Rose Tattoo Cafe
A little off my usual Philadelphia eatery path, I was glad when our group of eight chose the Rose Tattoo Cafe for our after meeting dinner.
Located near the Academy of Natural Sciences and the Free Library of Philadelphia, the restaurant is located in what appears to be an interesting little (perhaps transitional) neighborhood.
Our group was given a long table in a room just off the bar. Seats were comfortable (though those sitting on the bench along the wall said that they felt they were being propelled a little too much towards their food by the angle of the seat).
So, what might the menu be at the Rose Tattoo? You might think Italian (linking into the Tennessee Williams' play of the same name), but no, seemed pretty much a basic American menu, heavy on the seafood with a good selection of pasta and meats.
We had appetizer for the table of Lobster Quesadilla I added a mushroom bisque to my startFor entrees, those around the table chose the fillet mignon, a nice looking salmon, and a generous portion of delicious looking pan-seared scallops. I was having a hard time deciding between the pork chop (mostly because of the side of mashed yams and fried spinach) and the jambalaya. I went with the jambalaya.
An excellent mix of seafood (shrimp, mussels, clams), chicken, ham, and andouille sausage is a spicy sauce served over rice. Topping it off was a broiled chili that made for an excellent addition.
The sauce was perfectly spicy and had just enough zip to keep the rice interesting. The serving of mussels was generous, but there were only two clams. That said, it was an overall generous portion!
I'm not usually a dessert eater, but the table was ordering, so I went with the banana bread pudding (with caramel swirls); others got the Raspberry Sorbet with chocolate mousse pyramid, and the Crème Brûlée. The bread pudding was tasty, but as is often the case, it was heavy and a too big serving.
Service was excellent (thank you Stephanie!) with good suggestions and food pairings.
Highly recommended.
Meal: Dinner
Rating: ****
Date: 20 April 2009
Address: 19th and Callowhill St. Philadelphia, PA 19130
Website: http://www.rosetattoocafe.com/
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