My first visit to Rose Water came several years ago, shortly after it opened. Union Street had been torn up, and thus encumbered both vehicular and pedestrian traffic. Dust, noise, and other unpleasant side effects of construction seemed to foster an inauspicious start. Nevertheless, this Park Slope "Seasonal American" eatery overcame the early obstacles and went on to flourish. I went back recently during Dine In Brooklyn week.
Although chicken is not usually my first choice when I dine out, it's my favorite dish here. The roasted bird is one of the most popular items on the menu with good reason. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
The Dine In Brooklyn menu consisted of three courses for $23. There was also an option to pair each course with a small glass of wine for an additional $14. Though I usually rely on my instincts, it's not bad to pull my head out of the sand occasionally to try wine pairings I'd not have chosen myself.
I began my meal with a delicious, creamy cauliflower soup. Nicely seasoned, though perhaps a bit too subtly, this rich potage seemed worthy of the calories. A South Fork Chardonnay accompanied this course. Perhaps I'm not quite ready for ABC (Anything But Chardonnay) club membership yet, since the pairing wasn't all that bad in my opinion.
A restaurant always receives extra credit for good bread, and more points yet for serving it with olive oil, as they do here. The bread is rather good, with a firm, spongy texture. The oil is also well-chosen. Had the bread been a bit crustier, however, it could have received a few more Brownie points.
On to the main course. Did I mention that I like Rose Water's roasted chicken? It's tender and succulent. Unaggressive seasoning allows the bird's natural flavors to come forward.
The food-friendly Dolcetto d'Alba was a well-chosen accompaniment to this dish. Should you be unfamiliar with this wine, don't allow the name Dolcetto to suggest sweetness. In fact, it's rather light and dry, having low acidity but some pronounced tannins. I've always found its pairing with roasted chicken to be harmonious.
For dessert, I chose the caramelized brioche. It was just a bit too sweet for my taste, but then, my threshold for sugary confection is lower than most people's. A misnamed "PX Sherry" was paired with the final course.
If you're fond of sherries, you’ll recall that PX (Pedro Ximénez) is often used to sweeten dry ones. By itself, however, it's dark brown, syrupy, and very sweet. What I was served looked more like a White Zinfandel (fortunately the similarity ended there) and tasted like a sweetened sherry. It's not something I'd have chosen—a real PX or Cream sherry would have been better—but it was interesting all the same. But please don't call it PX.
Beyond Dine In Brooklyn week, Rose Water offers several prix fixe options: a three-course market menu Monday through Thursday for $28; a five-course Chef's tasting menu daily for $54; and a weekend brunch for $12.50.
Rose Water
787 Union Street (near 6th Avenue), Park Slope, Brooklyn
(718) 783-3800
http://rosewaterrestaurant.com/
By train:
to Union Street
By bus: B71 to 6th Avenue
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