Rosendales Review

Rosendales
793 North High St.
Columbus, OH


Let me start by saying this: If you’re looking for a cheap date, then cross Rosendales off your list. However, if you are looking for a fresh take on fine American cuisine, then be sure to book a table at this gem of Columbus’ culinary scene.

As I mentioned Friday, we had an entire evening planned around Rosendales. Our party of eight descended like a horde of locusts onto the unsuspecting staff of Rosendales, and they rose to the challenge.

If you’ve never had the pleasure of dining at Rosendales, let me take a moment and set the scene for you. Once you drop your car with the friendly valet staff, it is just a few dozen feet to the entrance. Let me be the first to personally thank Rosendales for providing a seven foot high, full blast space heater situated in the middle of their outdoor breezeway. As a guy, there is nothing worse than hearing your date complain about how cold she is for the first 15 minutes of the meal. This simple addition to the exterior décor eliminated that scenario.

Upon entrance, we were quickly seated (which was nice, as we were about 15 minutes late for our reservation) at a beautifully set table. The décor of Rosendales is upscale American chic, and is a reflection of the food – elegant, yet deconstructed. I especially liked the choice of silverware, but I digress.

Our waitress was pleasant and had a very good sense of the menu. Our moderately sized party included a few fine dining neophytes and she took the time to explain to them, without condescension, exactly what the different menu items were. After a few moments to orient ourselves to the menu, we placed our orders. Appetizers were relatively quick to arrive (10-12 minutes). Being a guy, and a hungry one at that, I ordered both the Sea Scallop Rossini and the Ahi Tuna “a la plancha”. Let me take each of these on individually.

Sea Scallop Rosini – This dish was beautifully presented, and prepared quite well. A perfectly seared scallop sat atop a bed of bright green sweet pea puree. To add to the richness of the dish, a grilled piece of fois gras topped the scallop. This dish had wonderful flavors, however the fois gras was slightly overcooked.

Ahi Tuna “a la plancha” – This was a dish I had heard about from a few people, and was determined to try. The seared tuna slices were topped with 3-4 grains of sea salt each, and were accompanied by a dollop of mustard ice cream. Yes, you read correctly. The ice cream was mustard flavored. The weirdness of this intrigued me, but I was blown away when I took my first bite. This strange condiment was the perfect compliment to the tuna. The pickled radish salad that accompanied this dish was also a nice palate cleanser. If you try any dish at Rosendales, make sure this is it.

With the first course out of the way, it was time for that wonderful mid-meal interlude that I affectionately refer to as “SOUP!!!!!”. If you can’t tell, I really love soup. Mrs. Grub Guy and I both ordered the same thing – Six Onion cappuccino with crispy leek rings. Unlike some purists who will tell you that you don’t deep fry a leek, I actually really enjoy them prepared in that manner. This course was perfectly proportioned and the flavor was stunning. Through the use of some creative molecular gastronomy, Chef Rosendale has created an onion soup with the creamy texture of a good potato soup, and the bright sweetness of perfect onions. This is another must have from Rodendales menu.

Between appetizers and main courses, the service timing seemed to break down a little bit. I will however say that it was at this time that the restaurant really got hit, and I’m guessing tickets started piling up in the kitchen. In any event, we had roughly a twenty minute break between finishing our second courses, and receiving our entrees.

The arrival of the entrees however was well worth the wait. I believe as a party we covered nearly the entire menu of main courses, however I will focus solely on the entrees consumed by myself and Mrs. Grub Guy.

Mrs. Grub Guy ordered the 48 Hour Short Ribs. (**GUY ALERT** If you are out with your date, and neither of you are familiar with what a short rib is, take this into account. The short rib has one of the highest fat to meat concentrations of any cut of beef. If your date doesn’t enjoy the texture/flavor of well cooked beef fat, avoid this dish) Now the disclaimer is out of the way, let me say that these short ribs are cooked to perfection. Topped with a red wine froth and accompanied by a somewhat blasé parmesan mashed potato, this dish was very good overall. (**ANNOYANCE ALERT** Chefs, why must you apply a foam to everything? Please – stop.)

I ordered the Elysian Fields Lamb with Ground Lamb Shepherd’s Pie. I want to preface what I am about to say by telling you that I absolutely love lamb. It may be my favorite meat. Keeping that in mind, the sliced lamb tenderloin was unbelievable. Cooked to perfection, and seasoned just enough to bring out the rich flavor of elysian fields lamb, this was the highlight of my evening. The ground lamb shepherd’s pie was very good, although the flavors were very heavy, and didn’t seem to meld well with the delicate flavors of the sliced lamb. That being said, I’m really nitpicking here. The dish was excellent.

