Fall is in full swing in New York City. The mornings often herald in a comfortable, cool breeze and blue skies. This particular Sunday morning was no different. And I can think of no better day to set off for an Italian-speckled brunch at Rosemary’s, a charming eatery in the West Village. 

My boyfriend Anthony and I were going on a double date with a couple I met through work. The food would’ve been good regardless, but having great company made it all the more memorable. 

But what you’re here for is the food, I get it. So to start, I needed something refreshing to sip on. Upon hearing from our new friends that the coffee wasn’t particularly good, I opted for a more spirited drink: the Garden Martini. And I was absolutely right in my judgement. This is one of the best cocktails I’ve had recently, but it is perhaps the best brunch cocktail I’ve ever had. A combination of vodka, St. Germain (a liquor I’ve recently become obsessed with), cucumber, lemon and mint made for a light cocktail with a bit of sweetness and a refreshing finish.

While I happily enjoyed my cocktail and the fun conversation, we awaited our mains. I ordered the eggs Benedict—a brunch classic with an Italian twist here. It had the traditional poached eggs and hollandaise sauce, but it was seated atop griddled prosciutto and grilled focaccia. This was my dream eggs Benedict. It was unctuous from the rich, runny egg yolk and the hollandaise, which also offered a subtle, lemony tang, the prosciutto was meaty and salty, and the focaccia being both soft and crisp offered some nice texture to the mix, as well as a slight bitter note from the char on it. With a side of lightly dressed greens, it felt decently balanced. I’ve been thinking about this dish ever since, and I’m convinced focaccia is the best bread source for eggs Benedict.

There were two dishes that stood out to me on the menu: the aforementioned eggs Benedict and the lemon ricotta bomboloni with whipped Nutella cream. These little bomboloni were so good! They were like fluffy, cake-y donut holes flavored with a tinge of lemon. The best part about them is that they had these little pockets of ricotta that didn’t quite get mixed in, which made for a very fun surprise. I loved these bomboloni, but I will say that lemon and Nutella doesn’t quite work for me. The Nutella cream was absolutely delicious — so delicious, in fact, I ate it with a spoon — but it overpowered the lemon. That is my only critique of these, as both individual components were indulgent and oh-so-satisfying.

The meal in total was tasty, rustic and charming — by far one of my favorite Sunday brunches I’ve had in New York City.