Label 7 brings wine country to Pittsford
THE PLACE
A new wave of development is under way at Schoen Place, one of the area's favorite canalside venues, and the summer traffic is busier than ever. Among those changes is the renovation of a linchpin establishment, the former Rick's/Schoen Place Prime Rib. Label 7 has a much brighter interior and a lighter menu. Nick and Gayle Mourgides, owners of Olive's just across the way, enjoyed the fresh cuisine of Napa Valley and brought that inspiration back home to Rochester. Chef Keith King puts forward a sunny menu with seasonal ingredients to Label 7, which originally opened as Mustards. The new name, needed after a complaint from the Mustards Grill in Napa, is a nod to the Mourgides' seven children in a way that keeps the wine motif.
THE FOOD
The menu is designed around "plates" of different types. Small plates are tapas-style tastes, green plates are salads and dinner plates are main entrees.
We started with a cheese plate and a salad. My friend swooned over the caramelized Brie that came in a small soufflé dish, topped with a bit of brown sugar then broiled. A head of garlic, halved and roasted, gave us smooth nutty cloves of garlic to pop from their little paper skins and spread on the rustic olive bread.
My beet salad ($12) was a colorful geometric treat. A slender white rectangle platter featured a cylinder of roasted and diced beets with a layer of golden beets separated from the crown by a layer of creamy goat cheese. A sprinkle of spicy microgreens and a drizzle of reduced balsamic topped it. To the side, a crunchy crostini plank and a handful of spring greens made the dish complete. In fact, this with a glass of wine would be a wonderful late- night dinner on its own.
For her entrée, my friend chose the grilled trout with mango jalapeno salsa ($23), a spicy and crisp double filet of trout topped with a relish of fresh diced mango, onion and jalapeno seasoned with cilantro. The spicy topping was delicious but might have been a better complement to a mild fish, as it nearly overwhelmed the flavorful trout.
I chose the Sweet Chili Blue Burger ($15), a huge square platter featuring an oblong ground steak sandwich topped with a sweet spicy relish and creamy blue cheese. On the side, an enormous pile of bistro fries and a serving of salad, a blend of napa cabbage, daikon radish and onions dressed with a creamy sesame ginger dressing. The leftovers were plenty for a full meal the next day.
We ended with a blueberry brown butter tart ($5). The pastry had the buttery flavor of a shortbread and the lightness of a meringue and was studded with fresh blueberries. A balsamic reduction was drizzled across the tart and plate. We shared a delicious forkful, and sent the rest home to my friend's waiting family.
THE DRINKS
After a short dry spell, pending liquor licensing, there is now a full bar. "Nappa Hour" is the restaurant's answer to happy hour with $3 beer and $4 wine specials and well drinks. On our visit, the bar staff did not know about or offer the wine option. Wines by the glass are $7 to $10. The regular wine list features approachable and food-friendly wines by the bottle.
THE ATMOSPHERE
Wicker furniture adds a light airy feel, and strands of grapevine emphasize the wine country motif. The upper level contains a relaxed bar area with several high-top tables and a seating area with a comfortable sofa. Weather permitting, the patio offers a fine view of the canal and its festive summer traffic.
THE SERVICE
Customers are making a beeline for this new venue, and demand is high. Combine this with normal opening kinks and service can be sketchy. Our midweek visit saw a full crowd at 8:30 p.m. Some servers hit the mark with this pressure, others miss it. When our server realized he missed my companion's wine order, he apologized and brought us two glasses of wine on the house.