Owner of new CT rooftop restaurant wants guests to ‘enjoy the open sky’ while they dine

Restaurateur James Chen is adding a sixth restaurant to his dining empire and this one will have rooftop dining to enjoy the open sky.

@The Rooftop, opening softly May 27 in the Farmington Valley, has two levels, seats 450 people, has three bars, self-pour beer and wine on tap, a contemporary sushi bar and a menu of “new American cuisine with a global twists.”

Guests will be able to get everything from small plates and appetizers to steak and chops, Chen said.

The restaurant is located in the Canton Valley Shops plaza in Canton at 220 Albany Turnpike.

On one side there is a view from the rooftop of Mount Horr, on the other, just a plaza parking lot, but still there’s the sky day and night.

“I like to challenge myself with different cuisine,” said Chen, president and CEO of Zen Restaurant Group. “We wanted to open something different.”

He’s a seasoned chef who has worked in the restaurant industry since 1994 and owned his first restaurant in 2004.
Chen certainly is fulfilling his self-imposed challenge of featuring different cuisines at his restaurants. Zen Restaurant Group owns At the Barn in Granby which carries contemporary American Cuisine; La Figata in Granby specializing in Italian; Han Asian Cuisine in Granby, which carries Thai, Chinese and Japanese cuisine; Table 570 in Simsbury which serves Asian Fusion; Zen Marketplace in Granby, which serves French/American food.

Their Z Catering, also in Granby, caters food provided at the restaurants.

Chen said he likes to stay local.

“I am enjoying it, it’s exciting,” he said of the business. “It’s challenging.”

Chen’s group bought the Canton building in 2021 and then “started to figure it out.”

Most of the existing building was taken down and built from the ground up, he said.

Chen said he has enjoyed the experience rooftop dining in New York City and Chicago, so he wanted to incorporate that element into his newest restaurant.

“This business is a very unique style,” he said. “I want people to enjoy the open sky while they’re enjoying their food and drink.”

Chen said @The Rooftop is the first rooftop restaurant in Farmington Valley and he sees it as a “gathering place,” more than just a place to dine.

The restaurant with black walnut tables and attention to every detail seats 200 guests on the first floor and 250 on the rooftop.

The rooftop has four retractable glass doors opened in nice weather, for the feeling of being outdoors, and also has Detroit heaters.

At the new restaurant there is a self tap system that allows guests by law to pour up to 32 ounces of beer and up to 10 ounces of wine.

Chen said he travels to his restaurants often to make sure employees and customers are good and, “I enjoy talking to patrons.”

He said all the food is prepared from scratch with fresh ingredients.

“Our chefs are very creative,” Chen said, noting he tries all the dishes as a chef himself and lover of food. He said the restaurant has a relaxing, enjoyable feel throughout.

“It’s very warm, calming,” Chen said.

The menu of Executive Chef Dan Fortin features a selection of small bites such as tacos, kabobs, empanadas, spring rolls and appetizers such as octopus a la plancha and smoked chicken wings. Then there also dishes like the Zen burger and hoisin glazed crispy pork and entrees, including soy-ginger braised short rib and pork porterhouse.