Rose's Luxury, Chef Aaron Silverman's Modern-American Phenomenon on 8th and G Street in Barracks Row

[B.A.R.]

It's a very good restaurant that's not terribly expensive, has great service, and is, above all things, fun (if you let it be). 

I completely agree.

Finally, I succeeded (anyone who thinks Rose's Luxury isn't a neighborhood restaurant only needs to try and go to it from another neighborhood - the fact that they don't offer valet parking almost by definition makes them a neighborhood restaurant).

I believe this to be true (and their original intention) and completely understand their no reservations policy in this light. It is absolutely a neighborhood restaurant and was seemingly set-up as such from the start. My brother in law lives on North Carolina Ave and drops into Rose's regularly, The demand from outside the neighborhood and the District isn't their fault.

*Thanks, Rocks. Sorry I was an asshole. It's been known to happen. 

Edited December 4, 2015 by B.A.R.

[astrid]

I've always supported their "no reservation" policy.  It makes a lot of business sense and it actually helps them serve more customers than would actually be the case.  It's also not at all unusual "“ ramen places and food trucks don't have reservation and waits can be quite long, but I've never heard people complain about those.  I feel like it's a very small vocal minority who are taking offense at a restaurant that they want to eat that don't fully cater to their desired experience, as opposed to amicably write off that restaurant for being a bad fit for them.

I'm more just surprised at the continued critical praise heaped on Rose's Luxury.  I felt it opened very strong but haven't been impressed by my more recent visits.  There were a couple dishes that just didn't work and most dishes were kinda pricy (even for DC) for what I was getting.  I feel that it's been surpassed by several places that opened more recently including Thip Khao, Crane & Turtle, and Convivial, as well as longer standing places such as Fiola, Little Serow, Rasika, Osteria Morini, and Restaurant at Patowmack Farm.  I've been hesitant to write about those experiences because people seem so adamant about their great experiences here that I wonder if it's just me.

So my observation wasn't really a dig against Aaron Silverman, who seems to be a great guy running a good restaurant the right way and who deserves every success (albeit with no more contribution from me unless I see a menu that reads a lot better).  More as a dig against the (paid) critics who praise it to the sky and overlook the missteps that I've observed here.

[DonRocks]

And to editorialize a wee bit, I think the title of this thread needs to be changed. As much as I am astounded by the 100 person deep lines, and the burgeoning "Rose's Line Standing economy", the fact that people may stand outside and become "Cold and Wet" is an unnecessarily negative comment in the title thread.

I agree. I did it as a joke awhile back and forgot about it.

That said, I must remind everyone that opinions about titles, tags, etc. are for PMs only; not for public debate. I think you'll find I'm reasonable just about 100% of the time.

[bettyjoan]

Call and ask them to include the vadouvan curry -'s wonderful.

I second this - the curry is absolutely delicious.  Hubby and I sat at the (downstairs) bar last night for a long-overdue date, and another highlight was finally getting to eat the lychee-sausage salad.  Previously, I had been steered away from the dish entirely due to my peanut allergy, but bartender Mike said that it was still really good without peanuts.  I agree - I was so happy to finally get to taste the magic!

Service was great, and my only complaints this visit were 1) the penne alla vodka was way too sweet, and 2) there was nothing on the wine list, by the glass or by the bottle, that fell into the dry/mineral realm that I love.  They usually have at least one selection in my preferred wheelhouse, but Mike said that there was an error in ordering and he was quite embarrassed about it.  A very small problem in the overall scheme of things.  

[Bart]

(Is the *Rose's Luxury isn't all that great for reasons having nothing to do with inability to make reservations* backlash in full swing now?)

I'm not in full backlash mode or anything, but the bloom is definitely off the Rose for me. Ba-dum-bump.

A couple examples:

I was lucky enough to score a night on their rooftop garden this summer and had the worst meal I'd ever had there. By far.  I had one inedible dish (the beignets......mine were so bitter I couldn't eat more than a bite, but I think I was the only one with that problem though, but still). We also had a dish that was universally disliked (bordering on inedible for some). It was a braised pork shoulder which was very fatty and not well seasoned. I think for a couple people it was mostly fat and mostly left on the plate. Another bit of weirdness was our waitress, who somehow managed to compare eating one of the dishes "to being in the middle of sex with someone you're not that into, but you stick it out and try to enjoy it". Something along those lines. It was bizarre. I was talking to a friend of mine about it recently (who was there) and his big hang up with the service is how we were all expected to be experts in the lore of Rose's and know who "Aaron" was. Of the 8 people at the table, my wife and I were the only ones who had ever been there before, and most of them didn't even know about the place(!). Gasp!   There was a lot of "Aaron decided........" and "Aaron will never......"   There were other examples of insider-ness that I can't recall right now that I understood, but I'm sure were lost on most everyone else.

