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American
Fireside Dining With An Italian Twist
The
Rosewood Inn, located on Walt Whitman Road in the heart of Melville, is guaranteed
to offer all who visit a pleasant experience. They feature a very extensive menu
from Continental cuisine to Italian- American and their accomplished chef, Tony
Pignataro, uses his culinary expertise to create exceptional entrees and desserts
alike. Chef Tony has been at The Rosewood Inn for roughly a year now. He was born and raised in east coast Puglia and has lived in the United States for over 30 years. According to Chef Tony, he was born into the cooking business and learned much of his culinary skill from his parents. Once he established himself in the United States, Tony and his brother opened Giovanni's, an Italian restaurant/pizzeria in Plainview, which was in business for about 14 years. He has now found a home in the kitchen at The Rosewood Inn. His cooking motto is, "the simpler, the better", and from what we've tasted here it's quite obvious why The Rosewood Inn is such a dining hot spot.
The dining area features a large, elegant fireplace that creates a warm and cozy ambiance ideal for those looking to enjoy a relaxing meal. We began our experience with two cocktails - a Bloody Mary and a Dirty Martini. The Bloody Mary was pleasant and the requested shrimp on top was an additional treat (below left). The Dirty Martini was enjoyable and we highly recommend you request the blue cheese stuffed olives to go along with it (below right).
The delicious Cheese and Pancetta Ravioli was the first dish to arrive from the kitchen. This delightful appetizer consists of remarkably soft ravioli that will melt in your mouth (below left). Next up were the Clams Casino which features chopped clams topped with bacon, peppers and Jack cheese finished in a wine and garlic sauce (below right). The breading was light and the bacon flavor awakened our taste buds.
The Orecchiette del Broccolo was the first entree to reach our table (below left). This dish consists of mini ear shaped pasta cooked in a lemon herb butter sauce with roasted shallots, artichoke hearts and sautéed broccoli rabe. Topped with garlic and extra virgin olive oil, the pasta was cooked al dente and all the ingredients together presented a delightful variety of flavors.
The
Chicken and Apples entree will really light up your taste buds (above right). The
tender chicken is served alongside grilled sweet potatoes and walnuts in a Cider
Riesling sauce. This entree proves that the grouping of chicken and apples is indeed
still an excellent combination. The buttery, brown gravy atop the dish was an
exceptional additive. Next from the kitchen came the Braised New England Lamb Shank which offered a relatively large portion of food (below left). The lamb was tender on the inside and had a crispy exterior. It was full of luscious flavors and dusted with a hearty, sweet glaze.
The
braised, boneless Short Ribs were juicy and tender and bathed in a rich, wine sauce
(above right). They were full of succulent flavors and very enjoyable. The Gorgonzola Chicken is served over sautéed spinach, blackened Portobello mushrooms and Gorgonzola cheese, in a Merlot Sage demi-glaze (below left). The mouth-watering combination of ingredients deemed this dish a unanimous favorite amongst the table.
We
were so impressed with the attentive service and delicious food offered at The
Rosewood Inn that we jumped at the opportunity to return when we heard there were
some new additions to the menu. On our second visit we began with the Pork Chops
which were presented on a bed of spinach, topped with hot cherry peppers, mozzarella
cheese and smothered in a brown demi-glaze (above right). The cherry peppers were indeed hot
and gave the dish a nice, spicy kick. All the flavors of this generously portioned
entree blended together nicely. The grilled Tuna was served over a bed of fresh, stir-fried vegetables that were sautéed in a ginger wasabi vinaigrette (below left). The tuna was impressively tender and cut immediately with just the touch of a fork.
We
continued on our seafood journey with a favorite amongst patrons- the grilled
Atlantic Salmon served with stone mustard and herb sauce over a warm vegetable salad
(above right). The herb sauce was simple, yet delightful and full of flavor that
accompanied the fresh, perfectly prepared salmon adequately. We rounded out the seafood dishes with the Catfish (below left). This entree is a Chef's Special and offers blackened catfish served with a mango salsa and topped with crispy wonton noodles. The presentation was very appealing and the catfish was unbelievably tender. The fact that the catfish is blackened hints there will be some heat to the dish, but nothing the mango flavor from the salsa can't cool down.
Next
we sampled the Buffalo Chicken Salad served with chopped Romaine hearts, cucumbers,
tomatoes, onions, bacon and celery (above right). It is thoroughly tossed in Bleu
Cheese dressing and topped with Buffalo Style chicken strips and crispy onions. The
crispy onions served on top tied all flavors together nicely. The salad features a
number of extra ingredients compared to your standard Buffalo Chicken salad and was
surely a tasteful twist on the classic favorite. Our last treat before dessert was the Rosewood Pizza topped with tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, basil and Romano cheese (below left). The thin, crispy crust is made from homemade pizza dough and is a great dish to share amongst the table.
For dessert we were treated to three delicious indulgences- Tiramisu, Ricotta Cheesecake and Chambord Cheesecake. The homemade Tiramisu was delicious and featured a nice touch of coffee flavor (above right). The Ricotta Cheesecake was very creamy, sweet and was an authentic Italian presentation of the dessert (below left). The Chambord Cheesecake was rich and decadent and the Chambord brought lots of sweet flavor to this delectable treat (below right).
The extensive menu offered at The Rosewood Inn will provide anyone with an appetite a delicious option for lunch or dinner. From their tasty Martini’s to their wonderful entrees and desserts, The Rosewood Inn is certainly a promising restaurant and a must visit!
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