La Rosetta opened last fall at 14th Street near the corner of Eighth Avenue. It’s from established restaurateur, Vincenzo Roberto, along with veteran chef, Fred Mero (The Four Seasons, The Boathouse), serving simple Mediterranean fare. They offer wines on tap, fresh seafood, an oyster bar, a prime rib carving station plus home-made desserts.

We started with their homemade focaccia with herbs and an amuse bouche of rich lobster bisque with chunks of the eponymous seafood, as we were deciding what to order. I selected a bottle of Tenuta Carretta, Barbera d’alba, Piedmont 2011 ($54), which worked so well with all the dishes.

I highly recommend all appetizers that I sampled as their guest, including the creamy Italian burrata ($14) served with poached pears, roasted yellow and red beets and topped with watercress and a balsamic reduction. We followed that with a “meaty” (aka few fillers) lump crabcake ($16) served with a crisp jicama salad — the plate garnished with both remoulade and a mixed herb oil. Don’t miss the tender grilled Spanish octopus with creamy cannellini beans and oven-dried tomatoes ($16), or the choice of fresh oysters.

Our main courses included the flavorful branzino ($29), presented whole, then removed to debone and served with sautéed baby spinach. Also tasty is the saffron-scented seafood risotto with baby clams, mussels, calamari and a head-on jumbo shrimp ($28) — delightfully flavorful, light dish. The brisket from the carving station ($22) was fork tender and comes served with creamy garlic mashed potatoes, along with a side of garlicky broccoli rabe sprinkled with pine nuts and oven-dried muscat grapes ($8).

By the time we got to dessert, we were so satiated that we just has a plate of refreshing lemon sorbet surrounded by fresh berries.

– bonnie

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La Rosetta
West Village
243 West 14th St.
New York, NY 10598
(212) 924-3400
La Rosetta Cucina Mediterranea on Urbanspoon