Another example of the place losing something for me is their New Years Eve deal this year.  Last year my wife and I a wonderful, stereotypically(for Rose's) magical night there. We had early seats at the kitchen counter and had a fantastic and special night (written about upthread somewhere).  The price was $95 per person (confirmed last night when I finally found my receipt) and we left stuffed and happy.  We also received a to-go bag that was labeled "Hangover cure" with some goodies in it for the next morning, including a $20 gift card per person.  It was a classic "Rose's move" where the magic just kept continuing.

This year they announced the NYE special and the price went up 30 bucks per head to $125.  We decided to pass because 1) that's pretty steep for the same dishes we've had over and over.  It's approaching Komi territory!!  and 2) There's no way this year could live up to the perfect night we had last year and we'd inevitably end up a little disappointed. 

So between the bad dishes, the weird service, the price hike for NYE and the tiny menu, I'm in no hurry to rush back there and wait in line.  Besides, there are far too many other places in this town that I haven't been to once yet!

[Robert Rymarz]

Is the New Years Eve menu the same dishes we have had over and over? It's my understanding the menu has not been released yet.

[Bart]

Is the New Years Eve menu the same dishes we have had over and over? It's my understanding the menu has not been released yet.

They changed the wording of the NYE menu on their site.  It used to say something like "each couple gets to pick 3 small plates and 1 family size dish, plus some other goodies", which was happened last year.  We got 3 small plates, total.  Not 3 per person.  But we also got 2 other "freebies"  that were no longer on the menu.  Popcorn soup was one, and I can't remember the other (it's up-thread somewhere).  It was a ton of food and we took half the brisket home with us.

Currently their site says, "Expect fun and decadent items throughout the five + course dinner of small plates and a "family style" dish designed to share, plus some bubbles and a few extra goodies! Drinks, tax and gratuity are not included."

I think in the end, it's the same thing we had last year.  They just changed the wording a bit from when they announced it a couple weeks ago.

[hillvalley]

A huge thank you to Andrew, Mike, and the rest of the Rose's team.  They went above and beyond tonight for one of their neighbors who used to be a semi regular back when the locals could just walk in for dinner.  A much needed special night was had by all and for that I am grateful.

Also, the steak tartar is one of, if not the best, in the city right now.

[lhollers]

Jessica Sidman over at Young & Hungry posted this cool video of Silverman's TED Talk entitled "How I Built the Number One New Restaurant in America." Inspiring!

[reedm]

Jessica Sidman over at Young & Hungry posted this cool video of Silverman's TED Talk entitled "How I Built the Number One New Restaurant in America." Inspiring!

Thanks for providing the link. He does a nice job of explaining the real reasons Rose's has been so successful.

[Lori Gardner]

I agree that his Ted Talk is inspiring, but if the food at Rose's wasn't any good it wouldn't be a successful restaurant.  I don't think Aaron Silverman gives himself enough credit!

[stevem]

So, is it really worth going with two folks (and NOT doing Don's trick of ordering lots of stuff to-go) or will you not be able to try enough of the menu to be worthwhile?

[DonRocks]

So, is it really worth going with two folks (and NOT doing Don's trick of ordering lots of stuff to-go) or will you not be able to try enough of the menu to be worthwhile?

It's perfectly worth going with two folks.

[Bart]

So, is it really worth going with two folks (and NOT doing Don's trick of ordering lots of stuff to-go) or will you not be able to try enough of the menu to be worthwhile?

Yeah, no problem at all.  The menu is small enough that you could easily eat most of it as a twosome.

[Bart]

FYI...........From their website:

Please note, we are CLOSED Friday, Jan. 22 & Saturday, Jan. 23 due to snowstorm.

Now is NOT the time venture out there thinking the storm will keep the lines small!

[Pat]

Hadn't been in for a long time and got a spot at the upstairs bar tonight at about 5:45. Everyone was lovely.

I ordered the CHARRED CARROTS W/ HARISSA, HOUSEMADE YOGURT & PEARL ONIONS 12 to start and then the GRILLED VEAL BREAST, TONNATO SAUCE, PARSLEY & BONITO 16.  Both were nicely composed plates. The carrots were sweet inside their carbonized exteriors.  The onions were thin breaded onion rings.  Of their charred vegetable dishes, this isn't my favorite, but it was pretty decent.

