holiday rush. Tables were clean and orderly, but tables were crowded into the space making it hard for wait staff and guests to maneuver in between.
**We did not have to use restrooms, so no comment on that ambiance!


Choosing a Veggie Treat
We decided to come here as I had found out about this place through a Google search a few months back. At that time, I noticed a unique dish called Baked Potato Chips with exotic cheese toppings. For our appetizers we did order the chips and the “East Rochester Stuffed Escarole” without the pancetta (a cured meat). For our main dish, we ordered the special of the night, stuffed rigatoni (without the meat) accompanied by a side salad.


Our thoughts on the menu items:
Complementary bread and butter: Nothing special about the bread. Either the bread could have been warmer or the butter, softer to make it easier to spread.

Side salad: It was impressive, not your typical side salad with a lot of lettuce, carrots and a piece of tomato. In fact, no carrots or tomato included! There was some lettuce, topped with diced red onions, blue cheese and a rich Italian dressing. It was one of the tastiest salads I have had in a long time. We liked the combination of the dressing and blue cheese, as they complemented each other well. We would have liked more onions, but other than that, we enjoyed it.

Baked Potato Chips: The only other place we have had a similar dish was at Chat-a-Whyle Family Restaurant, Bath, NY. We deduced though, that Perlo’s offering was more unique (due to the exotic cheese topping) and fresher than Chat-a-Whyle’s. Perlo’s freshness came from the use of super fresh oil. We definitely recommend this appetizer to any and all who visit.

Stuffed Escarole: We prefer to call this menu item, Italian Upma as the look, feel and texture was reminiscent of an Indian breakfast item we enjoy, Upma. When I read the description, I had thought it would be long leaves of escarole with the remainder of ingredients as a topping. When we got it though, it was more like porridge of ingredients. It seems it is the bread pieces, when cooked in, fluff up and give the dish a porridge look and feel, similar to the Upma dishes made in India with sooji (cream of wheat) or other similar ingredients. (I also make this dish with quinoa.)

Stuffed Rigatoni: Again an unexpected delight encountered us in this main menu specialty. When hearing the description, I thought the ingredients, would all be stuffed into the rigatoni. However, only ricotta cheese was stuffed in the rigatoni noodles and all other ingredients were in the tomato sauce smothered on top. I prefer this preparation style as it makes it easier to make this dish vegetarian. It was indeed not only a unique menu item, but full of fresh taste. The tomato sauce used had a nice texture and simple taste. It was the accompanying spinach and other toppings that added variety and interest.


Checking In
Maybe it was because it was so busy, or because our waiter was on his second day of the job, or maybe it was it was because it was super crowded inside, or maybe a combination of these and other factors that led to a leisurely wait time. We may have been inside for 1.5-2 hours total. Since it was the holidays and we were in a leisurely mood, we did not worry much. We were impressed by the individualized service- our menu items were made to order as two were ordered with (meat) ingredients omitted. We are delighted with the attention to menu details, but timeliness in receiving our orders (food and coffee) was below our normal expectation. Some establishments pride themselves on long wait times, leisurely service and friendly atmosphere. We are not sure if this is their normal course, or the holiday rush caused this lag. We’d have to come again to find that out. The one aspect of the service that was impressive was in addition to the waiter, there was a helper (not sure of correct title) who would come, clear off the plates and pack to-go boxes.


See you later
This part of the process did take a little longer than expected but no issues or concerns.

Pay Scale
$16-20 per person (Two appetizers, two coffees and 1 main dish split)
Tips 10-15%
Star System 2.5/5
Though Perlo’s offered a limited number of vegetarian options (2.5/5), the cook appeared flexible to omitting meat ingredients to accommodate us. That is a big plus as some Italian eateries we have been to are not this flexible. Our waiter was slow and our food came at a leisurely pace, the food was warm and tasty; made to our requirements. I have coupled the service with ambiance as I think in this instance they factor together. The environment was chaotic, noisy and crowded, because of this; I give 2.5/5 and wonder if my opinion would improve if we go outside holiday hours. In fact, some others may enjoy this environment for an outside dining experience, but our personal preference is more quiet, intimate and ‘homely.’ Because there were few unique menu options, food was made to our requirements and we had such healthy portions we have a meal for tomorrow, the value for money is descent (2.5/5).



