Giant pizza ovens, left over from a previous business, might seem like an odd bit of equipment at a diner-style breakfast spot. But they were part of what attracted Franco Paulino and Rachel LaRocca to open their new breakfast eatery at a busy intersection in Mendon.
Mendon Brunch on the Brook is distinguishing itself by making most everything from scratch. They bake homemade bagels and breads in the pizza ovens daily. They also cure their own bacon, smoke their own meats, make their own cream cheeses and even roast their own coffees. The sourdough bread is made with einkorn flour, an ancient grain that has health benefits including being easier for people with gluten sensitivities to digest.
“We focus on trying to bring something truly unique to breakfast,” Paulino said.
Its best seller is French toast, made with thick slices of homemade cinnamon swirl bread, topped with brûléed sugar and adorned with fresh berries, candied orange, vanilla crema and Grand Marnier maple syrup.
Whereas many diners make home fries by boiling potatoes and crisping them on the flat top, the restaurant makes their home fries from raw potatoes. Paulino contends this approach makes for the best texture – crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside. The “raw fried potatoes” form the base of a couple of specialties, including the skillet, which tops them with aged chorizo, queso chihuahua cheese, sunny-side-up eggs and avocado. The breakfast poutine smothers the spuds with braised short rib, demi-glace (a rich brown sauce), local cheese curds, poached eggs and spring onions.
The chefs took potatoes even further with their steak and eggs: sliced London broil is served alongside a potato pave, which consists of thinly sliced potatoes layered with cream and herbs; the layers are baked, pressed, chilled and cut into neat slices, then crisped to order. The dish is finished with sunny-side-up eggs, a housemade steak sauce and chive crema.
But Paulino and LaRocca don’t want folks to get the impression that Mendon Brunch on the Brook is a “fancy place.” You can stop in for a classic breakfast sandwich, made with house-smoked bacon, house sausage or double-smoked ham for $8, or order a classic combo of egg, meat, potato and bread.
Paulino, 36, and LaRocca, 21, met in 2021. They worked together in the kitchen at Flight West in Greece, a destination on the west side for its elevated global menu.
Paulino was an industry veteran when he came on board as executive chef. LaRocca was a 16-year-old student at Brockport High School and working the salad station part time.
On Mondays, when it was slower, Paulino would teach her cooking techniques. “I loved it,” she said. “I wanted to do what he was doing.”
As staff would leave the restaurant, LaRocca would work her way through the various stations in the kitchen; she’d be promoted to sous chef at age 19.
LaRocca had always dreamed of having her own restaurant, and to that end she saved every penny she earned at Flight West. When Paulino and LaRocca started talking seriously about going into business together, they agreed they didn’t want to open a place with a liquor license, which would add time and cost to the process.
“I’ve always loved breakfast,” Paulino said. “It’s always been my favorite food to eat.”
Given that they already had a following on the west side, they are often asked why they headed to Mendon for their restaurant. One reason was that the space had everything they needed: pizza ovens, a walk-in cooler and a bar that can accommodate a half-dozen stools, giving it a homey diner feel.
But they also heard that people in the area have been yearning for a full-service breakfast spot since the nearby Food at Fishers Station closed years ago.
“So far it’s been a very warm welcome and we’ve been enjoying ourselves,” Paulino said.
If you go
Mendon Brunch on the Brook is at 6 Victor Mendon Road in Mendon. It is open 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. every day but Wednesday, when it is closed. Takeout is available. It has parking behind the building as well as on the street.
Accessibility: It is wheelchair accessible via the front door and all but the counter seating is standard height. There is a single large unisex bathroom with no hand bar; its doorway is a conventional width.
Tracy Schuhmacher has been food and drink reporter for the D&C for the past 10 years. Notice an eatery open or close near you? Email her at TracyS@Gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: New breakfast and brunch spot opens in Mendon. Take a peek
Reporting by Tracy Schuhmacher, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
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