The veal could have been a little warmer, but it wasn't really cold so there was no basis for complaint. It came out pre-sliced with some grilling char on the edges.  I thought the sauce was pretty tasty but there wasn't a lot of it.  Overall, I think I liked the carrots more but the veal was fine.

The very helpful bartender offered wine suggestions.  I got a pinot blanc to start, which I liked with the carrots.  I was feeling like it was a little too much acid to go with the meat and switched to a pinot noir (wines $14 and $15 respectively).

I brought the last of my bread home, as I was trying not to pig out as much as I usually do in the restaurant.  This led to the bartender having to go downstairs and pack it up and bring it back, which seemed like a lot of extra effort.  But the man next to me only ate a little of his bread and that must have just been dumped since it can't be re-served, so...I guess getting the remainder to go is better. Wasting that bread is just unthinkable.

[thepozno]

I just came here to rave about my first experience at Rose's Luxury a few days ago. On a day with crappy weather I had a feeling the wait would not be crippling so I called up the restaurant to check in. They had room at the upstairs and downstairs bar, but unprompted they didn't mention a wait for a table. Went into Rose's in person about 15 minutes later (5:45 PM) and asked for a 6:30 time slot. They responded that they could try and get our party of two in at a table between 6:30-7:30. We sat down to eat at 6:45. 

 I cannot stress how much I enjoyed the atmosphere of Rose's in general. From the New Yorker 'Shouts and Murmers' in the bathroom to the gorgeous upstairs bar- with views of the dining room,  everything was so fine tuned. The cuisine completely succeeded in matching that. The meal started with bread and a great chive onion butter. The bread was hot which was a big plus. We put in some orders for the seasonal oysters, the famed pork and lychee salad, and the cacio e pepe ( which was featured on the menu that night). Out of the three I was most excited for the cacio e pepe, as I was eager to see how something simple could WOW. And it did. The dish was perfectly portioned and had beautiful flavors. The pork and lychee salad was very delicious as well. The red onions are the unsung hero if the dish in my opinion- adding a bitterness and a bite and some nice color to the dish as well. We were comped a goat confit dish- their play on rice and beans that definitely added to the other dishes we had very well.  The seasonal oysters (with wasabi green apple and nasturtium) were very refreshing and well balanced. The kind of amuse you hope for. Our meal concluded with a coconut ice cream with toasted coconut chips and kiwi I believe. 

It goes without saying but Rose's does customer service and the dining experience right. I felt like the wait staff were on our team- not overselling just to boost the check, but guiding us  through the courses with kindness and attention. Kudos to the staff at Rose's for such an inspired and memorable meal. Already looking forward to another visit. 

[bettyjoan]

Chefly brother-in-law really wanted to go to Rose's while he was in town, so we all (6 adults + 1 toddler) went on Saturday night to celebrate my mother's upcoming retirement.  We had, quite literally, everything on the menu.  I thought everything was delicious, but particular highlights for me were the bread and butter (always SO GOOD); the ricotta toast with pickled strawberries and spring vegetables; the spaghetti with spring pistou, jalapeno, and blue crab; the strawberry rhubarb pie (not a traditional version, but can't think of any other way to describe); and the cinnamon toast crunch ice cream.

My only nits to pick - there still doesn't seem to be much wine on the menu that suits my fancy (even by the bottle), which is a bummer.  Also, mom wanted to do the caviar service, and we definitely knew it was going to be expensive, but I feel like for the price they could so a bit more with the presentation/accompaniments - it simply came with a small bowl of chips and some crème fraiche.

I think our guests really enjoyed themselves, but they definitely felt like they wouldn't wait on line to eat there again.  I certainly feel fortunate that I live close by and can find ways to eat at Rose's without waiting in line. 

ETA: We had Rose's cacio e pepe again (back on the menu), and I still maintain that the best version in the city comes from The Red Hen (off menu).

[Genevieve]

My husband was given a gift certificate for dinner at Rose's to celebrate a major accomplishment, and he expressed interest in using it soon. He has a broken toe and can't stand in line for long, and I also would have difficulty standing more than a half hour due to some physical issues. I told him that it's a no-reservations place with lines to wait, but now that I've reviewed the thread I'm reminded that it's often a two-or-more hour wait in line. Is that also true on a weeknight? Are there best times to go to avoid a more than half-hour wait? Has anything changed since Pineapple and Pearls has opened?

