First off, this restaurant gets an 'A' for amazing from both of us. Just remembering this place has sent both of us into a food stupor. Starting with the bake brie in a puff pastry shell up through the entrees of YumYum Tuna an Lamb to the indescribable desserts; Big Boy S'more and Molten Chocolate Cake. So let's start at the beginning-not with the food, but with the excellent staff. They called the day of to confirm the reservation, a courtesy much appreciated and offered by too few restaurants. When we arrived, admittedly a bit late though through no fault of our own, we were seated immediately in a pleasant dining room. The wait staff immediately introduced themselves and brought over a bottle of still water after confirming that we preferred that to sparkling. Julia new exactly which wine she wanted, but Jen needed some assistance navigating an extensive international wine list. The staff was knowledgeable and courteous, while making sure that Jen had the perfect wine to suit her tastes-white, sweet and fruity :).
After ordering the wine we selected an appetizer of Baked Brie in a pastry shell with dried cherries and a honey drizzle. It was a difficult decision as every appetizer was appealing. We weren't disappointed though. It was scrumptious! All the flavors complemented each other perfectly. The main entrees were fantastic as well. The Yum Yum Tuna, well the name says it all. Seared Tuna expertly carved and presented with a delicious ponzu sauce and just a hint of salt was out of this world. The Lamb was perfectly prepared served with garlic bread pudding, artichokes, and carrots. This was the first time that Jen didn't have to inform the cook how she prefers her lamb, perfect to the point that we think the chef might have ESP. Once again, with the entrees the balance of flavors was superb. An extremely difficult accomplishment from what we've experienced.
And now for the finale! We couldn't decide between two desserts, so we got them both! Both desserts were excellent and perfectly sized. Here, Big Boy S'more maintained the perfect balance of flavors between graham cracker, chocolate, and marshmallow meringue. The Molten Chocolate Cake with marscapone ice cream, chocolate wafer, and salted caramel sauce. While this was still a high quality dessert with intense flavors, our feeling is that the caramel was slightly overwhelming compared to the other flavors in the dessert. Julia didn't care for the burnt taste of the caramel, while Jen notes that the salty nature of the caramel competed a little too much with the other flavors. Still an excellent dessert, however. Especially when paired with an Eiswen, Heinz Eifel which is one of our favorites as well as being the recommended for another dessert we didn't order but also sounding delightful, the Pear Brown Butter Tart.
We would also like to point out that the portion sizes of everything on the menu, from appetizer to dessert were perfectly calculated so that a three-course meal left you satisfied, not stuffed.
Wine selections for the evening were: Scheurebe, Strauss from Austria and a Riesling Spätlese, Heinz Eifel from Germany. Both excellent wines, with the Scheurebe reminiscent of a Sauvignon Blanc.
A great place if you live in the Baltimore Area!
http://vinorosina.com/index.html
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