Fear not regulars, The Rossi isn’t going anywhere. The restaurant is under new ownership, and sporting some new menus, but Owner George Tanchevski wants to keep the character of the Short North mainstay.
Randy and Tina Corbin opened The Rossi in 2004, and eventually expanded their restaurant empire to include Club 185, Little Palace, El Camino Inn and the recently re-opened Philco.
Tanchevski, who has a list of restaurants of his own including Local Cantina, South Village Grille, Old Skool, Local Bar and the recently opened Jonys Sushi and SIP Local, has known the Corbins for 20 plus years. They’d floated ideas of a joint venture but plans never panned out.
Seeing the group have their hands full with other ventures, Tanchevski instead offered to take over and breathe new life into the 15-year-old restaurant.
“So much is changing in the Short North, I wanted it to be like the way it always was,” Tanchevski says.
He’s adamant about keeping the character of The Rossi – he wants people to say, “I love that place!” when they hear the restaurant’s name again.
Tanchevski’s group took the reigns of the restaurant last week. They shut the doors for a few days for some minor renovations – new light figures and a fresh coat of paint, some rearranged seating and a deep clean. There will be some more gradual changes, like all-new seating, as they continue to put a new shine on the restaurant.
Diners will notice some new eats and drinks, but in wanting to keep The Rossi The Rossi, several longstanding dishes made it onto the new menu. In the appetizer department, the Burrata, Lamb Lollipops and Meatball have all stuck around, with new additions like the Beef Carpaccio.
The Grilled Ham & Gruyere sandwich can still be found, along with the pizzas, albeit offered in just one size now. New dishes come courtesy of South Village Grille Chef Josh Wiest. There are several new pasta options, including Butternut Squash Ravioli with brown butter, sage, lemon and pecorino, or a classic Carbonara with strozzapreti, egg yolk, pancetta, peas, pecorino and cream. The menu will continue to receive some updates and likely see an infusion of new dishes twice a year.
The bar at The Rossi sports an all new menu. Tanchevski says they’ve added four draft beers, crafted some more upscale cocktails and expanded the wine and liquor selections.
The Rossi will open at 4 p.m. daily. The plan is to add brunch hours down the line, and a happy hour menu is in the works.
For more information, visit The Rossi’s Facebook page.
All photos by Susan Post