To find/Contact
Perlo's Restaurant
http://www.perlosrestaurant.com/
202 N Washington St
East Rochester, NY 14445
(585) 248-5060
Get directions


Review based on December 2008 visit.

Have you eaten at Perlo’s? If so, please share your thoughts below.


Related Posts/Sites:
Perlo's Online Menu
Chat-a-Whyle Family Restaurant, Bath, NY
Quinoa Upma Recipe (aka Indian stuffed escarole variety!)


Thank you for reading!

Panzari’s Italian Bistro, Rochester, NY

Vegetarian Restaurant Review by Jennifer Kumar.

Meet and Greet
We were immediately greeted upon entry. The hosting area was quite small, one could see the entire establishment from the host station. It immediately appeared to be a small, intimate eatery. We were drawn in by the homely interior design and seating arrangement.

We were asked if we had a reservation. It seems reservations are recommended, but not required. Entering on a Saturday night, a little past peak hour, a few tables were free. Though our table was near the entrance/exit, we did not breeze or bothered by people coming in or out.

Mise en Scène
The interiors were nice, cozy and intimate. Though tables were close to each other, we did not feel crowded in or overwhelmed by the full house of guests.

**We did not have to use restrooms, so no comment on that ambiance!

Choosing a Veggie Treat
We were impressed by the number of already set vegetarian options mentioned on the menu. (Find the menu through clicking on their main page- panzaris.com.) Though it is easy to get some vegetarian items at Italian eateries, most often we have to ask to have (meat) ingredients excluded. This was not the case here. There were so many ready made vegetarian options that we couldn’t decide!

When talking to our waitress (who I am sorry I forget her name), she asked us specific questions about the type of vegetarian food we wanted- with or without egg, cheese, dairy, etc. This was one of the most memorable restaurant experiences in a long time because most of the waitresses we encounter really have no idea what being vegetarian means, and even after requesting something like ‘no meatballs,’ we get some anyhow! Of course, we later found out our waitress used to follow a vegan diet (without meat and dairy) and currently follows a vegetarian diet. Because of this, she appreciated when we opted out of the minestrone soup, though packed with vegetables is based in a chicken broth.

So, after all the wonderful conversation and debate, we ordered the greens and beans as an appetizer, and for the main course, I ordered the mushroom ravioli and Krishna ordered a three cheese stromboli.

Our opinion on the greens and beans: It was the tastiest greens and beans ever (Whole Foods recipe reference). Though the two main ingredients in this dish, cannellini beans and escarole, are bland on their own, along with the mix of Italian spices, it was one dish we savored to the last drop. It was best enjoyed with the small slices of complementary bread dipped in the juice. (The complementary bread was initially served with complementary olive oil mixed with freshly grated parmesan cheese. This was a new sight as we have seen the olive oil served with either crushed red pepper or fresh grated black pepper. We do actually prefer the pepper over the cheese.)

My opinion on the mushroom ravioli: I loved it. It was tasty and the texture of the mushrooms pureed inside each piece was appreciated. I would like to compare this dish to the mushroom ravoli I usually have at Olive Garden.

Olive Garden: About nine or ten raviolis are placed in a single layer covered in an white cheese sauce. The insides of the pasta appear to be more natural pieces of mushroom. The portion size always leaves one wanting more. Menu description taken from site: (source)

Ravioli di Portobello
Portobello mushroom-filled ravioli in a creamy smoked cheese and sun-dried tomato sauce. 11.95

Panzari’s: The more than ten (though exact count, I am unsure) ravolis are layered in the bowl drenched in the tomato based sauce. The mushroom inside the pasta is pureed and has an inviting texture. The portion size is very healty and one would find it very easy to pack some to-go. Menu description taken from site: (source)

Ravioli Calabria
Sautéed spinach, roasted red peppers and artichokes in a tomato basil cream sauce with portabella filled ravioli. 16.95

Krishna’s impression of the three cheese stromboli: a little too big and heavy. Crust was good and cheese was tasty, but it was too heavy. It would be nice if there was something else mixed in the filling, like vegetables as it can get monotonous.

Checking In
The service was top notch. Because we had a waitress that understood the intricacies of a vegetarian diet, that made our visit more memorable. We did leave a healthy tip.

