Polizzi's — Restaurant in City of Rochester

There are not enough words to express what an amazing dinner experience we had recently at Polizzi's.

The restaurant is beautifully decorated with modern furnishings and soft ambient lighting. The tasteful but understated decor creates a welcoming chill vibe that makes you feel like you want to stay a while.

My boyfriend and I were warmly welcomed and seated by the hostess shortly after we arrived.

Keep in mind we arrived at 6:30 pm hoping we would be able to score seats at the bar because of the dinner rush. We were very surprised and happy when we were told by the hostess that there was a booth for two available.

It was just perfect for our long overdue date night because it provided us with the perfect amount of privacy so we could enjoy our dinner and conversation with minimal interruption.

Before I get into the food, I have to show the Polizzi's staff some love. When we arrived we were told that they were short a server and that it may be a bit of a wait. Honestly, I felt the kitchen and wait staff timing was perfect. I thought that the entire staff work well together and everyone pitch in to make sure the customers were happy and had what they needed.

Shout out to our server Joe B who is just cool like that. I don't think I saw him pause or slow down the entire time we were there. What I appreciated the most about Joe, even though he was putting in work that night he always had a smile on his face, was attentive and friendly to the customers and staff.

Disclaimer: before I get into the food (which was amazing), Polizzi's casual fine dining restaurant, so expected it to be on the pricy side. However, our dinner and the entire experience were priceless and worth every penny.

Let's get on to the good stuff...the food...YUM!

The homemade Italian bread is wonderful, it was a crunchy texture on the outside and a soft and slightly chewy interior that pairs perfectly with the dipping oil.

We started our meal off with drinks and their Grandma Carmella's Minulotti appetizer, which is their wonderful bread that is stuffed with Italian sausage and a generous topping of melted mozzarella. Three words "Yummy Cheesy Goodness".

For dinner my boyfriend order the grilled Cod dinner special, the cod was grilled to perfection, it was crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside. The cod serves with a creamy mushroom sauce, asparagus, and saffron rice.

I order the Braised beef short ribs and Truffle Butter Mashed Potatoes. I enjoyed every tender, rich and flavorful bite. The mashed potatoes were creamy perfect sides to round out the dish.

Thank you to Tom, Joe, and the team at Polizzi for an amazing evening. We are looking forward to attending your next wine and food...

I'm always looking for a great restaurant experience in Rochester, and I came across Polizzi's. I am SO glad I did. I'll admit, I LOVE saganaki. Usually the only place I can find it is at the two Greek festivals in Rochester. But with COVID, neither festival is happening. I found my saving grace at Polizzi's. Not only did they have saganaki; their menu is a fantabulous fusion (yes, that's overused) blend of Greek, Italian, and French cuisine and all of it DELICIOUS. Angie took great care of my dad and I, and the owner/head chef (so you KNOW he's going to take care of the details) came around to ask how everything was. This is a place that truly CARES about giving you the absolute best--not to get five-star reviews, but because they are dedicated to giving each guest the best experience they can give you.

My dad had the seafood special with saffron rice. He loved it, and even though he's not a rice person, he was very much looking forward to his leftovers. I had the mushroom risotto and...just yum.

I had the butterscotch budino for dessert and OH MY GOD. SO freaking good. Dad had the cheesecake, which he loved. We are both looking forward to many future visits. Polizzi's is a new Rochester gem. We can't...

Despite the hospitality of how i was provided our dinner, my wife & weren't pleased with the taste — which is why we'll sample dine in for never before eaten meals

Although, i am certain that with considerable effort, the preparation was time-consuming, our tastbuds weren't satisfied; there was much more lemon within the seasoning than necessary & the shrimp was bland & undercooked (which i initially failed to mention)—i don't eat seafood). While the rice only included saffron, the shrimp seemed covered in lemon

the Tuscan chicken would've been modified to exclude the peas entirely, & the beans—or to either have on the side (had i known the flavor wouldn't agree with me)

the baked bread would've been requested to have precut, with another during a dine in, aforementioned (never had it, so i hadn't a clue of the taste)

Nonetheless, appreciated, yet not as anticipated in the experience in regards of taste

we may have to dine in our next time out to sample a different selection

i am not @ liberty to share the atmospheric experience 'til i...