It is a sad truth that many of Rochester's most talented young people leave their hometown behind for bigger cities that supposedly offer more opportunities for success. But sometimes a big city's loss is Rochester's gain. That's the case with critically acclaimed chef Brian Van Etten, a Fairport native who has returned home after a few years spent in Boston. Boston Herald food critic Mat Schaffer certainly won't be happy to learn that Van Etten has left Beantown after singing his praises last November: "Van Etten doesn't cook fancily. He eschews glitz for simplicity. He cooks with his soul. I'm enrolling in his fan club."

After initially leaving Rochester to go on tour with his punk band Marathon, Van Etten realized his passion for food while working at the well-known Veggie Planet restaurant in Harvard Square. He went on to attend the culinary arts program at Johnson & Wales University in Providence and, after returning to Boston, ended up as executive chef at the Channel Cafe, for which he garnered many rave reviews (including the above). Upon hearing that his friends Jeff Ching (also a Rochester native) and Andrea Parros were leaving Boston to start their own restaurant in Rochester, Van Etten decided to join them, bringing his fresh take on new American cuisine to his hometown.

That undertaking, The Owl House, scheduled to open Friday, August 6, is situated in the location of the former Atomic Eggplant, where, strangely enough, Van Etten had his first restaurant job while still in high school. The trio drastically revamped the look and amenities of the building by repainting the walls in pale greens and dark grays, building a new walk-in refrigeration unit, installing new kitchen equipment, building an outdoor patio replete with herb gardens, and other improvements.

While Van Etten and Ching may not be new to Rochester, The Owl House's menu offers the town something different. As a vegan, co-owner Parros wanted to ensure that the restaurant served the vegan and vegetarian dishes that are often elusive at many local dining establishments.

"There's a huge society of vegans here, and many of them feel there's no place to eat unless they want to get Thai or some type of Asian cuisine," says Parros. "As a vegan myself, I know how tough it is to go out and enjoy dinner with my friends. Plus, we really want people to understand that vegan food is not just a slice of tofu."

Van Etten's menu - crafted with help from Parros - offers between 10 and 12 vegan or vegetarian options, as well dishes that include meat or fish. The dinner menu will change nightly, based on the availability of fresh produce, while the non-revolving menu offers snacks and starters like vegan mozzarella sticks (made with daiya cheese) and Moroccan smoked beef jerky, as well as salads and a dozen sandwiches. For instance, "Matty's Moustache" features warm brie, red onions, baby arugula, and homemade Dijon mustard, while the "Big Licky" is braised pork shoulder, pickled onions, and caper slaw on an onion roll.

As for the portions, Van Etten hopes his diners will focus on the quality rather than the quantity. "A lot of people in Rochester seem to think that more is better," he says. "You go to some places and the portion sizes are absurd, and we don't want that to be the norm. We're not skimpy by any means, but we're not going to serve you something that will be lunch and dinner the next day as well."

The Owl House also offers a wide variety of craft beers (12 on draught and 20 bottled) as well as wines and a creative list of cocktails, many of which are produce-driven or made from homemade syrups.

To find the Owl House in City Newspaper's online Restaurant Guide - including a map, user reviews, and more - click here.

The Owl House is located at 75 Marshall St. It is open Tuesday-Sunday 11 a.m.-11 p.m. The restaurant will be open for dinner only this weekend, and then full hours starting the following week. Prices range from $6 to $20. For more information, call 360-2920 or visit owlhouserochester.com.

Shack attack

Almost 10 years ago, the Daniele family - owners of local upscale Italian restaurant Mario's - opened Bazil, an Italian restaurant with a more casual spin, in Henrietta. Four years later, the family bought a new property on Empire Boulevard by Irondequoit Bay with the intention of adding a seafood restaurant to its collection.

"We did our research and found that most seafood restaurants that are located by the water become seasonal restaurants," says Danny Daniele. "So we decided to turn that into another Bazil instead."

The second Bazil location became even more successful than the first, so the Danieles started brainstorming about what to do with the Henrietta location to freshen it up. Instead the family decided to bring the seafood restaurant inland, opening The Crab Shack in Henrietta in mid-July.

While Rochester has a few non-seasonal restaurants that specialize in seafood, Daniele notes that it's more common for a restaurant to offer it on their menu than build a brand around it. "A lot of restaurants carry seafood" says Daniele. "Even McDonald's has a fish sandwich."

The menu features a wide range of seafood offerings, from lobster and king crab to elephant-trunk scallops (named for their size). Daniele says the restaurant orders only what it plans to use on a given day, so some of the more popular dishes might be sold out by the end of the night. He estimates that the Crab Shack currently sells between 100 and 120 whole lobsters a night, so those interested in dining on lobster should probably arrive early.

To find the Crab Shack in City Newspaper's online Restaurant Guide - including a map, user reviews, and more - click here.

The Crab Shack is located at 749 E. Henrietta Rd. It is open Sunday-Thursday 4:30-9 p.m., Friday-Saturday until 9:30 p.m. Prices range from $8 to $50, though most entrees are in the $15-$25 range. For more information, call 427-7420 or visit crabshackrochester.com.