In news that will sadden Rosa Mitchell's long-time followers, she has announced that Rosa's Kitchen has stopped trading for good. Mitchell was already planning on closing Rosa's Kitchen to focus on Rosa's Canteen and her Yandoit farm, but an electrical fire in the kitchen back in September has forced Mitchell to push forward the closing date for Rosa's Kitchen. “Opening and running Rosa’s Kitchen has been such an amazing experience, thanks to our loyal customers," she say. "So I cannot thank them enough for their ongoing support.”
Mitchell gained a loyal following for her rustic Sicilian dishes over an eight-year reign at Journal Canteen in Melbourne CBD. She moved Rosa’s Kitchen to a Williamstown pub (which now houses George Calombaris's Hellenic Hotel) in 2011, but things didn’t quite work out. “Williamstown was dead during the day, and I missed the buzz of the city,” Mitchell told Time Out in 2013.
If you didn't have a chance to say goodbye to Rosa's Kitchen its home-style Sicilian menu, it's not all bad news. Rosa's Canteen will still be serving Mitchell's famous home-style bowls of pasta and hearty share dishes, featuring seasonal produce from her own farm in Yandoit. Rosa's Canteen will now be trading on Saturdays starting from Saturday November 5, when the restaurant will commence trading at 5.30pm.