Somerville's iconic Rosebud Diner closed early last summer, and today, a new restaurant opens in its place — with the historic exterior intact, of course. The brand new Rosebud American Kitchen & Bar is part of the Alpine Restaurant Group, which also includes The Painted Burro and Posto, both nearby. Is owner Joe Cassinelli building a Davis Square empire?
Chef/partner John Delpha, a Mistral alum, has racked up a lot of barbecue awards over the years, and those skills will be put to good use at Rosebud with dishes like St. Louis ribs and Texas brisket figuring into the menu, not to mention the Asian barbecue hog head that feeds two to four. But get there early: "Johnny is really passionate about barbecue and he want to run this like a real barbecue stand," Cassinelli told Boston Magazine. "There won't be an infinite supply of brisket and ribs, so when we're out, we're out." And in a nod to the old Rosebud, pie will be plentiful — and coffee will be a dollar.
Ian Strickland, an alum of The Beehive and The Merchant, is in charge of drinks, including a huge whiskey selection and some aged cocktails, like a 52-day-old Negroni. On the beer side, there are some very local options, including Aeronaut, which recently opened between Union and Porter Square.
For now, Rosebud is open for dinner from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. daily (and you can drink until 1 a.m.) Keep an eye out for the upcoming launch of weekend brunch and weekday lunch.
· A fully revamped Rosebud to open on September 15 [BM]
· All coverage of Rosebud American Kitchen & Bar on Eater [~EBOS~]
