We recently paid a visit to Fairport’s new favorite place to trash on Google Maps reviews, Bonnie & Clyde! This still-new entry from Greg & Jodi Johnson—owners of the now-closed Cub Room in Rochester—is housed in the original Fairport National Bank building, built in 1924. (Fairport’s commitment to preserving the façade of this historical building is one reason there is not a sign on the front; look for a “B&C” logo on the interior glass doors.) There is normal indoor seating at the bar and in the dining room (which is where we were seated), a mezzanine level for private events, outdoor patio space, and even a private 6- to 8-top in the old bank vault itself!
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In many ways, this feels like a “city” restaurant in the ‘burbs, and indeed if you peruse the Google reviews you will find a bunch of grouchy people who seem to wish the old bank had just been torn down and replaced with a one-dollar-glizzy stand with parking for 316 cars.* Lucky for you, RRR is here to tell you the honest truth about the food, people, and vibe! Spoiler: we had a first ever three way tie for top dish of the night.
Our first nibble, from the hors d’oeuvres section, was the olive all’ascolana: castelvetrano olives with Italian sausage and parmesan. Some folks just don’t like olives, and a couple members of our team pointed that out to explain their low scores. For the olive lovers, though, it was oLOVE at first sight, with the parmesan hitting perfectly. Some felt the sausage was a bit much. ⭐️ 3.0 ⭐️
Our next bites were the lobster croquettes with curry aioli, which received the lowest rating of the night and flirted with the bibimbust designation. The surprisingly low score for something that promises quite a bit just in the name was almost unanimously attributed to a lack of lobster flavor; indeed one Rouletter just tasted potato mush with a hint of fishy flavor. The fry and composition was so perfect, though, that one Rouletter said they would shellfishly have eaten nine of them. (One of our number later communicated that, on a return visit, the flavor had much improved, so this is promising!) ⭐️ 2.0 ⭐️
Chicken empanadas with cotijo cheese and peppers followed, and it seems here that, compared to the previous dish, the opposite has happened: a pretty bleh name on the menu turned out to be a surprisingly solid dish. While some Rouletters found them pretty meh (and one even stating the frozen-appetizer vibe of this small plate had convinced them that they’d skip the hors d’oeuvres altogether next time), a number of Rouletters said Yeh! noting the flavor balance, the juiciness of the chicken, and the perfect fry on the crust. ⭐️ 3.3 ⭐️
Our final selection from this menu section were the skewers of soy-pickled shiitake, cucumber, pearl onion and fresno pepper. The Rouletters that eat mushrooms enjoyed the balance and combination of flavors, and even a couple who didn’t necessarily enjoy them commented on the good quality of the pickle. It has been noted that this is a pretty small hors d’oeuvre (which, to be fair, our excellent server accurately communicated in his description of this menu section) that is more akin to a drink garnish than an appetizer. This sentiment even led one Rouletter to question the overall value of the experience (detailed below). ⭐️ 3.5 ⭐️
Rarely—if ever?—have our constituents so unanimously adored a dish, as we did the stracciatella cheese in a seasonal preparation with toasted baguette. Hated? Sure, it’s easy for us all to hate on something gross (to wit: warm smoked salmon, a very unLucky choice, that time). But this… this almost deserves its own award category. Its worst accolade was that it was pretty yummy. The first few tasters immediately set upon our beloved Croupier and asked to order another. Many of us found its freshness and seasoning absolutely perfect, with one Rouletter thanking their god of choice that there wasn’t a layer of mozzarella around this perfect cheese. (Buh-bye, burrata!) With two Rouletters naming this as their favorite dish of the night, it seems that ROC is in its stracciatella era, and we’re here for it! Due to its ho-hum menu description and the unilateral praise that was heaped on it, like so much cheese on toast, this dish receives our coveted Shrimp Toast Award! ⭐️ 4.8 ⭐️
Another hit with the crowd was the ensuing crispy goat cheese with honey, red cipollini jam, and mâche, with one Rouletter noting that these were just ok and another mentioning that they didn’t blow them away. Everyone else deeply appreciated the combination of flavors—one Rouletter wanted more honey but acknowledged that this was likely a casualty of splitting a small plate 8 ways. People noted that these little bites of heaven were the stuff that dreams are made of! A great success, with one of us naming it our favorite dish. ⭐️ 4.3 ⭐️
A dish that inspired a lot of conversation at the table was the beef carpaccio with parmesan tuille, horseradish creme fraiche, arugula, and pickled red onion. One thing everyone agreed upon is that carpaccio requires a certain hand in order to be successful; one Rouletter stated that they can be picky about carpaccio, which is how we should all be living when it comes to raw beef. It boils down to execution, and from the praise this one received for being well-seasoned and having great flavor, it’s easy to understand why it was melt in your mouth delicious. One Rouletter notes that they could have made a meal of this and the stracciatella. Based on the way things are rolling so far, it seems that a number of us would agree! ⭐️ 4.3 ⭐️
The next plate was sea scallops with panang curry, bok choy, and cilantro parsley oil; these delicately crispy gems of the sea were treated with just a tiny bit of spice in a nice coconut cream sauce—though more than one Rouletter wanted a little more flavor (maybe salt again) from the curry. Notwithstanding those comments, one Rouletter identified this as their favorite dish of the evening, and even one self-identified not-a-seafood-guy enjoyed them. ⭐️ 3.8 ⭐️
