Finally A Wine Bar - Rosie's in Garwood

Before CoolVines in Westfield opened, there was some speculation if the place would actually become a Wine Bar. At the time I was very much in favor of this as a real good Wine Bar is dearly missing in the area.

Although CoolVines eventually turned out to be a wine store (with regular wine tastings twice a week nevertheless) I was still very excited about the new source for good and interesting wine in Westfield.

When I recently drove from Westfield to Cranford I was even more excited to see a store sign in the new development across from ShopRite that said "Rosie's Wine Bar". On our way back I stopped to check it out and fortunately got a chance to chat a bit with the owner "Josh Rosenberg" a.k.a. Rosie. He is a veteran in the wine business and finally decided instead of selling wine wholesale he wanted to open his own place. And a nice place it.

A comfortable bar (with coat hooks under the bar table, yes, finally somebody that thinks stuff through..) where you can enjoy 50 or so different wines by the glass, starting at $6.50 for generously poured glasses of good quality white and red wines. In addition, there is a retail section where you can purchase wine to go at regular retail prices or for an additional $15 corkage fee can drink them in the restaurant.


With us moving out of NJ, we wouldn't have much of an opportunity to enjoy the new place so we decided that our last dinner in an NJ restaurant should be at Rosie's. Together with three friends we went there Thursday night (without reservations). The place was pretty busy but we found a nice spot at the bar and began to study the very interesting wine list. With some consulting from Rosie and his team we settled on a variety of interesting whites and reds.

While sitting at the bar we also learned that they have installed a vacuum system that they use to evacuate open bottles at the end of the evening to ensure the wine is fresh and pristine for customers the next day. In addition to the wine they also served a complimentary bread basked which contained a variety of interesting, unusual breads.

Within 15 minutes or so a table was arranged and we set down. The menu is pretty extensive for a wine bar and certainly not limited to the typical bar fair. In addition to burgers and steaks there are also several seafood dishes on the menu. We ordered some appetizers for the group and then 5 entrees. Everybody was really happy with their food, good quality, well prepared, good seasoning. Considering the reasonable price level, the food is a pretty good deal. Not a Manhattan-style steak house, but definitely worth it.

Nevertheless, there is still room for improvement. Although attentive the service was not always refined and at times slightly chaotic. I assume after only a few days of operations this is not untypical and will be ironed out. Rosie was certainly very open to our feedback.

Overall, a great evening at a very promising new place. And lots of interesting wines still on the list that we won't unfortunately be able to try anytime soon.

Signing Off - The Westfield Blogger