I get a lot of e-mails from out-of-towners looking for uniquely New York experiences to sample when visiting here, so I thought I would mention Rosemary's, a somewhat new restaurant in the West Village where Michael and I had the most charming early dinner the other weekend. (If you're a local and haven't heard about it, you're in for a treat, too.) The space -- which used to be my favorite paper/party/card store at the corner of 10th and Greenwich Avenue before it burned to the ground -- is roomy and inviting, like you would imagine Martha Stewart's summer home to be. But it's the state-of-the-art rooftop garden -- where much of the menu's produce is produced -- that will blow your mind. (Everyone's welcome to take the tour.) Something about seeing zucchini, dandelion greens and fresh tomatoes growing as a yellow cab whizzes by below just makes me smile, as did (most of) the food we ordered. My tuna appetizer didn't quite agree with my mouth -- perhaps it was the parsley or the cece fritti (whatever that is), but Michael's heirloom tomato salad and the linguini with clams I had were as fresh and simple as they were utterly delicious. Rosemary's doesn't take reservations, and has become enormously popular (celebrity sightings are common), but I highly recommend it. Neither one of us was that hungry when we went, but saw an opening by slipping it right at 5 o'clock before the rush. Will definitely be going back to sample more. Visit HERE.
