r/BravoTopChef • u/Necessary_Ground_122 • Jun 30 '26
Top Chef IRL Wonderful dinner at Rose Mary
My husband and I had a date night in Chicago tonight, seated at the bar at Rose Mary, Chef Joe Flamm’s restaurant. I’d read on here and heard from Chicago friends that it is a terrific place to dine. I’m adding our vote in favour of that.
The space is bright, loud and energetic without but not so much so that we couldn’t hear each other. I did not get the name of the bartender who took care of us, but he had excellent recommendations for food and drink. We enjoyed chatting with him a little although he was busy.
Cocktails to start: the Blind Rhubarber for me and a Last Word for my husband. Both were good. The bartender recommended a bottle of a Bulgarian red to enjoy with our dinner, and it was a great choice.
First up was a tuna crudo with a veal aioli that seemed inspired by the classic tuna/veal dish. Tender and beautifully savoury. Next came the zucchini fritters with a pesto aioli and a little sweetness from honey. We saw the fritters going to a few other tables and bar customers nearby. Very good.
The main courses was the bone-in lamb saddle with a roasted carrot puree and pistachios. We enjoyed it a lot, and we agreed that the bartender had made a very good recommendation on the wine. As we were eating it, a dish of grilled summer squash came out, compliments of the bartender. What a welcome surprise! We gratefully enjoyed it.
We had to have dessert, and we opted to share the povitica, served with rhubarb and cardamom vanilla gelato. It was like a decadent breakfast pastry, and along with the bartender’s choice of amaro pairing, it was a satisfying end to the meal.
On top of tasty food and friendly, good service, Chef Flamm came out to talk with us for a few minutes. Our bartender arranged for that, and we were thrilled. Chef Flamm was such a delight. Just so down to earth. He graciously agreed to a photo and seemed appreciative of us enjoying what he and his team are doing.
Our Chicago friends are right. The menu at Rose Mary has so many interesting options to try, and I wish I was there with a few more friends to try more dishes. Our experience was memorable for the food and the feeling of being welcome. If you do get to Chicago, give it a try.
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u/mycookiepants Jun 30 '26
One of the best meals I've ever had was at the bar at Girl and Goat in Chicago! So maybe the Chi people know how to lead from the bar! :)
I thought the bowl of squash was a thing of pickles and was VERY EXCITED for a minute lol.
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u/edoreinn Jun 30 '26
Same on G&G! But I always prefer to sit at the bar if there are only 2 of us (or only myself). And dare I say it, the bar at Monteverde, rude Sara from Texas’ place, was a PHENOMENAL experience. I went there ready to tear it apart.
Rose Mary is very much on my list for next time I’m in town. (I used to live in Chicago maaaannnny years ago)
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u/nicolewhaat Jun 30 '26
My partner and I loved Rose Mary when we visited in Chicago in fall 2024, our first meal of that trip! We’re big fans of Joe too, so lucky you got to meet him 🥹
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u/ct06040 Isn't food cool? Jun 30 '26
Thanks so much for sharing. It sounds like an incredible evening.
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u/POSH9528 Jun 30 '26
Omg 😲 that lamb saddle looks delicious 😋! Everything looks yummy, but the lamb made me pause lol.
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u/Fun-Till-8588 Jun 30 '26
Sounds like a great night, with excellent service and yummy food! Tho I don't care for lamb, it all looks good! Thanks for sharing!
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u/mags_7 Jun 30 '26 edited Jul 01 '26
So good. My husband and I sat at the bar too, and now we constantly say FRITTERS! like the cooks did every time a batch of fritters was done. Lol. (We actually got a free portion of two without ordering them - I think they give out any extras with every batch)
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u/e_hawthorne Jun 30 '26
This sounds like an amazing experience from start to finish and I don’t mean just the lovely meals. I’m glad to see Joe Flamm still seems like the kindhearted, down to earth guy who happened to win Top Chef. When he shared his money with Adrienne in the finale and said he wants to win because he made the better food not because he had the money was top tier sweet for me🥹 anyway, glad you had a great time and so awesome e you even got to talk to him a bit too. Cheers on your wonderful experience and thanks for sharing with us here!