See you later
This part of the visit, like all others, went smoothly and without any issue.
Pay Scale
$21-25 per person (Actually it was a bit more and would have went over $30 with desert, which we opted out of. Though one of the more costly eateries on this blog, it was worth every penny.)
Tips 15-20% - service overall from wait and kitchen staff was phenomenal
Star System 4.5/5

To find/Contact
Panzari's Italian Bistro
panzaris.com
321 Exchange Blvd (Corn Hill Area)
Rochester, NY 14608
(585) 546-7990
Get directions

Review based on October 2008 visit.

This review is linked on outside.in.

Have you eaten at Panzari’s Italian Bistro? If so, please share your thoughts below.

Thank you for reading!

Patria, Salamanca, NY

Vegetarian Restaurant Review by Jennifer Kumar.

Meet and Greet
Soon as we entered on a Monday evening around 7pm, we were quickly greeted and sat at a nice table. The interesting thing I found about the seating process was being sat across from each other in the chairs closer to the wall. It was cozy, in fact. (Photo of Fried Ravioli, left,by Jennifer Kumar.)

Mise en Scène
The place was amazingly nice, and in some senses lavish being in a casino. Just outside the entry to the restaurant (which is on the fourth floor) is a lighting decoration on the ceiling that changes color every few minutes. (Keep tuned into my husband’s photos to see photos of this display.) It is a semi-upscale restaurant, but I don’t believe there is a dress code.

**We did not have to use restrooms, so no comment on that ambiance!

Choosing a Veggie Treat
Being that Patria was touted as an Italian eatery, we rested assured to get some good vegetarian food here. There were at least three appetizers that were vegetarian. We ordered the eggplant/ sundried tomato dip that reminded us of hummus made with sundried tomatoes added. (Photo by Jennifer Kumar.) It was very tasty. The other appetizer was fried ravioli. The ravioli was filled with ricotta cheese. They are dipped in some kind of breading then deep fried. They smell a little like ‘Chinese’ fried food of some kind. They were served with something that looked like pesto. It was not only very tasty, but unique to our palate. There were a few pasta dishes on the menu, but when we tried to order the chicken vegetable medley without chicken, our waitress actually offered to go and ask the chef to make us something vegetarian with a garlic olive oil sauce! We did request to split the dish, and was told by our waitress there would be a dish splitting fee of $6 if done in the kitchen. To avoid this charge, she would bring out the main course and an extra plate, and we’d split it ourselves! We were genuinely impressed, especially being the night before at Hotel Manor and the bad experience with our waitress there. When this dish was presented to us, we were awestruck. The taste was amazing! It had red bell peppers, artichokes, cipollini onions, and capers with an olive oil garlic sauce. Unlike other pasta dishes, it did not feel like an endless black hole of the same old-same old. It was full of variety and taste! This was the first time we both had capers and they give a slightly bitter taste along with a different, much needed slight crunch.

Checking In
Our waitress leaves us speechless! In fact, her service was the most thoughtful and thorough that we have experienced in a long, long time. She was friendly, attentive and creative. I say creative because she only offered to ask the chef to make us a vegetarian plate rather than minus chicken to save us money. I say creative because she asked us more detailed questions about our diet to assure we weren’t vegans (ex. Do you eat pasta with eggs in it?). I say creative as she offered us a separate plate to split our own meal to save us money. Of course all her creativity inspired us to give her a hefty tip.

See you later
Everything went smoothly and timely. Nothing could be better!

Pay Scale
$16-20 per person (We had 2 appetizers and 1 main dish all split between us was more than enough to fill us.)
Tips: We left 15%
Star System 4.5/5

To find/Contact

Seneca Allegheny Casino
Patria Restaurant
777 Seneca Allegany Blvd
Salamanca, New York14779
(716) 945-3767

Notes: We chose this place as it happened to be the last ‘tourist spot’ on our Pennsylvania Adventure Trip.” Do check the hours on their site before you go as they are generally open in evenings, not for lunch and completely closed for two days during the week.

Have you eaten at Patria? If so, please share your thoughts below.

Thank you for reading.

Bellini's, Victor, NY

Vegetarian Restaurant Review by Jennifer Kumar.

Meet and Greet
Upon entering on a Sunday evening at 7:30, we were instantly greeted and sat down. The parking lot and the dining room were quite empty, so seating was not a problem.

