Bonding with Sons on Sunday Night Dinners

A version of this post appeared in my blog on the Democrat and Chronicle's Flavors of Rochester website on April 24, 2012.

I so enjoyed seeing Jersey Boys at the Auditorium when it came through Rochester last month. This is the second year that I’ve been a subscriber to the Broadway series, and I cherish the nights I take one of my teenage sons to dinner and a show.

My season tickets are on Sundays when ticket prices are reasonable and show times are earlier, so we’re home at a reasonable hour for school and work. The challenge, though, is that many restaurants are closed.

The original Sticky Lips BBQ, about five miles away from the Auditorium, is super casual with a fun Fifties-era vibe. Obviously it’s known for BBQ but our favorite item (so far) is their crunchy and slightly sweet mayo-based coleslaw (we love a good slaw).

Liberty Pizza at The Gate House

California Rollin’ Sushi Bar in the Village Gate serves a variety of inventive sushi rolls, but our favorite menu item is the addictive crawdad bowl appetizer. The crawdads are fried with a delicate, crispy exterior, coated in a sweet-spicy sauce, and served over rice. Sometimes we skip the sushi altogether and order crawdads and a salad. When we splurge on dessert, we share Dolly Ann spring rolls — walnuts, coconut and chocolate, rolled up in a spring roll wrapper, then deep fried into melty goodness.

The Gate House, also in the Village Gate, has a more upscale environment than the other two spots, but the menu is accessible to the hankerings of teenage boys, with plenty of pizzas and burgers. My son didn’t enjoy their take on Rochester’s “plate,” but everything else we’ve had there has been delicious.

We’re always looking for new places to dine on our mother/son Sundays. Do you have any favorites for Sunday night meals near the Auditorium?