A Visit to Rosewood Market

Written By: Luke Osteen | Issue: 2018/11 - November | Photograph By: Marjorie Christiansen Photography

I’m reviewing Rosewood Market in Highlands this month, thanks to the employees of Albert Carlton-Cashiers

Community Library.

For you, the reader, you get the opinions of the highly-refined sensibilities of a set of (minor) community leaders, people more than capable of unhealthy levels of snark when things aren’t “just so.”

For me, well, I get a free meal and the satisfaction of pulling off the easiest scam since Tom Sawyer whitewashed Aunt

Polly’s fence.

The library bunch told me what they’d be likely to eat, based on the menu available on Rosewood Market’s website. Naturally, the kitchen can’t make everything on their vast menu for everyday takeout, so I’d have to make adjustments in their choices once I got to the storefront and witnessed what was available.

I was able to find items that’d keep everyone happy and so I arrived at the library laden with Wild Mushroom Ravioli, Split Pea with Ham Soup, Fried Chicken, Vegetable Wraps with Ham, Chicken Salad, Twice Baked Potatoes, Roasted Green Beans with Vidalia Onions and Heirloom Tomatoes, Cranberry Cheddar Cheese Scones, and a small mountain of Macaroni and Cheese. And a Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie – I can’t forget the pie.

The Wild Mushroom Ravioli was “extraordinary, absolutely fabulous.” Everyone raved about the Roasted Green Beans with Vidalia Onions and Heirloom Tomatoes, with James noting that it was testament to Rosewood’s commitment to using fresh, local ingredientswhenever possible.

Everyone agreed that the Mac and Cheese provided a comfy counterpoint to what was turning out to be an intermittently rainy day, with Serenity noting that it could have used more salt, although she acknowledged that a catering company must err on the conservative side when folding salt into a recipe.

People dove into the Chicken Salad, with Joey saying that it mirrored a cherished recipe that his aunt used to make, although Megan said that the chicken chunks were too big.

The Scones were briskly snatched up, achieving some sort of improbable sweet/salty/flaky/floury perfection.

Let me digress and say that when I was browsing for the library gang’s lunch, I met Manager Michelle’s four-year-old grandson Jaxson. He took charge of the situation and helped me with my choices. He insisted I get the Fried Chicken, because it was his favorite.

Good choice, Jaxson! This is clearly someone’s Mom’s cherished recipe!

When I asked him if I should should pick up some potatoes to go with the chicken, he thought carefully and answered,” Well, some of the potatoes are good, and some are bad.”

When I asked him to choose some good potatoes, he steered me to the Twice Baked They were wonderful, carefully seasoned  and leavened with green onions, and smothered in a deep carpet of cheddar cheese. 

Way to go, Jaxson! You’re batting

a thousand!

And you can meet him right now, on select afternoons at Rosewood Market.

The Market is located at 117 Franklin Road in Highlands (adjoining the Citgo Station). You can stop in and pick up something for a meal or a snack; or you can call ahead at (828) 526-0383 to order something special to go, or to set a catered event.