Restaurant 2 Vine ♥ 24 Winthrop Street, Rochester, NY (585) 454-6020
It’s time to move inside. Fall menus bring the seasons bounty to the plate.
We will miss you outdoor patios, but there’s a good reason to move inside. We explored the new fall menu at Restaurant 2 Vine on a sunny day tasting each delicious dish. Allison Zimmer, A-List Food Editor dishes on her picks for the dishes you MUST TRY this season on one of Rochester’s favorite restaurant menus.
The fall menu at 2 Vine, continues to offer a mix of both small plates and full size entrees in order to accommodate diner demand and remain consistent with the shifts in dining today.
As always, the newest dishes on the 2 Vine menu reflect the restaurant’s longstanding commitment to quality, and to delivering fresh, seasonal ingredients prepared using methods that suit the season and bring out the best in its bounty. And speaking of bounty, what a delight it was to work my way through the flavors of fall as executed by the talented Chef Dmitriy Ruzhanskiy.
The fresh, house made pasta is one of the my favorite things about dining at 2 Vine, and it makes an appearance on the fall menu, not once, but twice, in both a pumpkin ravioli and a lobster tortellini.
Pumpkin Ravioli (photos are tasting portions)
Now don’t get the wrong idea about this pumpkin ravioli; yes, you may have had it before, but you’ve never had it at 2 Vine. Pie-sweet filling nestled inside incredibly tender pasta and garnished with crunchy walnuts in a burnt butter cream sauce make this dish interesting, flavorful and memorable. Among the many winter squash stuffed pastas you’ll see dotting area menus, these ravioli are a clear standout.
Lobster Tortellini in Consomme
The lobster tortellini in consomme is an absolute delight; the lobster meat is rich and buttery, while the consomme is beautiful and light, tasting delicately of the sea.
Baked Striped Bass
Few restaurants are as passionate about best in quality seafood the way 2 Vine is. From its sourcing to its preparation, every step is carefully considered, resulting in a striped bass entree that is perfectly cooked and delicately seasoned to allow the flavor of the fish to take center stage – a smart choice, given the lengths 2 Vine goes to in order to provide you with what is likely the freshest sea bass you’ll ever have (without buying your own fishing boat). Accompanied by charred leeks, smashed yams and candied cashews, the dish offers up the flavors of fall on a (proverbial) silver platter – rather than hitting you over the head with them.
Balsamic Ribs
One of the most popular dishes – for very (very) good reason are the balsamic ribs served with crispy potato straws, blue cheese and scallions. Yes; they’re every bit as good as they sound. Sweet, smoky, savory, with tremendous depth of flavor (thanks to the brilliant addition of balsamic vinegar), they also pass the bite test: each bite itself falls off the bone, leaving the remaining meat intact. There’s no biting in and pulling off the meat all in one, one of my pet peeves in a rib, usually found when ribs are over smoked or over braised. These ribs are cooked to absolute perfection, and beautifully complemented by the crispness of the potatoes, the salty tang of the blue cheese, and the oniony brightness of the scallions. It’s easy to see why this dish is flying out the door. Fall is traditionally the season for barbecue, but these ribs are the Chanel suit of barbecue; they’re appropriate any time.
Take a look at this month’s Best Dish List for a full write up of the White Truffle and Seasonal Mushroom Risotto, and then head on over to 2 Vine to try these flavors of fall for yourself.
-Allison Zimmer, A-List Contributor
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We had so much fun tasting, and hearing the story behind the culinary craft of each dish and the process of selecting the dishes that made the menu, it inspired us to ask the owner to open the doors to his kitchen so others can have the same experience. Stay tuned for an announcement to join us at the chefs menu preview event for an exclusive holiday experience (with wine pairing). In the meantime, like this Facebook Post if you’d like an invitation.
