After three months of renovations, the Blossom Road Pub has opened at 198 North Winton Road at the location formerly occupied by Winton Bar & Grill. Co-owners Drew Nye, Marcus Lenear, Maurice Kusminsky, and Max Gordon took over the spot and did all of the renovations themselves. Nye and Kusminsky own Roam Café on Park Avenue and Gordon and Lenear met while working at Black & Blue in Pittsford.
The owners gutted the bar and kitchen areas, redid the floors and walls, and built a brand new bar and kitchen. "We wanted to go for an old school, classic, pub look," Gordon says. Even though Nye and Kusminsky also own Roam Café, the Blossom Road Pub's menu is brand new. It features upscale pub food that allows for the quality of ingredients to shine. A large chalkboard will feature nightly specials and rotating entrees.
Gordon says the creation of the menu has been a life-changing experience for him. The pub owners are working with a vendor that acts as a middleman between local farmers and restaurant owners, in order to easily offer local and sustainable products. "It's really opened my eyes to eating locally — I didn't really buy into it before," Gordon says. "You want to feel good about what you're eating, and just making a few changes on your menu can make a huge difference."
You'll find typical bar fare like nachos and a burger on the menu, but also more sophisticated items like the Braised Beef Poutine ($11) or the pub's Signature Philly Cheese Steak ($11 for beef, $9 for chicken) topped with sautéed onions, peppers, and cheddar-jack cheese. The pub has also joined the meatball slider game; the menu has options for beef, pork, or chicken ($12 for a choice of three). A Veggie Reuben ($9) made with mushrooms, spinach, Swiss cheese, coleslaw, and Thousand Island dressing served on grilled rye bread is also available.
The bar currently has six tap lines for beer — one will always feature a local brew — and a selection of 25 different bottles. Parking is available in the lot right behind the building. Sidewalk and patio seating will be available in the warmer months.
The Blossom Road Pub is located at 198 Winton Road North. It is open Monday through Thursday from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m., and Friday through Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 2 a.m. The kitchen is open until 1 a.m. For more information, call 363-5831 or visit blossomroadpub.com.
Quick bites
The Kitchen (5 South Main Street, Pittsford) will offer complimentary wine pairings with its 9-course meal on Wednesdays and Thursdays in the month of March. The pairing will be designed by their in-house sommelier. The Kitchen has one seating, at 6:30 p.m., on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Visit cipollaromaine.com/kitchen/ or call 310-2467 to make a reservation.
Nox Craft Cocktails & Comfort Food (302 North Goodman Street, inside Village Gate) will host Nox & Lollypop 2: Mo' Kittens, Mo' Problems on Thursday, March 10, from 4 p.m. to 12 a.m. The collaboration between Nox and Lollypop Farm aims to educate and recruit volunteers to foster kittens from Lollypop. Lollypop's Foster Care Coordinator and Cat Behavior Specialist will be there from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Twenty percent of proceeds from Nox will be donated to the kittens and older cats from Lollypop. Donations of kitten supplies like blankets, kitten formula and bottles will be accepted. Visit noxcocktail.com for more details.
Veritas Wine Bar (217 Alexander Street) will serve a traditional Irish breakfast the day of the Rochester St. Patrick's Day Parade, Saturday, March 12, from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The cost is $20 per person in advance, $25 the day of, and includes breakfast and two drinks. The bar will also be showing English Premier League Soccer all day. Check squareup.com/store/veritas-wine-bar to purchase tickets.
Openings
Dave and Buster's, the popular restaurant and gaming franchise, opened a Rochester location in Marketplace Mall (15 Miracle Mile Drive) on March 7.
Closings
East/West Kitchen (337 East Avenue) has closed and is currently scouting for another location.
Little Park Avenue Pizza (371 Park Avenue) has closed.
Chow Hound is a food and restaurant news column. Do you have a tip? Send it to [email protected].