Rosemarys Restaurant closes and ends an era of Gourmet Dining off the Strip in Las Vegas, Thanks for the Memories

Las Vegas suffered yet another tremendous loss with the closing of Rosemary's Restaurant. This piece will be difficult at times to write. As journalists we try not to let emotion and opinion creep into our writing , but this is very personal and we feel we have suffered the loss of a great friend. We have received many emails and phone calls from as far away as New York and esteemed winemakers from California saying " Please say its not so " . But sadly it is.

Rosemary's Restaurant was a one of a kind and an icon off the strip for 14 years. We personally have celebrated Anniversary's , birthdays , Holidays , Artist receptions , Wine and Beer dinners and sent a son off too Iraq and brought him safely home with Chef Michael Jordan and his staff at our table side. We have had countess great times and as we prepared for theCourt of Masters Exam did blind wine tastings all with this very good friend. The servers were not just servers and bartenders not just bartenders but friends for years. We have shared our lives with them and them with us. Rosemary's was not just your ordinary restaurant but a very special place where we knew our good friend would take care of us year after year, with consistency.

Our last visit was a typical one. We were greeted with the effervescent smile of the hostess, "good evening Mr and Mrs Harris we have your table ready to go " . Walked by the standing room only Bar with all the "usual" gang that we have seen there for years and seated at "our table " . The always pleasing Shannon and Michael Jones " Mr Jones " waving from the bar and getting ready to pour our usual Bombay Sapphire Dirty Martinis . Server after server would stop by just for a quick "hello, how are you Mr Harris , Mrs Harris ? " even though we were not in their section and we have told them for years to please call us by our first names. Chef Michael would stop by to say hello and then back to the kitchen to create some of the best dishes Las Vegas had to offer on and off the strip.

Yes, Rosemary's is closed and will never be forgotten by us. It was the last of the "TRUE" gourmet restaurants complete with linen table cloths and simultaneous service not to be found too many places off the strip. We are in mourning not just for us but for Las Vegas as well. The days of the gourmet fine dining restaurants off the strip are over and being replaced by chain restaurants with questionable service and mediocre food at best.

Good Bye to our good friend and best of luck to Chefs Michael and Wendy Jordan and thank you for the years of great dishes and most of all Thanks for the Memories.

Wirtz Beverage Nevada, Rudi Wiest Selections and Lotus of Siam team up for a showcase of the 2010 German Vintage for Las Vegas’ Top Sommeliers and Restaurateurs.

The industries top sommeliers and wine enthusiasts joined Wirtz Beverage Nevada and Crush Wines in a special tasting of the Rudi West portfolio of German Riesling. The event, which was held at the renowned Lotus of Siam in Las Vegas and showed off the new 2010 vintages. Guests were able to sample cuisine from James Beard award winning Chef Saipin Chutima which paired nicely with the crisp acidity and residual sugar of the Rieslings. Wine makers and producers from Monchof, Karthauserhof, Schloss Schonborn and Zilliken flew in specifically for the chance to showcase the 2010 Vintage from the finest wine producing regions in Germany.

Lotus of Siam Tahi Steak Tartare

Having them pour their own wines gave guests a rare opportunity to gain in depth knowledge and understanding of the wines and their terrior from the men and women who make them.

Monchof Estate Winemaker / Owner Robert Eymael

Rudy Wiest

 Rudi Wiest Selections is a leading importer of fine German wines in the United States market. Since 1978 their sole focus has been rebuilding the image of legendary Germany wine estates through education of consumers and the wine trade as well. Visiting Germany two to three times a year, they maintain personal relationships with every estate they have selected.








 Rudy Weist , the producers and winemakers were all in agreement that they expect the yield in this year to be the smallest of the last 25 years. Its was approximately 25 percent less than last year's harvest but the Quality of the 2010 vintage is considered to be good. They also added The 2010 vintage wines will be less full-bodied than those of previous years.

There were many standouts at this very intimate affair with a who’s who in attendance to be the first to sample the latest vintage from Germany. If you were looking for scores there were plenty of them to be found. From Karthauserhof Estate the 2009 Reisling Spatlese , Eltelsbacher Karthauserhofberg with a 94 rating from Wine Spectator was a very nice treat even though it was from the previous vintage. Looking at 2010 there were many standouts in what promises to be a very nice vintage.

Schloss Lieser estates caught the attention of many with their mouthwatering 2010 Reilsing Spatlese “Erste Lage” Lieser Niederberg Helden . For those who enjoy their German wines on the dryer side, Pfeffingen Estates did not disappoint with a very nice 2010 Scheurebe Dry, Estate. Schloss Schonborn had a large selection of 2009 and 2010 Vintages. Their 2010 Riesing Dry, Estate was a nice easy drinking wine and showed why this estate is well known. Schloss Schonborn also treated us with a large selection of Library Wines. Their 1990 Riesling Spatlese Medium Dry was a fine example of how Riesling handles ageing.


This was not just about Rieslings but about showing off the versatility of German wines. Rose , Pinot Gris , Pinot Blanc and Pinot Noir wines provided a nice showcase to add to the many Rieslings young and old being sampled at this event.

Over all we found the 2010 Vintage white wines are characterized by the typical fresh fruitiness we would expect but also crispness which is so highly esteemed world wide as well as being less full bodied. After meeting the esteemed winemakers who few many miles and sampling their latest work of artistry, we will look for the 2010 vintages on wine lists and know we will not be disappointed .