I have been eating at Rosebud in Davis Square in Somerville since I graduated from college in 2006. One of my best friends lived a short walk away and I lived a quick drive down Mass Ave. in Inman Square. I have such fond memories of us sitting in the old school diner car eating pie.
In 2014, Rosebud went through a huge renovation. Soon after it reopened I went in for dinner with friends after a movie at the Somerville Theater (you can read about that meal here). That night I was pretty disappointed in both the hospitality and the food, so when a friend from that very same dinner suggested we go back for brunch (she had already been multiple times) I was skeptical.
We arrived right on time for our reservation, though they claimed to have already seated our party. In both of my recent visits to Rosebud, the hostesses have been completely inept.
We were escorted to a table in the very back of the front dining room, where the tables are all parrallel to the bar. Each seat had an adorable placemat advertising Rosebud's home made pies.
We took a look at the menu, starting with the brunch cocktails. My friend ordered the spiked ice coffee. After a few sips she said, "This has a really nice amaretto taste. The coffee is super strong, making the drink less creamy than it looks."
I decided to go with the Bloody Mary (shocker). I had the choice to go up to the Bloody Mary bar and make my own, or to order the house version. On this particular occasion I decided to skip the DIY option because the bar area was incredibly packed.
I still think the best Bloody Mary is at The Sinclair in Harvard Square.
For food, we began by sharing the apple cider donut. For some reason when we placed the order I was imagining an apple flavored glaze on a traditional donut (with a hole), but this turned out to be a donut stuffed with apple cider cream!
The outside was coated in the perfect layer of sugar and when we cut into it, there was a generous amount of apple cream on both sides. This is a definitely a two person donut!
For a main dish, my brunch date ordered the smoked salmon omelette. It was layered with fresh salmon, goat cheese and sour cream (yum!). I asked her to describe the omelette and she replied, "The goat cheese and the sour cream made it extra creamy. The salmon has an incredible, smoky flavor. I would have liked a few chives as a garnish." She was also sure to mention that she loved the breakfast potatoes.
I went with the florentine benedict. The English muffin at the base of each stack of deliciousness tasted more like a biscuit than a traditional English muffin. The hollandaise sauce was rich and creamy, but not too heavy. The eggs on top were expertly poached and the spinach tasted very fresh (thankfully not frozen). I too loved the seasoning on the breakfast potatoes.
Rosebud's brunch offerings are far superior to the dinner menu. The cocktails are fun and generous portions, that donut was insanely decadent and both of the egg dishes we enjoyed were excellent. In addition to the great food and drink, there was awesome music pumping through the speakers the whole time - Adele, Mariah Carey, J.Lo, Beyonce, TLC and Usher.
My overall take on Rosebud American Kitchen & Bar is that it's a lot like Earl's Kitchen & Bar in Assembly Row - crappy service, but stellar food.
Have you been to Rosebud for brunch?
