My friends Jay and Chris love this place (probably because Chris' uncle owns it!) but because of them I've been dying to try it. What happens is, Rob decides he wants to go out to dinner again and likes to help me out by knocking things off my list so he takes a look and picks Roam Cafe.
Yes.
LOCATION: 262 PARK AVE., ROCHESTER, NY 14607
We get there and this is a great space. Cosy decor and nice light. The bar is small but for park ave. it works well and the dining area is pretty grand. We get seated and our orders are taken and then they come.
Turns out a wedding party is taking place there the night we decide to check it out. Three long tables full of people dressed quite nicely. Perfect for people watching. Only I'm kinda dumb and pick the seat that faces the wall. Smooth.
Regardless, I talk Rob into splitting an arancini with me to start and then for dinner I get the full grilled beet and feta salad (with the addition of steak). After trying the arancini at Aunt Rosie's I'm kind of hooked. This one comes in, super hot, and covered in a red sauce. We cut into it to split and strings of hot cheese just pull everywhere. It's incredible. The rice gets a little crispy and sticky on the outside and I feel bits of it stuck to my teeth but that's something I get live with because this arancini is so good. Really happy for the order. The beet salad however, slightly fails to deliver. It's a dark salad when it comes out. Steak a little chewy for medium rare and not enough sunflower seeds in my opinion. The feta is a nice touch and the red wine tarragon vinaigrette is a nice touch but I'm not feeling it. The beets get kind of buried and it does grow on me a little as I near the end but I suppose my expectations were a little high and Roam kinda failed to deliver. The menu looks great with vegetarian dishes and paleo options but the food itself had minor issues that took away from the whole experience. Rob dislikes the ambiance and finds the place a little loud but what can you do with three tables of wedding party in the room. Would go back if I was asked but not on my list of high recommendations. We walked away giving it a 6.5. The owner was great and super nice, I just couldn't say I fell in love with this place.