Rosalina, photo by George Evans Marley
I got a call from a friend who wanted to try Rosalina in downtown Providence, just down the street from Trinity Rep. Well, obviously I would say yes, I hadn’t been there yet!
The moment I stepped inside, I was instantly teleported to the past when my friend’s house was always filled with the smell of warm roasted garlic. We hopped up on a couple of bar stools and caught up since the last time we had seen each other. I, as always, opted for a Manhattan. It was so good I had to have two!
I saw oysters on the menu and my mind was made up. Thankfully each of the oysters were hand selected, carefully shucked, wicked fresh and none of them were gross. Nothing ruins an entire meal like getting a gross oyster. You assume all the oysters on plate have a similar consistency, taste, sweetness or saltiness depending on the season and then you get one that either tastes like rubber, is way to big or has obviously taken a turn for the dark side.
Our entrees came right out after we had finished our delightful little bivalve mollusks and as much as I would have loved more time to chat with our bartender Will, I was so excited to sink my teeth into my steak! When I saw Will put down a plate of gnocchi and clams in front of my friend, I was instantly jealous. I obviously tried some, but I could have eaten his whole dinner and mine! I ordered a tenderloin with some grilled asparagus, crab and Hollandaise. The tenderloin was cooked to a perfect medium-rare and expertly seasoned. The crab was juicy and sweet, and the Hollandaise was buttery and perfect. I was very happy with my choice, but I was still wanted more clams and gnocchi.
I’ll just have to go back!
Visit Rosalina . . .
Monday – Thursday 4 – 10:30 p.m.
Friday – Saturday 4 p.m. – 12 a.m.
Sunday 4 – 10 p.m.
See you there!
