When talking about food, ‘medium rare’ refers to cooking meat so the outside is browned with just a hint of red in the middle, striving to provide the perfect combination of tenderness and flavor. This column, much like its namesake, strives to provide the perfect combination of epicurean insight and Atlanta-area atmosphere.
Rosebud
Nestled into the Morningside neighborhood next to such bohemian offerings as Desu Couture Consignment and Alon’s Bakery, Rosebud is a cozy, tasty restaurant with quite the notable brunch.
Executive Chef and Owner Ron Eyester (of “Top Chef” notoriety) has built up Rosebud under the mantra of “local folks and kind flavors,” and that much is evident as soon as you enter the restaurant.
The faded brick walls covered with oversized portraits of farmer’s markets, food and people melts away the general hustle and bustle of Downtown Atlanta just miles away.
A table for two should be ready within half an hour (although reservations are available) and the waiting area continues to build that friendly neighborhood atmosphere.
Although the restaurant offers Monday night brunch, Friday brunch and a dinner menu, the absolute best time to go is for the Saturday or Sunday brunch.
Beginning with a list of atypical starters (eggrolls made from shiitake mushrooms, green onion, cheddar and Asian ketchup aren’t usually the norm), Rosebud’s weekend brunch will take you down a tastily unique path regardless your choice.
For the egg-inclined, there are a number of omelets and benedicts, while the chef’s specialties are unlike anything I’ve ever eaten during an Atlanta brunch.
The “Surf & Turf” ditches the standard steak-and-shrimp combo for a truly Southern treat – ham and oysters topped with pimento cheese.
If there is one item that is a must-try, it is “The Angry McAlister.” A chicken biscuit with egg, bacon and cheese, the taste is, in the words of an old Southern proverb, “so good it makes you want to slap your mama.” (Ask your server the origin of the name).
While there was a full house inside the restaurant, I could easily have a conversation with my brunchmate without resorting to raised voices, which is definitely a problem in other popular eateries around town.
This is in part due to the friendly vibe put on by the smaller and intimate table spaces.
Eyester himself is a large part of the restaurant’s ambiance (figuratively and literally), and while we were there he could be spotted periodically bouncing around the tables, checking on the status of his patrons.
The one complaint, if it could be called that, would be the rather long time spent waiting for the check after finishing our meal. Although I will never be one to begrudge more time for conversation, it was a concerted effort to get the server’s attention to free up the table for someone else.
Stephen Fowler 16C is the political reporter at Georgia Public Broadcasting, the statewide NPR affiliate in Georgia. He graduated from Emory with a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies and covered the central administration and Greek Life for the Wheel before serving as assistant news editor, Emory Life editor and the Executive Digital Editor from 2015-16.
