Rosenbaum has a long and storied career in the culinary industry. From 1999 to 2004, he served as the executive chef at local mainstay Ophelia’s on the Bay before heading west to work at prestigious eateries including Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas, which earned a Michelin star during his tenure as executive chef. He has prepared food for a lot of famous people over the years and even met former First Lady Michelle Obama a few times while working at the restaurant del Alma in Corvallis, Oregon. Rosenbaum retired from the culinary world a few years back to spend more time with his family, but after some time he found himself getting restless. “I’ve missed the kitchen for a while,” Rosenbaum admits. “Being a retiree was just not interesting.”
Suddenly, the ultimate job opportunity entered from stage right. Kim Livengood owns The Bazaar on Apricot & Lime, an indie indoor market with eclectic wares from local makers and vendors. She also owns Hamlet’s Eatery, a food truck that is permanently stationed in the courtyard of The Bazaar. Hamlet’s is open a few days a week for limited hours and its ever-rotating menu is a fun, creative challenge for a skilled chef. If Rosenbaum was ready for his comeback, then Hamlet’s was the perfect stage.
“The hours at Hamlet’s are really ideal,” Rosenbaum says. “I’m there from 11 to 3, so I can drop my son off at school in the morning before I head in.” The family-friendly hours weren’t the only draw. Livengood was excited to bring Rosenbaum on board and was happy to give him pretty free reign over the menu. Hamlet’s has always offered lots of vegetarian and vegan entrees alongside more carnivorous fare (as expressed in the eatery’s slogan, “To Meat, Or Not to Meat”) and Rosenbaum preserved that tradition. He also held on to some favorites which remain on the menu week-in and week-out, like the Bard’s Breakfast, Hamlet’s Burger and the Melty Macbeth. Other menu items, though, change from week-to-week.
“I’ve kept the rest of the menu on a rotation,” Rosenbaum explains. “Lately the rotation has been crepes and some sandwiches that feature my homemade bread.” Other rotating menu items include avocado toast, wraps and the O Brave New World Bowls—named for a line in Shakespeare’s The Tempest. Those items will appear on the menu each week, but the details will be different. One week, the featured bowl might be ital stew, a fragrant Jamaican-inspired stew with tropical vegetables, coconut milk and fresh herbs ladled over jasmine rice. The next week, it might be vegan black bean chili with roasted onions, chilis and bell peppers, or a shrimp, sweet corn and crab chowder. Rosenbaum draws inspiration from whatever ingredients are fresh and seasonal and from his own diverse upbringing.
“I’m originally from New York City so I was exposed to people from pretty much every continent,” he says. “I try to stay true to those flavors. Nothing too crazily fused, but things that make sense. Even with the vegan dishes, there are authentic foods that are so specific to cultures whether that’s Indian or West Indian that I like to play off of. I like a bit of the Floribbean vibe, but elevated. And we were certainly focused on Southwest-style food at Mesa Grill, so I brought a lot of those tricks with me.”
Since Rosenbaum took the reins, Hamlet’s Eatery has been getting rave reviews. It seems his encore performance has been very well-received. Hamlet’s is open Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 11am-3pm and also opens for special events like live music in the courtyard at The Bazaar. The new weekly menu is posted every Wednesday on the restaurant’s Facebook page at facebook.com/HamletsEatery.