This is why I have never tried Rose's.....and because I know how hard it is to get parking in Barracks Row (having had that issue at Garrison, but at least we had a reservation there), so we can't just try it on a whim (unless we taxi there and taxi home, but even then, we wouldn't want to come out there by taxi and find we'd timed it terribly). It was an extremely sweet and thoughtful gift, but I think the giver just knew it was one of the best restaurants in town, not about the two hour waits in line. I would hate for the gift to end up causing him stress/annoyance and not be fully enjoyed.

Trying to decide whether to look into hiring a line-stander (not something either of us would normally do), or what time one would go over to put your name in at the hostess stand with only a short wait in line and then wait in a bar down the street for two hours (which, if it gets us in at 8 or later, we usually will have needed at least an appetizer by then, and I really don't love that idea as it seems better to go to Rose's fully hungry, but I guess it may be our best option - maybe it'll work if we eat a really late lunch). A 9:30 p.m. dinner would not work for him (as I see above that's a good time to show up) and the experience of eating at a great restaurant would be largely wasted.

Thank you for any ideas.

[bettyjoan]

If you are willing to sit at the bar, you could try to do that.  The upstairs bar has a separate wait list; you just go up and give the bartender your name.  My husband and I have showed up anywhere from 5:30 to 7:30 pm, and we just go upstairs and have a cocktail or two while we wait.  I think the longest we've had to wait was about 60-75 minutes, but we were seated and happily drinking for the whole time (they have a little lounge-ish area upstairs with a loveseat and a few chairs).

I don't think P&P opening has had much of an impact, if any at all - they seem to be targeting two distinct audiences.  Also, P&P is closed on Saturdays.

Hope that helps...

[Genevieve]

Thank you, bettyjoan. If we do that, are we at all likely to get seats together at the bar? and do the bar stools have any backrest, or are they just stools? If yes to both, this is a good solution!

[bettyjoan]

Yes, if you tell the bartender you have a party of two, they will make sure they have two stools together.  They manage the wait list pretty well, and it avoids the whole anxious/awkward process of hovering over someone who is going to leave and potentially fighting with others who thought they were there first.  I think once people figured out they could eat at the bar, they had to find a way to get people seated in a fair and orderly fashion.  Only really works for small parties though...

I believe the barstools have backs, but I can't be 100% sure.  Google "Rose's Luxury upstairs bar pictures" and I think you can check it out - I would have copied and pasted the link, but my computer is being obstinate today.

[Genevieve]

Thank you so much! If they'll seat us together at the bar, that's perfect. I found pictures of an upstairs bar that show black padded seats with backs (hooray), and also of a bar with white round stools with no backs, but another picture identifies that as "chef's counter," which I assume is something different?

http://www.newyorksocialdiary.com/legacy/i/partypictures/01_05_15/carol/6a0115720d4e87970b01a511d60a76970c-800wi.jpg (upstairs bar, barstools with backs)

http://www.bonappetit.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/roses-luxury-chefs-counter.jpg (chef's counter? backless stools)

There are also these backless seats at a raised counter (left of picture), but maybe that's just a high table downstairs?

https://www.lacademie.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Roses-Luxury-Restaurant-Washington-DC.jpg

[bettyjoan]

The upstairs bar is the one that you should aim for, and that is where they keep the bar waiting list.  The chef's counter is definitely something different.

There IS a smaller downstairs bar (we sat there for New Year's Eve one year), and sometimes they'll use those seats to help get through the upstairs bar wait list - I guess it all depends on where they are more crowded on a given night.

[Pat]

I ate here at the chef's counter last night with a friend who had never been to Rose's before, and we were both wowed.  The last couple of times I had been, the magic wasn't quite there as much as it had been, but it was fully back last night. (Maybe some of that was being there with someone who hadn't previously experienced it.)  Chef Silverman was in the kitchen while we were there from opening until sometime around/past 6.  

As a side note:  I have not read through all of the most recent posts in this thread so I don't know if it's mentioned, but they now open at 5 PM all of the days they're open, and not at 5:30 on regular weekdays.  Getting there at 4:20 was plenty early to be not too far down the line, and we were also the first people seated at the chef's counter.

We started with FENNEL SALAD, JICAMA, PICKLED SHRIMP & CITRUS 13 , which both of us loved. There was some kind of fennel cream in this, which was shaped in a round form, almost like a cake. It was visually alluring and every component worked beautifully with every other.  We decided on this over the sausage and lychee mainstay, which I had once before. We only wanted to order one item out of this section of the menu, and my friend chose this. Our server tried to persuade us to order the lychee but we stuck with the fennel salad, and then they brought us the lychee salad gratis.

