Parsley, Sage, Rosemary's, and Pete Wells

photo by dan kriegerPete Wells files on Rosemary's this week, after waiting an hour and a half to get a table.  The restaurant opened in June, and while its big windows play nicely with the warm summer breeze, the host stand is still learning to play with the droves of guests fluttering to the corner of West 10th and Greenwich Ave.

Wells finds flavor and value in chef Wade Moises' food, "Mr. Moises is adept at working vegetables and seafood into antipasti that bring your appetite to attention," and "each vegetable antipasto is $5; the pastas are $14 or less."  It sounds like a page from Batali's book, where a dozen $5 verdure and cheap pastas live on a stones throw away at Otto.  This affordable approach is no coincidence, Moises worked at both Babbo and Eataly.

The gimmicky wine list at Rosemary's is hit or miss.  Offering 40 wines all for $40, it leaves Wells feeling, "some chagrin at paying $40 for the kinds of bottles that might be opened at an office party."  Rosemary's has their own rooftop garden, "the urban agrarian notion does seem to have provided a theme for the decor," which is rustic and plant riddled and gives Rosemary's "the feel of a trllised patio in some corner of Italy that's heavily populated by Upper East Siders."  Wells gives one star to Rosemary's.

Pete Files on Neta

Pete Wells awards two stars to Neta, the sushi spot a couple of Masa vets opened earlier this year on West 8th Street in G Village. 

Wells says of the decor, "The interior of Neta is defiantly plain," and that, "There are diners on Route 4 in New Jersey that give you more to look at."  It isn't until certain creations by Nick Kim and Jimmy Lau are placed in front of him that he forgets about his surroundings.  "In the presence of unusually well-made sushi, a kind of tunnel vision sets in. Anything else in the room might as well be invisible as the world narrows down to a gleam of fish on a finger of rice in a tight circle of light."

Allergic to fish?  No problem!  Neta has nearly a dozen different vegetable rolls available a la carte, a part of the menu Pete "might have read with as much attention as I give to sponsored posts on Twitter.  Curious, I tried grilled shiitake caps pressed around rice, a lotus root roll with minty shiso and another roll of asparagus tempura. They were some of the purest vegetable preparations I’ve tasted all spring."

Lunch Launches at Babbo

Babbo began serving dinner at 110 Waverly Place in June of 1998.  For 14 years it has remained the most lauded dining location in Mario Batali's empire and one of the most sought after reservations in the city.  Today, starting at 1130am, the restaurant will be open for lunch.

Eater has pictures of the menu, which gives the option of a 4-course, $49, tasting menu.

Perla Turns One Week this Week

Perla is the much buzzed about new restaurant from Gabe Stulman.  At 24 Minetta Lane, it's the fourth restaurant in his Wisco empire, along with Joseph Leonard, Jeffery's Grocery, and Fedora. 

Michael Toscano made the move from Manzo to helm the kitchen at Perla, and with only a few nights of service under its belt, the city has plenty of (mostly good) things to say.

Masa Veterans to Open Neta in Greenwich Village Friday

Greenwich Village is set to serve some serious sushi.  Neta is slated to open this Friday by the hands and knives of two former Masa employees.

Grubstreet brings us a mouthwatering slideshow and you can check out the menu here.

61 West 8th Street (btwn 6th and MacDougal)

Let the sushi good times roll.

Minetta Lane is in Michael Toscano's Ear and in Gabe Stulman's Eye

When Eataly opened at the end of August in 2010, Michael Toscano made the move from Babbo to head the stoves at Manzo, Eataly's flagship resto.  After a year and a half he will pack up and take his knives to Perla, the new venture from West Village powerhouse Gabe Stulman.

Perla will open in the old Bellavitae space at 24 Minetta Lane.  Chef Toscano's Italian cooking will fit into a traditional antipasti, primi, secondi Italian menu format.  The space boasts a wood burning, brick oven that will lend itself nicely to various roasts for two.

Along with Mr. Toscano comes a pretty all-star staff.

Attack of the Batali Pang

Num Pang is a Cambodian sandwich shop with Greenwich Village (21 E 12th) and Midtown (140 E 41st) locations.  Today marks the start of the shops "Guest Chefs Give Back" campaign that sets to raise money for the New York City Food Bank and the Cambodian Children's Fund.

Mario Batali is the first featured chef and his "Batali Pang", available starting today, will run for the next month, through March 15th.  The sandwich is one of cotechino, which is a slow cooked Italian sausage, balsamic braised onions, Cacio di Roma cheese, and the rest of the fixens you'd find on a sandwich under the Banh Mi blanket; pickled carrots, cucumber, and cilantro.  It can be yours for $9.75 - 60% of that cost will head to above mentioned charities.

If the the cotechino is anything like the Prosecco braised version Batali's Greenwich Village pizza spot Otto does for New Year's, I'm there.  If it's any different, I'm there.

If I Could Turn Back Time, If I Could Find a Way

Gothamist brings us inside the New York City food world in 1938 while Eater runs us through a look into Greenwich Village food spots of the 30s.

Let's take a moment to give thanks to places like Delmonico's, Peter Luger, Katz's, and McSorleys for maintaining the sense of a timeless NYC experience.