Rosemary's Restaurant - CLOSED

»Now Closed

This restaurant is now closed after 12 years in operation... (by farploop, created July 15, 2011)

You'll have to add me to the "not impressed list". Have visited Rosemary's twice over three years and would much rather go to Marche or Todd's before returning to Rosemary's. I thought that Rosemary's was very loud and the food wasn't special. REPLY (9 Replies) (by lv1964, created April 19, 2011)

»Yet another fabulous evening at Rosemary's

While recent posts continue to say that Rosemary's can be a hit-or-miss proposition, it certainly has never been my experience. I've lost track of how many times I've eaten there, and every visit has been totally consistent in terms of service, food quality and overall value.

Saturday evening's visit was same as it ever was.

We had an early reservation as we were going to see Mystere at TI...+READ While recent posts continue to say that Rosemary's can be a hit-or-miss proposition, it certainly has never been my experience. I've lost track of how many times I've eaten there, and every visit has been totally consistent in terms of service, food quality and overall value.

Saturday evening's visit was same as it ever was.

We had an early reservation as we were going to see Mystere at TI and had to get there an hour before showtime to pick up the tickets. My dinner companion is in the fashion industry and has a figure to maintain, so we decided to go with small plates instead of the prix-fixe deals. The plan worked out great as she was quite satisfied and I got to eat a lot without coming away too full as I have been able to do in the past.

Naysayers have complained about Rosemary's being overly salty. I would argue that it's not salt, but rather Chef's uncanny ability to combine multiple strong flavors in perfect balance. Anyone who has not experienced similarly strongly flavored fare might not "get it", but I have never experienced a heavy hand when it comes to the seasoning of the dishes coming out of the kitchen.

Amuse 1: Seafood salad on a wonton chip with a bit of yuzu sauce. Quite tasty, even if it did have minced red bell pepper in it (my least favorite vegetable on the planet, regardless of color).

Amuse 2: White cheddar Anson Mill grits with sauteed wild mushrooms in a mustard cream sauce. OH YEAH! A perfect example of Chef's deft hand when it comes to pairing strong flavors... sharp cheese and tangy mustard? Oh my yes!

Hugo's BBQ Shrimp with Maytag Bleu Cheese Slaw - the standard starting dish for as long as I have been dining there. Totally excellent as always. The shrimp were large and plump and perfectly prepared. The BBQ is zesty and pairs perfectly with both the crustaceans and the creamy slaw. The blue cheese adds a nice bit of bite while remaining balanced with the strong flavor of the BBQ sauce.With Sonny Bryan's BBQ opening soon in Utah I will be able to use their sauce (my fave all-time) in an attempt to recreate this dish at home.

Wild Mushroom Crepes with a Crawfish Mustard Sauce and Andouille Bread Crumbs - from the nightly special menu, this was another winner. The crepes were light and delicate, the melange of mushrooms was wonderfully earthy, the sauce added brightness with the crawfish adding a nice flavor and texture dimension, and the bread crumbs added a different textural contrast along with little spikes of heat. I could have easily downed another order.

Parmesan Souffle with Fava Beans, Morels and Truffles - the souffle has been on the menu for as long as I can remember, undergoing a variety of treatments over the years, and this was one of the better ones best I can remember.

For dessert we split the Lemon Icebox Pie and Raspberry Coulis with Homemade Lime Sherbet and Shortbread Cookie - My companion is both a baker and a major-league sweet tooth, and this had her swooning. Simply a great rendition of a classic American dessert.

While it is obviously impossible for any single restaurant to please everyone, I find the naysaying to be questionable, That being said, I'm thankful that some people come away dissatisfied. If everyone loved Rosemary's as much as I do it would be that much harder to get a reservation. Until I eat everything on every menu I am more than content to spend all my fine dining dollars with Chefs Michael and Wendy.-COLLAPSE / REPLY (2 Replies) (by GroovinGourmet, created April 18, 2011)

»Food + service = superb!