Mise en Scène
The interior is divided into smaller areas by which from one area you may not see people in other areas. Where we were sat was in a booth, next to the booth was a window on one side you could see to the other side of the dining room. The window was slightly frosted to provide some privacy. The window and wall surrounding extended ceiling to floor, providing a sound barrier as well. Since there were not many other guests in the area we dined in, can’t comment much on the guest profile. It is a semi-upscale eatery, so dressing in nice pant and shirt or dress is sufficient. I went in nice pants and t-shirt which was a little dressed down.

**We did not have to use restrooms, so no comment on that ambiance!

Choosing a Veggie Treat
We visited this location maybe two years ago, just after it became Bellini’s (previously, Houlihan’s). At that time we remember it was difficult or close to impossible to choose a vegetarian main dish, though we do remember having amazing appetizers back then. Today, we faced a similar quandary. Don’t remember what we got two years ago, but seemed there were less options for appetizers today than at that time. There were two options, an eggplant dish and bruschetta. We opted for bruschetta, which I call the ‘Italian chutney’ or ‘Italian salsa’. This was very tasty. When it was time to have our main dish, the waitress explained that any dish could be made to order as things are freshly prepared. This stood true possibly for the pasta dishes, but of course, not the soup selections, neither of which were vegetarian. Regarding the pasta dishes, I think one was fully vegetarian, all others had meat, but it could be left off. The dishes were a bit pricy though if you take the meat out. We had not asked if there is a reduced price once meat is removed as we opted for the margherita pizza and the prodotto salad. The salad was very good. It had a little of each of the five tastes and different textures- greens, crisp pear slices, carmelized walnuts, red onions, blue cheese, dried berries and dressing. Though this salad was tasty, it doesn’t beat the one I had in Albany maybe 5 years ago somewhere on or near Wolf Road. That salad had all five tastes, with sweet being juicy, red strawberries. The dressing on Bellini’s salad was also very heavy- too much was poured on. I, though am not like a lot of people I know who like a lot of dressing (They would ask ‘Can I have some salad to go with that dressing? And not “Can I have some dressing to go with that salad?”).

Both dishes were worth trying (once) and trying to bring home the leftovers.

Menus Lunch • Dinner • Intermezzo • Bar Bites

Checking In
Waitress checked on us in regular intervals and was very attentive and friendly.

See you later
Bill was given and payment taken in a timely fashion.

Pay Scale
$21-25 per person (including tip)
Tips- 10% or a little more is sufficient
Star System 2/5

For lack of good pure vegetarian options at an Italian eatery*

To find/Contact
Bellini’s
10 Square Drive
Victor, New York 14564
585.223.4680
Map / Directions

*Pure vegetarian in this case doesn’t mean eggless or dairy free, but simply a lack of menu options without meat already included in the descriptions.

Have you eaten at Bellini's? If so, please share your thoughts below.

Thank you for reading!

NapaGino's Penfield, NY

Vegetarian Restaurant Review by Jennifer Kumar.

Meet and Greet

We came by on a Sunday night about 7pm. We were happy to see it still open as few cars were left in the parking lot. Upon entering, we were promptly seated. Inside about 10 tables were occupied. We were sat in a booth.

Mise en Scène

What I noticed first was the paintings hanging on the wall. Maybe it was a collection of a local artist. The painting of a girl on a beach next to our table was for sale for $400. Besides the paintings on the wall, the area was tastefully decorated and I was surprised to see later there were two Christmas trees fully decorated and lit up in the dining area closer to the exit doors. One was a typical green Christmas tree, the other a shimmering white, reminiscent of the color of glistening ice. In addition, there was a wall size mural of the tower of Pisa.

We had entered in semi-casual. I was wearing a salvaar kamiz, and hubby a pant and nice collared shirt. Most inside were dressed similarly, not too fancy of a dress, nor too casual a dress. All ages were seen enjoying meals here.

**We did not have to use restrooms, so no comment on that ambiance!

Choosing a Veggie Treat

Soon as sitting, we were offered drinks and complementary bread rolls. The coffee with our normal additions of cream and sugar was very nice, as it wasn’t too bitter. The bread rolls seem to be very tasty dipped in the olive oil left on the table with pepper and red pepper flakes added.

