Solo date nights in Rochester: Leo’s

John was out of town for a championship meet and I wasn’t about to waste a picture perfect evening and a good hair day on staying inside.

We’re moving to park Ave this month 🎉 we’ll be on the far end of the road, about a 8 minute walk to some of our favorite coffee shops and restaurants. I was not about to risk a 5 hour wait for tacos on Cinco De Mayo so Leo’s it is.

I started with a whiskey highball. Typically I go with the milk punch, which is a rum blend with old tom gin, makrut lime, pandan, coconut, and teas. However, I was craving something cold and fizzy to go with a sweet and salty meal. Across every bar list that the Swan family has developed, I appreciate that the cocktails use really fresh ingredients and don’t rely on sugar laden mixes or syrups.

I moved on to the Japanese sweet potato with a yang yum mayo. Leo’s has an open kitchen where you can see the team cooking meals over open coals. Many of the skewers, like the sweet potatoes, are prepared this way, giving it a smoky charred flavor. Truthfully, I prefer Vern’s Japanese sweet potato with kimchi ranch only because the final dish is a sweeter, softer texture.

Then I tackled the papaya salad with a soy peanut sauce. This is one of our favorite menu items. It is SO crunchy and refreshing. Mildly addicting, in fact. They roast peanuts with cilantro and toss them into the salad before serving. I wish this salad was on every menu in existence.

I ended with the confit rabbit served with sticky brown rice, sautéed bean sprouts, and shredded red onion. The rabbit was slow braised and caramelized using a fish sauce caramel. It reminded me of kettle corn (I know, weird) in its perfect balance of salt and sweetness.

Total before tip was $62 ($57+tax). This included one cocktail ($14), app ($7), salad/small plate ($12), and the confit rabbit entree ($24).

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