Missing the grilled romaine they used to have, I ordered the ROMAINE HEART, DUCK EGG, CRISPY POTATO, HERBS & BUTTERMILK 13. The egg in this was hard-boiled.  It was not a transcendent dish, but it was the one I was most concerned might come out charred--I've really gotten to a point of aversion with the blackened dishes at Rose's--and this lettuce was not burnt to a crisp but rather gently cooked. Good but not the highlight of the evening.

For a pasta course we ordered BUCATINI W/ SPRING PISTOU, RAMPS, JALAPENO & BLUE CRAB 16, which was beautifully green and creamy and had a well-thought out balance of flavors.  This rivaled the fennel salad as our favorite item of the night.  I'd call it a tie.  

I'd held off on ordering a family dish but thought we had enough room, even with the extra gifted salad course, and had asked for the PERUVIAN-STYLE CHICKEN W/FRIED YUCA & SWEET POTATO CEVICHE 30...right before the bucatini came out.  We didn't really have room, but my friend had plenty of leftovers to take home. I managed a chicken leg, a large yuca fry, and some green and white sauces.  My friend ate some chicken and yuca as well and sampled a bit of the ceviche. She thought the sweet potato had been slightly pre-cooked before assembly.  

There was no way we could eat another bite and so declined dessert.  Our server brought us cinnamon toast crunch ice cream, which, of course, we devoured.

Dish we wished we had ordered:  the spaghetti with strawberry sauce.  I've only encountered on the menu a couple of times and felt a bit averse to order it, but sitting right there as they were plating it and Chef Silverman was topping each plate with ricotta, I think I changed my mind. It looked really good, and it's also rare that they misfire with the seemingly odd ingredient combinations.

And, happily for me, the bread selection was my favorite version:  potato brioche with crispy potato skin bits coating the butter.  Oh, how I love their bread!

 

 

[StarStraf]

New dining out friend (James) suggested we try Rose's Luxury and since he lives in the area he would get in line and we would meet him there.  

He was in line by 5 and got a 7-8 estimate we got there about 7 and got a table about 8:15.  I was not sure about this waiting process, did have a cocktail at the bar upstairs while waiting, but once we sat down it was wonderful.  

We worked our way thru all the cocktails – Rye & Rose Water  (James' favorite), Tequila & Grapefruit & Jalapeno (Pooch’s favorite), Pimms & Strawberry (I don’t remember), Gin & Clilantro (meh), Rosita (good), Luxury Long Island Ice Tea (good).  My favorite was the vodka coconut with the sugar rimmed glass (the only repeat order at the table)

They brought us hot homemade potatoe bread – oh so yummy but I’m always a fan of fresh bread.  We placed our first round order of 4 dishes:

                Fennel Salad, Jicama, Pickled Shrimp & Citrus –  I eat Jicama almost every day for lunch and it has never tasted this yummy, Pooch wasn’t a fan.  Pork Sausage, Habanero, Peanuts & Lychee Salad – I skipped this one (to spicy) this is their signature salad, the guys enjoyed it (James favorite), you mix it all together into a slushy mess.   Romaine Heart, Duck Egg, Crispy Potato, Herb & Buttermilk – very yummy.    Grilled Veal Breast, Tonnato Sauce, Parsley & Bonito – dang yummy.

Next round was the Blue Catfish, crispy Bread, Green tomato relish, and saffron aioli – good but not the level of the rest.  They brought us a BBQ goat with beans from our server – the goat was really good but the pairing was wierd 

Our main dish was the family style Smoke Brisket, white bread, horseradish & slaw. Now I’m from Kansas City, I know good brisket.  This brisket made the conversation stop and my toes curl.  This is true slow cooked melting flavorful brisket that I haven’t had on the East Coast.  This dish is worth the waiting in line and no-reservations mess. 

Dessert time –

Had an Islay single malt I had not ever heard of before – Kilchoman Distillery – not anywhere as peaty as a standard Islay, seemed to have a sherry finish.

Rhubarb tart – this was very yummy, Chocolate mousse with rose ice cream and toasted brioche – I’ve had better mousse but all went together quite well. Coconut ice cream was quite good

Peanut butter / sesame seeds came with the check (which averaged about $100 per person including drinks)

Grandma report – the wait makes this a Grandma veto

[dracisk]

25 minutes ago, StarStraf said:

we got there about 7

I would tell you to say hi next time, but I was leaving about the same time you were arriving. :-)

[beachgirl54]

Finally ate here last week with a friend.  We kind of screwed up the waiting part but the staff was really kind and bought us a round of drinks.  Memorable items were the pork and lychee salad, the catfish, the bucatini with the tomato reduction sauce and sirloin with green papaya sauce.

