Rosalie Italian - Review

[Montrose1100]

I ate at the bustling Rosalie Italian restaurant located in the lobby of the C. Baldwin Hotel (formally Double Tree). You know, the Allen Center Hotel that half the west facing views are obstructed by a parking garage?

 

The renovation in the Hotel is fantastic (and so is the lobby bar). The restaurant layout is different. It feels like you're dining in The Lexington Grille - all the rooms are separated and provide an old converted home feel.

 

Style and atmosphere satisfied my appetite. The Cocktail list wasn't my thing. I'm not really into the whole idea behind a Mixologist being recklessly creative. 1st bourbon drink tasted like potpourri and the second gin drink was like spraying a citrusy cologne in my mouth. Stuck to a dirty martini after that.

 

The food was great though and the staff were very attentive. Floor managers swept through the rooms constantly. I highly recommend this place. Also the signage at the hotel entrance is cool.

 

Montrose1100 Stamp of Approval. I'm not a critic by any means but thought I'd share my experience. Would advise to make a reservation.

[mkultra25]

2 hours ago, Montrose1100 said:

The Cocktail list wasn't my thing. I'm not really into the whole idea behind a Mixologist being recklessly creative. 1st bourbon drink tasted like potpourri and the second gin drink was like spraying a citrusy cologne in my mouth. Stuck to a dirty martini after that.

 

As an enthusiastic consumer of gin for some years now, I'm with you in terms of having a serious aversion to craft cocktails that attempt to remake gin into something that it's not. Citrusy cologne is not what invigorated the British Empire in subtropical climates. Give me three fingers of Tanqueray in an Old Fashioned glass with ice, a splash or two of tonic, and a wedge of lime, and I'm happy. How hard can it be?  

 

Mixology quibbles aside, I haven't been inside C. Baldwin since it was still the Double Tree, but look forward to checking out the renovations. 

[editor]

On 1/17/2020 at 3:03 PM, Montrose1100 said:

Montrose1100 Stamp of Approval. I'm not a critic by any means but thought I'd share my experience. Would advise to make a reservation.

Thanks for the review.  My wife recently heard about this place (she's always looking for Italian and French restaurants).  I don't trust Yelp! reviews, so I thought I'd see if anyone on HAIF was talking about it, and here it is!

Keep posting reviews.  You never know who might see them!

Apropos of nothing, this was the hotel Belo put me in when it brought to Houston for my interview at the cracKHOUse.  It was my first DoubleTree experience, and I still love the cookies-on-the-pillow gimmick.  Don't know if they still do that.  Strange to see the old KHOU space is now a vacant lot.  Long time coming, but that's another story.