The bright blue exterior is perhaps the smallest change planned for the former Rossi’s 1906 property on Grove Street by a team of local restaurant entrepreneurs.
On New Year’s Eve, new owner and head chef Aiki Terashima, will unveil the Reel Fish Shop and Grill. His business model? From fish and chips to lobster rolls, he plans “to offer the highest quality ingredients at a value-driven price point.”
The venture is both a local and a family affair. Terashima, 30, will be joined by his wife Hillary, 31, who will run the front of the house and design the new restaurant branding. His friend Sal Chavez, 30, is involved, and his wife Kina, 30, will be working with Hillary. Rounding out the team are Trevor Dwelley, 24, and Ivan Ianoff, 29. They all live within a mile of the restaurant and Chavez, whose family owns Picazo’s, and Ianoff live right down the street.
Their neighbors who enjoyed polka at the pre-Rossi’s Little Switzerland may now find the property almost unrecognizable.
There are now separate entrances for the bar and for the restaurant and the parking lot has been refurbished. The interior sports a new color scheme with touches of reclaimed wood with corrugated metal accents. All of the bathrooms have been redone. Huge flat screen TVs are mounted to the ceiling. “We’ll be a great place to watch sports,” said Terashima, “but we won’t have a sports bar feel at all.”
An area on the patio has been set aside for a play structure, maybe a small bocce court, games and a chalk board. Terashima said that having children has really shifted his values. “We need to be here long hours and we want our kids to be able to be here with us.” He is also hoping to add two pingpong tables before summer.
Terashima will be on the property 15 hours a day, six days a week as the chef.
“When I was the sous chef at Morimoto in Napa, I would stay on for another six hours after my eight hour shift to learn from the team there,” he said. “I was honored to learn from some of the best chefs in the world and they’ll be checking in on me. Part of what drives me is not wanting to let down the chefs who mentored me.”
“Aiki is a true foodie,” said his wife Hillary. “He lives, breaths and dreams food and he is putting his heart and soul in this restaurant.”
Terashima’s first step was to rework the flow of the spacious kitchen to accommodate a fish cutting station and a large new prep room. “It was important to me, as it is to any chef, to set it up to my liking,” he said.
Terashima said that he’ll be focusing on sustainable products, responsible buying and buying as local as possible. He’s using the same fish purveyor as Morimoto in Napa. “I’ll be buying a 500-pound whole fish and butchering it myself.” He has purchased a superblast freezer that brings food to 70 degrees below zero. “I want us to be known for the freshness of our products.”
That said, he’s determined to keep the menu “casual and approachable.” Whether it’s salmon curry or fish tacos, his goal is for most items to be in the $8 to $15 range. He also plans to offer gluten free and vegetarian options. “Aiki has been working with seafood for 13-plus years and the menu at the Reel will be a compilation of his favorite recipes from his past experiences,” said Hillary.
The bar menu is being completely revamped as well.
“We’ll have a craft cocktail menu, 15 or more beers on tap plus wine and even a cocktail on draft,” Terashima said excitedly. “We’ll be featuring some of the most unique spirits in the country. We’re going to come up unusual infusions and offer experiences that are out of the norm.” They are also working on a new happy hour concept.
Drink in hand, Terashima hopes diners will stay on for live music. Former Rossi’s owner Max Young will be involved in booking the bands and the Reel sports a completely new sound system. “Everything is now professional grade which should help us book even higher quality music acts,” Terashima said.
While Young still owns the building, he is a minority partner in the new enterprise and Terashima has covered all of the renovations himself. “Max is excited about the concept and the renovations and he’s been very supportive of our vision,” said Terashima, who is not nervous about the viability of a thriving restaurant at that location. “This location and venue could not be more perfect for my dream restaurant concept.
Terashima and Chavez have spent a lot of time talking about how to bridge the gap between the local community and Sonoma’s tourists. For starters, the restaurant will feature a long community table that can seat 30. New bar seats made of wine staves will swivel. “You won’t walk in and just see people’s backs,” he said. “We’re doing the seating with more of a community feel … so that it makes you want to stay and hang out.”
“At Picazo’s, we’ve managed to appeal to both vineyard owners and vineyard workers and that’s the goal at The Reel,” said Sal Chavez of his restaurant a few blocks west.
The Reel will have a soft opening with a private dinner for family and friends on New Year’s Eve before opening its doors to the public at 9 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 31. After a week or two of industry nights, Terashima expects a formal launch on Tuesday, Jan. 10. The Reel will be open six days a week, closed Mondays, from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., with later hours for the bar.
Contact Lorna at lorna.sheridan@sonomanews.com.
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