Restaurant Rosalie
3401 Skippack Pike
Cedars, Pennsylvania
(610) 584-1680
The longer one rides the dining circuit as a professional reviewer – and this reviewer has been in the saddle for over a decade – the more difficult it becomes to rouse one’s gastronomic passions. It’s not that there aren’t any good restaurants out there. There are… and they are legion. On the other hand, a truly exceptional dining experience is a rarity, indeed. And, after a while, all the food begins to look the same… taste the same. One can almost feel one’s taste buds slipping into stasis.
However, every so often, just when all hope has been abandoned, a unique restaurant succeeds in restoring one’s faith; a restaurant that manages to fire the imagination and, at the same time, send one’s culinary libido into overdrive. Restaurant Rosalie does both – quietly… but convincingly.
Take, for example, an impeccably fresh tangle of organic greens… What could be simpler? But then you add a smattering of dried cranberries and macadamia nuts, shavings of aged Vermont cheddar, and the subtlety of a judiciously applied buttermilk-peppercorn dressing – and you have an irresistible mélange of colors, tastes, and textures.
Proprietor Gregory C. Ott, Jr., is the formidable power behind the stove at this captivating BYOB, a chef who is certainly capable of transporting his dining patrons to the heights. His culinary modus operandi is known as sous-vide (pronounced su ‘vid), from the French meaning “under vacuum,” a method of cookery that is intended to maintain the integrity of ingredients by heating them for an extended period of time at relatively low temperatures, sometimes well over 24 hours. Unlike cooking in a slow cooker, however, sous-vide utilizes airtight plastic bags placed in hot water well below the boiling point (approximately 140 degrees Fahrenheit).
Thus, his braised veal shank set on a bed of hen-of-the-wood mushrooms is, to use a well-turned phrase, “fall-off-the-bone-tender.” But this chef is infinitely more than his cooking method… he is also a master of ingredient integration. The periphery of this particular entrée, for instance, is dotted with creamy red bliss potatoes, caramelized pearl onions, and honey-rosemary infused carrots. Perfect complements… But it is an extraordinary browned veal reduction sauce that succeeds in transforming this dish into an incomparable palate-pleasing gestalt.
And Mr. Ott demonstrates an equally winning way with matters piscatorial. His New England cod is herb encrusted and then perfectly seared to bring out the full spectrum of the fish’s natural flavor. Sublime in its apparent simplicity. Once again, however, it is the appetizing accoutrements that carry this dish over the top. It is set on a seabed of caramelized leeks and sautéed Kennet Square mushrooms, sided by aromatic white beans, and consummated with a rich rosemary and lavender tomato sauce.
Desserts are every bit the equal of their predecessors. On one occasion, you may be treated to panna cotta – a light, silky eggless custard – embellished with sauces of chocolate, caramel, and cranberry; on another, a more-than-generous plum tart adorned with roasted candied pecans and butter pecan ice cream.
Tucked away just off the Skippack Pike in a small group of shops near Bustard Road, Restaurant Rosalie is a diminutively discreet 18-seat charmer, and very much a family affair: Mr. Ott in the kitchen; his fiancée Kellie and his mother at the front of the house.
The restaurant will not be open for lunch until the spring; but currently serves dinner Wednesday – Sunday, 5:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Due to the sous-vide cooking method, reservations are mandatory. Each week, Mr. Ott offers two prix-fixe menus: the full dining experience – amuse-bouche, four-course dinner, and coffee or tea – priced at $65.00 per person; or Le Petite Prix-Fixe – choice of soup or salad, entrée, and dessert – priced at $52.00 per person. During the first and second weeks of December, the main course will be salmon and filet mignon, respectively, with an optional entrée choice (consult the restaurant’s website for a complete schedule).
Restaurant Rosalie is an undiscovered gem just aching to be discovered. I cannot recommend it highly enough.
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