Photo by Carly Cooper
It’s a sunny Sunday morning. The air is crisp, and birds are chirping. It’s the kind of day perfect for relaxing on a patio with a cup of coffee and a good book (or more realistically, Instagram). There’s one problem: I have children, and sitting still is not in their nature. So when I took them to Rosetta, a new Italian bakery in Buckhead, I expected arguments over chocolate croissants and many iterations of “Mom, I’m bored!”
Unbeknownst to me, there’s a new lawn covering the courtyard where Rosetta sits alongside Umi, Nan Thai Buckhead, Chops Lobster Bar, and the Garden Room. It’s green and welcoming with playfully styled furniture, an abstract statue, and large, smooth rocks. My kids—and those of many other parents at Rosetta—gravitated toward it immediately. So even though Rosetta is bright and clean with light woods, an open kitchen, Italian furniture, and a coffee bar, I chose to sit on the open-air patio, where I could easily keep an eye on the kids.
Photo by Carly Cooper
I ordered a cappuccino and was astounded that the foam heart lasted until the cup was nearly empty. According to Carolina Rosini, the Atlanta Rosetta partner, that’s because it’s made the Italian way—with thick, persistent foam. Rosetta offers standard coffee drinks—espresso, latte, cold brew, and Americano—made with Julius Meinl coffee beans from Central America, Brazil, and India. Teas and fresh juices are available as well.
Pastry offerings are plentiful and change based on the time of day you visit. There’s a menu board, but it’s best to walk down the line and let your eyes guide your choices. My daughter selected a Nutella croissant stuffed to the brim. I wanted a vegetable pizza, stacked high with roasted squash, zucchini, tomatoes, and peppers. My son picked ham and cheese focaccia and a mixed fruit tart with fresh cream. We also sampled a variety of bite-sized treats, including an apple ball, tiramisu, cannoli, and pistachio tart. Everything was fresh—made in house daily with Italian ingredients—and flavorful.
Photo by Carly Cooper
In between bites, the kids ran out their energy, allowing me to mindlessly scroll in peace. As I sat, soaking up the sunshine, I noticed new items being loaded into the pastry case. Rosini insisted I snag a bombolone (Nutella-filled Italian donut) for later.
“People love them, and the millefoglie [layered cake], and the olive focaccia,” she says. “I am a 98 percent Italian. I did my DNA test. So, I’m like really, really Italian. I can tell that this food is amazing. Quality-wise it’s as good as whatever you can find in Italy.”
Photo by Carly Cooper
The name Rosetta refers to a type of bread (and a sandwich sold at the bakery), as well as one of the founders’ sisters. The Authentic Rosetta is filled with cooked ham, cream cheese, prosciutto di parma, mortadella, and arugula. The Signature King Rosetta feeds multiple people and includes prosciutto di parma, arugula, Swiss, and cherry tomatoes, or Italian cooked ham, lettuce, Swiss, and tomatoes.
The bakery originated in Miami in late 2015 and now has locations in New Jersey, New York, and Orlando. Rosini plans to open at least two additional locations in metro Atlanta, including one at High Street in Dunwoody. She’s also considering keeping Rosetta Buckhead open in the evenings and serving wine.
“This is what we’d call a bakery bar in Italy. I think it was missing in in Atlanta,” she says.
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