Arvid Y.
Yelp
Just because I live upstairs, I promise I am not biased.
It's taken me awhile to review this place, since for longest time i've only had their pizza. Now that i've sampled other items on their menu, it's safe to say that Branca is a solid choice for Italian food in Rochester.
Their pizza is good. Neapolitan-ish style pizza that's thin and crispy, but quite generous with toppings. It's a little heavier and less airy than its competitors from Fiamma's and Tony D's, but still very good. I am a mushroom lover so, I really like their mushroom pizza that's heavy with ricotta and truffle oil.
As far as appetizers go, their ricotta dish is quite good. It's fresh and gigantic, good to share among 3-4 people. Others have mentioned the Brussels sprout salad, but it was a little too fibrous to me (rabbit food). I am a fan of the salted rolls that they serve with meals.
I sampled a friend's pappardelle, which was excellent. The thick and wide noodles were cooked al dente and had the perfect texture. The accompanying truffle mushroom cream sauce really paired well with the pasta.
I also tried my girlfriend's squid ink linguine. Again, the pasta was cooked well, with a lot of texture in each bite. I was pleasantly surprised to see 4 huge shrimp with the dish. I suppose that is appropriate, being a $26 dish (one of their pricier plates). I enjoyed it as well, but I thought it was too citrus-y for my taste. There must have been lemon zest or lemon in the breadcrumbs.
Overall, Branca Midtown is solid restaurant. The food is good and their cocktails (which I failed to mention) are well-crafted. Service is attentive and pricing is appropriate for their portion sizes and for the upscale dining environment. I still prefer Rocco and Fiorella for "upscale" Italian food, but Branca is another good option.