My last post here on the blog was on Monday morning, April 15th. Marathon Monday morning is a time here in Boston that is always filled with excitement, pride, tradition and comradery. Purposefully, it was posted in the early morning, hoping to add to the excitement of the day. By noon, I had a handful of friends texting me pictures of them shaking up the cocktail I recommended for marathon celebrations. By 3 o’clock in the afternoon I had a handful of friends texting me “ARE YOU OKAY?”.
For what has been the most horrific and trying week in Boston’s history, we as a community have truly come together for what is now being called, “Boston Strong”. I want to take a moment here to pay my respects and give the most sincere THANK YOU to the handful of first responders, investigative team members, our Governor and our Mayor. I’d also like to give my deepest condolences to the victims and their families. Having gone through the many emotions, from absolute fear to absolute relief and pride; somewhere in the middle I was looking for comfort. On a normal week, I would take the T to my mothers in the North End to share a bowl of pasta and a glass of wine with her. With the sensitivity of the events going on, taking the T and heading into the city wasn’t an option. I turned, instead, to a local eatery.
On Tuesday, early afternoon, I took a walk on my beach. I had my head down with my mind on the tragedy our city was going through. My racing thoughts were interrupted by the smell of garlic; I knew exactly where it was coming from: Rossetti’s Restaurant. Rossetti’s is a very well known spot here in Winthrop and it was just what I needed, a dose of comfort food.
I took a seat at the window table, looking out onto Winthrop Shore Drive and the beach. It was nostalgic to notice that my seat stared out to the American flag standing proudly out on the breakers. The restaurants windows were open, I took a deep breath of the briny air and felt my first feelings of comfort. I ordered the soft shell crab special and dunked my hearty bread deep into the dish of olive oil and hot red pepper in front of me. 
The seasonal special arrived at the table over a bed of arugula with cherry tomatoes, capers and a spicy aioli. It was a great pairing alongside my salt watered atmosphere. Having not been able to peel myself off of the couch and away from the television for a day now, it was what felt like my first bites of nourishment since the previous days events.
My hungry eyes grazed the menu again and set on another special, the grilled calamari served in a spicy plum tomato sauce with chickpeas, kalamata olives and capers. When it came to the table I was shocked by it’s size. You really do get a bang for your buck here. It was $10.00 and it looked like this.
Rossetti’s is the perfect spot for hearty dishes at great prices…did I mention it’s BYOB with no corkage fee?? Amazing. I was in flavorful bliss, they were all matched up with the tastes of home and that is exactly what I was looking for. After a few bites I was joined at the table by Bobby Rossetti, one of the owners. One of the first things he opened up with was, “Bobby Orr sat there you know”. I felt like I had known him forever, and could have easily sat there and talked for hours. He told me that the seat I was sitting in is one of the most sought out seats of all 34 in the restaurant. He also told me about a scene in a book that took place at Rossettis. Of course the first thing I did when I went home was found the book. The part that spoke to me the most on this day was this:
“They drove towards Winthrop. They parked on a side street just around the corner from Rossetti’s Restaurant, a small Italian bistro operated by two brothers whose menu consisted of recipes they had learned from their mother….Despite the sound of the gusty wind and the sight of white-capped surf, there was a certain peacefulness and solitude to the scene.”
I should mention that Bobby sent over a dish of bolognese which highlighted their homemade pasta. The pasta of the day was fusilli. And, I could tell it was made in-house not only from its texture, but because one piece was not the same size as the next…just like home. He also told me some great news, a second Rossetti’s will be opening in Lynn late this summer, it will be a large eatery with a full bar.
My fellow Bostonians, I urge you to jump on the Winthrop Ferry (leaves from Rowes Wharf and starts in mid-May), pick up a bottle of wine and get yourself to Rossetti’s to enjoy seasonal specials like the Beet salad with pecans, crumbled goat cheese, fresh berries & pomegranate vinaigrette or the Flatbread with buffalo mozzarella, red & yellow beefsteak tomatoes, peppadew peppers, arugula & shaved parmesan. I’m confident that Bobby will make you feel taken care of, like he did for me on such a critical day. #BostonStrong
hole in the pearl 