Salumeria Rosi

From the field. SirDatesALot weighs in on an Upper West Side spot I've been meaning to try on my walk home from work. I guess I'll be skipping it:

So I finally made it to Salumeria Rosi -- the meat, cheese and wine paradise that is part of the Upper Wide Side’s dining explosion … or just another sign that us yuppies have really taken over the neighborhood. Well, I guess that really happened decades ago.

I am not going to waste much time on this write-up frankly because I already wasted too much time in my life at Salumeria Rosi. I had very high expectations for the place and it met almost none of them.

First off, the interior was dark, cramped, gaudy and made me feel like I was in a cheap wedding hall. The staff was very nice, but there is only so far that friendliness can go. The food has got to be good too. And it wasn’t.

The prosciutto and salami were very good but the homemade pork was dry and bland and some of their hams made me wonder why I didn’t just pick up some pre-packaged Oscar Meyer at the grocery store. The description of the cheese plate as “miniscule" was an overly-generous description.

The one bright side: the wine list. I found the wine by the glass list to be extensive for a tiny joint, well-varied and our waitress was well-versed in the different vintages. She offered us samples of the wines she paired with our food.

Next time – if there is one – I would focus on the one or two meats and get them to go from the deli-like counter up front. Otherwise, this place isn’t worth the time.