Rosemary's

Rosemary's is undeniably beautiful.  Most NYC Italian restaurants are dark and overcrowded (see post on L'Apicio).  Rosemary's, on the other hand, is light and airy.  It feels like the dining room was plucked out of Napa Valley.  The walls are painted white and the dining room furniture is a light colored wood.  Plants and cooking supplies, like pots, are used as decor.  It feels like spring in Rosemary's.

Rosemary's large windows lining the dining room allow the sunlight to flood the dining room.  There is a long communal table down the middle of the restaurant, which has become somewhat commonplace in NYC restaurants.  Rosemary's doesn't take reservations but if you can snag a seat at the bar, the food is worth the wait.

The wine list boasts dozens of bottles of Italian wine under $40, a rare treat in this town.  But if you are a cocktail lover, you are out of luck.  Rosemary's only serves beer and wine.

While the decor and food were exceptional, the service was atrocious. Our server, who came across as affable at first, proved to be wholly incompetent. When we asked for bread, we received a regular sized bread basket with three meager slices.   It looked pathetic. We had to constantly ask for water. And when the bill arrived, the server incorrectly under charged our credit cards. When we politely brought this to his attention, he didn't thank us, he swiped the slips out of our hands and ran away to fix his mistake. Not an apology or a thank you.  Perhaps this was an isolated incident, but I wouldn't take someone here if I was trying to impress him/her (or at least give them fair warning about the service).

What to Eat:

Start with the Caprese Focacce.  The doughy foccacia bread is coated with a layer of marinara sauce and then topped with slices of mozzarella and basil.  The bread is then toasted in the oven to melt the mozzarella.  I would make sure to order one for every two people (or three people max).

For an entree, order the Cavatelli with Oxtail Ragu.  The soft, plump, homemade cavatelli noodles are mixed into a tomato based oxtail sauce.  The oxtail is shredded from the bone and stripped away from the fat so you don't have to eat around fatty pieces.  One of the reasons I sometimes shy away from oxtail ragu is I find it too fatty but Rosemary's oxtail ragu is perfection.

Feeling the spring weather today in NYC?  Rosemary's will definitely brighten your day,

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L'Apicio

The owners of L'Artusi have opened an East Village outpost called L'Apicio.  Every bit as trendy as L'Artusi, L'Apicio is for the well dressed (and not claustrophobic) diner.  I accidentally hit the gentlemen next to me while talking with my hands and the women dining with him almost knocked over our entire meal while trying to shimmy out of her table.  I think most of us in NYC have grown accustomed to sitting on top of each other but L'Apicio nearly turns diners into bedfellows.

As a food writer, I try to sample a bunch of different items on the menu.  As I've learned at certain restaurants, this strategy is a mistake.  At L'Apicio, stick to the pasta and dessert (and booze!).  The other entrees and sides are average at best and are disappointing when compared to L'Apicio's pastas.

I was a bit appalled by our "special" appetizer, a scoop of ricotta cheese dumped on a plate.  The ricotta clearly came out of a container.  Make (or buy) fresh ricotta L'Apicio!  It doesn't take much time, effort or expense.  When the average meal is about $100/person (including booze), to skimp on such an simple ingredient is cheap and lazy.

What the non-pasta dishes lacked, the ambiance and decor made up for.  The decor at L'Apicio is gorgeous.  In addition to a swanky bar/lounge area, the restaurant features a large partially glass covered room inside the main dining room.  This restaurant is perfect for a girl's night out (as long as the girls aren't carb free ;).

I loved the wine menu.  L'Apicio had me at Schramsburg's Blanc de Blanc.  If only it was socially acceptable to drink Schramburg every night....

What to Eat:

While I was sorely disappointed with the Ricotta appetizer, this initial bad impression was quickly erased by the bowl of Osso Bucco Gnocchi that arrived at our table.  You could taste that the light, potato pillows were prepared only a few minutes before they were tossed into a savory tomato based osso bucco sauce.  There were large chunks of tender osso bucco generously tossed into the sauce.  This dish was outstanding and makes L'Apicio well worth the visit.

