Bottega Louie Part 2

As I promised last week, here is another post for Bottega Louie with more of their delectable dishes and desserts. This time I went at 10:55pm instead of am, literally five minutes before they close, and I am happy to report that they are as gracious with late night guests as they are with the morning crowds. Most of the pastries and all of the breads were already put away or sold out by they time we got there, but the dining room was full of late night diners and we never felt rushed to eat and leave. Dani had a glass of the the Coppola Riesling for $10, and I had a glass of the Ravenswood Zinfandel for $8. They serve their wine in a smaller “pour” for half the price of a glass so you can have a different wine with each course, so you are free to literally match each dish with a wine.

Having just arrived from the East Coast, Dani wanted something light to eat, so she ordered the poached egg on perfectly cooked asparagus that was served with a balsamic that must have been at least 8 years old, for $10, this was a steal.

We also ordered the Diver Scallops for $12 which were served on a bed of lentils. I am allergic, so I did not taste this dish, but my friends said they had a perfect sear and retained their moist interior.

Since everyone loved greens, we got a side of sauteed spinach which was a fresh and fragrant as this picture looks. They do one of the best spinach sautees I’ve had in many months here for $8.

With all the light fare, we had room for dessert, so we chose the butterscotch budino, a creamy sweet rendition with a miraculously lighter bottom layer than top!

The beignets were the best I have EVER eaten. Yes, I include those at Cafe Du Monde in that statement. These are lighter, fluffier, and home made (not from a mix). Heaven on a plate. the raspberry sauce was tart and freshly made, so it was a perfect compliment to the rich fried dessert. I would go back just for the beignets any time, day or night. Who wants to join me?

Bellisima Bottega Louie

Fellow food lover Phil now works downtown so he told me about Bottega Louie a few weeks ago, saying that it has become his go to place. As fate would have it, my friend Realtor Georgia Seid, wanted to meet for lunch downtown, so today I combined both a place I wanted to try with a friend I wanted to see and got a fantastic afternoon of food and friendship.

The beautiful jewel box pastry shop and cafe sparkles like a precious stone in the middle of the salt mines of downtown Los Angeles. There is reasonable parking just 1 block away for only a $6-$7 flat rate, and Metro and bus stations surround the place if you want to use public transportation.

Depending on which entrance you use, you will be greeted with either an array of freshly baked breads or lovely macaroons displayed as beautifully as they would be in Europe.

They will make a gift box of macaroons in any size you wish.

Since the kitchen is open and the selections were plentiful, we wanted to sample several of the small plates instead of a pizza or full plate. We watched nearby tables devour the pasta dishes, pizzas and soups, so no matter what your preference, there is something on the menu for your mood.

They don’t take reservations, so get here early or late if you don’t like waiting for a seat. Once you are seated, they offer complimentary flat or sparkling water and tables have pink salt as a condiment!

The bread was so good that I bought a loaf to take home.

To get as many tastes as possible, we chose three small plates. We chose the roasted beet terrine for $10 which was a lovely generous serving on watercress with fresh burrata. If you love fresh flavors and or beets, this is a definite must order plate. The beets in the terrine were finely chopped, but there were small quartered golden and red beet accents. The crisp fennel and peppery watercress added nice textual elements and the dressing was light enough to allow the natural flavors to come through.

We also chose the the brussel sprouts with pistachios for $8 and found it a complimentary side for our third small plate.

Our “main” small plate was the sausage and beans for $12. It was a hearty plate of fennel sausage that served as a lively counterpoint to the smooth and tender beans. This was a very filling dish and my favorite of all our small plates.

Our three small plates were plenty for two of us at lunch, so we had no room for dessert. Georgia took some pastries home to her husband so he could feel as if he had lunched with us. My heart fluttered a bit when I saw the exquisite pastries, and even though I am usually not a big dessert person, if I were going to indulge, I would do it here.

