Foothill Flavors 669 words

In Jackson: They’re Gathering Rosebud’s

By Antoinette May Herndon

There’s good news today! Rosebud’s Classic Café has risen again. The eatery originally built after the 1862 fire, a flourishing business for well over 100 years, closed mysteriously a few years back. The windows were painted over, the door barred. For many of us with fond memories of yummy breakfasts and savory lunches, the loss was keenly felt. There were rumors aplenty but nothing seemed to be happening. It appeared that Rosebud’s was toast.

Then suddenly something popped. On St. Patrick’s Day (how appropriate can you get?) the bistro re-opened. The reality is even better than that. Not only has Rosebud’s opened, but every aspect about it is better than ever.

Owners, Mary Pulskamp and Robert Lockhart, never strayed too far from the food market. They’ve been growing and raising foodstuffs all along and are active in the farmers market scene. The growing “farm to fresh” movement couldn’t get more enthusiastic participants than Mary and Robert. Perhaps it was inevitable that they would follow the food chain back to the table.

The Rosebud Classic Café’s new décor is both piquant and pleasing. Take a peak inside and you’ll see flashes of emerald green, shimmering mahogany finishes and purple beamed ceilings. Indigo Carlton’s vivid art work literally leap off the wall at you. Musicians play throughout the dining hours. The effect is part pub, part parlor and part party.

In the past, Charles and I thought of Rosebud’s as basically a sandwich and burger place, consistent but not particularly exciting. Guess again! The

bistro’s back with a difference. The new menu is a mindblower filled with exotic new choices.

Just to think of the Hot Vegetarian ($9.95)--a selection of garden vegetables sautéed with jalapeno peppers, topped with hot pepper jack cheese and served on a grilled crusty roll with a with a choice of fries or vegetables. The O’Malley’s Melt ($12.95) is another winner. This is a char grilled three pounder made of all natural ground beef chuck served on a grilled Geneva sour dough bun with cheddar cheese, Irish whisky, sautéed mushrooms and fries.

Charles particularly enjoyed the Philly ($10.95). This is sliced beef sautéed with bell peppers, onion, and fresh jalapeno topped with hot pepper cheese on a grilled crusty roll with smoked jalapeno Aioli served with fries or vegetables.

A daily breakfast at Rosebud’s Classic Café features eggs collected from free range chickens. The Black Irish Omelet at $11.95 is a house specialty. Added to the eggs are bell pepper, tomato, onion, olives and cheese with Mary’s special salsa.

But then there’s also the signature dish. Now I ask you, how could a place that calls itself Rosebud’s not have a dish named after Citizen Kane’s famous sled? Of course they do and it’s delicious. The eggs are sautéed with fresh spinach and mushrooms with jack cheese added and then served with hash browns, tomato slices toast or homemade biscuits. ($11.95)

These previously named goodies and more are all simply every day fare at Rosebud’s. The menu gets amped on weekends when Pulskamp and Lockhart go all out with a special brunch. Vegans will surely think they’ve gone to heaven when they taste Raffa’s Vegan breakfast. It’s a concoction

of diced carrots and celery sautéed with chard, kale, broccoli, garlic, cherry tomatoes and finely dice jalapenos whisked in curry spices and then topped with avocado. The final complement is brown rice and fresh cilantro. ($12.95) With an incentive like that I could almost become a vegan myself.

As I said earlier, it’s hard to decide what to eat at Rosebud’s. Each item on the menu seems to stand up and scream, “Try me! Pick me! Meeeeee!

My ultimate choice on a recent Sunday morning was salmon pie. It was fantastic. Imagine a large slice of home made pie filled with fresh salmon, topped with lemon dill hollandaise and served with tomato slices on a bed of sautéed kale. (12.95) Really, Rosebud’s Salmon Pie is the ultimate breakfast, brunch or lunch fare.

Service is warm and friendly at Rosebud’s, if a little pokey. This is a good place to catch up with your thoughts, reading or conversation. If you, like I, aren’t ready to be a vegetarian in this lifetime, it’s nice to meditate on the fact that this is a place where the beef is hormone free and the chickens, prior to arrival, have lead carefree, outdoor lives.

VITALS: Rosebud’s Classic Café is at 26 Main St. in Jackson. Credit cards accepted, Phone: 223- 1035. Hours are from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m., Thursday through Monday. Plans are afoot to expand to expand to serving dinner. Stay tuned.

PICTURES: Salmon Pie is a favorite dish at Rosebud’s Classic Café in Jackson.

French toast—an old favorite—but special at Rosebud’s Classic Café in Jackson.

The staff at Rosebud’s Classic Café in Jackson, chef Robin Fuller, left, and owners, Mary Pulskamp and Robert Lockhart.