Also this issue: New Orleans-style Jambalaya -Rose Tattoo Cafe and Recipe by Sean Weinberg

June 26-July 2, 2003

food

Fresh As a Rose

TATTOO YOU: Chef Sean Weinberg, a CIA grad, makes his mark with Creole-influenced cuisine. Photo By: Michael T. Regan

Sean Weinberg, Rose Tattoo Cafe

by Deborah Bolling

If you’ve ever been to the Rose Tattoo Cafe, it’s one of those restaurants which qualify as memorable. The space has five unique dining rooms. One is under a canopy of succulent greenery with slanted skylights, ceiling fans and an unending stream of smooth, classic jazz. Another is hued in warm earth tones, accentuated by elaborate floral arrangements, ornamental stained glass and a lively bar. On the restaurant’s second floor, a wrought-iron balcony wraps diners in exotic flora and twinkling white lights, offering an eating experience that smacks of authentic New Orleans. And the food -- well, it’s simply delicious, an American blend of Cajun and Creole, always fresh and always creatively prepared.

When his parents took over Rose Tattoo, on the corner of 19th and Callowhill streets, Sean Weinberg was a 16-year-old student at Lower Moreland High School. Now 30, Weinberg has enjoyed the role of executive chef for the past four years. Even though he was just a kid when his folks started running the eatery 14 years ago, Weinberg says that the experience of growing up around food, learning the ropes firsthand at his dinner table and later studying at the renowned Culinary Institute of America (CIA) has honed his appreciation of his family's trade.

"I really wasn't particularly motivated when I was coming out of high school," he says. "So, culinary school looked like the easiest thing to do. But, after I graduated from the CIA, I realized that I had fallen in love with the business -- and especially with the culture of foods."

As a chef, Weinberg is committed to serving local food, humanely cultivated and freshly prepared. He's responsible for daily specials and changes the menu seasonally, taking greatest advantage of whatever his cadre of local farmers brings to his restaurant door. Before joining the staff at the cafe six years ago, Weinberg lived and trained in a number of places, including the Napa Valley, Mexico and northern Italy. Sampling cuisine from a wide variety of sources has informed Weinberg's approach to what works best. "The Rose Tattoo is the true definition of the American bistro," he says. "The service is attentive and the food is fun. It blends a lot of cultures, representing, to me, what we are as Americans."

Weinberg says that his dad, Michael, is credited with designing the decor and ambience of the cafe. These days, dad still hangs out in the kitchen, handling most of the restaurant's butchery needs, while mom Helene does all the bookkeeping. Until Weinberg's 8-month-old daughter was born, his wife, Kelly, was one of the managers.

"It's interesting to work with your family," Weinberg says. "It definitely has its ups and downs. But I think we've finally all reached a level of comfort. The experience I've gained from my parents is truly invaluable and I'm proud to work with them. We're actually like a modern day 'mom & pop' operation. I think it's great."

On most days, Weinberg oversees five chefs who operate out of the restaurant's two main kitchens (a third-floor kitchen is where the daily assortment of fresh pastries are prepared). Oftentimes the pace is hectic; Weinberg says it's all about the rhythm. "There are times when you're cooking for 55 people at once," he says. "They're all asking for different things with different pickup times, and the food has to be served at different temperatures. There's got to be harmony, and it's instinctual. When you reach that point, it's awesome. We don't have to speak. We just bang it out."

Working and living in places like Italy, where the cuisine is defined by the surroundings, Weinberg says he's learned to appreciate foods when they are readily available. He believes that here, in the United States, where so many items are on hand all year, diners are often unaware of how to make the most of a harvest. "Salmon is a good example," Weinberg explains. "You can only get wild Alaskan salmon in the spring, even though you can get other kinds of salmon year-round. But, when the spring comes and you can get your hands on the truly good stuff, no one really appreciates it. So, I think it's important that we educate people on eating both locally and seasonally. That way we can give a definition to American cuisine."

Even though Weinberg says his personal cookbook collection includes over 200 titles, most of his own recipes are kept on file in his head. And though he changes the menu regularly, to keep his loyal customers happy, a few favorites never vary. "Our jambalaya is a big-seller," he says. "It's been on the menu forever. I've contemplated changing it, but when you mix together the shellfish, shrimp, ham, andouille sausage and then put it all together in a good sauce that's cooked really well, what can I say? It's hard not to like it."

Rose Tattoo Cafe, 19th and Callowhill sts., 215-569-8939.