Rosie New Canaan: 16 Years of Uber Delicious Global Comfort Food

Stephanie Webster November 01, 2020

Walking in to meet the legendary “Rosie” of Rosie New Canaan, I had full clarity within 30 seconds as to what has made this uber delicious global comfort food spot so beloved for 16 years. Sure, it’s the 2 pound blueberry muffins that could make a grown man weep, and the love that goes into the 6 hour stewed black beans in Rosie’s hueveos rancheros, but truly it is Rosie Bonura herself that makes this place feel like home (but with far better fare than you’d find in your own kitchen). She herself is the perfect recipe of creative energy, passion, and love for her community. This New Canaan fixture, whom I came to realize, after sitting streetside with her, knows everyone in the town by name, came racing out of the kitchen to greet me (we’d never met in person), virtually hugged me, (cuz’ Covid), and said “I need to get a batch of cookies out of the oven, I’ll be right back.”

This month marks Rosie’s 16th anniversary, an impressive milestone in a difficult industry. “My parents are both Sicilian, so when I opened Rosie, I had it in my head that we would be serving an Italian menu. The guys in my kitchen had other plans. Most of my cooks are from the mountains of Guatemala, and they would always be back there making tacos. I realized these were the flavors I wanted to capture in my menu,” says Rosie. In fact, her globally inspired menu falls right at the intersection of American comfort fare and full bodied global flavors allowing Bonura to cook a range of unique but familiar food that make her happy…and has her customers coming back.

Let’s dig in to the food. It would be an outrage to talk about Rosie without first touching upon Brunch. The wait time may be long, but if you’re lucky enough to score a table, you can enjoy both Mexican and American breakfast classics alongside some lunch and dinner favorites. In fact, Rosie just won the Gold Coast award for “Best Breakfast.”

Any Rosie brunch worth its name begins with one of her outrageous, yes it’s the size of your child’s head, muffins. Whether you prefer blueberry, mixed fruit, or morning glory, Rosie has a little trick to make her muffins defy all laws of gravity. When she started out, Rosie was unhappy with the way the fruit always sank to the bottom of the muffins, either creating sogginess, and an uneven eating experience. Rosie decided to cook her muffins in stages, layering fruit and partial batter along the way such that the fruit remains layered and guests can enjoy a little something in every bite. The result…arguably the best muffin in Fairfield County.

Bring your extra stomach and the drawstring pants because next we head to the entrées. For me, the Huevos Rancheros, Brisket Tacos and the Fresh Maine Lobster Club are mandatory orders. Yes, figure it out people. You need ALL three.

Let’s start with the Huevos. Remember those aforementioned 6 hour stewed black beans? They make appearances throughout the menu, but they are ready for their closeup in this dish. Two perfectly cooked over easy eggs and a generous portion of the richly flavorful seasoned black beans are nestled with avocado, cheddar, salsa (Rosie makes pico de gallo fresh daily) on a flour tortilla. It sounds simple, but I believe the homemade freshness of her ingredients, and those beans are the key to flavortown here. It’s delicious.

The Lobster Club is oh-so-pretty, and probably the most Instagram friendly dish on the Rosie menu. Very lightly dressed lobster salad (lemon juice, salt,pepper and just a touch of mayo) is quite literally overflowing amidst three slices of thick white bread with avocado and applewood smoked bacon. The lobster comes straight from Maine and couldn’t be any fresher, and the locally sourced bacon is just the right amount of smoky. I also appreciate the delicate hand on the mayonnaise…it’s just barely there, and the flavor is banging.

Another standout are the Brisket Tacos. Rosie sources her grass fed brisket from a farm in MA. She marinates the meat in orange juice and chilis and then sears, braises, and then slow roasts the meat for 10 hours. It’s off the hook Pair that with a few corn tortillas. chipotle aioli, pico and cotija cheese, and you’ve got yourself a party.

Other solid morning dishes are her Buttermilk Pancakes with 3 slices of smokey bacon coated in a zesty three pepper blend. These are not “just” pancakes as they have both majestic height but also a wonderful tang from the Arethusa buttermilk used in the batter. Also, the maple syrup is from a wonderful farm in Vermont and olds its own pretty solidly.

Moving on to “Lunchier” fare, on a recent trip, we enjoyed a visually stunning, and delightful to eat, Summer Salad, which Rosie was about to take off the menu upon Fall’s arrival. However, her customers wouldn’t hear of it, and Rosie listens to her guests. Lucky us, we can continue to savor this salad made with bibb lettuce, mixed greens, black lentils, goat cheese, vividly pink radishes and a wonderfully light orange citrus vinaigrette. It’s staying, Summer or no Summer.

Getting back to Rosie’s Mexican inspired fare, we also sampled her Crunchwrap, featuring deeply flavorful stewed chicken in the now famous crunchy folded tortilla. Rosie drizzles hers with a red sauce made from a homemade Sazon seasoning: paprika, garlic, onions, cumin and other spices, adding a nice kick.

And finally…don’t fret, while Rosie’s offerings are breakfast and lunch focused, they are more than happy to provide you with a cocktail or two. Create the perfect Brunch pairing with a Classic Mimosa, Bacon Bloody Mary, Jalapeno Bloody Mary, or seasonal Margarita (Watermelon Marg. above).

Dessert? There are no words for Rosie’s “Dessert” category. Rosie likes to mix things up, but be prepared to go home with her incredible “hostess” or coconut cupcakes, a smore’s cookie or her pecan sandies. Check out the close-up below.