Rosewood Grill
 Hudson, Ohio        Date of Visit  01/14/12          http://www.rosewoodgrill.com/  

Rosewood Grill has been recommended to us a number of times, we just never found ourselves in Hudson. After our trip to Flip Side Burger we drove right past it and a weekend later we were back. After a stop at Mainstreet Cupcakes (actually My Little Red Wagon) to pick up some tasty treats we travelled the few blocks to Rosewood. Located in the old Turner Mill the building itself is pretty grand, fits right in to Hudson. Enormous stone blocks make up the walls, open ceilings allow you to see the wooden structures that stitch the walls together and the furniture and layout are very well appointed and thoughtful.
 

Sriracha, Spinach and Bacon Make it Special
 

We arrived early and plopped down at the bar for a tasty Jack and Coke and an Amaretto Sour that was more sour than any sour patch kid ever hoped to be. Watching the final minutes of prep in the open kitchen we were excited to learn that appetizers were available at the bar and we ordered the chilled bacon and eggs, a half dozen deviled eggs made with whole grain mustard and gilded with bacon and sriracha. While the eggs themselves could have used a bit more seasoning the two toppings and the spinach leaves they were served on boosted them to really tasty with a spicy smoky punch. It also allowed us to order another appetizer at the table without looking like complete swine. Awesome.

We were led to a cozy but glitzy little roadster booth and delivered a warm loaf of crusty rosemary studded bread and flavored butter. Since the only thing I had eaten all day were the aforementioned deviled eggs we hopped on the bread (scrumptious) and ordered the exotic mushrooms and brie flatbread and pursued the wine menu. Apparently Rosewood Grill was written up in Wine Spectator and we settled on glasses of merlot and cab which were very nice.

Service started off exceptionally well but dragged a bit as the place began to fill up, you were never left waiting for long but once things start off like a house of fire you notice when it cools to embers.

The flatbread was good (not quite as good as Olive’s combo) but the crust was tasty and held up well to the roasted garlic aioli, fungus and cheese. If you like shrooms this is a nice combo. Steph ordered a salad of baby arugula which was topped with apples, figs, gorgonzola, bacon and a roasted shallot-sherry vinaigrette. Peppery greens, sweet fruit, pungent cheese, smoky pig; good but not breaking new ground in any way. An adult salad that hits all the marks. The most interesting thing about the salad was the dressing which took on different flavor profiles depending on where you dipped your fork in the bowl, intense light onionyness from here and sharp tart from here. I’m not sure if it was intended or not but you could pick your favorite and eat from either side: onion or vinegar.
 

Steph ordered the sirloin strip and I ordered the walleye and we split these down the middle as well. The steak was perfectly prepared, thick and of superior quality. The juices ran out of each slice and mingled with the Cabernet reduction to coat the beef in splendid. Alongside the steak were grilled asparagus spears, most of which were well done with two particular pieces in serious need of trimming. The bottom of one spear was so woody I could not force my fork through it. I didn’t risky my dental work to quantify how tough it was but it was a definite if small and rare misstep for the night. The starch on the plate was aged cheddar mash that was sick with cheese…check out the strings of cheese in the picture…looks like pizza. All four elements together proved to be well thought out.
 

The walleye was piping hot, flaky and moist with a crunchy herbed crust. The julienned vegetable sauté had maintained just a hint of crunch and was well seasoned. Both the veggies and fish became exponentially better with a quick swipe through the citrus butter sauce which was spread across the plate and had completely disappeared by the time we had finished eating. The most spectacular offering of the evening was in a scoop under the walleye. The creamy corn-parmesan risotto is something I will definitely steal. Wonderfully flavorful without over taking the subtle fish I was just able to leave without asking for a tub of risotto to go (and eat in the parking lot).

Stuffed and with a dozen cupcakes in the car we were offered the dessert menu and surprise surprise we ordered crème brule and cheesecake. The custard was sweet and had a load of vanilla bean inside but it did have too much sugar on top which resulted in granules of uncarmelized grit under the plate of browned sweetness. The cheesecake was a chocolate espresso version and was beyond rich. The swirls of caramel and crème anglaise and a unique tasting crust meant the plate went to the dish pit with just smears of evidence left on it. So Full!!! Too Full!!! But it really was all so good. With just a couple of minor issues the Rosewood Grill makes for a special occasion destination. Or just a nice night out. I would definitely return and bring friends.