FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM JANUARY 21, 2021 • THE QUEENS COURIER 45
New eatery opens in Ridgewood
BY ANGÉLICA ACEVEDO
aacevedo@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
Rolo’s, a new restaurant, cafe and
grocery shop, is open for business in
Ridgewood.
The new eatery, located at 853
Onderdonk Ave., opened on Wednesday,
Jan. 13. Th e owners, chef trio Howard
Kalachnikoff , Rafi q Salim and Paul Wetzel
— alums of the popular Gramercy Tavern
— decided to focus on cooking with simple,
seasonal ingredients.
When asked why they chose
Ridgewood for Rolo’s,
Kalachnikoff told QNS
that two of the three
owners live and are
raising their families
in the neighborhood.
“We love its
extremely welcoming
sense
of community,
which is exactly
the vibe we’re looking
to create at Rolo’s
— cozy, welcoming
and homey,”
said Kalachnikoff ,
who was most
recently the chef
de cuisine at
Gramercy Tavern.
Even their name has a connection to the
neighborhood.
“Our designer and contractor, Kermit
Westergaard, is a longtime Ridgewood
resident,” said Kalachnikoff . “His dog,
Rolo, is a neighborhood favorite — so we
decided to make Rolo our namesake!”
Rolo’s is open for takeout and delivery
with a rotating pre-set weekly dinner
menu, alongside a la carte options for lunch
and dinner. Operation hours are from 11
a . m .
t o
9 p.m.,
Wednesday through
Sunday.
Th e delivery and
takeout menu features
a la carte dinner
including wood-fi red
half chicken served
with garlic confi t in chili
oil and cucumber kohlrabi;
grilled meatballs
with a spicy tomato sauce;
grilled greens with garlic
confi t and lemons; and
braised butter beans with
salsa verde. Th ey also off er lunch sandwiches
with their house-made ciabatta
bread for options such as their
smoked turkey sandwich (made
with turkey smoked in-house), as
well as vegetarian options like
their Health Sandwich.
For dessert, they’ll have a
rotating selection of mini
pies and freshly baked
cookies.
Th ey also have a $17 per
person pre-set weekly dinner
package that will typically feature
items like grilled porchetta,
sofrito fried rice and kale
caesar salad.
Rolo’s plans to open for
indoor and outdoor dining with
an expanded menu later this year.
Th ey have an extensive beverage
program that includes to-go cocktails,
liquor, wine and beer, all
curated by their beverage director
Ben Howell. Howell will also oversee
all front-of-house operations.
His batched cocktails, for instance, are
riff s on classics and are available in small
and large serving sizes, including the apple
cardamom Old-Fashioned with Laird’s
Applejack brandy, cardamom, herbsaint
and angostura bitters, and the spicy mezcal
punch with chili-infused mezcal, silver
tequila, dry orange curaçao and cranberry
hibiscus shrub.
Th eir cafe and grocery shop off ers a
selection of house-made baked goods,
sandwiches and grab-and-go salads, as
well as fresh pastas, sauces, condiments,
dips, meats butchered in-house and locally
sourced produce, among other items.
Th ey are also making and packaging
their own ice cream, with fl avors like
mint stracciatella, malted chocolate cookie
dough, grapefruit sherbet and caramelized
banana. Delivery and takeout options
are also available.
The 2,400-square-foot space was
designed in collaboration with the owners
and Kermit Westergaard. Guests will
enter through the front bar room in the
daytime hours, with fl oor-to-ceiling windows
that create a bright atmosphere.
When the restaurant can open for
indoor dining, the cafe will transform
into a bar with banquette and table seating.
Th e main dining room toward the
back of the space is anchored with a large
wood-burning stove and a cook’s kitchen.
Th ey will also have a private dining room
with a separate entrance that will be able
to accommodate up to 24 people when
restrictions are lift ed.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic,
Rolo’s adopted a vigorous safety
approach, including an air fi ltration and
purifi cation system by Scientifi c Fire (the
same system is used at the United Nations
and the Mayo Clinic) as well as regular
staff wellness checks, contact tracing, and
Photo by Bex Finch strict hand washing protocols.
Rolo’s ice cream.
buzz
Photos by Adam Friedlander
Rolo’s restaurant, cafe and grocery store opens in Ridgewood.
Photo by
Bex Finch
Rolo’s weekly
dinner special.
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