DINING OUT: Dining at Rella, the Pint-Sized Restaurant that Packs a Punch
By Jacob Pucci
On a busy thoroughfare on the outskirts of Rochester sits Rella, a tiny wedge of a restaurant with no tables aside from 15 seats at the bar, overlooking the open kitchen.
With its low, metal ceiling, nautical décor and wall of windows overlooking Monroe Avenue, Rella feels a bit like a fish tank, which is appropriate, as Rella serves some of the most innovative seafood dishes anywhere in Rochester.
Opened in 2019, Rella is the sister restaurant to Rocco, whose elevated but approachable takes on Italian classics — like the charred bread with house-made ricotta — have made it a favorite since it opened in 2008.
The approach to food at Rella is similar, though the vibe is even more intimate. The menu is built around a dozen or so small plates, almost all seafood, which with a few exceptions is everchanging. The plates are built to share and at around $18 for most items, an approachable price point for top-quality seafood. We shared three items between two people, plus dessert and still had enough left over for lunch the next day.
Have you ever decided what to order by eyeing a dish as it makes its way to another diner? That’s dialed up to 11 at Rella, where the combination of the small, communal space and one server-bartender waiting on every guest means that there’s a good chance you’ll know most of the orders coming out of the kitchen.
And if not, just point at something that looks really good on its way to another diner and say you want that. That’s how we ordered the Italian tuna salad ($18). Being no resemblance to its creamy lunchtime cousin, this salad started with a bed of greens, tossed in a bright vinaigrette and piled high with premium oil-packed tuna and farro, which contributed both a light chew and toasted nutty flavor. Cucumber, marinated peppers and olives gave the salad a bit of crunch and a salty, briny bite that paired nicely with the fish.
I should’ve figured that the mushroom vinaigrette listed with tortellini with crab ($24) would mean that this too would be a cold salad.
Indeed we were served a small mountain of pasta, chopped radicchio, a giardiniera-like mix of marinated carrots, celery and other vegetables and a hefty portion of shredded crab, garnished with fresh parsley.
The tortellini were refrigerated and served chilled, which led to the pasta being too firm and the filling lacking a texture or flavor of its own, perhaps also because the tortellini appeared to be a commercial product not made in house. All the other elements, including a similar vinaigrette that dressed the salad in our first course, harmonized together, but I would have loved to see a freshly made, more tender filled pasta instead.
Clams and mussels are menu fixtures, though the preparation changes with the season. We were torn between the mussels steamed with cider, apples, leeks and cream and the littleneck clams, steamed in a broth of yellow curry, cilantro, cauliflower and apple (both $18). Ultimately, the clams won out. The vibrant yellow-orange broth was boosted by familiar Thai flavors like coconut, lemongrass and turmeric, with the addition of finely chopped apple adding both sweetness and a well-appreciated touch of fall.
After the shells are empty, there’s only one thing left — the broth — and it’s too good to go to waste. That’s why no matter what you order at Rella, make sure you include an order of their house rolls ($5 for two). They’re large, slightly sweet, impossibly tender with a flavor reminiscent of a wonderfully buttery soft pretzel. They’re also the basis for Rella’s shrimp salad sliders ($20 for two), one of the few fixtures on the menu.
Served warm and covered in butter and fresh herbs, they’re a must to soak up broths and sauces or just to eat as they are.
There’s only one dessert option, which, you guessed it, changes frequently. That night it was butterscotch budino ($8), one of the signature desserts at sister restaurant Rocco. A sea of toasted almonds in a salty-sweet butterscotch sauce topped the eggy custard, which itself was rich and not overly sweet.
There’s a certain punk nature to Rella. Maybe it’s the name “Rella” written in black tape on the wall above the kitchen, a space smaller than some home kitchens where the only oven appears to be a countertop model that doubles as a warmer for the melted butter that slathers those delectable rolls. Maybe it’s the mural of chef Anthony Bourdain that greets diners by the front door, whose belief that great food doesn’t require a white tablecloth influenced generations of chefs and eaters.
Yes, you’ll see dirty dishes loaded into the dishwasher that’s next to the ice machine that also doubles as a shelf for plate storage because Rella utilizes every bit of space. That doesn’t make the innovative dishes any less delicious.
The long, communal bar and limited space does make Rella a tough squeeze for large parties and that high-top seating, along with a step leading into the restaurant’s front door, could pose a challenge for those with mobility issues. Walk-ins are accepted, but you’ll want to make a reservation, especially on the weekends, because those 15 seats fill up fast. But once you’re in, it’s like being part of a dinner club, where you’ll quickly find yourself chatting with your neighbor about their recommendations and bond over the fact that you were lucky enough to nab a seat at this tiny gem of a restaurant.
Rella
181 Monroe Ave., Rochester, NY, 14607
Ridge Road, Rochester.
Open for dinner Tuesday to Thursday from 5 to 9 p.m. and on Friday and Saturday from 5 to 10 p.m. Breakfast and lunch served Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
585-454-3510
Reservations: Yes, encouraged. Available by phone or Instagram DM.