Among the many Italian restaurants in Miami, Rosemary’s in Wynwood stands out.
I was wrapping up my winter in Miami recently. As one of my last acts, I enjoyed a meal at Rosemary’s in Wynwood that, even now, lingers in my memory. It was “that” kind of evening - where the mix of people, place, food, and service come together in a special way.
I had my doubts at first. As Miamians know (and as a warning to people who may find themselves in Miami in the future), driving to Wynwood is never easy. It’s a fight with the traffic, the tourists, and the limited parking. This restaurant is located on a particularly narrow and crowded street and parking felt impossible. It was an easy decision to turn my car over to the valet, who pointed me to the entrance to the garden restaurant.
The minute I walked through the entrance gate, the hassle of Miami driving disappeared.
Rosemary’s lives in a restored warehouse in Wynwood but I never made it inside the restaurant. I walked through the gate onto a large brick patio that accommodates both a bar and a whole lot of tables.
The place gives off the vibes of a a sun-dappled family owned restaurant in an Italian seaside town. It’s not flashy or aiming to impress; instead it’s welcoming, an invitation to join a family meal.
The tables are divided into sections, separated by herb gardens where rosemary and fennel and basil look very happy. Key lime and kumquat and lemon trees surround the tables. It’s both fresh and intimate; I want to clip a few of those herbs to take home!
Twinkling lights form an overhead canopy. The urban air feels fresh. There’s a low murmur of voices and conversation is easy.
Meet Carlos Suarez, the owner.
Carlos Suarez is the owner. Over the past 12 or so years, he has launched several Rosemary restaurants in New York City, all of which feature food from local farms. The restaurant in the West Village even has its own rooftop farm. Yup, that’s right, a farm on a roof in the middle of Manhattan.
He lived in Miami for a number of years when he was growing up and now says he didn’t have a choice about opening Rosemary’s here. “Miami is home. It was always going to call me back.”
His family lives in Lucca, Italy - a small, romantic looking town in Tuscany. Hence the connection to Italy.
Most of the food at Rosemary’s is sourced locally. Their on-site garden is cultivated in partnership with Little River Cooperative, an urban farm and nursery run by Muriel Ovaries and Tiffany Noe. Muriel and Tiffany started out as farmers and now help other local people design and maintain gardens.
Rosemary’s also sources produce from local, specialty farms like Tiny Farm, Borek Farms, where tomatoes flourish, and Swank Specialty Produce. All three of these places offer CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture), so you can order your own farm-to-table ingredients, often delivered to your door.
Rosemary’s menu reflects all these seasonal ingredients.
Bottom line: Miami doesn’t feel like a backdrop for this Italian restaurant; it’s more like a living, breathing character in the story. Maybe that’s because of Suarez’ personal connection to both Miami and Lucca or maybe it’s just intention well executed. Whichever, it works!
The food at Rosemary’s
As a group of 5, we enjoyed a lot of delicious food.
One of the starters we chose was the artichoke appetizer, a recent addition to the menu. For me, it was the star of the evening and a reason to return for another meal. It’s a whole artichoke served with a unami-rich but not fishy-tasting anchovy butter.
They wouldn’t divulge the secret to making the dish, but it tasted like the artichokes were both steamed and roasted until perfectly tender and then drizzled with anchovy-infused butter sauce. I’m guessing there was also a bit of garlic and lemon juice involved. Our table of five devoured two orders in about 5 minutes.
The next favorite, and a specialty of the house, is the orecchiette: little disks of pasta, each one pressed by thumb, cradling a sauce of broccoli rabe, fiery wisps of Fresno chili, and crumbles of sausage that left a rich, smoky trace on the tongue. The pieces of sausages snuggle perfectly into the thumb prints, melding the tastes.
I’m not a meatball fan but the meatballs, a mix of beef, pork, prosciutto and fresh ricotta, are tastier than most.
The linguine with Florida rock shrimp is a bowl of lemony and garlicy goodness. The bomba chili, a spicy southern Italian condiment from Calabria, adds some spice. And the bread crumbs on top added crunch.
For an apertif, I tried Rosemary’s Spritz, their version of Aperol Spritz. It’s made with cappelletti, Prosecco rosemary and orange peel. Cappelletti is a wine-based aperitif, slightly sweet, pleasantly dry and a world more appealing (at least to me) than Aperol. It’s less sweet, less bitter, a little earthier than Aperol, which is made from botanicals like citrus oils, rhubarb, gentian root, cinchona bark and other secret ingredients. I’ll go with the wine based spirit anytime!
The wine-by-the glass list is nicely curated. All Italian, of course, including some wines they bottle and brand as Rosemary’s. They are sourced from a variety of regions, including Tuscany, Sicily, Compania, and Piedmont.
Final thought:
If you’re lucky enough to find yourself in Rosemary’s garden, sometime near twilight, with a plate of artichokes and a Rosemary Spritz, savor the moment and leave as happy as our group did!
The Particulars:
The order:
Rosemary’s focaccia
2 orders, Crispy Artichokes
Chopped Salad siciliana
Linguini with Florida rock shrimp
Orecchiette with home made sausage
Cavatelli with mixed mushrooms
Bronzino with kale, borlotti beans, salsa verde
Meatballs made of beef, pork, prosciutto, fresh ricotta
Olive oil cake with blueberry compote, whipped cream
2 Rosemary’s Spritz
8 glasses of wine
What it cost:
$522.80, including tax and tip for 5 people
$104.56 per person
How to find Rosemary’s
Rosemary’s Miami
322 NW 25th St.
Wynwood FL 33127
Oh, those meatballs!
Thank you for always sharing the good food news. Have as wonderful summer!