Renowned for its upscale Italian eats and premier steaks, Rosebud offers a distinctive dining experience unlike any other in Chicago. And now, with its new flagship location at One Two Pru, Rosebud is delivering the brand’s crowd-favorite dishes along with incredible views of Millennium Park. For an exclusive inside look at the new Randolph location, we sat down with Executive Chef Mauricio Gomez who has spent the last three decades in Rosebud restaurants growing and crafting the brand into what it is today. Read up and dig in.
Can you tell us a little bit about your culinary background?
I was born in Mexico, and when I came to the United States, I quickly began working in restaurants in Chicago — one being Rosebud. For many years, I balanced two jobs at a time, and Rosebud was always one of them.
My career at Rosebud Restaurants began in 1991 when I got my first job as a dishwasher. Since then, I’ve worked under several highly respected chefs in the area, constantly learning and improving. I worked every BOH job there is, including dishwasher, prep cook, line cook, kitchen manager, sous chef and now Executive Chef.
Over the last 31 years, I’ve spent time working at all nine Rosebud locations. My understanding of every role, from dishwasher to sous chef, and of every location has provided me with the ability to lead the culinary team here at Rosebud. It comes down to organization, consistency and a love for what I do. I like to say that I grew up in Rosebud.
How would you explain the Rosebud experience?
Coming to Rosebud is enjoying a home cooked meal in a beautiful setting with the greatest Italian recipes. We make everything — pastas, chicken parm, you name it — from scratch every single day. When you come to Rosebud, you know you’ll leave having a great experience and an excellent meal. Rosebud is family, and like many families, we love to connect at the dinner table while enjoying timeless recipes.
What’s your vision behind the menu?
My vision is classic and simple Italian that lets our high-quality ingredients shine. When you use the quality of ingredients that we do, the recipes can be simple. Everything is prepared in house and for the smile we see when people are enjoying their favorite dish. Rosebud is inspired by family tradition, using recipes that stand the test of time!
What’s your favorite dish to prepare?
Chicken Parmesan, of course!
Which is your personal favorite to eat?
I love all of our pastas, and especially our seafood pastas.
Tell us about the new Cocktail Club overlooking Millennium Park.
We’ve worked hard on perfecting all of our menus to complement one of the best views in Chicago! On our rooftop, you can enjoy our dinner menu, brunch and a specialty cocktail menu.
What would you say makes this new Rosebud location so special?
This Rosebud location is unlike any other that we’ve opened. It’s the result of nearly 50 years of perfecting menus and the Rosebud experience, and delivering high-quality, unforgettable meals in Chicago. We have three floors of dining, and each one has views of Millennium Park. Rosebud Randolph is Alex Dana’s ‘Colosseum’ and something that our whole team is proud to be a part of.
What’s the biggest perk of running a restaurant at One Two Pru?
The people. Having the One Two Pru location has allowed us to bring the Rosebud experience to a new area and share it with new people every day.
How do other One Two Pru tenants benefit from having Rosebud right at work?
One Two Pru tenants can host clients, pop in for lunch, weekend brunch, happy hour after work and join us for dinner any day of the week. It’s the perfect spot for any occasion, and the best Italian food in Chicago!
Any upcoming events or new menu additions that you can share with us?
We’re very excited about the opening of Rosetta Italian, our newest Rosebud Restaurant, located at 1 South Dearborn Street. We also have some exciting new menu items coming soon, including great new cocktails, delicious new brunch items and a tasty banana split!
