Rosemary’s

I’ve never been one to mess with a good thing or break a routine. So it comes as no surprise that I’m the same way when it comes to restaurants. When I fall hard and fast for one specific restaurant, I want to go there weekly, at the very least. Rosemary’s in the West Village is my new favorite spot, and I must say, I haven’t felt this way about a restaurant in a very long time.

Let me count the reasons why I love Rosemary’s… The space is airy, open, and bright. There is a garden on the roof that supplies many of the vegetables and fresh herbs included in dishes on the menu (you can take a peak at while you wait for your meal). The staff is incredibly friendly and knowledgeable. The prices are ridiculously reasonable by New York standards. The wine list is easy-to-decode, glasses for $10, bottles for $40. And the food… But first, the wine.

Lately, I’ve been big on the Lambruscos. A sparking red wine that is light, fruity, and refreshing, this is the perfect summer wine to enjoy with pasta. The Lambrusco at Rosemary’s was the perfect start to the night as I waited for my friend to arrive. I followed that up with the Prosecco on tap. On tap! On another occasion, I shared a smooth, light red wine (the Nero D’Avolo) that I’m attempting to track down in a store as I type this post (multi-tasking at it’s finest). The affordable wine selection makes Rosemary’s a great spot for after-works drinks, if you dare resist the food…

The pasta dishes at Rosemary’s are simple, which if you’re a devoted reader of my blog, you know that I prefer simple. Always. My favorite pasta on the menu is the linguini with preserved lemon and picked chili. If you’ve never experienced preserved lemon in a dish, you must do so immediately. This pasta, although comprised of 5 ingredients, tops, is truly bursting with flavor. And a mere $12. I had a taste of my friend’s orichette with sausage and braised greens, and again, delicious, simple, full of flavor, and fresh. This is the kind of food that will keep me coming back again and again.

Aside from the pasta, the side dishes at Rosemary’s really won me over. I’ve declared the roasted brussels sprouts, drizzled in a balsamic glaze, the best I’ve ever had, beating the previous title-holder, Westville. They are perfectly roasted, sweet and tangy. The summer squash, lightly sauteed with tomato, was perfect tossed into my linguine once I got half-way through the dish. The contorni at Rosemary’s can serve as supplements to your pasta dishes if you feel so inclined, which I love.

I’ve been to Rosemary’s a couple of times now, and I’ve learned that it is the kind of place that serves consistently delicious food using few, high-quality ingredients. It’s the kind of place that, if I were to open a restaurant, I would be proud to call my own. It’s the kind of place that I want to go as often as possible. Tonight, anyone?

Rosemary’s
Greenwich Ave, at 10th Street
New York, NY