I am so, so glad we ate here and I look forward to going back.  But will be more strategic about the wait/timing. A totally babysitter-worthy dining experience.

[Rieux]

Anyone been recently?  Tomorrow is our anniversary and we just now decided to go out to dinner tomorrow to celebrate.  If we showed up around 6/6:15 do people think we'd have any chance of getting seats at the bar, or a table?  Otherwise, maybe we will try the bar at Kinship.

[lion]

7 minutes ago, Rieux said:

Anyone been recently?  Tomorrow is our anniversary and we just now decided to go out to dinner tomorrow to celebrate.  If we showed up around 6/6:15 do people think we'd have any chance of getting seats at the bar, or a table?  Otherwise, maybe we will try the bar at Kinship.

I made my wife wait in line one year for our anniversary dinner when it was raining. Food was incredible but wouldn't do that again! 

 

[Mark Dedrick]

We ate there this past Wednesday. And we were able to grab two seats at the downstairs bar after a 40 minute wait (when we arrived at 7:15 pm). HOWEVER, the day before Thanksgiving isn't exactly a normal day, so I wouldn't count on this at all. 

Also, it remains fantastic, and with incredible service. Really love this place. 

[cheezepowder]

Rose's tweeted that they're selling gift cards that come with a reservation for Jan or Feb (except for certain dates).  Gift cards are for 2 people ($150) or 4 people ($300).

[Genevieve]

On 12/9/2016 at 6:43 PM, cheezepowder said:

Rose's tweeted that they're selling gift cards that come with a reservation for Jan or Feb (except for certain dates).  Gift cards are for 2 people ($150) or 4 people ($300).

Hm, we have a gift card for $150 and haven't used it yet b/c of the line (tried one day, waited half an hour and I wasn't physically able to stand any longer, so we left and went to Garrison). I wonder if they'd let us use it for Jan./Feb. with a reservation? My alternative thought is asking them if they might let us use it for Pineapple and Pearls.

[dcslowman]

I suspect there may be a few other grinches like me who aren't willing to wait in line (or otherwise go through special effort) to eat at a particular restaurant, who as a result may have stayed away from Rose's entirely (as I did) or otherwise opted for it less frequently than otherwise desired. So for that micro-category of diner, I'm pleased to report that we were successful at getting a pair of seats at the downstairs bar this past Monday evening, on a walk-in basis without a wait, by arriving shortly before 9PM.  We had a lovely and completely relaxed meal, and will certainly come back again and follow a similar strategy of arriving relatively late in the evening (usually our preference anyway) on a weeknight. The bartender indicated that you can arrive up to about 9:30PM on a weeknight and expect a comfortably unrushed evening.

[Pool Boy]

I was talking to a new co-worker today. She said she hires someone on TaskRabbit to stand in line for her here at Rose's Luxury and at other places. Do other people do this? Just curious.

[Ericandblueboy]

18 minutes ago, Pool Boy said:

I was talking to a new co-worker today. She said she hires someone on TaskRabbit to stand in line for her here at Rose's Luxury and at other places. Do other people do this? Just curious.

Is she loaded, or at least think she is?  I stand in line myself, maybe because I'm cheap.

[DonRocks]

7 hours ago, Pool Boy said:

I was talking to a new co-worker today. She said she hires someone on TaskRabbit to stand in line for her here at Rose's Luxury and at other places. Do other people do this? Just curious.

Yes. Once we start to get older and (hopefully) save some money, we can have people do menial tasks that we *hate* to do (my brother decided he would never mulch his lawn again, for example), and pay them to do it. My mom *loved* ironing clothes - she went into some sort of zen-like state when she did; I will never iron another piece of clothing in my life; but I used to enjoy shoveling snow, for example.

Plenty of people have trouble standing for long periods of time, but have the money to pay someone else to do it for them. Same concept.

[funkyfood]

13 hours ago, Ericandblueboy said:

Is she loaded, or at least think she is?  I stand in line myself, maybe because I'm cheap.

It costs about $20-30 for someone to stand in line for you most nights.  Hardly the kind of money only "loaded" people have. 

[MarkS]

Since I will never wait more then an hour, hiring someone seems like a great option.  Is the meal that good?

[DonRocks]

9 minutes ago, MarkS said:

Since I will never wait more then an hour, hiring someone seems like a great option.  Is the meal that good?

Many people think so. I may be in the minority in that I have Rose's ranked in Italic (but have the magnificent Pineapple and Pearls ranked in Bold). 