The dessert menu at L'Apicio had so many delicious choices it was hard to narrow it down.  Ultimately we ended up with the Hazelnut Ice Cream Cake and the Chocolate Crostada. Both of us agreed that the chocolate crostada (pictured left) won out (but only by a slim margin).  The rich chocolate had a gooey brownie texture and was finished with a chocolate pie crust.  The crostada was placed on a bed of melted caramel and came with a scoop of homemade stracciatella gelato.  L'Apicio's gnocchi and gelato are hands down the best gnocchi and gelato outside of Positano.

Craving pasta that will bring back memories of the Amalfi Coast? L'Apicio delivers,

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Insider tip:  I tried to make a reservation for Sunday night and was told nothing was available after 6:15.  This couldn't be any further from the truth.  We arrived at 7:30 and we were seated immediately.  While I wouldn't recommend this strategy Thursday through Saturday night, don't be discouraged if they don't have anything available.  The bar area is large and great for people watching if you are willing to wait.

Menu Items to Avoid: Artic Char (too fishy) and the Ricotta app (not fresh)

Meatball Shop

I finally made it the the revered Meatball Shop (the casual ladies luncheon series continues)!  The Meatball Shop is tiny and doesn't take reservations so I recommend doing an early lunch (it opens at noon) or a very late lunch/early dinner.  There is very little room to wait for a table and few stools at the bar so the hostess offers to take your number and allow you to explore the neighborhood until your seat is ready.  Unfortunately, there is not much to explore around the restaurant, and certainly not when it is 30 degrees outside.

The stools are first come, first serve and we were lucky to snag one after waiting ten minutes.  There is no coat check (or coat hooks) so dining on the bar stools with your large, heavy winter coat may prove to be difficult.

We had the good fortune to survey the food landscape while waiting for our stools, which helped us narrow down our options.  The bartender/server could not have been any nicer as we let loose a barrage of questions in order to circle the correct combinations on our menu sheets.

The Meatball Shop offers every possible type of meat (turkey, meat, chicken, pork, etc...), plus various sauce options.  Ultimately, all of our order combinations were a success, which is a nod to the outrageously good flavors concocted in the kitchen.

What to Eat:

Start with the Meatball hero with meat meatballs, provolone cheese, and marinara sauce.  The heros come in wheat or white but after admiring the wheat hero roll at the stool next to us, we opted for wheat.  The freshly baked wheat bread, doughy on the inside and crisp on the outside, soaked up the marinara sauce covering the hero (I still asked for an extra side, which I would recommend if you are big on sauce).  The slightly melted provolone was the perfect companion to the meatball.  (NOTE: we also ordered a chicken meatball hero with mozzerella cheese and marinara sauce, creating a take on the chicken parm...this hero was excellent and a close second place)

For dessert, Meatball Shop offers ice cream sandwiches (so if you are going to blow your New Year's diet resolution, you might as well go all out).  Meatball Shop's mint ice cream tastes like actual mint leaves so don't be surprised when it doesn't look like or taste like Baskin Robbins' mint chocolate chip ice cream.  The ice cream is sandwiched between two soft cinnamon sugar cookies, baked earlier that day.  There are several different flavor options but this combo was our favorite.


Suffering from post-holiday season blues?  Meatball Shop will warm you up with the ultimate winter comfort food,

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Artichoke Basille's

I love artichokes so I was intrigued by the name and buzz surrounding Artichoke Basille's.  While there are a few locations scattered throughout the city, the Chelsea outpost is the only location with a dining area and therefore suitable for a super casual ladies luncheon.

The pies at Artichoke Basille's are huge.  One pie is big enough for at least three hungry patrons, but with all of the interesting combinations offered, you may want to opt for a few different quarter pies.  Price wise it is a bit more costly but the upside is the ability to try several different pizzas.

Artichoke Basille had an impressive wine menu for a pizza joint.  Even though beer usually goes best with pizza, my dining companion and I ordered white wine sticking to our ladies who lunch theme.  We ordered a carafe of the Sauvignon Blanc and depleted it happily.

