After a long career in the grueling New York restaurant industry, chef Colleen Suhanosky came to Brookline looking for a change.
“I’m passionate about the food industry,” says Suhanosky. “I love making a connection with people, but I didn’t want to do it in a restaurant setting.” This love of food and community became Rifrullo Café at 147 Cypress Street.
“I took over Sealy’s which was a huge change for the community,” she said. “So people were really questioning who I was and what I was doing.” While Sealy’s served up classic, diner-style burgers, breakfast, and sandwiches, Rifrullo focuses on mindful eating. It’s not “health food” in the traditional sense, there’s a caramelized French toast pudding on the menu, but Suhanosky aims to get people thinking about food. “It’s all made from scratch. It’s in season. It’s locally sourced.”
That extra level of culinary expertise is what sets Rifrullo apart from your average café. The turkey club, one of its most popular lunch sandwiches, is a prime example. It’s not made with deli meat, but with real turkey that’s roasted in-house. “I think that’s part of what makes our food so special is the extent we go to for the end product,” says Suhanosky. The bread is also homemade from a special recipe she invented and has been making for 20 years. She described it as a blend between ciabatta and focaccia with an airy crumb and crunchy crust. Diners at Rifrullo aren’t just getting a meal; they’re getting a food experience explicitly handcrafted for them.
As the fall season approaches, Suhanosky has begun thinking about seasonal menu changes. “You’ll definitely see chicken soup coming back on the menu. And ginger, lots of ginger. Squash, curry, and grain salads,” she says.
Rifrullo also sells frozen meals with the same level of quality, just packaged to tuck away for later. The permanent frozen meals menu is designed to appeal to kids as well as adults. In the long-term, Suhanosky hopes to sell the frozen meals nationwide, bringing well-crafted food to families all over the country. She’s also looking to expand Rifrullo’s footprint and add an outdoor dining space. With every goal, she considers how best to serve the Brookline community. “I would like to see this business become more available for families. I want this to be a restaurant where families remember coming when they were young.”
