Ambiance soul food restaurant blends upscale atmosphere with down-home cooking in Rockford

Rockford Restaurant Week Spotlight | Ambiance

Rockford Restaurant Week runs Jan. 23-Feb. 2, and we’re putting a spotlight on different locally owned establishments to celebrate the occasion. Today we feature Ambiance Cuisine Cocktails & Catering, 307 S. Main St., Rockford.

By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — If you sit down to eat at downtown’s southern-style Creole soul food restaurant, you can come hungry and still expect to leave with leftovers.

The plate-covering portions at Ambiance Cuisine Cocktails & Catering, 307 S. Main St., are one of the signatures for the restaurant that blends upscale atmosphere with down-home cooking.

“We want to get you full, the more the better,” said Tisha Hannah, owner, CEO and head chef of Ambiance. “We give large-sized portions. Normally people have enough to eat here and take some home.”

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Ambiance offers southern favorites such as fried catfish, fried pork chops, collared greens, candied yams, cornbread and a creamy vegan macaroni and cheese, to name a few.

“If you’re looking for a classy, upscale, date night restaurant this is your place. Or maybe you’re looking for a nice lunch spot with great vibes and awesome food service,” a guest from Missouri wrote in a five-star review on Yelp. “I live out of state so I can’t wait to come back and try more menu items.”

The fried catfish, which is made with corn meal batter and house-made seasonings, is one of the most popular dishes. There’s also a catfish sandwich with Hannah’s house-made Remoulade sauce, which is her recipe inspired by meals she’s had in New Orleans. The sauce delivers a bit of zip from horse radish and a dash of Tabasco.

Customers also flock to the restaurant’s soul rolls, which are egg rolls stuffed with candied yams, jerk chicken and Hannah’s gourmet macaroni and cheese.

“I’ve been to a lot of places around the world but this is definitely a gem for a small city,” a visitor from Milwaukee wrote in a five-star review on Open Table.

Hannah’s soul food grew its following as T & C’s Cooking Creations, a vibrant red food truck that has been a staple at Rockford City Market since 2021.

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The restaurant is a short walk from the BMO Center, UW Health Sports Factory, and the Embassy Suites by Hilton Rockford Riverfront Hotel.

At a place called Ambiance, you can expect the restaurant to have an upscale look.

The restaurant has a black-and-red color palette throughout its decor, complete with a swirling and shining black, red and gray epoxy floor.

“A lot of soul food restaurants you think of diners or you think of homely. We knew we were going to be downtown so we wanted to do something more upscale,” Hannah said. “We wanted to bring something different downtown, so not only are you getting good food, you get to eat it in a beautiful space.”

But don’t mistake upscale for exclusive, Hannah said. The restaurant is welcoming to everyone.

“You can come in here in a pair of sweats or you can come in here in a suit and you’re still going to get the same food and feel comfortable eating it,” she said.

Fast facts | Ambiance

What’s the special? The lunch special with a catfish or pork chop sandwich and a side is $15; the three-course dinner special — which has a variety of options ranging from fried catfish to shrimp Alfredo, jerk nachos and more — is $40.

Restaurant Week menu: See it HERE

Location: 307 S. Main St., Rockford

Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. to midnight Wednesday through Saturday; 12:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Sunday; closed Monday-Tuesday

Opened: April 8, 2023

On Facebook: @tandccookingcreations

Online ordering: Go HERE or HERE

This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas