Rosebud Restaurant & Bar
Seattle, WA 98122
Phone: (206) 323-6636
Fax: () -
01/02/2008 Posted by tiapaka
After hearing glowing reviews from several friends, I was totally unprepared for the disappointing evening we experienced a few nights ago at the Rosebud. Yes, the dining room is pleasant, if a bit cramped and on the garish side (the walls painted a flaming red that only Mae West could envy), and the atmosphere is, as another reviewer wrote, 'unpretentious'. The same however cannot be said of the food presentation, which was SO unbelievably ostentatious it was almost laughable. I felt the rib-eye steak w/ ginger mashed potatoes and 'oolong tea-roasted' zucchini (pretentious much?) seemed like the most edible choice from their limited menu, but I was reluctant to order it as I was a guest and it was the priciest item on the menu, approximately $35 including tax&tip. My host insisted it was no problem, so I ordered it. Reluctance turned to downright embarrassment when the 'meal' arrived. The steak was the size of a ginger snap, and was served medium rare rather than the medium well-done I had ordered. The wasabi-ginger mashed potatoes were tasty, but again, the portion sized for a bulimic munchkin. That was gargantuan however, compared to the four microscopic slices of zucchini, which were (waaay too) artfully arranged atop each other like some sort of vegetarian game of tic-tac-toe. Seriously, the zuchini slices were so embryonic, it took about a minute to eat them. This was all served on an enormous plate, which naturally made the portions seem even smaller than they probably were. The service was so-so; the matronly waitress was at times a little rude, however unintentional, and at the very least, indifferent. Another waiter was very pleasant, and a lot more polite. Food is meant to be eaten, and certainly enjoyed, but not played with nor meticulously, I mean ridiculously arranged as if it were some precious work of art at an overpriced gallery. The Rosebud is a restaurant trying to be the Four Seasons. It's not.
Pros: ?
Cons: Overpriced, tiny pretentious portions, indifferent service
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