238844 Tue Oct 15 09:55:30 -0700 2002 5 19 Outer Boroughs 0 1266623 Encouraged by some Chowhound suggestions, I brought my visiting family to Rose Water for dinner on Saturday night. Despite terrible weather, the intimate restaurant was full, an early indication to the quality of what was to follow. Rose Water is a small, neighborhood restaurant that doesn't aspire to be bigger. Instead, it capitalizes on the intimate atmosphere it has to offer and couples it with tasty foods that are inpired by the market's seasonal offerings. Since I am partial to root vegetables, this tendancy always pleases me in the fall. My family (party of 5) dined succulantly on a wide array of offerings, and no one was dissapointed. Appetizers were largely selected from the specials menu, which included some lovely squash fritters and a delicious sauted porcini salad with pears and Roquefort cheese. A special entree, an organic skirt steak over mustard-flavored polenta was equally delicious. From the regular menu, an appetized of seared scallops was excellent, as were the two fish entrees, a grape leaf wrapped cod and a pan-seared halibut atop a lovely sauted array of shallots and vegetables. Rose Water standards of chicken and pork were of similarly good quality. Dessert did not dissapoint either. While the offerings weren't as remarkable or substantial as the main courses, a special riccotta topped apple crisp was a highlight, and a chocolate crepe was also yummy. The wine list was varied and incredibly well-priced. We enjoyed a bottle of Napa Valley Merlot for $33. Overall, a wonderful experience was had by all. Well-worth venturing out in the poor weather, and easily worth venturing back to on a milder night. Tue Oct 15 09:55:30 -0700 2002 0 Hippo 1 1266625 I'm glad you had a great experience there. I find Rosewater to be a maddening restaurant. I've had one sublime meal there--sandwiched between a pair of mediocrities. I would love to be convinced that this place is gaining some consistency, because when it's on, it's really damned good. And there's nothing like good market-based cooking. Tue Oct 15 10:53:44 -0700 2002 1266623 0 Tom Philpott 2 1266649 Tom, Thanks for that comment. Sometimes I wonder if I've been to the same restaurant when someone posts a rave like this and my own experience was so different. I agree that this place can be terrific, but it is too inconsistent for the prices charged. We find it more consistent for brunch. Service remains spotty, too--sometimes really nice and warm and sometimes not acceptable at all. Tue Oct 15 16:57:09 -0700 2002 1266625 0 phyllis 3 1266673 Guess I've always been lucky. I love everything about this place. From walking in and seeing right into the kitchen at the front door, to the cozy dining room, to the relaxed service, to the fantastic menu. Maybe I'm a little blind when it comes to Rose Water.... Wed Oct 16 12:11:03 -0700 2002 1266649 0 Scott Berkman 4 1266691 I'm with you, Phyllis. Everything about this place is wonderful! And the service is always super. I ate there with my in-laws and 4-month-old daughter and they couldn't have been nicer. It's one of my all-time favorite restuarants. Wed Oct 16 17:08:15 -0700 2002 1266673 0 Jen 3 1266682 I've had both schizo experiences too with the service. I find that if you are alone, they treat you much worse than if you are with a group. Wed Oct 16 14:56:21 -0700 2002 1266649 0 Kerry