Overall, I can tell you that I highly recommend Rosendales. Columbus is lucky to have a chef owned restaurant that has such a clear and cohesive perspective on his food. Be sure to make a reservation soon!

Dispelling Common Myths

I’m going to go out on a limb here and guess that about 50% of you do not consistently step foot into locally owned, non-buffet line restaurants on a consistent basis, right?
What is it about the local food scene that creates such a divide between those who are “in” and those who are “out”? Is it perception? Fear? Loathing? (I’ve got to be careful not to turn this into a Hunter S. Thompson diatribe)

I’ve got an even more disappointing, yet sadly more accurate answer – apathy. You just don’t care. Food is food, right? Why go to the trouble of finding a parking spot, making your way through a dark alley, or dealing with a snobby maitre’d when you can have Applebee’s?

Trust me when I tell you that shedding that apathy will bring culinary rewards the likes of which you can’t imagine until you’ve experienced them. Today’s article is all about dispelling the myth’s inherent within the realm of local fine dining. (And no, Olive Garden is not fine dining)

Myth #1 – “It’s just food, right?” (a.k.a. – “A steak is a steak)

You may want to sit down for this one. It is not just food. A meal that is prepared with attention to detail, made from the finest ingredients, and developed by a chef who lives and breathes his profession is a thing of beauty. It can be an ethereal experience that takes all of your senses to an entirely new plane. This is distinctly different from a meal that was prepared in giant vats in a factory, portioned into vapor sealed bags that serve 100 and flash frozen before being shipped off to your local Steak-O-Rama for re-heating and plating.

Now don’t get me wrong. There is a time and place for chain dining. But don’t put it in the same mental and culinary bin with a REAL restaurant.

Myth #2 – “Only ‘foodies’ go to those places.”

This isn’t so much a myth as a misunderstanding. Do regular patrons of locally owned dining establishments often know more about food than your average citizen? Well, yes. But why is that? I’ll tell you why – because they care enough to try new things and patronize places where they will learn about food.

You don’t want to feel silly looking at a menu that says something other than “noodles in sauce” or “16 oz. chunk-o-beef”, then ask your server for help! These people are more often than not excited about the opportunity to share with you what is good and what isn’t, and the more you visit the more you learn. This is a mutually rewarding experience!

Myth #3 – “I can’t afford that type of restaurant.”

This is the myth that frustrates me more than any other. Are there high-end, overpriced local eateries? You bet! However, there are a TON of excellent locally owned restaurants that have amazing, unique food and cost LESS than your average chain. Trust me on this one.

That’s it for today! Monday the first review will be posted. I can’t tell you where, because it is a surprise destination for my wife this weekend. What I can promise you is that you’ll get a great feel for the reality of the place. Our party of 8 is landing there for a 5:15 reservation.

What guys need to know about food...

Its Friday night and you want to surprise your gal (or guy) with a nice dinner out. Not only nice, but unique. I mean, how many times can you go to The Olive Garden before frozen pasta and reheated chicken makes you green, right?

But this is Columbus...And you're a guy. Where do you look for the real low-down on the local food scene? What site/blog/reviewer isn't going to make your brain hurt with over the top, technically enhanced reviews?

The Guys Guide to Great Grub - that's who.

This blog is being launched to get the important info out to all of you guys - is the food good, and how much does it cost. Every review will be fully done, but up front you'll get the good info, based on the Guys Guide to Great Grub 5 point scale. I grade on the following aspects of the meal:

TASTE - If I have to explain this one too much, well, just stick with the Olive Garden, because it won't matter where you eat.

SERVICE - When rating a restaurant on its service, I'm looking at many things, however overt kindness from the staff isn't one of them. Was the server knowledgable about the menu? Were they able to make intelligent recommendations? Did they have at least a basic understanding of the chef's philosophy? Were they able to effectively do their job without constantly interrupting the meal?

VALUE - It is important to understand that price and value, while related, are NOT the same. Basically, this rating measures whether or not the combination of service and taste (the experience) was worth the money and time spent.

PRICE - The price range listed should cover you and your guest for the whole shebang, including a decent bottle of wine. (Bar service not factored in)

In addition to all of this, for those of you who want to either learn more about food, or just want to make fun of a guy who really gets into gastronomy, there will be a full review of the experience.

Last but not least, every review given here is an anonymous, unplanned, review. That means the restaurant doesn't know I'm coming ahead of time, and I don't announce why I'm there. I just show up and eat.

If any of you have a restaurant that you definitely want to see reviewed, make sure to let me know.

Remember, food doesn't need to be complex to be great, and you don't have to learn French to know food!