Dolcetto Quickly Recovers from Roof Fire

By Yehudit Garmaise

Dolcetto, the upcoming Rockland steakhouse, was set to open this week, however, a fire on Tuesday morning sparked by roof repairs will delay the eatery’s grand opening by just one week.

The restaurant owner, Sendi Green, says Dolcetto will be the finest kosher steakhouse in all of Rockland County.

“We had a leaky roof, so we hired a company to fix it, but outside air and roofing materials were so hot and dry that the roof caught on fire,” explained Green, who hopes to open at 800 Chestnut Ridge Road, in Chestnut Ridge, by next Tuesday or Wednesday. “We weren’t even cooking.”

The fire, which briefly sparked in the restaurant’s attic, BH, did not create any damage to Dolcetto’s beautifully decorated dining room, thanks to an old second roof that was part of the building when it housed a non-kosher restaurant. 

“No one knows the purpose of the second roof, which might have been a roof extension,” Green said about the tiles that remained in place and blocked the fire from spreading.

In fact, the only repairs Green said that he had to make to the steakhouse are to air out the smoky smell caused by the small fire.

With Dolcetto, Green, who has worked at many restaurants, is continuing the mesora of his parents, who owned Green’s Pizza and Green’s Bakery in Williamsburg, until they sold them 12 years ago, when they retired.

“Kosher-wise, Dolcetto will be the best kosher steakhouse in Rockland, for, but hopefully, in other places, as well,” said Green, who attributed Dolcetto’s quality to its high-end chefs and great service. “Service comes before food.”

To ensure that Green’s waitstaff is fast, courteous, and eager to serve, he is said he is providing extensive training.

“I am trying to be better,” Green said. “We are training them well.”