Food + Drink
FOOD: The Rosebud Diner [Boston--Somerville]
[photo from the Boston Globe]
You can't swing a cat in Boston without hitting a historic place and The Rosebud dining car is Somerville's claim to days gone by. Built in 1941 and featured on the National Register of Historic Places, the diner changed hands this past year and underwent a serious interior facelift. Now the Rosebud American Kitchen & Bar is a full restaurant from the brains behind Somerville's Posto and Painted Burro, offering comfort food that's far from indigestion-inducing diner fare.
Folks from New York/New Jersey are most likely baffled -- what's all the fuss about a diner? Well, we define diner a little differently here. In Davis Square, when the bars close, you hightail it to Anna's Taqueria for an end-of-the-evening burrito, rather than a plate of French toast and scrambled eggs. You can still find that at Rosebud during Saturday or Sunday brunch but dinner leans more toward down-home cooking: hearty fried foods and plenty of barbecue, thanks to iQue whiz John Delpha.
The Atomic BT's appetizer (BT's stands for Buffalo Turds but don't be put off) are bacon-wrapped jalapeno peppers stuffed with cream cheese and pulled pork. The combination is a little sweet, a little salty, a little creamy, and a little crunchy before your tongue realizes it has a jalapeno pepper on it. Then, you better have a side of biscuits or grits on the ready to defuse the "atomic" bomb. Most everything on the menu dances on that line of flavor balance. The fried chicken thighs come covered in flaky breading, lending a saltiness to each umami-filled bite. The potato salad served with it offers a mild creaminess and the cole slaw (chopped not shredded) has the vinegar crunch down. The bar menu is just as delightful with plenty of local draft brews, some as local as Somerville's Aeronaut Brewing, and specialty cocktails. The homemade pies and one-dollar coffee are a delicious nod to Rosebud's diner past and, though it seems impossible to save room for dessert, you might as well try.
Rosebud American Kitchen & Bar
Davis Square
381 Summer Street, Somerville MA 02144
