I have meant to go to the Gate House Cafe for years. I know the chef/owner -- have for years -- and yet never ate there. I wanted to. I really did. I intended to. And yet, it was only on Mother's Day this year that I finally made it there. And not because it was Mother's Day and I wanted to see that woman wearing a tiara clearly awarded to her by her 20ish daugher sitting in the booth over a bit though it did make me smile -- because I was procrastinating.
The Gate House Cafe menu features burgers and wood fired pizza as well as some salads. I had a burger -- paid an extra $5 for Kobe beef -- which featured cajun seasoning, "caramelized" onions, and blue cheese. (I put the caramelized in quotation marks because basically they were grilled onions -- not caramelized really). I had a lovely War of 1812 Sackets Harbor ale with it that complemented the burger very very well. (Here's the site for their 1812 ales; I had the amber.) The burger was dandy; truly tasting of beef and the blue cheese was tart and delightful. (I do wish they'd had the patience to really caramelize the onions into that dark melting thing onions that have been caramelized for hours do.) Like all the other menu items, the burger had a name which pointed to something local -- in this case the Hoffman. With the additional $5 for the Kobe beef, the burger was $14.50. It came with a hefty side of fries.
The cafe's ambience is quite nice; the room is open and yet you can be heard (the acoustics are actually unusually good). And looking out the window is pretty much fun --between the people wandering by and the artsy stuff in the little square. (I confess, I do not quite get the giant sculpture head, but hey. . . . no one said I was artsy.) There's something about the Village Gate area which is right on the edge of funky. As for service, ours was both friendly and efficient. And on Sunday's there's loads of parking.
Where is the Gate House Cafe?
274 North Goodman Street
in the Village Gate
Rochester, NY 14607
tel 585.473.2090
fax 585.473.2090
in the Village Gate
Rochester, NY 14607
tel 585.473.2090
fax 585.473.2090