[Pool Boy]

Not worth it to me. I am sure it is likely I am missing out, but screw the idea of either waiting myself (for hours) or paying someone to do it for me. Too many other great places to visit and indulge in than to put up with that crap. Someone today told me they also paid someone to stand in line for them at Bad Saint. I'd rather head up to NYC and take the 7 out to Queens and find some great stuff. Or gee, maybe hit up Beltsville

[Pat]

13 hours ago, Pool Boy said:

Not worth it to me. I am sure it is likely I am missing out, but screw the idea of either waiting myself (for hours) or paying someone to do it for me. Too many other great places to visit and indulge in than to put up with that crap. Someone today told me they also paid someone to stand in line for them at Bad Saint. I'd rather head up to NYC and take the 7 out to Queens and find some great stuff. Or gee, maybe hit up Beltsville

Rose's occasionally offers the option of reservations.  They had the holiday season gift special (mentioned above) where a specific level of gift card purchase came with a  free reservation in January or February. And they have the rooftop and two tables for groups of 6 to 8 that can be reserved.  It's not necessarily easy to get through at exactly the right time to snag those reservations, but I managed to get through for the rooftop a couple of years ago. Same system as for P + P, where I've gotten through twice to make reservations.  If you'd like to go, that might work better for you, if you know you have a group to go.

[jasonc]

The statement of one's preference that there is no quality of dining experience that justifies waiting two hours provides no information about Rose's and should be reserved for a different conversation about waits in general. This is distinguishable from a statement that Rose's is not good enough to wait in line for two hours.

[lion]

21 hours ago, Pool Boy said:

Not worth it to me. I am sure it is likely I am missing out, but screw the idea of either waiting myself (for hours) or paying someone to do it for me. Too many other great places to visit and indulge in than to put up with that crap. Someone today told me they also paid someone to stand in line for them at Bad Saint. I'd rather head up to NYC and take the 7 out to Queens and find some great stuff. Or gee, maybe hit up Beltsville

I think I waited an hour or more a couple of times for Dom De Marco's Difara's which was kind of fun. Being in the same room as all this supper quiet jazzed pizza lovers created a nice intense buzz. Some places are worth waiting for under the right conditions. 

[DonRocks]

2 hours ago, jasonc said:

The statement of one's preference that there is no quality of dining experience that justifies waiting two hours provides no information about Rose's and should be reserved for a different conversation about waits in general. This is distinguishable from a statement that Rose's is not good enough to wait in line for two hours.

I think I was just made fun of.

(But I do the best I can, given my circumstances.)

[jasonc]

3 hours ago, DonRocks said:

I think I was just made fun of.

(But I do the best I can, given my circumstances.)

I was just feeling cheeky don - feel free to delete!

[Pool Boy]

14 hours ago, lion said:

I think I waited an hour or more a couple of times for Dom De Marco's Difara's which was kind of fun. Being in the same room as all this supper quiet jazzed pizza lovers created a nice intense buzz. Some places are worth waiting for under the right conditions. 

I love Difara's (even though that was the only time I've been) - no wait when we went if you can believe it. But that is one of the precious few places I would wait. The other place I would wait (which is now sadly closed) was Hot Doug's in Chicago. That place was magic.  I am sure there are a few other places I might consider waiting, especially if I was on vacation, but my tolerance for waiting to dine, in general, is very, very low.

23 hours ago, Pat said:

Rose's occasionally offers the option of reservations.  They had the holiday season gift special (mentioned above) where a specific level of gift card purchase came with a  free reservation in January or February. And they have the rooftop and two tables for groups of 6 to 8 that can be reserved.  It's not necessarily easy to get through at exactly the right time to snag those reservations, but I managed to get through for the rooftop a couple of years ago. Same system as for P + P, where I've gotten through twice to make reservations.  If you'd like to go, that might work better for you, if you know you have a group to go.

I do remember the fact that they now have the rooftop table that you can reserve. However, 99% of the time, it is just my wife and I dining out, so this does not really help me. And, while tipping the hat to the 'I want a reservation' crowd is nice, having to go through gyrations to secure a reservation just doesn't make me wild about going to that place.  Fortunately, there are many, many places that I can dine at that do offer reservations. And, there are other places that, I know if I go early or late, I can just walk in and get seated right away. This is just how the market works and I'm fine with that.