As a main course, I ordered Artichokes Napoli (pictured at the beginning of this review). The main dish was preceded by a house salad which I got with peppercorn Parmesan dressing. The salad was nice as in addition to the normal vegetables and lettuce they added garbanzos (chick peas). When the Artichokes Napoli arrived to the table, it looked very exotic to me. It was unlike any dish I ever had at any Italian restaurant. The pasta was a thick noodle bathed in an olive oil/buttery sauce and escarole with chopped white onions and delicately placed strategically on the top were artichokes French (artichokes dipped in eggs and fried). I really liked this dish and the portion size, though too much for me to finish, was smaller than other Italian restaurants in the area that we have been to. Hubby ordered the ‘white pizza.’ I think it is called ‘white’ because it has olive oil as a base under the toppings and not tomato sauce. That was also tasty. As a side and appetizer, we had got the garlic bread. The garlic bread, though tasty is an after thought to the main course.

Upon completing the meal, we were told by the waitress that on Sundays they offered a free desert buffet to all guests. We walked over to find two kinds of upside down cakes and some fruit. Neither seemed very appetising to us, so we skipped out.

Checking In
Our waitress checked in on us on regular intervals, the service was prompt and courteous.

See you later
Soon as it seemed we had completed our meal, another waitstaff (not our waitress) came to ask to box any leftovers and take dirty plates away. Swiftly our waitress came to ask if we wanted anything else and bought the bill. Also, on the way out the manager was present at the door to bid us adieu.

Pay Scale
$11-15 per person
Tips
10-15% is suitable
Star System 3.5/5

We really liked this location. The service was prompt and friendly. The place was clean and tidy. Sundays parking is ample, being that the other shops in Penfair Plaza were closed. The choices of dishes for vegetarians is wide and exotic compared to other local Italian eateries. And, most of all the taste compels us to want to try this location again in the future.

To find/Contact
Napa Gino's Pizza
2200 Penfield Rd
Penfield, NY 14526
(585) 377-5530
Get directions

Special Notes

Do you want to make a date out of going to NapaGino’s? If it is nice weather, after having a hearty meal a nice walk in Linear Park, a five minute drive from NapaGino’s is a perfect end to the evening.

See our photos from our 2007 visit to Linear Park. (Photo to left, credits: Krishna Kumar.)

Directions from NapaGino’s to Linear Park Road, parking for walking trails.

Have you eaten at NapaGino's? If so, please share your thoughts below.

Thank you for reading!

tags: "make it a date", 3.5 stars, exotic dishes, italian,restaurant review, pasta, penfield ny, pizza, rochester-ny,"restaurant review",“Restaurant Reviews”,” Rochester, New York Restaurant Reviews”,” Rochester, NY Restaurant Reviews”,” Rochester Restaurant Reviews”

Olives Restaurant, Mayville, NY

Restaurant Review by Jennifer Kumar.

Greeted by the same waitress for a late 9pm dinner and a mid morning 9:30am breakfast was a refreshing surprise.

For dinner we had bruschetta as an appetizer. There were two types of bruschetta, other than that, there were no other vegetarian appetizers on the menu. For main course, we ordered the two vegetarian items on the menu- a mushroom pizza and vegetarian pasta. The pasta was coated with an amazing red pepper cream sauce. It had a great kick.

Along with this, they served complementary salad, ciabatta bread with olive oil dip and a small cup of marinated olives. The olives were tempting. interestingly, I don't like olives. For me, eating olives reminds me of things in life we all have to do everyday but really don't want to do. I guess I overdid it on eating the olives. Wonder what that means about me!? We also had a desert- chocolate cake. Yet to eat, as it was put in a to-go box as we were stuffed completely!

For breakfast, we had a nice buffet. We came in about 9:30. The buffet was complementary as part of the room rent. This buffet was from 8-10am. From 10am the buffet was to change to a more elaborate one. Though we were there until about 10:10, they did not ask us to leave and even encouraged us to eat off this more tempting buffet. We passed as by that time we were already full.

We liked the service and ambiance of this location. Though there is a dearth of vegetarian options, we were satiated and if in the area may be tempted to visit again. (Also because there did not seem to be many vegetarian options in area restaurants.)

If you visit, it's best to make reservations, especially for dinner a day or more before you plan to visit.

To visit/contact
Olives
215 W Lake Rd
Mayville, NY 14757
716-753-2331
Olives Website
Directions to Olives, Chautauqua