Rosebud on Rush - 720 N. Rush St., Chicago, IL 60611
A Quick Word:
Rosebud and its affiliated restaurants may be one of the most popular Italian restaurants in the city. They have been around for years and continue to serve high quality meals. From their homemade pastas to their signature items like the brick chicken, I always leave Rosebud as full as can be. Unfortunately, for me, their food prices don't necessarily match the items available. You will most likely spend nearly 1.5x the amount for a similar pasta dish that will taste just as great and fill you up just as much as another Italian restaurant. Yes, that restaurant may not have the history of Rosebud, but for a student, history can be put on the back burner if it comes to cost. When dealing with the wait staff, I have found some waitresses to be on the more annoying end of the spectrum, but that may just be personal experience. Rosebud does have one of my all time favorite salads... the Napoleon Eggplant Salad, and I do frequent the restaurant just for this savory meal, but if I am craving pasta, I tend to go elsewhere. Mainly, for that reason, I decided to give Rosebud a 3.5 mile rating.
What I Ate: (will be updated periodically)
The Napoleon Eggplant Salad or Insalata di Melanzane
Without question, my favorite salad I have ever eaten. This is no ordinary salad. My way to describe the Napoleon Eggplant Salad from Rosebud is "caprese salad gone wild." This popular dish starts with the typical caprese salad ingredients including thick slices of beefsteak tomatoes and of course buffalo mozzarella cheese. Rather than simply stacking these two ingredients together, Rosebud added thinly sliced deep fried eggplant to make a savory napoleon. With multiple layers, the salad ends up being a good three inches tall and even taller with the pile of arugula and of course the drizzle of that amazing balsamic vinegar. The balsamic has that thicker consistency showing its aged quality and it has an incredible sweet-tangy balance. The eggplant adds the contrasting crunchy texture and the mozzarella adds a creaminess. The tomatoes and arugula are extremely fresh, making it feel like a salad. Even though the individual parts taste great, I highly suggest making sure each bite has a little of each component. Also, ask for extra balsamic. This salad is big enough for a meal or can be shared amongst 2+ people for an appetizer. Do not add chicken to it or any of the other ingredients that are listed. The salad is perfect the way it was intended. Wow! In my opinion, this is the best and most unique item on their menu. Ever since I discovered it, I order it every time.
The DOs/DON'Ts:
DO:
- I understand I only have one item under the "What I Ate" section, however, I have been to rosebud and their associated restaurants several times before I started my blog. I will suggest other dishes under this section and hopefully will update soon enough with other pictures.
- Other great dishes I suggest... Steamed Mussel Appetizer in garlic white wine sauce, Fried Calamari, Cavatelli Arrabiatta, and the Brick Chicken. The chicken is a huge portion... literally a whole chicken that has been deboned and cooked underneath a brick to flatten it.
- Rosebud on Taylor St. has a bunch of different LUNCH SPECIALS depending on the day so definitely ask about these.
DON'T:
- I have never been too big of a fun of their plain pastas. Their spaghetti and meatball isn't anything special except for the huge meatball the sits on top of the pasta base. It does have quite a bit of breading as a filler which is disappointing.
How far would I walk for this food?
I absolutely love the Eggplant Salad and would walk over 4 miles for it.
But the rest of the food (which will be pictured soon enough) isn't as impressive.
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