Rosalie Italian Soul

Old-school Italian-American fare tinged with Gulf touches bolster the menu

THE CONCEPT

An all-day Italian restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner by Californiabased super-chef Chris Cosentino and his restaurateur partner Oliver Wharton in the new C. Baldwin Hotel downtown.

THE SPACE

The restaurant’s design by Philadelphia-based Rohe Creative is a bright mash-up of textures and colors. The main dining room features retro televisions set in custom walnut shelving decked out with records, receivers and boom boxes. A family-style dining table anchors the bar and lounge area, and a pair of Murano glass chandeliers hangs overhead.

THE FOOD

Think old-school ItalianAmerican dishes — lasagna, manicotti, spaghetti and meatballs, wood-fired pizza, chicken Milanese, eggplant Parmesan, wood-fired pizza and a showy steak Fiorentina followed up by cannoli, naturally. The Gulf gets a foothold with dishes such as blue crab manicotti, whole shrimp fra diavolo and local snapper topped with sautéed chanterelle and shiitake mushrooms, capers and arugula. Executive chef Sasha Grumman oversees daily operations.

THE DRINKS

There are more than 100 wines, mostly Italian, offered on the opening wine list, including 22 wines by the glass. The cocktail program offers new creations inspired by Italian classics and ingredients such as The Persephone, made with amaro, rye, pineapple and lime; and The Hugo Spritz, a take on an Italian aperitivo made with elderflower liqueur, cucumber water and prosecco.

THE WORD

“This food represents immigrant cuisine in America,” said Cosentino, chef/co-owner of Cockscomb in San Francisco, Jackrabbit in Portland, Ore., and Acacia House in Napa Valley, Calif. “When Italians immigrated to the U.S., it was difficult to acquire the same product that they had at home in Italy. This is why Italian-American food was created. Ingenuity happened. I’m taking a lot of the dishes that I grew up with and breathing a little bit of a new life — in this little region of Italy known as Houston.”

ONE MORE THING

The restaurant is named after Cosentino’s great-grandmother Rosalie Cosentino, a first-generation Italian immigrant who inspired his culinary ambitions.

THE DETAILS

C. Baldwin Hotel, 400 Dallas, 702-255-3970; rosalieitaliansoul.com

greg.morago@chron.com instagram.com/gregmorago

Photos by Julie Soefer Rosalie Italian Soul’s menu features Bistecca Fiorentina (44 Farms steak served with potatoes, fennel, pickled peppers and red and green sauces).

The meat lover’s pizza comes with pepperoni, sausage and mortadella.

The Italian cookie plate is a sweet finishing touch.