Interview with Chef Richard Rosendale, Rosendales Restaurant, May 12, 2008

Born in Pennsylvania, Chef Rosendale's Classical Training has taken him to Northern Italy, Germany, Luxembourg, Switzerland and some of the finest kitchens in the United States. His traditional schooling included a rigorous six-year apprenticeship under several Certified Master Chefs that resulted in very little time off. Chef Magazine recently referred to him as "A New Breed of American Chefs"…. an amalgam of different generations and philosophies from within the industry. Also, he is the former Chef de Cuisine of the Prestigious Tavern Room Restaurant at the Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, WV. The restaurant received numerous accolades and awards under his watchful eye. His duties there also included assisting in the supervision of 165 Chefs and 2,000 employees.

Phood-Whine interviewed Richard at the mark of his restaurant's first year.

P-W: What motivated you to get into the food business and what has influenced your tastes as a chef?

RR: My heritage is German and Italian, so I think my grandparents and being around great food when growing up nurtured my love for eating and cooking. I like simple flavors as well as those foods with more complex flavors. I think because of my training in Italy, I have a love of traditional flavors, but my food is very refined. The presentations are, however, more complex.

P-W: What is your philosophy on selection of food ingredients?

RR: I have a firm grasp of classical cookery mixed with the hypermodern techniques of today. The result can be summed up in three words: flavor, innovation and technique. In the restaurant, we try to give the diner options, such as traditional flavor combinations with a contemporary approach, but also accommodate the guest who may want to be a little more experimental. The restaurant offers the choice of selecting from an a la carte menu featuring more traditional flavor profiles, or having the extended tasting menu with more progressive ideas and ingredient combinations. This is the perfect way for the kitchen staff to demonstrate their wide range of expertise. Regarding ingredients, we use what is available to us and what is in season. That makes my job much easier when we are starting with something that is already in season and tastes great.

P-W: What are the top 2 or 3 critical considerations in creating a successful restaurant?

RR: Wow that is a difficult question, because there is so much that goes into creating a successful restaurant. I think the location is really pretty important. We have a great location in the Short North. I really don't have to rely on people exclusively seeking us out. Many people just come across us because they happen to be in the Short North. That really introduces us to a lot of new guests.

The other important note is our team. You have to have people around you that are very talented and create synergy. I may have the vision of Rosendales clear in my head, but I need a whole team to carry out that vision and embrace every little detail of it. That is not easy to find. Great people are at the center of any successful business.

P-W: How would you compare the Columbus market to others you have experienced? .

RR: I think people at times underestimate the Columbus market. It is a big, forward thinking Midwestern City. It is the 15th largest city in the country, and there are lots of great places to eat. And the market is very open to whatever we try. I sell many more tastings here than I did at the Greenbrier.

P-W: How have changes in the US economy affected the restaurant business in Columbus?

RR: We are not unlike any other business. We have to adjust and make ends meet. You have to be smart and not waste money. You only spend what you have to spend and you take care of your staff and you take care of your guests. If you do that, then most likely your business will do well. We act like a restaurant but we also act more like a business. That's what we are, a restaurant company, and as food and fuel prices rise, you have to be creative and find new ways to generate revenue. But at the end of the day, you have to put out a great product. That can never change, no matter what.

P-W: What has the customer reaction been to your food and wine pairing menus?

RR: As I mentioned before, we sell a lot of our tasting menus. People really enjoy them and they come back with friends and do them again. When you come here you are not a number, you are our guest and your satisfaction is our highest mission. Not a lot of restaurants can say that. We really care about your experience, and the tasting menus have a tremendous amount of work that go into them. We could make it much easier and do less work, but that is not us. We do the tasting menus because our guests enjoy them.

P-W: What trends have you observed in your patrons' wine selections?

RR: Lots of half bottles. People like to have a white and maybe two different reds, or vice versa. It is nice to be able try different things. Our guests like that flexibility.

P-W: What new food/wine trends do you see on the horizon within the restaurant business?

RR: I think you will see more small plate places and wine bars. People like to eat more variety, and have lots of choices. Wine bars, and tapas style menus are not going to slow down. They are going to gain more popularity.

P-W: What do you personally feel makes your restaurant unique?

RR: Everything about the Rosendales is unique: our food, our service, our design and my story. I came here with really nothing but a vision and opened the restaurant with a talented team. We are all here to support one common goal. That is to be the best restaurant. We want to garner national attention and be known as a destination restaurant. That does not happen overnight. It takes a while and you do it one dinner at a time. I believe that we are going to do that. Our menu and our food are different, and so is the service. But you can get great food at a diner or you can get great service at a casual restaurant. What we do is take all the little things and stack them on top of each other. All the little things are what make a good restaurant become great.

P-W: What part of your business do you enjoy the most?

RR: I love to come in every day and create. I have a great team and love the freedom to do whatever I can dream of. That is inspirational to me, to be able to create. It drives me to push everyone every day. I don't want to dread coming in to work every day. I am here so much, I want to really be passionate about it, and I am.

P-W: What is your favorite meal and what wine would you pair with it?

RR: I love pork, so I would say Choux Croute and Gruner Veltliner.

P-W: What new and exciting things might we expect to see at Rosendales in the future?

RR: We are getting ready to change our menu next month and there are some excellent new dishes. One is a "VLT" that, of course, is a play off a BLT. It is a Veal Shank, Braised Lettuce and Fried Green Tomato with Boursin Polenta. There are plenty of other new ones. We also are working on new tasting menus every day. I have a new Olympic Team cookbook coming out as well. It should be out around Christmas, 2008.

P-W: Rosendales aside--what is your favorite restaurant in the US?

RR: The French Laundry.

P-W: What else would you like to share with our readers?

RR: My wife Laura and I have a baby coming this month. It is our first.

P-W: Richard, we wish you the best with your new baby and thanks very much for taking the time to share your thoughts with our readers.

Rosendales
793 North High Street
Columbus, OH 43215
(614) 298-1601

For more about Richard and Rosendales Restaurant, please go to their website at www.rosendales.com.

For our reviews of Rosendales, see P-W Reviews.