Bites Nearby: Rosebud

Morningside’s neighborhood restaurant is Rosebud.

Located at the Indigo Coastal Grill’s old location off of N. Highland Ave., has been feeding guests a creative fare of American cuisine with a bit of Southern flair for the past seven years.

Owner and executive chef Ron Eyester is originally from New York. After attending college at The Citadel in South Carolina, he started working with 101 Concepts and particularly the original Food 101 on Roswell Rd. This is where he made the transition from just an employed chef to a restaurant operator.

Rosebud, named after Eyester’s second love outside of food, gives a nod to one of Jerry Garcia’s most famous custom made guitars. Music is a driving force at the restaurant as well as local, farm fresh ingredients that change seasonally.

Patch: How did Rosebud get its start?

Ron: The space has a lot of previous inclinations. Originally it was Indigo and that was probably during its most legendary existence. I came into the space close to 7 years ago. I was a partner and chef for Morningside Food 101. I basically bought my partners out and rebranded the restaurant as Rosebud. The whole idea is that it’s a neighborhood restaurant and we want to keep that neighborhood spirit. Morningside is a pretty unique area. People have lived here for a long time. It definitely has a lot of character and it’s a nostalgic neighborhood.

Patch: What is something guests may not realize on their first visit to Rosebud? 

Ron: I think a lot of people when they come in, they get us, but people may not realize how strong our commitment to local growers is. When someone comes in on a Wednesday and they’re eating a salad they may not realize that the arugula literally came out of the ground that morning. Our commitment borders on being militant and because of our price point you wouldn’t necessarily expect that.

Patch: What makes Rosebud unique?

Ron: Rosebud has built a reputation on being able to really enjoy a good meal and have fun while doing it. Eating a serious meal doesn’t have to be a serious endeavor. You don’t have to be in a pretentious environment to really enjoy well prepared, well executed food. There is an improvisational nature to the restaurant. Sometimes we just do something. We change the menu. If we like something we want to feature, we do it and if people don’t like it we’ll change it again. I think that spirit starts with me and filters down to the rest of the staff.

Patch: What is the atmosphere you’ve tried to create at Rosebud?

Ron: It’s a neighborhood restaurant where people can come and enjoy a meal. Rosebud is the parent in the relationship between itself and The Family Dog. You’re going to have a great meal, you’ll get to experience seasonally driven food and you’ll get to have a good time. I truly believe that.

Rosebud is open for lunch Monday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. Dinner is served Monday through Thursday from 5:30 p.m. until 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 5:30 p.m. until 11 p.m. and Sunday from 5:30 p.m. until 9:30 p.m. Brunch is also served four days a week, Saturday from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m., Sunday from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m., Monday from 5:30 p.m. until 10 p.m. and an abbreviated menu on Friday morning. Eyester also prepares tribute dinners once every two to three months that feature food that pairs with different music and bands.