ROSEMARY'S restaurant opens in the West Village of NYC by Perrine Meistrell
all images from Eater.com
A few weeks ago, settling back into the village, I noticed a beautiful restaurant nestled on the corner of Greenwich Ave and 10th Street. The prime corner real estate had formerly housed the Village Paper store until a fire left the space burnt out, boarded up and pretty depressing looking. Well, not anymore. The newly transformed venue has completely rejuvenated the block, both aesthetically and through the fresh energy emanating from within. I made a note to try it and, before I even had the chance to look up the name, heard from several chic friends that they were heading for dinner to a new restaurant in our neighborhood called Rosemary’s. Et voila- one and the same!
Rosemary’s good looks and buzz have already turned the Italian Enoteca/Trattoria into a local hot spot, filled with a stylish, attractive crowd happy to wait (sometimes hours) for the coveted no rez tables. I was curious to see the interior of the restaurant and whether the cuisine was on par with the scene although I had a fair amount of confidence regarding both the dining and the décor when I learned that Rosemary’s was the latest opening from Carlos Suarez, the owner of the West Village gem, Bobo. As with the charming Bobo, Dekar, the firm of the lovely and talented Guini Suarez (Carlos’ cousin), designed Rosemary’s.
The space is light, airy and welcoming. Think open vistas onto the street, candlelit blondish wood tables and chairs, exposed brick, and decorations inspired by nature, such as fresh produce, flowers and miniature trees. There is also an organic rooftop garden that provides the fresh ingredients for seasonal dishes on the menu.
During a recent dinner there, I tried the rooftop garden herb salad, the fresh zucchini crudo, and the market fish of the day, with a side of roasted brussel sprouts. All dishes were delicious, as was the wine by the glass recommended to my friend and me. (The service was very helpful, and the hostess made every effort to seat us as quickly as possible.) Suarez apparently named the restaurant in honor of his mother whose home cooked dinners always brought their family together during his childhood. Rosemary’s similarly inspires a feeling of warmth and intimacy, in a setting integrated with nature-imagine being transported to a home in Tuscany for a lingering meal on a summer day. In other words, a place to escape and catch up with loved ones over great food and wine. Suarez also plans to bring students from the local public school to the garden to learn how to make “farm to table” meals; another way Rosemary’s hopes to serve Greenwich Village and create a sense of community within as well.
xx,
Perrine
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