We tried to order the Sicilian pizza but the server told us the restaurant was out.  I was a bit skeptical of this because all of the ingredients used to make the Sicilian pizza appeared on other menu items.  We asked if they could do whatever size they had remaining and she agreed.  I should have let it go because the slice we received arrived incredibly charred, like the pizza chef forgot the slice was in the oven (if we were about to keel over from starvation, I would have sent it back).

The food took way too long, but to be fair, I should have spoken up.  Although I'm not sure speaking up would have made our food arrive in a remotely timely fashion.  Despite the fact that we were the only diners waiting for food (the few other occupied tables were happily devouring their pies), the food took over 45 minutes to arrive.  And while we had been warned the breadsticks would take awhile, it is somewhat ludicrous that they should arrive as we were finishing our pizza, an hour after we had ordered them.

What to Eat:

Pizza is made up of two of my favorite ingredients, dough and marinara sauce.  Mozzarella cheese I could take or leave (after all, it isn't burrata).  Despite my disappointment in ridiculous delay, I would gladly eat Artichoke Basile's' bread sticks at any time, before, during or after the meal.  The thick, long bread sticks were perfectly cooked, unlike the charred Sicilian slice of pizza we received earlier.  The bread was doughy, lightly glazed with a garlic butter and sprinkled with parmesan cheese.  I was overjoyed with the gigantic side of warm marinara sauce to dunk the bread sticks.  If it was socially acceptable, I would consider bathing in the sweet marinara sauce.

For a pie, we opted for the Margarita and requested artichoke hearts on top.  This quarter pie, thankfully, was the exact opposite of the Sicilian slice (aka not burnt to a crisp)  Also, the dough was the perfect proportion, not too thick and not too thin.  I enjoyed the contrast of the tangy marinara sauce and the slightly salty artichoke heart topping.  Was it worth the 45 minute wait?  Definitely not, but I am hoping our experience was an anomaly.

Searching for warm comfort food to fight off NYC's cold winter?  Head over to Artichoke Basille's for the food, certainly not the service,

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Cookshop

I love brunch.  Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day so any excuse to draw it out and consume as many breakfast items in one sitting is my idea of heaven.  The problem with brunch in NYC is that many restaurants do not accept reservations and waiting for a table outside in the rain/snow/cold when you are starving is not an acceptable option.  Thankfully, some wise restaurateurs, like the owners of Cookshop, allow you to make reservations.

Cookshop is owned by Five Points, another popular brunch spot.  Cookshop's floor to ceiling windows and high ceilings give the jam packed dining room a light, airy feel.  Try to snag a table along the window, which include a bench for winter coat and bag storage.  In the summer, Cookshop offers dozens of tables on the sidewalk, which is great for people watching but someone lacking in aesthetics (the view across the street is an outdoor parking garage).

Our server was terrific.  Despite the bustling restaurant, he was attentive and allowed us to linger after we had paid our bill.  There was only one minor snag in my book:  my request for a slice of tomato and avocado for the burger was shut down because "those ingredients are not in season."  I think this policy is a bit ridiculous when I can go down the street to Eataly to procure vine ripe tomatoes and ripe avocados.  Burgers should always come with tomatoes (and lettuce).  We live in NYC, where you can find just about any ingredient you can imagine.  I think some restaurants are taking the farm to table movement a bit too far.

Cookshop is the overall package when it comes to brunch: accepts reservations, features a gorgeous interior, offers excellent food and well executed service.  This is definitely a brunch staple for me.

What to Eat:

Start with the Pastry Basket.  The basket, which is better described as a platter, features a homemade raspberry pop tart (interesting), a coffee cake (amazing), cinnamon sugar muffins (incredible) and a chive scone (I had them swap it out for a biscuit which was a good call because several diners did not have biscuits as part of their breakfast).  All of the items were freshly baked, moist and flavorful.  I could have devoured dozens of the mini cinnamon sugar muffins. 

For an entree, to balance out my carb overload, I went with the Cookshop Scramble, which was a large mound of creamy eggs with caramelized onions, chives and smoked trout.  There was a salad on the side but I was more focused on the large, flaky biscuit recently pulled out of the oven.

Looking for the perfect brunch spot to meet up with friends or impress a date?  Add Cookshop to your 2013 must list,

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