Vinny & Rosie’s in Suisun City may be your newest go-to American restaurant
By Matt Larson
Opening a restaurant is a dream many of us have, but few of us ever achieve. Every new restaurant you see probably has a long story behind it of how it finally came to be, and Vinny & Rosie’s in Suisun City is no exception. Owner Roy Salvemini had the restaurant dream for years. When the opportunity presented itself to finally do it, he took the chance and went for it. They’ve been open since September 1, 2017, and they’ve since been making waves throughout Solano County and beyond as being known for some of the best burgers around. So what makes them so good?
“They’re quality,” said Salvemini. “100 percent ground sirloin; no fat filler. Probably the most expensive burger you can get on the market, but we don’t charge that for it.” We all know how expensive restaurants can be; it’s just the way it is. But now that Salvemini has his own place he’s made a point to offer the fairest prices that he can for his customers. “I wanted to keep our prices reasonable,” he said. “Customers are getting something good for what they’re paying for. It’s what I enjoy most about having the restaurant at this point.”
Providing more than just burgers, Vinny & Rosie’s specialize in American fare. Fan favorites, aside from the burgers, include their pulled pork, and tri-tip sandwiches. A big part of opening the restaurant was that Salvemini wanted to share the wealth of his mother’s cooking with his greater Suisun City community. Named after his father, Vinny, and his mother, Rosie, this restaurant exists truly in their honor. Salvemini grew up going to football, baseball, and basketball games with his father, so he installed a bunch of TVs to give the restaurant a sports theme. And the menu is heavily inspired by his mother’s cooking, some of which are her actual recipes. So with the sports theme from his father, and much of the menu from his mother, Vinny & Rosie’s is a pretty fitting name for this restaurant.
“A lot of our menu items are homemade recipes, based on my mom’s cooking,” said Salvemini. The meatballs, potato salad, macaroni salad, meatloaf, pulled pork, stuffed mushrooms, and marinated shrimp for their shrimp skewers are all prepared according to Rosie’s specifications. Salvemini’s favorite menu item is the potato salad; it’s something he grew up with, so it’s close to his heart. But the burgers are really their calling card these days.
“It’s hard not to get the burger because it’s so good!” he said. “It’s the first thing you think about when you go there. Honestly, it’s something that most places can’t really compete with.” They provide plenty of variety with their burgers, like the Jalapeño Jack (pepper jack, bacon, jalapeños, lettuce, tomatoes, guacamole), the Pineapple Teriyaki (pineapple, teriyaki sauce, lettuce, tomatoes, jalapeños, mayo), and, their most popular, the Great Western (cheddar, bacon, onion rings, barbecue sauce). You can also build your own.
“We also have a burger called the Ultimate Western,” Salvemini said. “It’s on the menu, but people get a little nervous to try it.” That could be because not only is it a half-pound burger with cheddar, bacon, onion rings and barbecue sauce, but it’s also topped off with a couple slices of tri-tip steak. “People have been very happy after they eat that one,” he said. “I’ve actually had a guy walk up to my cook and just handed him money after he was done, saying it was the best burger he’s ever had. I’ve never seen that happen before, it was pretty cool.”
Something else that you don’t see happen too often, is that on Mondays here at Vinny & Rosie’s, kids eat for free! As long as they’re with an adult purchasing a meal, your child is welcome to join at no extra cost. So if you’re having a “case of the Mondays,” Vinny & Rosie’s could certainly brighten your day.
Vinny & Rosie’s isn’t like your average restaurant. They just had their first “Chow Down Comedy Show” in March, they have regular trivia nights every Tuesday (at this writing) which have been pretty popular, and they also offer monthly paint nights.
“We’ve done [a paint night] once a month since we’ve been open,” said Salvemini. “We have a regular paint night, and then we have a ‘Mom & Me’ one—those are super popular.” Both paint nights you’ll have an instructor, and a provided canvas, paint, and brush for you to follow along with the class. At the Mom & Me paint night your child gets a smaller canvas, so they can also participate, and if it’s on a Monday, yes, your child eats for free. At the regular paint nights your ticket also gets you an appetizer and a drink (beer, wine, or well … or soda).
Salvemini always looks for special event opportunities, like having corned beef and cabbage for St. Patrick’s Day. They’re also preparing themselves for Mother’s Day and Fourth of July, both of which are very popular events in downtown Suisun City.
Vinny & Rosie’s is also connected to Jack’s Pub, and they work together to share their menus with customers on both sides. “We serve food into the bar, and you can order their drinks from our restaurant,” said Salvemini. “It’s all one in the same, you can walk in between, go back and forth, and sit in the bar and order food if you don’t want the restaurant experience.”
Active in his local community, one of the greatest perks with starting this restaurant for Salvemini has been being able to support local community organizations by providing catering for their fundraisers. They’ve already catered events for the Crystal Music Boosters, Holy Spirit School, Armijo Water Polo, and they’re sponsoring a fundraiser for the Suisun American Little League. Salvemini’s currently president of the Armijo music boosters. He’s been involved with these types of organizations throughout his kids’ childhood, who are now in high school, and he knows how much these programs need help. “One of the best things about this restaurant is being able to help other people out when we can,” he said. “If you want to do a fundraiser, let us know.”
Open every day but Wednesday, come check out this great new restaurant, and give these burgers a try! They’re located at 603 Main St., Suisun City. Call them at (707) 803-5404 or visit vinnyandrosies.com. To keep up with all their local happenings, follow them at facebook.com/VinnyandRosies.
Larson is an actor/comedian/director from Vallejo who lives a double life between the Bay and LA. When he’s not writing for Local Happenings Magazine he could be editing a short film or working on his next rap album—who knows!
Keep up with all things Larson at www.MarsLegstrong.com.”
