Fiorella — Restaurant in City of Rochester

I'm writing as Pam's husband, not as Pam. Don't know why it called up her name here when I went to put in a review.

I’m surprised at some of the reviews that I’ve read here before adding my own. Fiorella’s is a good restaurant, a solid restaurant, but for one reviewer to call it the “best restaurant in Rochester?” Far from it I’m sorry to say. I think that person needs to get out more.

First the ambience, definitely a 2 out of 5 stars in this regard. Concrete industrial. Nothing unusual there but nothing that adds to the ambience at all. There is so much potential in this space that is wasted. And the volume is cacophonous. Almost unbearably loud when you have that one table (and there’s always one) of diners who have to out shout each other in order to be funny. The restaurant could well do for some acoustic dampening to try and soften the volume. And third, it’s not comfortably air conditioned. There’s certainly no evidence of AC in the space and on the evening we were there, which was very comfortable outside, the restaurant itself was borderline uncomfortable. At the very least, the air needs to be recirculated as it’s a rather stuffy environment. And as far as the seating, not too comfortable either. My recommendation is the outside large table if the weather permits.

As for the wait staff, here the restaurant scores well. 5 stars to our waitress and serving staff. Very friendly and very attentive. Here they exceeded expectations.

Our dining companion, a very good friend, is a frequent diner at Fiorella, perhaps once a week. His gregarious nature attracts lots of people to him and he knew all of the wait staff (which I’m sure helped).

Both my wife and our friend had the chicken cutlets. A rather simple dish but elegantly prepared and as crisp and as tender as could be. They both loved and raved about it. I indeed liked it, but I couldn’t help but think that although I’ve had this dish elsewhere prepared not nearly as well, it still was something that my wife accomplishes quite easily and better at home.

For me, I tried the pizza. I wish I had opted for the house-made pasta instead and will next time. Naturally leavened, I found the dough a bit tough and tasteless. Now here I was overruled by my wife who liked the pizza but I still found it neither crispy and thin or well-leavened like a true NY style pizza. The somewhere in-between didn’t work for me with the crust (which could have been a bit crisper with 30 seconds more in the oven) and the primavera toppings: mushroom, asparagus, ricotta, fontina, pea tendrils and lemon zest just didn’t work. Too bland.

Adequate wine offerings but nothing impressive. I do like the little glasses the wine is served in, however, that remind one of a little old Italian grandfather.

Overall, a nice place for a quick bite if you don’t mind the noise. I’d site outside or at the bar, eat fast, eat fresh, and leave. A solid three and a half out of five, but not the place I’d take...

I love Fiorella. After a friend invited us to check it out the first week they opened, we quickly came to love the food, staff, and atmosphere. The food is exceptional -- in my opinion, the best pizza/italian in Rochester -- and is beautifully and consistently prepared with care and attention to detail.

The frequently updated daily specials provide delicious local flavor (farm to table without being pretentious and uppity), a personal favor being the frutti di mare on Fridays. The pizza blows my mind. The dough and crust is the masterpiece of Gino, who spent countless hours perfecting the recipe. It is crispy without being brittle, and chewy without being tough or fibrous, and they offer a simple selection of toppings and styles. The guanciale (aka fancy bacon) fried rice is absolutely amazing. I know it sounds unusual to order rice in an Italian restaurant, but do not pass it up. It'll change your life. The pasta dishes are entirely handmade, and are fresh and bright with flavor, never heavy and bloating. Also, the wines are perfectly paired with the food and very well priced, which is a huge bonus.

Finally, the staff really ties the whole experience together. They run a family-oriented operation, which really shines through in every aspect of Fiorella. Everyone is friendly and caring, and they'll treat you right. Make this your next date night, or quick bite with friends, or just stop by the bar and have a quartino of wine. Highly recommend reservations, if you're coming during prime time or...

Coming in from the west coast for a wedding, we wanted to go out to try a few Italian places in New York while we were here. Fortunately for us, we landed on Fiorella's. Fortunately for them, we were hungry!

We started with their calamari appetizer which featured lightly breaded and crispy calamari mixed with sliced banana peppers served with spicy marinara. Absolutely delicious- peppers brought an amazing tang to the calamari and the marinara was superb.

We then moved to the local tomato, Peach, and Buffalo Mozzarella salad which was honestly one of the finest salads I've ever had. Served over arugula with a few strands of basil mixed in for good luck, the salad was simply divine as everything produce-wise is in peak form right now. The peaches added incredible sweetness and depth, while the tomato mixture brought every aspect of tomato greatness front and center. The Mozzarella felt like sublime excess.

The gnocchi special served with crushed San marzano tomatoes, fresh ricotta cheese, basil, and Parmigiano reggiano cheese was incredible. Soft, pillowy gnocchi coated perfectly with a rich yet light tomato sauce that clung to each piece. I will dream about this gnocchi.

Our experience was sensational and we highly, highly recommend this restaurant. Good luck getting a table if you don't have a reservation on a Friday or Saturday- we strolled in at 545 and couldn't get a table until 815. The bar sufficed...