MEXICO CITY RESTAURANT REVIEW: Rosetta
For our last night in Mexico City I wanted a special dinner, and while it was essentially impossible to get a reservation at the two heavy hitters of Pujol and Quintonil, I was able to snag an eight-top at this Michelin-starred restaurant near the Plaza Rio de Janeiro. Chef Elena Reygadas, who was named The World's Best Female Chef in 2023, combines traditional Mexican techniques and ingredients with Italian and New American influences to create a very creative menu with a variety of lovely dishes. You'll understand why I had a difficult time answering "what type of food is it?" when asked by companions ahead of the meal.
We were seated in an upstairs dining room with wooden floors and wallpaper panels featuring colorful parrots sitting atop green branches, which lent a liveliness to the environs. I didn't get a chance to check out their top-floor bar, but the drinks were well-made, including a jasmine margarita and the "Alife" cocktail made with corn tequila and vanilla liqueur. They even had a house beer: a blonde ale collaboration with local Falling Piano Brewing, though this was irritatingly difficult to find on Untappd.
The menu was separated into three sections: Starters, Pastas/Soups, and Mains. A clear highlight was the corn tamales with celeriac and a smoked cream sauce. Most tamales I've had in the past are basically dense masa bricks, borderline inedible in my opinion. But the consistency of these was closer to a sponge cake: so light and fluffy, and the smoky/salty combination of the celery root and cream sauce created a delectable bite. Scallops with cachuazintle (a white heirloom maize processed via nixtamalization, the ancient technique that is seemingly so hot in the streets these days, see: Tatemó and Maximo in Houston, among others) were served in chunks plated back on the shell over a lightly acidic broth. The crunch from the corn contrasted nicely with the soft, tender bivalves. Other popular appetizers at the table were savoy cabbage tacos (the leafy green replacing the usual tortilla) and a creamy white mole topped with fermented multicolored carrots. The presentations of these latter dishes almost rivaled the deliciousness.
Moving down the menu, the remaining dishes were served more or less simultaneously depending on how many of each were ordered. One great pasta was the tagliatelle with Italian sausage. One might find oneself confused about what this dish had to do with Mexico, but the smoky heat of the chile de arbol gave this the regional touch that ties together the menu. Dried chiles also elevated the orecchiette with squid and sweet potatoes to a Mexitalian fusion delight. The only thing I didn't particularly care for was a vegetable minestrone, but that had less to do with execution and more to do with my general dislike of this particular soup.
Highly recommended by the waiter was the "rockot" (aka red snapper) with sikil pak (a Mayan pumpkin seed sauce) and some Mexican gourds. The local ingredients were an interesting counterpart to the expertly cooked fish. I went a bit off-book with my personal entree, ordering a chileatole (Mexican corn soup) with meaty briny mussels. It was definitely a nice change a pace from my usual protein selection, but you won't be surprised to learn that I regretted not ordering the absolute show-stopper of the entire meal, a braised short rib atop luscious polenta. A marinade of soy sauce and brown sugar lent saltiness, umami, and sweetness to the fall-apart tender meat, and had me begging my friend to let me finish her scraps once she could eat no more. World-class.
Unfortunately, due to greedily sampling numerous dishes, I found myself too stuffed to order dessert, so I was unable to try the highly recommended cubed honey jelly with brown butter ice cream and vanilla sauce. Next time.
All in all, a fantastic meal, and a full recommendation from me, especially if you are looking for an innovative fine dining experience that doesn't feel too pretentious and doesn't break the bank. One word of warning: the bathroom ceilings are EXTREMELY low, so if you are anywhere near the taller side you'll have to crouch down or crane your head while using the facilities. Even the shortest member of our group felt a bit claustrophobic in there.
That's it from this CDMX trip, but I'll definitely be visiting again soon to try out the many restaurants and bars on my list that I didn't make it to this time.
NEXT UP: a contemporary omakase spot in the Heights that I have heard/know very little about