An Old Port Classic: Rosie's

Owning a bar is like a tinkering with an equation. What combination of services do you offer that will create the ideal atmosphere, the right customers and the steadiest stream of dollars?

That’s the bazillion dollar question for Portland bars. Each one tries to outguess the others (HEY! let’s start another trivia night!) in an attempt to create a consistent turnout.

Things getting stale? Start an open mic night. That’s a few extra weirdoes at your bar every night right there. The late night crowd getting out of hand? Turn down the music and move people to the exit a little early.

Rosie’s on Fore Street is a place that no longer needs to tinker. Owners Steve and Rose Harris, also former proprietors of Ruski’s in the West End, have things just the way they want.

Most noticably, Rosie's has a good reputation in the press. Check out the wall of positive media vibes that include a 2007 selection on Esquire’s Best Bars list (along with the White Heart) and multiple “Best of Portland” recognitions.

But the word-of-mouth is equally strong. People are always giving Rosie's propers for excellent, fresh food. And the bar is famous for its laid-back vibe.

“Rosie always laughed about this place,” says bar manager Barbie Asali. “At Ruski’s, the music would be crankin’...They call us the library. Everytime people come in, everybody’s reading.”

Sure enough, newspapers are scattered around the bar, left over from a studious lunch crowd. There are two different shifts at Rosie's: one at lunch and one at night.

“I think we’ve always said we’re like a Cheers. We have almost a set lunch clientele and set nightlife clientele. We don’t need tourists. They are a bonus. We are very lucky in this business,” Asali says.

“You know, because it’s Portland, we do get tourists,” she adds later. “They blend very nicely with our clientele. Tourists turn out to be regulars. They come the same weekend every year.”

They come for the delicious pastrami sandwiches, half-pound burgers and calzones (they take a while, so be patient). Sunday through Wednesday there are food specials, too. And plenty of people utilize takeout at Rosie’s, though the specials don’t apply then, so be careful.

People turn out for the familiar music and dart games as well. The popular free popcorn machine often factors in too, though it is “defunct at the moment.”

And regulars love the beer list, with all pints under $4. Selections also include daily beer specials, almost exclusively macrobrews. Pabst, Miller Lite, Rolling Rock, you know the drill.

But, on Sunday you can grab 22 oz. drafts of Rosie's house beers, Hooker Pale and Brown Ales, brews rarely carried by other bars, for $3.50. The menu reads, “The Old Port had its share of brothels, hence Hooker Ales.” I prefer the Brown Ale, which is light and sweet for a dark beer.

The Harris’ have now owned Rosie's for over 20 years, though some claim there’s been booze service at this location since 1900. Before Rosie's, it was the Boothby Square Tavern. Before that, the history gets sketchy, though the building is stamped with a date of “1902,” meaning the structure is no stranger to danger.

A more intangible quality Rosie's boasts is a strong staff. After eating a sandwich one night, the cook came out to check on the quality of the spiced meat. On another occasion the bartender checked on every customer at last call to see if more beers needed pouring.

“I’d say (Rosie's) is the whole package. We pride ourselves on hiring the right personalities to blend with the customers,” Asali says. “I’ve been here since day one. People come in to work here all the time.”

The crowd may be a bit older here than at other Old Port mainstays. Weekends see some twenty somethings, but weekdays are mostly 30 and up. If you are trying to go dancing or meet loose-moraled sorority girls, well, this place isn’t going to do it. It’s as close as you can get to a quiet night out in the often raucous Portland nightlife scene.

“Everybody should go to Rosie's at least once,” Asali says. But they will most likely come back, because at Rosie's, they’ve already got the perfect equation. Spectacular? No. But Rosie's is solid and consistent, and that’s the mark of someone who has gotten this whole bar thang right.