Rosine's - A Hidden Gem in Anaheim

Rosine's Rotisserie and Grill is a small restaurant located in a strip mall off of Weir Canyon Road in Anaheim Hills. Jennifer, my fiance, introduced me to the wonderful food they have to offer at a picnic that we had late in the summer this year. Just before Christmas, we decided to go out for dinner one night, and in need of another garlic fix (check out the earlier review for Garlic Jo's and you will understand just how much we love garlic.)!! Rosine's is known for it's rotisserie chicken and it's famous garlic sauce.

First of all, the place was packed. We waited about 30 minutes wait to get a table, and there really isn't adequate waiting space. They have a bar that you can have a drink at while you are waiting, but even it was packed. The place has great energy and ambiance, and has that buzz that you find in a great restaurant. The wait staff was polite and professional. Although, it did take a while for us to get a wine list after having to ask for one when we were seated. After that point, the service was excellent.

The food is definitely the champ here. Rosine's has received many awards and mentioned in several publications, including a review in Zagat's. Jennifer was wanting the rotisserie chicken - you can watch it cook from the front of the restaurant - and the garlic sauce. I know that I keep repeating myself, but if you knew how good it is, you would keep repeating it to yourself as well!!!

• We started off with pita bread, an order of their garlic sauce and shared a bowl of their lentil soup. I think that they make their own pita bread - it was warm, chewy and delictable. Their lentil soup was terrific. It was made with red lentils in an onion broth. It was very creamy and had an excellent flavor.
• Our wine for the night was a gewurztraminer - Kuentz-Bas 1998 – Alsace. It was the first time that Jennifer had tried a gewurztraminer. She likes pinot grigio and rieslings, so I thought that she would like it. It turned out to be a bit too sweet for our dinner, but was very good. We didn't leave a drop in the bottle.
• Dinner for both of us was the half rotisserie chicken. An excellent value at $9.50 per person, including 2 sides. Their chicken has a golden crusty skin with terrific flavor. The meat is moist and tender. It really is the best rotisserie chicken that I have ever tasted, and when you eat some with the pita and garlic sauce, you get a great smile on your face.

Overall, dinner including wine cost us only $75 including our wine and a generous tip. Not bad for a great meal and wonderful service. This is definitely in our to 5 places to eat. If you have a favorite at Rosine's, email me to let me know. Jennifer and I are always looking for new dishes to try, although the chicken is hard to beat.