Fare game

The year: 2009. Our Best New Restaurant winner: Chester's.

By Steve Lange

What We Wrote Then: “It didn’t take long for Chester’s, which opened last March [2008] in the Shops at University Square, to become a downtown hotspot. The success is due to the advance planning that went into the menu (which features items like pork chops, rotisserie chicken, and lavash pizza), the care that went into creating a fun ambiance (music and lighting help set the mood), as well as the time and effort to train the restaurant’s staff. ...”

How They’re Doing Now: The place is booming.
What those in the know say: “Chester’s is doing really well because, flat out, the owners are pros who know what they’re doing,” says Matt Russell, Post-Bulletin reporter and former P-B restaurant writer. “The food is great, the atmosphere is great, and the location on the plaza is hard to beat. Five years ago it seemed like almost everybody who was opening a restaurant in Rochester was a first-time restaurant owner, and I think restaurant-goers here were constantly disappointed with what they were getting. Things have changed quite a bit over the last few years—we’re attracting more experienced restauranteurs to Rochester and Chester’s is a prime example of that.”

Our Take: Matt Russell’s right.