A Casual Night at Rose's Luxury

It’s a cold Tuesday night and snow is falling gently outside the window.
Temperatures are dropping by the minute and will continue to do so.
On TVs across America, people are awaiting the President’s final State of the Union address.
But you wouldn’t know any of that from where I’m sitting, on a short and slightly uncomfortable stool with a direct view into one of the most popular kitchens in DC.
Rose’s Luxury is the DC restaurant famous for making waiting in line a cool thing to do. I’ve done that before, a fun right of passage you could say. The food at Rose’s is definitely worth the craziness, but there are few days when I’ve got the time or the patience to spend hours waiting for a table.
So here’s a tip: If you go on a random Tuesday with forecasts of winter weather and bad roads and a famous speech on the telly, you can stroll right in and get a seat.
Actually there was still a wait, this restaurant is still HOT y’all, but we didn’t have to wait in line and were sat in under an hour. After putting our name in, we went to Lavagna for a drink. A little while later our seats were ready and we were in foodie heaven.
We didn’t give any table specifications and thus wound up at the counter downstairs, facing directly into the bustling kitchen.
As I mentioned, the stools were a little uncomfortable but it was worth the lack of lumbar support to witness these fantastic chefs at work. We were in awe the entire time.
We started out with drinks of course. Tom had a beer and I had a lovely light and refreshing vodka cocktail with rose lillet, pisco and St. Germain.
Rose’s is known for their impeccable service and we experienced it first hand. As soon as we arrived and our drink orders were placed, a loaf of hot brioche arrived at the table. It was good, obviously, but I only had a bite to save room for the main event.
Because it was just a random Tuesday, and not a special occasion (although I guess we could have called it a birthday dinner for either Tom or myself), we kept things in check only ordering four small plates and opting to forgo the larger “family style” meals, although we did drool a little bit every time we saw one of the chefs slicing into the juicy brisket or Peruvian chicken.
We started with the dish that put Rose’s on the map, the pork sausage, Habanero, peanuts and lychee salad. 
I’ll never get over how this strange mish mash of ingredients turns into such a cohesive and flavorful dish. Although I will say, I thought it was a little better the last time we had it.
The rest of the dishes we ordered were new to the menu since our last visit, starting with the vadouvan curry with sweet potato and caramelized banana. 
This dish was so delicate, but also complex. Tom noted that unlike a lot of curries, the broth didn’t overpower the other ingredients in the bowl so that the sweet potato and banana textures and flavors really came through in every bite. The pepper and onion garnish on top added just the right amount of crunch and kick. The curry itself, while subtle, was silky smooth and so comforting.
The party continued with confit goat with BBQ sea island red peas, rice and garlic breadcrumbs. 
I thought nothing could top the curry, but this did somehow. The goat was cooked to perfection, as is to be expected of a restaurant of this caliber, but the baked bean essence of the BBQ red peas, the freshness of the micro greens, the succulent softness of the rice and the crisp of the bread crumbs all combined made each bite positively mind-blowing. Yes, mind-blowing.
Up next was an off menu special of creamy shell pasta topped with shaved black truffle. This is probably already off the menu, as we just happened to be there at the very tail end of black truffle season. Such a happy coincidence.
While not particularly innovative like the previous dishes, this was pure comfort food perfection and the epitome of (Rose’s) luxury. It was a happy splurge from my lower carb efforts; I savored every bite.
As we were eating, a server presented us with a little freebie – a small portion of penne “alla vodka” with squid and basil. We’d watched the pasta chef make this several times and had serious discussions about how good it looked, so we were happy for the opportunity to sample it. These freebies are quite common as Rose’s. I think the longer you wait and the more you order, the more likely you are to receive extra treats.
I was getting full so just had a bite and while it was good it didn’t really hold a candle to any of our other choices. The best part was the tender squid and fresh, sweet basil but I was still glad we’d opted for the special.
We couldn’t leave without trying a dessert. Last time, we’d been so hungry waiting for our seats at the bar and then ate so much so quickly that I couldn’t even taste any of the desserts we ordered. This time, I made sure to save just enough room for a few bites of this key lime tart with grapefruit, charred marshmallow and celery foam (or maybe it was celery gelée?).
We both agreed that while it was a very interesting dessert, it wasn’t quite our style. I appreciated that it wasn’t overly sweet at all, and any sweetness was balanced by the bitterness of the grapefruit and savory nature of the celery. Everything Rose’s does is thoughtful and though-provoking, and while we didn’t rave about it as much as our savory dishes I was glad to try it.
Our bill was served with a generous portion of sesame seed brittle, which we took home for breakfast the next day.
I love that such a well-respected and prestigious restaurant still has a good sense of humor. I personally like to add three sides of winning to all of my meals.
We got in and out without breaking the bank and without spending an entire evening waiting on a table. Although I see the appeal of spending special occasions at Rose’s Luxury, sometimes a casual Tuesday is an even better reason to go.