“A bottle of red, a bottle of
white, it all depends on your appetite.” I couldn’t shake Billy Joel’s classic
ode to Italian cuisine in “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant” as I dined at
Rosetta’s Italian Restaurant in Canton, MA. The eatery is located in the town
center, in an unassuming white building it shares with other tenants and what
was once Rosario’s restaurant. Gone are the cramped quarters, rambunctiously
noisy atmosphere, and blue collar service, replaced with a front to back dining
room that lends to more intimate dining and conversations. The wait staff is
friendly and patient, if not a bit too slowly paced (a 2 plus hour sitting on a
not so busy Thursday evening). But that’s beside the point. If the rather
non-descript building in which Rosetta’s resides is considered unassuming, then
consider the food itself - much of it handmade and packed with bold flavors – a
declaration that this eatery is a noteworthy addition to Canton and the local
dining scene.
This is in large part to its staff,
helmed by an owner who served in the Armed Forces for twenty years and strives
for perfection, while a key member of his wait staff served as Food Manager for
Quincy Hospital for ten years prior to its recent closure. The menu also boasts
a very affordable price point (most appetizers are $6-$8, while large entrees
range from $12-$16 and desserts top out at $7). The kitchen is also very
flexible accommodating requests for substitutions.
Appetizers are surprisingly not
Italian-inspired (perplexing sides of nachos, potato skins, and chicken wings
don’t necessarily pair well with a bottle of vino). With that said, the BBQ
crazy wings my son orders possess a wonderfully crispy exterior and a meaty,
tender interior. As for entrees, the veal marsala is the most satisfying
version I’ve consumed since Delfino’s memorable take in Roslindale. The veal
was extremely tender, while the sauce – one that so many restaurant’s claim can
produce but very few properly execute – is pure heaven: a thick, buttery,
topping laced with fresh mushrooms. The meat was paired with house-made
parpadelle, perhaps a tad undercooked (not quite al dente), but the noodles were
a delicious complimentary sauce-sopper, nonetheless. The veal parmigiana was no
slouch, either, a mammoth piece of perfectly breaded meat topped with a zesty,
hearty marinara sauce.
Desserts are decent, if not less
memorable. While the tiramisu’s cake was spongy and nicely soaked in rum, and a
spiced homemade carrot cake was warm and comforting, both suffered from
excess frosting. I’m afraid White’s Bakery (Brockton, Mansfield) and Montilio’s
(Braintree) would be the nearest locations, outside of the North End, to find
that perfect cannoli.
Rosetta’s also stocks a very
reasonably priced ($6-9 by the glass, $22-40 by the bottle), short selection of
wines. About a half dozen reds and whites primarily hail from Italy with a few
outliers from California and Washington. A fruity La Maialina “Gertrude” Tuscan
red blend and a complex, velvety J Lohr cabernet provided noteworthy sips.
As our meal concludes, I find
myself gravitating back to the apt lyrics of that classic Billy Joel tune. “We’ll
get a table near the street, in our old familiar place.” That’s what Rosetta’s
is: nothing flashy on the outside, taking its place alongside busy Washington
Street, and yet, creating surprisingly well executed, flavorful Italian cuisine.
This eatery can most certainly become that old familiar place both couples and
families should seek out for a satisfying dining experience.
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