Rose Italian Kitchen (Rose), the new Italian restaurant located on Som Center Rd, opened  on April 30 of this year (2018). When going to Rose, I didn’t expect that much, but after eating there my opinion changed.

When walking into Rose, I was in awe by the beautiful decor. The restaurant gives off a warm, rustic look with glass bottle chandeliers, and stone architecture–which I can only assume was part of Paco’s Tacos (a taco restaurant that was there before Rose) look. While it was aesthetically pleasing, it didn’t quite have an Italian restaurant feel.

On the other hand, the service was moderate. My friends and I were seated in the back next to a wall which was made up of structures that looked like glass garage doors that open up when the weather permits. The waitress was welcoming and gave vivid descriptions of the menu when questions were asked. The menu itself offers a variety of Italian-focused foods. From salads to pizza, including a make-your-own with 16 different topping choices. The menu also includes any different types of sanches, dips and of course-dessert.

That night, we ordered a Margarita pizza, Pasta Rose, Artichoke dip, and the soup of the day: Beef Barley. We waited close to 15 minutes for our food to come, our waiter checked in on us frequently.

The Artichoke dip came first. When tasting the dip it had some pros and cons. Pros, it was delicious. Cons, it had an odd texture to it. The dip included gorgonzola, parmesan, basil pesto oil, and a side of bread. When tasting the bread it was clear to see that it was freshly baked, but the dip was another story altogether. It had a crumbly texture which was unexpected, but it tasted delicious and was only ten dollars.

Now for the entrees: Beef Barley, Pasta Rose, and Margarita pizza. The soup was quite savory. It was served hot and very appealing to the eye. It was served on a small plate and had green garnish that catches the eye.  However, the portion was very small.

The Pasta Rose is the pasta used to represent the restaurant Rose. Pasta Rose is filled with flavor and spice. Chicken, mushrooms, green onions, artichokes, sacchettini, red pepper and cream shrimp vodka all blend together to create an appetizing and flavorful dish. It’s made to order with any of those possible ingredients. Or you can just have pasta in the red cream sauce if you don’t like all the ingredients inside.

The Margarita pizza was probably the best pizza one can have. It was your usual, simple Margarita pizza. It had a thin crust crispy, and cooked to perfection. The sauce tasted fresh and had a good taste of tomatoes. Of course it had fresh mozzarella, tomato and basil just like every other classic Margarita pizza.

To end this great night we decided to order some Tiramisu, thinking it would be delicious, we were disappointed. It tasted and looked as if it just came out of a box from a store. There was too much cream and not even a single layer of cake. Not the right way to end the night.

Still, the overall night was enjoyable. In the end our dinner came to be $44, which is a reasonable price for the amount of food we had. The food was appetizing, and the service was quick and fast. A couple more restaurants like this in Solon are much needed to keep the city booming.