No Playing Around

With classy, artistic cocktails, Rosemary’s bar hits the jackpot

Hidden in a nondescript neighborhood strip mall, nine miles west of the neon-blinding, traffic-snarled Las Vegas Strip, is Rosemary’s Restaurant (8125 W. Sahara Ave., 702.869.2251, rosemarysrestaurant.com), an unpretentious oasis of fine dining and drinking where the cocktails are as inventive as the acclaimed food. Consider the ginger sour — ginger-infused vodka, yuzu (a concentrate of Japanese orange, lime, and lemon juices), Cointreau, a dash of orange bitters, a splash of rock candy syrup, and Rosemary’s house-made sweet-and-sour mix. Shake, serve over the rocks, and top with ginger ale.

It’s an original and the brainstorm of Mike Shetler, beverage director and a longtime pal of the owners, chef Michael Jordan and wife Wendy. For $10, it’s also a gimmick-free bargain in a town where seemingly every saloon has a video poker or blackjack game embedded in the bar and patrons endure the annoying cacophony of slot machines. Not here. Smartly clad in dark suit and quiet tie, Shetler tells me Rosemary’s is a refuge, an “anti-glamour, polar opposite” of the cavernous casino hotels with their $10 million dining rooms and $17–$19 drinks. (One Strip restaurant, Boa, is famed for its $1,000 cocktail that starts with generous pours of rare cognacs.)

The signature drink at Rosemary’s is a Bloody Mary, and it’s a masterpiece of libational art. Shetler starts with oven-roasted tomatoes and adds fresh basil and onion, garlic cloves, bell pepper, serrano peppers, a giant can of Roma tomatoes, dashes of ground black pepper, kosher salt crystals, Louisiana hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, celery seed, fresh lime, and lemon juice. After letting it all sit for three days soaking in its own spicy juices, he runs the mix through an industrial blender, pours it through a fine mesh strainer, seasons to taste, and strains it into a tall glass with two ounces of pricey but smooth-to-the-taste Belvedere vodka. All this artistry costs just $10 a glass.

Every classic cocktail at Rosemary’s, which is named for the chef’s mother, has its own surprise twist. The house Manhattan is made with two and a half ounces of premium 100-proof Knob Creek bourbon and equal parts of sweet and dry vermouth, $12.

Rosemary’s black and green granite-topped bar is lined with a dozen upholstered stools, plus there’s table seating for 18 to 20. Light woods and autumn colors make for an inviting atmosphere, and original oil paintings by Shetler’s wife (who is also named Wendy) add a further touch of elegance. “We’re a haven where locals and performers can unwind in a quiet setting,” says Mike Shetler whose grandfather had a tavern in Dubuque, Iowa. Sure enough, there’s no live music, no amateur comics, no open mikes, no sensory intrusions of any kind.

Thanks to Shetler’s fascination with Belgian beers, Rosemary’s carries three drafts and 30 bottles of authentic ales and lagers starting at $9, including a 750 ml bottle of Chimay Grand Reserve, originally brewed by Trappist monks, for $25. Some 22 wines are offered by the glass including ports and sherries, starting at $10 for a French chardonnay, and up to $18 for limited-production Napa varietals like Keenan Spring Mountain District chardonnay. The full wine list is 300 bottles strong.

Meantime, you wouldn’t think a gourmet restaurant and bar of Rosemary’s caliber would cut a deal for its patrons with a happy hour. But weekdays from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., all beers, wines by the glass, and cocktails are half off. Who says you can’t beat the house in Las Vegas? That’s hitting a jackpot every time you elbow-bend.

The Wine Shop

This month, Continental sommelier David Gordon, who lends his award-winning expertise to New York’s Tribeca Grill and other restaurants, recommends three favorites from family-owned California wineries.

Miner Simpson Vineyard Viognier 2007, $20
Dave and Emily Miner founded their winery in 1998. Along with winemaker Gary Brookman, they produce a lush and aromatic viognier with tropical fruit flavors.

Holdredge Pinot Noir, Russian River 2007, $35
John and Carri Holdredge purchase all their grapes from small growers to make this elegant, ripe pinot noir. Typical Russian River flavors of raspberry and strawberry jump out of the glass.

Lewis Cellars Alec’s Blend, Napa 2006, $60
Former race car driver Randy Lewis and his wife, Debbie, named this unusual blend of syrah, merlot, and cabernet sauvignon for their grandson, Alec. It’s a full-bodied and silky combination. — D.G.