Rouletters are often a house divided on French fries, as we were with B&C’s French fries with malt vinegar aioli, curry aioli, & ketchup. Here, though, most of us liked the fries themselves, but half of us disliked the mixed-bag sauces (“the aiolis were not great”) and half of us extolling them (“I have finally found my favorite fry-dipping-mayonnaise-adjacent-sauce”) leading this dish to earn the Parisian Paradoxdesignation. It is important to note, as one Rouletter did, that these are pretty thin fries; if you prefer yours meatier, take that under advisement. ⭐️ 3.8 ⭐️
Another divisive dish was the ensuing spaghetti cacio e pepe with pecorino, parmesan, and black pepper. From one person rating it their favorite dish of the night and nominating it for the Shrimp Toast Award, to the opposite opinion that the flavor didn’t really stand out in this Cacio e Pepe (LePew)! Several of us wanted More cacio! More pepe! Some of us thought it a very peppery dish while still others said of pepper that there was not enough! For the second time in RRR history, we have a tie for the Parisian Paradox, between this dish and the French fries! ⭐️ 3.6 ⭐️
It must be said: If you want the collective opinion to be “Meh,” give your Rouletters some chicken. This one, Amish chicken with crispy grits, red field peas, greens, and chicken veloutéfell flat, as chicken often does for us. Some found it tough or rubbery, textures mirrored in the field peas accompanying it. From the low of a shouted BLAND to the high of it being simply unmemorable and failing to stand out as special or unique, Rochester: it seems like you’re going to have to do something more special with chicken if you want to get our attention with it. ⭐️ 3.0 ⭐️
And the ball is back in the air! Who’s the winner? Is it Stracciatella, or this special of yellowfin tuna crudo with orange purée, fennel fronds, and olive oil? It’s a real toss-up since these are two of the three dishes tied for top dish of the night! Like the beautiful cheese we experienced early on, this dish was universally adored. Our server said that the chef loved making this, and it was apparent that this chef knows his fish!
Four of us named this our top dish of the night. We WOULD CHANGE NOTHING about this buttery crudo, served at the right temperature, and not fishy at all. Here, Chef Greg’s passion for fish shone brilliantly. And, for the first time ever, we have a SECOND Shrimp Toast Award winner! The chef does a rotating crudo special with some regularity, so if you see it on the menu, we highly recommend you give it a try. ⭐️ 4.8 ⭐️
Moving on to dessert, of the six Rouletters that had the meyer lemon chiffon cheesecake, all found this outstanding and phenomenal dessert to be light and refreshing, even if the biscuity thing underneath it might have felt extraneous. One Rouletter is in LOVE with this dessert, and threatened that they may run away together. Indeed, we have not seen them since, and their old apartment is now vacant. The score is the third tie for first place, and two Rouletters called it their top dish. ⭐️ 4.8 ⭐️
A dessert that did not quite so easily win universal approval was the frangipane seasonal tart. Opinions varied. Of its six tasters a solid half found it dense, overwrought, and heavy. It was, however, lauded by some as flavorful, super cute, and very delicious. One of our number noted that it would have been helpful to have an explanation on how to enjoy this dessert. Folks, I don’t know how you feel about it, but if your Culinary Lead can step outside the bounds of simple data collation for a moment and ask a (probably rhetorical) question: Should our desserts require instructions on how to be enjoyed? ⭐️ 3.8 ⭐️
Cocktails and wine (as well as one amazing house lager) were par excellence at Bonnie & Clyde. From a Vieux Carré to a French 75, a sparkling wine to a red one from the capably put together wine list, people were universally pleased by the beverage program here. (Even if some of us were clearly still stung by the warm wine we were served on another recent outing! Let it go, Peaches!) ⭐️ 4.8 ⭐️
We found our server Jeremy jovial, affable, patient, knowledgeable, accommodating, and helpful. One Rouletter wished he’d taken the time to explain how to eat a particular dessert (see “Tart,” above), but he coursed our dinner perfectly and drinks flowed at exactly the right pace. More than one Rouletter was delighted that the owner (Jodi) stopped by to check in. ⭐️ 4.8 ⭐️
People really appreciated the abundance of nearby parking (lot) and more than one went out of the way to note how great the all-gender restrooms are. A few Rouletters noted in this section and elsewhere that the design and décor is a bit bright / stark white and sparse. It is worth considering that there may be limitations as to what the owners are permitted to do given the historical status of the building, but it’s inarguable that the space is very reflective of both sound and light; this can be a challenge for many diners.
A couple Rouletters said that, overall, Bonnie & Clyde is one of their fav Roc restaurant experiences so far, one that features incredible, creative, and thoughtful food that’s made with a ton of care. While some found that not a lot of dishes stood out as remarkable or even memorable, others said it’s some of the best food in the Roc. And while a few Rouletters expressed that the prices were a bit high, your Croupier notes that the prices here are very much in line with similar caliber restaurants in Rochester including Good Luck and Nosh. Perhaps the suburban location just makes some folks feel like it should be more affordable? ⭐️ 4.1 ⭐️
*Croupier’s note: A bunch of the 1-2 star reviews show that folks are basing their reviews on things like inability to obtain/understand the need for a reservation, not getting that well cared for and high-quality food is more expensive, failing to comprehend the acoustics of high ceilings in a century old building, and fundamentally not understanding small sharing plates. Your Croupier truly believes that if this place was somewhere like downtown, NOTA, Winton Village, Public Market, Park Ave. or the East End, the Google reviews for this place would be 4.5-4.7 – consistent with RRR ratings being about .5 below the average Google score.
