Skip to main content

Rosebud American Kitchen & Bar

Rosebud
The historic Rosebud Diner in Somerville, Massachusetts, has been reinvented. No longer a diner, the new Rosebud American Kitchen & Bar offers a Pan American menu according to owner Joe Cassinelli.

“I don’t want a pretentious restaurant,” he says. “My goal is to offer honest food and honest drinks.”

Related Videos

While the menu gives a nod to the nostalgic diner days with a dessert case stacked with mouthwatering pies and coffee for a mere buck a cup, the other offerings include a mix of comfort food with a modern, upscale spin.

Asian BBQ Hog HeadThey offer a variety of entrees and savory sides but the BBQ (a specialty of Chef/Partner John Delpha) is a show stopper. They sell out nightly of the Asian BBQ hog head featuring a whole hog’s head dressed with gochujang BBQ, kimchi, and ginger scallion relish, and served with biscuits. They also sell a lot of his BBQ Baconator Meatloaf Fatty.

Delpha, who served as a helicopter pilot in the Army, went to culinary school after getting out of the service. After working in Boston restaurants for 15 years, he opened a restaurant in Vermont and ran it for about five years before teaming up with Cassinelli to create Rosebud American Kitchen.

Atomic BT's at Rosebud KitchenHe truly loves preparing barbecue and cooks on a competition team. One of the items on Rosebud’s menu that he points to as a crowd favorite is Atomic BT’s (Buffalo Turds), which are jalapeno peppers that have been hollowed out, stuffed with cream cheese and pork, wrapped in bacon, seasoned with BBQ rub, cooked in a smoker and then glazed in barbecue sauce. You can see how Delpha makes them in this video.

“One of our favorite dishes is the Black Pepper Noodles,” says Cassinelli. “It’s an Italian spirited dish with Southern smoked ham and Chinese noodles. People will ask me, ‘Is this an authentic American restaurant?’ and I say, ‘What’s authentic?’ America is a melting pot. It’s about putting all of these tastes and cultures together. We want to take Southern and Asian and Mexican and other flavors and arrange them in a way that we’re excited to present them.”

He did a similar thing with the eclectic mishmash of buildings on the site by combining them in such a way to present a more exciting space.

Rosebud Kitchen pies“The diner never excelled at the whole space,” he says. “It had a broken up footprint with a bunch of buildings. None of them worked well together. That was the focus of our renovation—to make it feel like one space.”

He touts the leather booths in the back as a place where “you can really lose yourself.”

Rosebud American Kitchen offers an extensive selection of craft beer and spirits. Right now they are serving dinner and weekend brunch, but plans include adding a lunch menu and more live music.

Editors' Recommendations

Campbell’s Soup has an executive chef, and he’s dishing amazing tips and recipes
Did you know Campbell's Soup has an executive chef? Neither did we, but we chatted him up for culinary tips
Campbell's executive chef Bryan Cozzi.

When you think of Campbell's, you probably think of chicken noodle soup and Andy Warhol. Well, the classic American brand, founded back in 1869, also has a research and development team fit with culinary talent. Campbell's even has an executive chef, with whom we chatted about cooking, some special Cambell's Soup recipes, and general tips for an elevated eating experience.

Bryan Cozzi is an East Coast native and has been with Campbell's for a decade. He's helped the company innovate with fresh meals and sauces and currently focuses on soups and broth. After 10 years with Campbell's, he says he's still excited to go to work every day.

Read more
These are the 7 best Mexican restaurants this side of the border
There's no shortage of good Mexican restaurants here in the states — These are the very best
The Original Ninfa’s

Of the many truly great cuisines out there, Mexican must be in the mix. It belongs in the same breath as Italian and French, full of diversity, dynamism, incredible age-old recipes and techniques, and a lot of food that's just plain fun to eat.

Yes, our country is home to some fantastic Mexican restaurants, from family-friendly outposts to high-end establishments redefining the very genre. And it's not just happening in border states like Texas, Arizona, and California. There's great Mexican cuisine all over the United States.
So, while this is by no means the definitive list of best Mexican restaurants in the nation, it is a collection of some of the finest. If you’re looking for an iconic experience, authentic dishes, or simply a great a meal, these options will never disappoint.

Read more
These 10 NYC restaurants are worth splurging for
Ready to splurge on a memorable meal in the Big Apple? Here are your ten best bets for a fantastic dining experience
A dish at Per Se in NYC.

Most New Yorkers have an opinion on the best restaurants in their city and no two ever seem to be exactly alike. Makes sense, given the countless number of great eateries in the Big Apple. From incredible ethnic food to high-end fusion, New York City has it all.

But if one really had to whittle it down to a list of must-visits while there, what would that list look like? We did the homework and came up with a top ten for the ages, full of restaurants that offer jaw-dropping culinary experiences. You'd be lucky to land at any one of these tables over a lifetime as these restaurants are home to some of the best chefs in the world.

Read more