03 Jun Please The Palate Pick of the Week: Ricardo Zarate’s Rosaline LA

I first tried the delicious Peruvian flavors of Chef Ricardo Zarate in 2009 when he opened Mo-Chica inside Mercado La Paloma in Downtown Los Angeles. I last saw him in 2015 when his first book, entitled The Fire of Peru: Recipes and Stories from My Peruvian Kitchen, was released and he was hosting a Peruvian pop-up called Once (on-seh) in Venice. And, lucky for Los Angelenos, he is back with the opening of his new restaurant Rosaliné, Please The Palate’s “pick of the week.” Rosaliné, named after his mother, is located in the former Comme Ca space on Melrose and La Cienega. The restaurant is slated to open in mid-June but I was fortunate to get a sneak peak this past week at the final LA Food Bowl Hanging with Harris dinner and Santa Barbara County Wines, raising money for No Kid Hungry.  The space was gutted and completely re-imagined. The front half of the restaurant is all wood with an open bar on the left and a chef’s counter on the right. The back half of the restaurant is white tiled with a glass roof that opens to the night air. Chef Zarate has created a personalized menu featuring dishes that take you back to his roots. At Rosaliné, you will enjoy classic Peruvian dishes with a California touch. A few of the stand-out dishes from the other night include: Crostini with prime beef, sea urchin, pecorino, aji soy dressing, Salchipapa (confit potato, chorizo, amarillo aioli) and Quinoa Salad with confit potato, heirloom tomatoes, avocado mousse, rocoto honey dressing. While my recent visit was just sneak-peak, I am so looking forward to returning when the restaurant is officially open! Rosaline 8479 Melrose Ave, West Hollywood, CA 90069