Owl Outings: Hopping at The Rabbit Room in Honeoye Falls

by D.E. Bentley –

Finding special places for evening entertainment close to home is challenging when, well, everything is, as we like to say, a half a mile (or more) away.  Despite our relative isolation from the more urban areas to our north (Rochester), west (Buffalo) and east (Canandaigua and Geneva) – which offer a greater abundance of culinary and cultural offerings – there are many incredible out of the way (for some) places that are a short and enjoyable drive – without the parking hassles.

One of our earliest nearby finds was The Rabbit Room in Honeoye Falls, NY.  After a number of absolutely wonderful Owl Outings at this eclectic and most  welcoming venue, it has proven to be an experience that never disappoints.  In addition to great food sourced locally, the venue also boasts an upstairs art gallery and is set in a restored historic mill building (another plus for me; I have always been fascinated with the early water-powered industries in New York State).

After a long, too long, hiatus, we made reservations (advisable) at the Rabbit Room for March 22, 2018.  The venue only serves dinner on Thursday nights during the colder months, so fitting in this mealtime can be challenging.  Our favorite place to sit is in the bar area, which has several tables and offers us the benefit of a front stage pass for the free music, part of what we enjoy about this outing.  That said, the dining area boasts some intimate and quiet seating with rotating art displays on the surrounding wall area.

My dining partner had already settled in by the time I arrived and was enjoying a Three Heads Brewing Company “Kind,” one of the local craft beers available on tap (a small, adequate selection that could – per beer drinkers in the know – benefit from some expanded options).  I opted for a merlot.  There were also several specialty cocktails available that sounded fun, offering a little something for anyone interested in alcoholic beverages.

We paired our drinks with Cauliflower Fritters – fried, spiced cauliflower flowerets with Kalamata and pepperoncini salad & Sriracha sour cream – $8.  The folks at the table adjacent to us had also ordered these (a starter I had not yet tried) and theirs arrived just after we had placed our order.  They looked and smelled so good I almost asked them for an advance on our soon to arrive order.  The food is what most draws me to the Rabbit Room on Thursday nights.  The selection is large enough to provide options for many tastes and dietary preferences or needs, and is centered on sustainable and humanely harvested locally sourced vegetables, fruits and meats.  This results in a menu that changes both with the seasons and weekly.  During all of our visits there has been more than one option that caught my attention.  Since my diet is restricted to things that I can kill myself, I am currently restricted to fowl and fish when it comes to animals – a selection that may narrow although will likely never be expanded.  There are also locally sourced options for more carnivorous types.

I almost went for the chicken crepes entrée during my most recent visit, after seeing that they sourced the meat from Stonecrop Farm – where we have purchased organic, free range, delicious turkeys from for our past couple autumn feasts.  Since the crepes were part of the seasonal menu, I reserve the option of trying them during a future visit.  I looked instead at some of the daily menu options.  I chose the day’s Salad Special: Frisée and Radicchio salad with Navel Orange, Toasted Pistachios, Dried Cherries, Lively Run Feta and Citrus Vinaigrette –  $9.  I paired this with a cup of Mushroom Bisque.  Lively Run Dairy is another local supplier I am familiar with.  They are located in Interlaken, NY and I have stopped there on numerous occasions for cheese purchases.

My dining partner – who does eat mammal – ordered the Steak Salad – grilled marinated steak, local greens, cherry tomatoes, shaved red onion, crumbled Bleu cheese & Dijon vinaigrette – 15.  He paired this with the French Onion Soup, which is a regular menu item and another option for those who are okay with eating beef (Hint: I so wish someone would make a great veggie base French Onion Soup).

As I mentioned previously, music is one of the reasons we sit in the pub area.  The entertainment on the 22nd – the “Duo of the Night” as the band described themselves was, again self-described, – “old music.” Also known, at times, as the Backsliders, the duo – Jim and Eric – elaborated: “We like things old: everything about us is old,” they collectively offered, “ old songs, old ties, old guitars.”  The tie did look old, but not knowing guitars, I followed up and asked Jim how old his Fender guitar was (not as old as some of the tunes, as it turned out).  The amplifier and related equipment was classic Fender stock, making for a classic period sound.  Old?  Perhaps by today’s standards, but since I was born early 1960s and Fender started making their signature brand in 1946, I prefer to think of it as perfectly aged.

I was familiar with some of the selected titles (“It is amazing how many different songs they know,” offered my dinner mate).   They included some 1920s and 30s – country titles (different than new country) including tunes from Jimmie Rodgers, and others I had heard (somewhere) but could not quite place.  These old(er) titles were interspersed with some new(er) 1960s standards like Ernest Tubb’s “Waltz across Texas,” recorded in 1965.  Roy Orbison’s 1960 “Only the Lonely (know the way I feel),” “Ring of Fire” by Johnny Cash and “Secret Agent Man” written by P. F. Sloan and Steve Barri and brought to fame by Johnny Rivers as the theme song for the Secret Agent spy series that aired from 1964 to 1966.  These are the songs I grew up listening to.  This all made for some great dinnertime listening – as is often the case with the Rabbit Room’s musical offerings – including some more contemporary performers we’ve heard during previous visits.    

So, yes, the food at the Rabbit Room is a big draw.  And, yes, the dinner music is a nice addition for Thursday night outings.  There is something else.  I have yet to not have an enjoyable evening there, and consistency counts.  It is a comfortable setting with a cultural edge that turns dinner into something more.  We always take the opportunity to look at some of the upstairs art gallery additions since our last visit.  During the summer months, there is the added perk of the former mill falls and a stroll past the many other downtown Honeoye Fall’s historic buildings that have been thoughtfully preserved.  It’s perks like that that will result in these less centralized small(er) village venues continuing to emerge – and thrive – offering us more eateries, live music and other cultural opportunities closer to home.