Rosette – Jude’s Creative Cousin
One of Seattle’s South End’s best restaurants expands with an experimental bar.
Rosette: Pasta Con le Sarde
It’s a hill I’m willing to die on, asserting that Jude’s is one of Seattle’s top casual eateries. The worker-owned cooperative blends Cajun-style cuisine with Northwestern freshness, and it has a distinct laid-back vibe. Now, two doors up, they’ve opened Rosette, a bar that skews heavily toward the non-alcoholic trend. Innovative, booze-free twists on the classics, and cocktails created from scratch – a playground for Jude’s bartenders, where they get to experiment in a creative environment.
I gave “Flower of Youth” a whirl, a potent take on an Old Fashioned. A sipper, and proof that n-a cocktails are more than sugar bombs. The Kentucky ‘74 bourbon dominates, with the Aplós Ease adding a citric accent. It’s a hard-hitting drink, perhaps surprisingly so if you’re used to sweeter alternatives.
Rosette also functions as Jude’s test kitchen. In other words, the menu features various dishes that you won’t see in the “main” restaurant, yet still live within Jude’s flavor profiles. Like the “Pasta Con le Sarde,” a sardine-based dish with a Spanish spin.
A quick aside about sardines, a fish that’s developed a bad rep over the years. Give them a chance, particularly when they’re part of a pasta dish. While pungent, the flavors aren’t overpowering; instead, they add a slightly funky saltiness. The fat works like olive oil, the way it coats the pasta – if you didn’t know any better, you likely wouldn’t know you were eating sardines.
And that’s today’s defense of an underrated fish.
The pasta itself is properly al dente, and Rosette is generous with the saffron. If the sardines add oil, the floral saffron soaks it back up – sea and land, hand in hand, if you so like.
With as many dominant flavors, the palate could have exploded all over the place – vermouth-soaked raisins aren’t exactly understated – but the balance makes for a subtle dish. One evens out the other, and the result is very Jude’s. Or literally Jude’s adjacent.
Rosette is small and welcoming, and the staff friendly. And, if the world allows Jude’s to successfully expand into an experimental creative corner, that’s nothing but a good thing.
9262 57th Ave S, Seattle • Map • Web • Instagram
Related Reading
Let’s go crazy and throw in a new poll today – vote to partake in the democratic process. And as the World Cup starts today, that’s the theme we’re going with.
Merch for the People!
Don’t just read Awesomeness – wear it! This distinguished publication proudly features two official shirts – or magnets, stickers, or whatever medium you can think of: The Hallgrrrl and Zune. Why those? For one, the Hallmark channel and Riotgrrrl are, as I’ve said before, the natural combination. And, who doesn’t love the Zune?
Go shop at The Better Taster Boutique for only the finest goods.