The Rosebud

09/26/09

Horrible And Unacceptable!

by jimkev at Citysearch

First of all my wife wanted to celebrate her 50th Birthday at Rosebuds on Taylor. I thought great we have been going there periodically over thirty years. So i called and made reservations two days ahead of time. I asked for window seats and the person i spoke to said this would be no problem if i were to come in a little later around 9 p.m. I agreed and left all the infomation they required over the phone. When my two sons my wife and myself arrived I was told by Nick some twenty something ,that i would not be getting a window seat. After nicely explaining to him i had requested these seats days prior to, and was told this should not be a problem Nick informed me that he doubted the person on the phone told me that. Too bad because that was the wrong answer. Very unproffesional and inapporpriate attitude. So of course we were than given the seats from hell, in between two other parties crushed like sardines . Needless to say it was a very unenjoyable experience. And i would not have written this if not for my two sons infoming me that the internet is a powerful force. So if this deters just one person from not going to Rosebud on Taylor GREAT. P.S. It all starts from the top Nickey boy, and we will find a new Italian restaurant after this experience!

• Pros: Leaving
• Cons: Nick, worst host ever!!

08/02/08

Best Italian in Chicago (so far)

by njs29 at Citysearch

I have tried quite a few Italian restaurants in Chicago (Dinotto, Trattoria Roma, Club Lago, Bice, Quartino's). I found out about this place after reading revieiws for Spiaggia and Coco Pazzo. The cheaper cafes of these two (Spiaggia Cafe and Coco Pazzo Cafe) offer prices comparative to Rosebut and are highly recommended, however, I have not yet been to either.

The Rosebud offers family style portions, so for two people, one dish and one or two appetizers is more than enough.

Many reviews complain about the poor service. I would say taht the service is attentive, however, our server, Vita, was not as friendly as we may have liked. But keep in mind, the servers at The Rosebud are not 20 somethings bouncing around the restaurant like eager bunnies looking to please you and checking on you every 5 minutes. The service at Rosebud was good, not exceptional, but what I will be going back for is the food.

I had the Eggplant Parm and my wife had the Rigatone a la Vodka. Both were amazoing and we had enough leftover for dinner the next day. The eggplant parm was probably the best i have ever had.

Ambiance is good: dimly lit, and nice wood panel decor. Not the most romantic place since there were plenty of large tables (great for families) with kids, but the

restaurant was quiet enough for a romanttic dinner.

Street parking is available (be sure to pay the meter and leave receipt slip on your dashboard) but most people elect to use the valet. I recommend making reservations and opt for the tables by the Taylor st windows!

Overall, I highly recommend this place!

• Pros: Lots of great food (family style dining) at a good price.
• Cons: parking may be hard to find.

06/08/08

Wonderful food, excellent service

by StevenMichaels at Citysearch

My wife had the Ciapono and I had the Eggplant Parmigiano. Both were enormous portions, the eggplant thinly sliced and baked (not pan fried), delicate and delicious. The presentation on the Ciapono was appealing, and the calamari in the Ciapono was the tenderest I have eaten in a long time. We had the Ensalada Caprese, thick slices of tomato and delightfully fresh mozarella, topped with a thin slice of sweet onion and roasted red sweet peppers, and of course the fresh basil and tasty aged balsamic. We ate on a busy Saturday night, but service was brisk and attentive without being intrusive, and speed was consistent with meals made from scratch. A delightful authentic Little Italy experience, such as Chicago is known for.