Whether you are searching for a dining location for a large group or a cozy spot for your next romantic dinner for two, Rococo's, an upscale Italian restaurant off Hydraulic Road, offers the perfect environment.
The cream walls and crystal decor in the elegant upstairs dining room glisten in the candlelight, and the tables are shielded by white latticework and fake ivy. The whole restaurant is flooded with the smooth jazzy vocals of Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra, sounds which alternate with hipster folk music.
Walk down the stairs and you will find a long sleek bar surrounding a larger dining area. The downstairs light is dimmer and creates a more romantic scene. Tables for two are interspersed with long tables that can accommodate large groups for date functions and other events.
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Rococo's has changed hands several times over the past decade, but has maintained a high level of quality food and charming ambiance. Everything we tried was delightful. The Antipasti Assortimenti ($10) is an excellent starter, a plate filled with flavors that reappear in later dishes, nicely tying together the dining experience. The antipasti combines food of all different textures, flavors and even temperatures for a colorful and filling appetizer. The smoked trout mousse is subtle and has a creamy smooth finish, an unusual topping which is nicely contrasted with the crisp crustini bread. The salmon, served with tuna salad and steamed vegetables in a light sauce, comes with fried calamari.
The chunky calamata olive tapenade enhances the goats milk chevre cheese appetizer ($7). Crushing the olives and mixing them with herbs and olive oil makes for a wonderful tapenade, a topping you might expect on an inventive bruschetta. The flavor combination is perfect - the salty black olive spread complements the mild cheese, and they are served with plenty of crustini toasted bread rounds.
The restaurant's most popular pasta is the signature pumpkin tortelloni ($17). The taste of the house smoked trout cream intermingles with the freshly-made pumpkin pasta, filled with cheese. Since the kitchen uses Virginia trout in so many dishes, Rococo's maintains its own smoke room just for the fish. The orange tortelloni appeared on the restaurant's original menu over 11 years and three owners ago, and is not just a seasonal selection for autumn. After a short departure, this wonderful selection has returned for good.
Traditional white or red sauce accompanies the linguine and clam sauce ($15). Imported al dente linguine and littleneck clams is a filling and garlicky wonder. Not overly colorful, the dish is quite good and there's enough to take home.
Running the gamut of standard Italian fare, Rococo's also offers pizzas and homemade pastas and meatballs. The garlic lemon shrimp and linguine ($18) and the chicken marsala ($17) are also heavy hitting menu items.
If you can find any room after your main courses, all five dessert options - cake, custard, cobbler, pie and tiramisu are tempting at $6. The chocolate toffee ice cream pie is every bit as rich as the name suggests. Chocolate ice cream is piled high and tossed with toffee pieces and crushed almonds. This delectable combination rests in a chocolate graham cracker crust covered with hot fudge.
In case you need a caffeine jolt, the tiramisu is a piece of espresso-soaked sponge cake layered with mascarpone, a sweet Italian dessert cheese, and crème anglaise. A light cocoa dusting perfects the pleasantly soggy layers.
Rococo's is a great choice for an elegant Italian meal. The ambiance is warm (although the bread brought to the table was not), and you might get lucky and spot some University administrators out on their own romantic evenings.
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