Rose Mediterranean Is Like a Taste of Old Country

Ten weeks ago, a Mediterranean-American fusion restaurant opened in Caldwell – and it’s a place area diners should not miss.

at 435 Bloomfield Ave. has quickly become the “in” destination in the borough, as witnessed by the large, boisterous crowd that filled the dining and party room on a recent Saturday night.

The restaurant is so popular, when we called to make reservations, we were asked to move our request up 15 minutes to ensure we could get a table.  

Once seated by our hostess, we were greeted by our waiter, Luke, who informed us he was there to make our evening both enjoyable and memorable – something he accomplished with great ease.

We were provided with two menus, an everyday menu and one listing daily specials. The specials included a grilled swordfish appetizer, a butternut squash ravioli and entrées like red snapper sibiliano and veal osso bucco.

One thing the special menu lacked, however, was prices for each item. Luke was quick to provide the prices and our adventure began. He brought over a basket full of freshly baked focaccia bread with two small bowls, one filled with olive oil and garlic, the other with pesto. The bread was quickly eaten and the bowls emptied.

On this cold night, I decided for my appetizer to try a bowl of Rose Mediterranean’s hale and hearty chicken vegetable soup with ditalini ($6), small tube-shaped pasta. The soup was every bit as good as advertised. It was hot, full of shredded chicken and plenty of pasta.

My dining companion decided on the large-stem artichoke hearts ($10) for her appetizer. The dish included three deep-fried artichoke hearts with marinara sauce; she also requested harissa (spicy) sauce. The artichokes were crunchy and warm and the addition of the sauces pushed the dish over the top.

Not yet satisfied, I decided to try a standard fare appetizer, the mozzarella Caprese ($12), fresh buffalo mozzarella, arugula, tomatoes with basil oil and balsamic reduction. The balsamic was thick and sweet and drizzled over the entire portion – not too much, not too thin. The mozzarella was cut in thick slices and topped off with chunky tomatoes. The arugula had an almost mint-like taste.

As we ate, the restaurant kept getting more crowded. Within 30 minutes of being seated, the entire front section of the establishment was filled. Luke was busy taking orders in another part of the restaurant, but he checked back often.

When it was time for our main courses, my dining companion decided to try the tilapia ($17). The dish came with a white wine reduction, honey and date sauce. There were two problems – the fish was served lukewarm and a side order of spinach (with garlic pieces inside) was not brought to the table. 

The hostess came to our table and apologized for the cool food and missing spinach, offering us complimentary desserts to make up for the problems.

My dish was off the specials menu and it did not disappoint. I chose Rose’s chicken, two chicken breasts served over a bed of risotto with sun-dried tomatoes and artichokes ($19). It was topped with a thick brown balsamic gravy that was both sweet and rich. My portion was large – almost overflowing the side of the plate. I ate as much as I could, but couldn't finish all the artichokes and tomatoes.

For dessert, my companion ordered the Bananas Foster ($9). We were warned it would take approximately 15 minutes to prepare the dish. It was worth the wait as one of the waiters began with a small flame and a frying pan. He added a half-stick of butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and finally banana liqueur with four bananas and rum. It was topped off with vanilla ice cream. The ingredients were extremely rich, but the “show” was really the preparation as the frying pan was engulfed in flames as the rum and banana liqueur were added.

I opted for the more traditional chocolate lava cake ($9), a small slice of heaven that involves warm rich Belgium chocolate cake served with vanilla gelato. This, too, we were warned, would take approximately 15 minutes to prepare. It was also well worth the wait as the chocolate cake melted on my cold spoon and the gelato was a nice complement.

A detail we liked is the quality of the silverware, which was heavy and strong, making it easy to cut meat or butter bread. We did, however, make note of the bathrooms, which were small and narrow and were probably not handicap accessible for a wheelchair. Lastly, we noted that sitting in the front of the restaurant near the pane glass window in winter is not a good idea – patrons are constantly opening the door and sending a chill through the front of the house.

Rose Mediterranean is so new, we passed by the restaurant twice as we attempted to find it. But, don’t blame the restaurant – blame the snow showers the area experienced earlier that day as it covered up the red awning outside.

I guess if that’s the worst thing I can say, then Rose Mediterranean will be around for a long time.

Rose Mediterranean: 435 Bloomfield Ave., Caldwell

Phone: 973-403-7673

Email: rosemediterranean@hotmail.com

Website: http://rosemediterranean.com

Hours: Sunday brunch, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., dinner, 4 to 8 p.m.

Tuesday-Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Friday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Saturday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Closed Mondays

Reservations recommended, BYOB

Party room available

Eat-in or take out