Couple will run '15 Mile' Eatery

Scott and Virginia "Jenny" Rossi are both graduates of the world-renowned Culinary Institute of America located in Hyde Park, NY and moved to their new home in East Amherst last summer.

Together they share decades of experience in the restaurant business, with a combined resume including the Park Plaza in Boston, corporate catering in New Jersey and numerous high-end Manhattan establishments.  Scott was most recently executive chef at several noteworthy restaurants on Manhattan's East Side, including the Park Central Hotel, the Millennium at U.N.Plaza and the Roosevelt Hotel on Madison Avenue.

"We're excited about being part of the community.  We want to be someone who is involved with the community, sponsors local events and things of that nature," Jenny Rossi said.

The restaurant is part of the proposed $20 Million renovation and will rely heavily on state brownfield tax credits through developer Kissling Interests LLC, which expects to offset about $1.8 million that way.  Rossi said the business will serve the public year-round, serving a menu based heavily on seasonal produce grown locally.  Rossi said the menu, to include breakfast, lunch and dinner, will likely change with the availability of local products. 

Tenants from 81 lofts in the Rand project, planned for a combined living/working lifestyle throughout the rest of the building, may also utilize a personal pantry service run by the restaurant.  A banquet service is also in the works.  Casual dining will cater to boaters in the summer season.  "We're both chefs.  My husband is going to run the culinary department and I'm going to run all the front-of-the-house operations," Jenny said.

SJR Culinary Ventures Inc., a company created by the pair to support their future enterprises, was established in 2007, right around the time they contacted Kissling Interests about perhaps running the restaurant.  As the parent company for the location, it could eventually mean the Rossis will be involved with other local businesses under that umbrella.  Virginia is listed as the company's president and Scott is officially treasurer.

"That's our parent company so we can do different kinds of things.  We'll be doing business at "15-Mile" restaurant and hopefully as things progress, we can expand to do business elsewhere."  Scott and Jenny are also catering for the Gratwick Fire Company in North Tonawanda.

The restaurant gets its name from the popular song about the Erie Canal.

Jenny Rossi said her father's family is originally from the Buffalo area and that in addition to fitting their needs, the project also provided a reason to move to the area and be closer to family.