After 30 years of restaurant experience, Marisa Teller yearned to open her own business.
And, so she did, about three months ago.
“It was a dream of both my parents,” said Angela Teller, general manager of Roux and daughter of owners Marisa and Everett Teller. “They finally reached a point in their lived where they were able to do so.”
Roux celebrated its grand opening Friday, Nov. 21, of last year. It is one of the newest restaurants to open on the Vista Tech campus in Slingerlands, residing at 10 Vista Blvd.
The restaurant is open Tuesday through Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., reopening from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and Sunday, and until 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
The menu offers such cuisine as build-your-own burgers starting at $10, salads and soups, with pan seared salmon, griller tenderloin, and scallops on a largely gluten-free dinner menu.
“It’s American food,” Teller said. “We’ve got Mac and Cheese, we’ve got beef short ribs. We’ve got some really fun things, too. We’re calling them small plates, like 1-ounce bites, which people love. You can have just one, or build up 10.”
Small plates range from $3 to $5 with options such as sage roasted pork belly, crispy squash ravioli, and rye seared scallop.
Roux also features brunch served Tuesday through Sunday with special $3 mimosas and Bloody Marys, as well as a full-sized bar and private room for business meetings or private parties.
A large wine rack separates the bar from the restaurants, Teller said, and offers 40 different kinds of wine that can be sampled in a five-glass wine tree. A draft system can be expected within the next two months, just in time for the warmer weather.
Roux is family-friendly with a children’s menu and desserts. Customers can expect a cozy atmosphere, said Teller, and a change in pace to what area diners are used to.
“Our food is a little different. Our chef is from Denver, Colorado. Kenny Turk. He brought some of that Denver flavor here. Our food is different than what people are accustomed to, but it’s a nice change,” said Teller.
Already, the restaurant is making a change in the local community. On Nov. 20, Roux opened for a private fundraiser to benefit the Thomas Patrick Morrison Foundation, a Guilderland-based charity to raise awareness for mitochondrial diseases and other rare conditions. Teller said her parent’s restaurant will participate in other charity events down the line, too.
For more information about Roux, call 487-4358, or go to www.rouxny.com.
