The chatter on Roustabout-set to open sometime this fall along Washington Avenue (East Bayside’s neo-hipster iteration of Middle Street’s restaurant row)-is that it will feature Italian-American cuisine or, as later amended, a modern-day version thereof. I’ve been looking forward to getting carefully crafted veal Parm, lasagna, spaghetti with Sunday sauce and meatballs. But now I’m not so sure if that’s what the place will deliver. (Early menus posted on Instagram several months ago showed a menu of rustic Italian dishes.)
Instead, if it’s any indication, the extraordinary meal I had at this fledgling’s latest collaborative popup dinner on Tuesday night at Piccolo (what a collaboration!), veal Parm, et al, may wait in the wings.
The avid dining scene at the Roustabout popup held at Piccolo; bottom right, co-partner Kip Paschal
Admittedly it’s untimely to review a restaurant before its front doors have opened for business. But in the case of Roustabout, they’ve made their proverbial splash already after two popup dinners. The first was at Tandem Bakery (menu: lasagna, Caesar salad, garlic bread, and tiramisu) which I did not attend, and now the second unwrapping at Piccolo, which I attended.
Read more…
