Rose Mary

Field Museum

This was the second time I'd been to Chicago; this time, it was a nice getaway for us. The weather was wonderful, sunny, and chilling. We chose Rose Mary after reading tons of reviews on Reddit. We decided to try it out on the second night we were there. It was a perfect afternoon—sunny yet cool. It is in a young, lively area surrounded by cool restaurants and bars. The service was friendly and attentive, and the atmosphere was cozy and inviting.

We booked a table two weeks in advance just to be sure. They seated us inside, but with the nice weather outside, we decided to switch. Outdoor seating had one negative side: people or children selling gums or random things. Other than that, everything was nice. 

We read a bunch on Reddit for reviews and what was recommended. One of them was Zucchini Fritters, with pesto aioli, Parmigiano, and pine nut. Zucchini was deep fried and served with a hint of sugar-cinnamon drizzle on top, and surprisingly it goes very well with the pesto dipping. Although the dish was delicious, the portion was big for just two people. 

For our second dish, it was recommended by one person, but it caught my eye cause I have a big love for seafood. It was Grilled Clams, which sounded very simple, and it was, but the smoked spring onion butter changed everything. It was savory, smoky, and buttery. We order a risotto dish and a meat dish for our main dishes. CRNI was the name of the squid ink risotto dish, with lobster brodo, confit squid, and tarragon. Since it was squid ink, we had to be careful so our teeth didn’t turn black LOL. But it was well seasoned, the squid was a little dry, but chewy and sweet. And for our meat dish, we chose a 16oz. Lamb saddle. It was with charred cucumber, black garlic yogurt, and preserved lemon. 16oz of lamb was more than enough to feed two people, the meat was tender and didn’t have a “lamb smell”. Black garlic helps reduce “bad” cholesterol when consumed in enough amounts and it adds extra flavor to the yogurt sauce. 

For dessert, we ordered Chocolate Budino. For some reason, we girls, always have an extra stomach space for desserts. It doesn’t matter how full we are, a chocolate budino could make us forget everything haha. The meal was delicious, and the weather was a perfect add-on that made the date even more perfect. 

Location: 932 W Fulton St, Chicago, IL 60607