A Look Inside Rosa Mexicano, the Seaport District’s Newest Addition

As we told you last year, New York-based upscale Mexican chain Rosa Mexicano is coming to Boston. They’re getting quite close to opening, with a targeted May 8 date slated (¡Feliz Cinco de Mayo tardío!). Last week, I went on a hard-hat tour of the restaurant space, which features a fusion of modern and traditional Mexican style complete with bright colors, artful tile work, and broken-plate mosaics covering the walls and ceiling. “We’ve been wanting to come to Boston for 10 years,” says president and CEO Howard Greenstone, adding that it was a matter of finding a space conducive to the brand.

With the Seaport District’s ongoing transformation, he and his partners found just that. “We wanted to be a part of the energy,” he says. Ahead, get a peek of the still-raw space (and Rosa Mexicano’s best-selling guacamole).

Greenstone, wearing a hard-hat in the color the restaurant was named for (Pantone 225, to be exact), shows off the entrance. Next to him, the unfinished host stand is made in the style of traditional Mexican pierced metal lighting. When illuminated, the stand will be a speckled glow in the entryway, with the main dining room off to the left and the bar straight back. While it’s a deliberate nod to a coveted Boston style, the exposed-brick look behind the stand is actually made of imported Mexican roof tiles.

The bar, accented with hacienda-style tilework, will be stocked with a wide but manageable selection of the “finest tequilas,” per Greenstone (read: no Patrón), handpicked by beverage director Brook Vandecar. Large frozen-bevvie machines will fit in the cubbies behind the bar and churn out the restaurant’s signature pomegranate margaritas. With only 10 bar seats, empty stools may be sparse, but a communal drinking table will encourage patrons to sip and mingle.

Rosa Mexicano will also feature heated patio seating for 130 and two catering rooms for private parties, where guests can enjoy guacamole en molcajete made tableside and other dishes cooked up by former La Verdad chef Darren Carbone.

(Rosa Mexicano, 155 Seaport Blvd, Boston http://www.rosamexicano.com/)