#9 Rosetta

Rosetta is a quaint and romantic italian eatery with great service. When my server discovered that it was my first visit, she enthusiastically made a number of great recommendations and architected a tasting menu of half order starters and pastas, all on the fly. From start to finish, this meal took about an hour and a half.

I had accidentally made a reservation for the following week so I wasn't able to sit inside and get the full experience of the air and vibes inside, but I did catch an acoustic cover of "Just the two of us" when I was briefly inside. Nevertheless a great experience. I loved all the plants out front and hanging about inside.

The first starter was a taco with a lightly steamed kale leaf as a tortilla. It was filled with a dollop of pistachio pipián, spinach like greens and topped with toasted pistachio bits. Not bitter at all, just a savory and slightly sour bite.

The next starter was the wagyu steak tartare that sat on a pineapple puree and served with piping hot rye bread. The puree was tart and sweet, the texture of a thick greek yogurt. The tartare was quite nice with a little bit of chew that melted away like a good ceviche.

The first pasta was perfectly al dente pappardelle in a simple buttery sauce of mushrooms and herds. The mushrooms had a shellfish like texture, similar to clams or mussels. Very tasty.

The second pasta was a nice gnocchi in a lamb and peppermint ragu. The gnocchi were super soft dumplings that had a little bit more structure than those in a chicken and dumpling soup. The peppermint was a nice break in the richness of the lamb ragu. The sauce was similar to a stroganoff of mushrooms with an added flavor of tomatoes.

About an hour in, the entree arrived. It was a steamed white fish accompanied by lentis, pickled vegetables and parsley. Fish was super tender like a good fillet of tilapia or trout. Sauce and oil had a dill relish, tartar-esque flavor profile. Pickled onion, beet and carrots added a good tartness and crunch.

The dessert was a candied hoja santo leaf, texture similar to the fried parilla leaves you find at some sushi joints topped with spicy tuna. It covered a chocolate mousse and scoops of green sorbet which might have been pistachio. It was light in flavor and very creamy. Toffeed nuts were scattered along the bottom for a nice sweet crunch.