Weddingbee Blog

Here’s a not-so-shocking secret about most New Yorkers: we are food SNOBS.

Image via Phillippe-Nicolas.com

New York is full of so much good food. When you grow up/live here you tend to develop high expectations for what you eat. Even some of our little take-out shops and food stands have some great quality eats. And don’t get me started on the two things you can NEVER convince me to eat in other states: pizza and bagels.

After we booked our venue Mr. Porcupine’s parents were set on finding a good rehearsal-dinner spot. Being huge foodies and wine enthusiasts themselves (and former New Yorkers), food and drink are a big deal to them. We knew we would have a fairly large rehearsal dinner because, besides our 16-person wedding party (plus guests) and immediate family, we want to include many of the out-of-towners who would be coming in the night before the big day.

Although Lancaster, Pennsylvania has a great arts scene and some neat little spots, the future in-laws said it isn’t exactly known for its cuisine. One night, during a visit to Mr. Porcupine’s hometown, we stopped for dinner at El Serrano, Mr. Porcupine’s favorite restaurant as a kid. After some delicious enchiladas and a sangrita (margarita/sangria mix) or two…or three, I was raving about the place. Mr. Porcupine’s parents let us know that they have a Lancaster location as well. It was perfect.

I was immediately sold on the idea of a fiesta-themed rehearsal dinner. Mr. Porcupine and I love Mexican food, sangria, and margaritas. So the next week, Mr. Porcupine’s parents called up the Lancaster location to get information on throwing the rehearsal there. Bad news…their party room was too small. Bummer. My margarita was thrown out the window.

On to plan B. The next time we visited Pennsylvania, Mr. Porcupine’s parents wanted us to go to dinner with them at an Italian place, Rosa Rosa, right near Riverdale Manor. I am not going to lie, I was skeptical—what would Italian food taste like in Amish country? Having grown up with many Italian best friends, I have eaten far more Italian home-cooked meals than any little Jewish girl normally would (ya know, unless they have a lot of Italian friends as well). I am very picky about my Italian and have a deep-rooted hatred for chain Italian places. I was not convinced this would be it.

Turns out I was being a judgmental jerk. When we entered the restaurant I immediately loved how unique it looked.

Photos via Rosa Rosa Lancaster

And, better yet, as we went down the menu everything sounded delicious. We ordered a bunch of different appetizers and dishes to try. Everything from the antipasto plate to the al dente pasta was impressive and delicious! We met with the owner and learned he was from Italy and carrying on his family business that started as a pizzeria down the road. He was nice and helpful, and we decided to book it right then.

Cut to a few days ago. I Google Rosa Rosa and see that THEY ARE CLOSED! They went out of business in July! No one contacted my future in-laws. Thank goodness I happened to check their site. We still have plenty of time to find a new place, so I’m not freaking out (yet). Imagine if this would have happened a month or two before the wedding? With our big group it would have been tough to find a place in a hurry.

Was your rehearsal dinner a bigger pain than anticipated? Did any vendors up and go out of business without a word?