[DannyNoonan]

My wife and I dined at Rose's last night to celebrate her birthday. We had a fantastic meal. Some highlights below:

• The Kung Pao tofu was by far the best thing we ate. I will order this every time I go if it's on the menu. Spicy, salty, a bit sweet and great texture
• The pastrami spiced carrots were a close second. A meatless dish that somehow tastes meaty. Really good 
• The barrel aged Bijou cocktail was fantastic. Smooth around the edges, great way to start the meal

Overall, a wonderful meal and a great first experience for us at this restaurant.

[Pat]

I was craving bread yesterday and so did the logical thing and walked over to Rose's Luxury. I arrived at about 4:20, and there was a fairly long line. Being solo, I was pretty sure I'd get in on the first seating, which I did.  Because of the various events around DC yesterday, they had an unusually large number of groups of 3 or more looking for tables and the larger tables were filled (with waiting list) by the time I was in line, but ones and twos me behind still got in for the 5 o'clock seating.  I got a seat at the kitchen counter, which I always enjoy, and was pretty amazed that there were four open spots at the counter when I was seated at 5:15.

The bread was a gorgeous rye challah, with both light rye and dark pumpernickels braids, served with honey-caraway seed butter.  Score! Bread (and butter) craving satisfied.

I'd been contemplating another trip to Rose's for a while, having been only once in the past year, sandwiched between two visits to Pineapple and Pearls. One thing I always seem to forget (and found myself explaining to the Seattleite sitting next to me as she read the menu) is that no matter what the ingredients look like on paper--and how odd some combinations appear--they almost always work.  I'd been scanning the menus online and, with a few exceptions, hadn't found anything to draw me back in, until the bread fever struck. 

As I downed the first of my SAKE & WASABI-MARINATED OYSTERS W/ APPLE GRANITA (2 for $7), I immediately remembered why not to pay too much heed to what the menu looks like before coming in here.  This had been the only one of the "little bites" that had appealed to me at all, as that part of the menu trends more and more towards "luxury," but I hadn't planned to order it. Impulsively, I figured there was only one more day in a month with an "r" in it for a while. (I don't strictly adhere to this, but...)  In any case, the wasabi delivered a delightful late kick of heat, which was chilled by the granita.   Hot and cold in the same bite.

The one item I had gone in planning to order was the KUNG PAO TOFU W/ VIRGINIA PEANUTS & BROCCOLI ($14), and it did not disappoint, even if I did have a little trouble cutting the tofu through the candied glaze. I concur with Danny Noonan, above, that I'd happily keep ordering this if it stays on the menu.  

Against my better judgment, I also ordered a second item from the "small plates" section. (Starting out with a loaf of bread really does cut down stomach capacity).  This was THAI-MARINATED PORK BLADE STEAK W/ NAHM PRIK SLAW ($16).  This matched up well with the tofu and would have been a good combination for two people to share. It came with a dried rice crisp (or paper or cracker?). My knowledge of such things is pretty superficial and I should have asked what it was.  It was airy and feather-light eaten dry up against the chunks of meat and the spicy slaw and then softened as it got moist.  The part of this remaining in my refrigerator is now at about noodle consistency. The leftovers of this dish are mixed in with the tofu and will make a great meal on their own.

Given that my eyes had already been too big for my stomach when I was ordering, it was hard for me to eat more than a couple forkfuls of the complimentary Reginetti with Greens that appeared. I had avoided ordering pasta since I'd eaten pasta earlier in the day. That said, I liked the bit of this I could manage to eat--the bite of the greens was pleasant mixed in with the curly pasty (which at first I thought was mafalda, and a check when I got home confirmed that they are two different names for the same pasta shape).  I have a small portion of leftovers from this that I'm looking forward to, and I'd probably order this on a subsequent visit.  

But, wait, there's more! I also received a complimentary dessert and immediately blanked on the description. It seemed to be vanilla ice cream with caramel topping and burnt bacon bits.  The burnt part worked at first but got to be too much. I'd have been happy with just the ice cream and caramel, which I somehow managed to eat most of despite being about to burst.  

The End.

 

[stevem]

Finally made it to Roses. I'm not sure I can do justice to the food other than saying it was just fantastic (and I ate too much). Instead, I'll highlight two things.

1 - This seems like a very good time of year to go. We got there at 445 on a Wednesday, sweat profusely for 20 minutes, and were happily sitting on stools watching the kitchen by 505. Super easy.

2 - The soft shell small plate special was a fun mix of sweet and pretty spicy and displayed in a funky steamer basket thing. It was exactly as described. And, I love that they tell you the price of the special that's not on the menu. It seems like a small detail but it demonstrates a level of hospitality one doesn't always find in an "expensive" restaurant.