I am so excited about an old favorite in Morgan Hill and a new restaurant in Gilroy: Rosy’s At The Beach and Old City Hall. I have visited both of them a few times recently and, without exception, all the meals were fabulous.
• Rosy’s At The Beach, downtown at 17320 Monterey Rd., Morgan Hill. 778-0551.
When Rosy’s first opened, I thought a “beach restaurant” in downtown Morgan Hill was a bit strange. But after sampling their fare and witnessing the restaurant’s constant popularity with downtown business owners, I’ve changed my mind. The décor includes beach towels hanging from hooks, a wetsuit, fish net floaters, and great striped wallpaper. It’s a very cheerful place and, on many days, very busy.
A favorite with patrons of the Morgan Hill Tobacco Co. is the delicious, hand-shaped Boardwalk burger ($6.50) – which Rosy’s is happy to provide in a to-go container upon request. The New England clam chowder ($5) is just the right consistency, with plenty of clams.
Salads at Rosy’s are great. The crab Louie ($13.50) was piled with absolutely fresh crab, avocado, tomato, cucumber and hard-boiled eggs atop fresh greens. Louie dressing can often be too thick, but Rosy’s is tangy and perfect. My partner-in-crime tried the Beach House salad ($4.50), a classic lettuce wedge with tomato slices, red onion and crumbled blue cheese – also fresh and excellent.
A plate of New York steak and prawns ($25) was cooked just right. I don’t know where they’re getting their beef, but the steak was tender and rich, very buttery. The garlic and butter sautéed prawns were truly “giant” and cooked just until opaque, the way they should be. Dinner entrees range from $8 for fish and chips to $39 for steak and lobster, with many choices in between. I wouldn’t hesitate to take children to Rosy’s; the kids’ plates ($5.50) feature a choice of fish and chips, cheeseburger, pasta or grilled chicken fillet. The plates include “soda or milk, a soup spoon sundae and NO veggies.”
Of course, visiting Rosy’s and not checking out the chalkboard with the day’s catch would be passing up a very good thing. In light of recent warnings against farmed salmon, Rosy herself assures her customers that all salmon served at the restaurant is now and always has been wild-caught.
Other offerings include whatever is in season and looks good, ranging from halibut to swordfish and even some more unusual creatures, such as tilapia.
Servers are friendly and efficient and seem to have a good time working at Rosy’s. With such a lively, fun atmosphere, it’s no wonder the restaurant has a bustling crowd of regulars.
• Old City Hall, 7400 Monterey St., Gilroy. 846-8880.
Old City Hall has been open for several months, but chef Lionel Harberle has just created a new menu that contains some impressive dishes: seared scallop salad with grapefruit wedges and aurora dressing, stuffed chicken legs, salmon en croute and homemade crab lasagna. I was thrilled to see the addition of seared ahi tuna, one of my favorite dishes.
Thankfully, the new menu includes some standards that deserve to be tried: The Gilroy Club, made with thick crispy bacon, turkey and avocado, and calamari Sicilian style.
We celebrated our 16-year-old’s birthday at Old City Hall a few weeks ago and the service and food made it a very special meal for her. We started off with Carmel Valley mixed greens in a terrific, tangy dressing ($4.50). For lunch we chose the grilled chicken breast on ciabatta bread, a Gilroy Club sandwich (both $10.50), and possibly the best paella I’ve ever had ($16.50). Served in a hot skillet, the paella included saffron rice, spicy sausage, chicken, peas, green onion and bell peppers served in a light tomato sauce.
The grilled chicken breast sandwich was filled with avocado and chicken marinated in lime juice. A green poblano and sweet red pepper confit complements the flavors. For dessert, a tiny pink birthday cake was served with a garnish of fresh raspberry sauce.
My only complaint is the wait staff’s buzzers. They are designed to alert the staff that orders are ready, but they sound horrible when they go off at a guest’s table.
On the plus side, the servers are friendly and efficient, going out of their way to make sure every item on the table is just what the guest wants. On nice days, they’ll offer to seat you in the courtyard, a great place to have a glass of wine and a wood-fired pizza from the corner oven ($8.50). On average, dinner entrees range from about $14 for crab lasagna to a high of $29 for the roasted filet of lamb, with many items near the lower end of the scale. A nice wine list features both local and French selections.
In addition to the great food, Old City Hall features musicians in the courtyard, rotating guest artists’ work on the walls, and a monthly list of special dinners pairing wine with food.
Jenny Midtgaard Derry is the Executive Director of the Santa Clara County Farm Bureau. Write her c/o The Times, 30 E. Third St., Morgan Hill, 95037.