Dined at Rosemary's on Sunday night: chestnut soup, salmon tartare, crispy striped bass were all delicious, beautiful to look at and elegantly served. Sommelier's suggested wine - gamay noir - was new to me and is now a favorite. Rosemary's rules!!! (by Talksalot, created December 22, 2010)

»Return to Rosemary's Redux

After the longest stretch between visits and seeing some negative postings of late, I was eagerly looking forward to my return. I am glad to say that Rosemary's continues to rock my world... still solidly in my top 5 places anywhere.

I sat at the bar as is my preference when dining solo, and I enjoyed a variety of small plates, seeking out ones I had not previously enjoyed:

Baby Iceberg...+READ After the longest stretch between visits and seeing some negative postings of late, I was eagerly looking forward to my return. I am glad to say that Rosemary's continues to rock my world... still solidly in my top 5 places anywhere.

I sat at the bar as is my preference when dining solo, and I enjoyed a variety of small plates, seeking out ones I had not previously enjoyed:

Baby Iceberg Wedge with Blue Cheese Dressing, Eggs and Bacon - the only repeat performer. Fabulous as always. Simple, straightforward and perfectly executed with utterly fresh ingredients. Their blue cheese dressing is perhaps the subtlest I am drawn to... it's the apple cider vinegar that makes it. Gotta remember that the next time I make a batch.

Goat Cake with Pesto Beans, Potatoes and Mustard Butter Sauce - Oh yeah... I'll get this again and again. A lovely crusted and fried round of nummy, tangy goat cheese on top of fresh haricot verts doused in tasty pesto sauce, offset with wedges of generously sauced fingerling potatoes. The fingerling/mustard thing is a common theme, and one that I particularly enjoy. The combo of tastes and textures make this a perfect example of the Jordan's cooking. They are among the very best at successfully combining strong flavor profiles, and I for one appreciate it.

Tempura Fried Shrimp Kabobs with Asian Sho Mai Slaw and Ginger Soy Butter Sauce - one of the nightly specials, I observed the patron next to me at the bar finishing hers off and I asked if it was as good as it looked. Upon confirmation I ordered up and was so glad I did. The shrimp were nothing short of perfect... crunchy/chewy tempura coating, totally succulent crustacean insides. While I picked around most of the julienned red bell pepper in the slaw, that did not affect the success of the dish. Even the bites with a bit of bell (I avoid all varietals like the plague) were delicious, with strong sesame notes. The sauce was one of those lie-me-on-my-back-and-stick-a-funnel-in-my-mouth jobs, and I am not a soy guy. It was silky and balanced and a perfect bridge between the kabob and the slaw. This condiment slut thinks they should bottle and sell it.

Warm Dark Chocolate Bread Pudding with Strawberry Coulis and Mint Chocolate Ice Cream - Can I get a hallelujah! More like a disc of molten chocolate torte, this was another textural/taste success. The homemade ice cream was killer, and was a perfect foil for the hot, intense chocolate. Paired with their Rosie's Goodnight Kiss coffee cocktail, it made for a most excellent sweet ending to a triumphant return visit.

After a delicious pale ale from local brewer Joseph James, I went with the suggested beer pairing for the Shrimp Kabobs, Dogfish Head Midas Touch, and stuck with that the rest of the evening. Really, really good brew... spicy and complex and especially excellent with the kabobs.

On a final note... I found myself wishing I was much hungrier as a new (to me) entree really caught my eye: Milk Fed Veal Porterhouse with Swiss Chard, Cippolini Onions, Crispy Pancetta and Garlic Reduction Sauce. Can you guess what I am getting on my next visit?-COLLAPSE / REPLY (by GroovinGourmet, created December 3, 2010)

Rosemary's is a great choice for Sunday night as many of the other restaurants on the strip are closed..the chefs come to Rosemary's on their noghts of...Wine by the bottle is 1/2 price on Sunday night ..This review is based on one visit ....the food is terrific REPLY (9 Replies) (by LAC06488, created November 22, 2010)