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If this restaurant could hoist itself off its foundation and wander around Chicago, it would be chased by hordes of paparazzi and desperate people waiting for an open seat at the bar. To call Rose Mary popular is an understatement.
The combination of being in the West Loop and having a Top Chef winner in the kitchen created a level of hype that caused this large Croatian spot to become fully booked before it even opened. But hyped or not, Rose Mary is a great restaurant.
This information will either delight or annoy you, depending on whether or not you’ve been able to get a reservation. And in an era of hot takes, it might feel a little anticlimactic to hear that a restaurant so popular is also really good. But that doesn’t change the fact that the food at Rose Mary is delicious. Or that everything - from great service to the thoughtful coursing - makes for a fantastic dining experience.
photo credit: Kim Kovacik
The food is mostly Croatian, with a few Italian influences sprinkled in. And the long menu is full of a variety of delicious dishes that, after finally getting a table here, make it hard to decide what to order. From starters like the stracciatella with apple mostarda and airy lepinja, to the crni rizot - a creamy squid ink risotto that tasted like it was made with stock from the tears of a hundred lobsters.
That fantastic lepinja makes another appearance with the cevapi - a plate of lamb and beef sausages spiced with enough paprika, garlic, and onion to make you think twice before kissing your date goodnight. There is also the fall-off-the-bone pork ribs pampanella in a delicious sweet and sour calabrian chili agrodolce. You’ll want to try everything, and be frustrated that we live in a universe governed by the laws of space, time, and the physical limitations of stomach capacity.
photo credit: Kim Kovacik
You might not be able to order the entire menu, but there is some kind of Time Wizard working at Rose Mary. Despite the fact that every single table is filled, you won’t feel rushed, or get seated 45 minutes late. Normally, when we’re told to put our entire order in at once (like they do here) it frequently results in a stressful game of table-Tetris. But this doesn’t happen, and only dishes that complement each other arrive at the same time. And even though it’s unbelievably busy, you can speak at a normal volume instead of screaming about how great the cevapi is.
In other words, you’ll be searching Open Table for your next reservation before your scoop of honey pistachio gelato arrives.
Food Rundown
photo credit: Kim Kovacik
Stracciatella
photo credit: Kim Kovacik
Lamb Mafaldine Abruzzi
Gnocchi
photo credit: Kim Kovacik
Cevapi
photo credit: Kim Kovacik
Crni
photo credit: Kim Kovacik
Baby Octopus Peka Style
photo credit: Kim Kovacik