Discover authentic Italian dining at Rocco in Rochester: One dish you can't miss

Fusion food is fun. Homemade pasta is delicious. Door Dash is convenient. But sometimes you have to just have classic Italian food made well — in an intimate dining experience. Rocco at 165 Monroe Ave. is a place that is often recommended.

A coffee klatch in Brighton was talking about favorite Rochester restaurants recently, and Rocco was quickly mentioned.

"Oh my god, the charred bread! You have to try the charred bread with ricotta." "Rocco is a dining experience that wouldn't be out of place in New York City." "Quality."

So I went with a group. Here's what we experienced.

Osteria Rocco on Monroe Avenue a small, cozy place for dinner

We made an early reservation on a week night. Everything was seamless. We were shown to a horseshoe booth in the back. The small number of dining tables and the seats at the bar were filling up. It is a lovely place, but what you wear doesn't have to be formal.

Our waiter was knowledgeable — he had worked in the kitchen in the past — and gregarious. Drinks were ordered and came out quickly. No complaints there. Of course, we were going to try the recommended charred bread. It was surrounded a generous hill of house-made ricotta.

Once we dug in, we realized why it's popular: smoky with a bite, supremely creamy, satisfyingly crunchy.

Know your flavor palate. If some sophisticated notes of campfire are not in your wheelhouse, you might avoid. Otherwise, you will enjoy every single bite.

What's on the menu at Osteria Rocco?

The pizza is made with care and not too big for one person to eat as their main dish. If you get an appetizer with ricotta, also ordering the pizza might be too much bumpy whey cheese for one night.

Fresh lasagna was balanced and the red sauce was the star of the dish. If it was possible next time, I'd eat just a bowl of that red sauce with my charred bread — with a cocktail — and call it a night.

Other notes on our meal:

• The aperol spritz was light and tangy. Garnished with an orange, it harkened to warmer days and balanced the heavier Italian food.

• The Caesar salad was served as a generous portion and was thoroughly coated with dressing, in just right proportions between acid and umami. The parmesan cheese flakes were scattered heartily across the salad — this could be a meal in itself.

• The Roman-style gnocchi, made with semolina flour, are a far cry from the potato-based pasta found in most grocery aisles today. They are much better, as long as you don't expect something different. The cheese-forward dish at Rocco eats with a soufflé-like texture — light, yet surprisingly filling. It was baked to a golden brown, and the peas offered a nice pop of color on the plate. This was amazing.

Don't forget an Italian dessert

The highlights of any meal at Rocco start with the charred bread but definitely end with a bang in the dessert offerings.

The olive oil cake was covered in a lemony sauce and orange zest, which added mightily to the dish. The texture of the cake was crumbly and moist, and the olive oil flavor permeated the dish — to our happiness. A pleasing version of this staple.

The butterscotch budino, an Italian pudding that first debuted in the U.S. in the 1960s, was touted as "the best dessert in town" by our server.

It just might be.

The budino surprised with a smooth custard akin to a crème brûlée under almonds and a butterscotch sauce that wasn't too sweet or too loose. The only limitation may be the size — compared to the generous portions seen in the appetizers and entreés, the dessert will be gone while you are still wanting to eat it.

What to know about Osteria Rocco

• Open Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday from 5-10 p.m.
• Lunch is 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Fridays.
• You should make reservations. (585) 454-3510.
• 165 Monroe Ave.

— William Ramsey is an editor with the Democrat and Chronicle.

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Discover authentic Italian dining at Rocco in Rochester: One dish you can't miss