I will definitely be back for more tastes here, so my next post may be a part 2 to this post…..in the meantime I will leave you with a tempting taste for your eyes

Scarpetta @ Montage

When I stayed at the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas this summer, one of the few restaurants I did not get a chance to try was Scarpetta. Since most restaurants now have outposts in various cities, it was a bit serendipitous that upon returning to Los Angeles I found out that Scarpetta was opening in Beverly Hills at the Montage Hotel in October and would be participating in Dine LA. It must be true that being at the right place at the right time are coordinated by great beneficent (gastronomic) forces.

The Montage is beautiful and the dining space at Scarpetta is both an understated and luxurious extension of the hotel ambiance. The varied bread basket ranged from plain whole grain to mozzarella and prosciutto stuffed, and the dipping choices ranged from a wonderfully savory eggplant and tomato spread, to a decadent marscapone and cream, and a citrus infused extra virgin olive oil.

 

Since it was Dine LA week, we opted for the menu (which you must ask for) and chose three signature courses for $44 per person. I drank a 2003 Rosso at $16 per glass, and Robin had a Hendricks Gin and tonic for $13, so even with the DineLA deal, count on the average check for two to be over $140 including tax and tip.

Robin chose to start with the Creamy Polenta with a fricassee of truffled mushrooms (regular menu price $16). Her first course arrived with two covered dishes and was served European style with the expediter spooning the mushroom fricassee over the polenta after ceremoniously removing the covers. This may be the best dish I tasted all night. The mushrooms had an earthy richness which complimented the perfectly creamy polenta so well that Robin said it was done as she would have made it (she is both Italian and a chef, so this was a high compliment).

 

I chose the raw yellowtail with olio de zenzero and pickled red onions as my first course (regular menu price $17). Although the fish was obviously fresh and the presentation was pretty, I was not wowed by the flavors. I made a mental note not to order a Japanese style dish in an Italian restaurant again.

I had chosen the yellowtail because my main course was the grilled Mediterranean Branzino with a saffron-cipollini puree, fresh ceci beans, calamari and a tomato marmalade. Branzino is one of my favorite fish and although this was a very nice rendition, and I loved the calamari and ceci beans, but the fish itself was slightly overcooked. Since the regular menu price of this was $30, I would not have been happy if I had paid full price, but I excused it as a consequence of a new restaurant with more covers than the kitchen was used to handling during DineLA.

For Robin’s main course she chose the short rib agnolotti with garlic chips, toasted bread crumbs and horseradish (regularly $23). These were tasty tender bites bursting with flavor. the crunch of the garlic chips and toasted bread crumbs lent a nice crunch to the rich beef. I would recommend this dish to anyone who loves pasta and beef.

 

Robin’s dessert choice was the vanilla caramel budino with gianduja chocolate cookies and although I am not a caramel aficionado, this light and creamy cloud of sweetness was a pleasure.

 

I chose the more classic chocolate cake with burnt orange caramel gelato with espresso sauce and loved it. The cake was a rich dark chocolate decadence that would make any chocoholic swoon.

So was it serendipity that I missed Scarpetta in Las Vegas, only to find they are now in my neighborhood? I don’t know. I do know it was a pleasant meal for a decent price with wonderful service during DineLA. Would I go back for a full priced meal? The polenta and mushroom fricassee, the short rib agnolotti, and the desserts are definitely worth it, but I would steer clear of the fish dishes until the kitchen staff skills improve.

Food in the Desert

Going on vacation is always a pleasure, but finding mediocre food dampens my joy, and unfortunately the food on my latest trip to Palm Springs/Indian Wells was so mediocre I had to go back to my old favorite Zini Cafe to eat something that made me smile (see my previous post here).

When I lived in Palm Springs, one of my favorite places to eat was Al Dente. Their pasta and seafood were always fresh, deftly prepared, and well presented. I decided to stop there for lunch and was heartened when their tapenade arrived and was a perfect rendition of pungent olives, garlic, spicy red pepper flakes and a luxurious olive oil. I didn’t want to spoil my meal by eating just tapenade and bread, so I controlled myself and only ate two servings. I would have been happier of I had made a meal of tapenade instead of my salad.

I ordered the Caesar salad with grilled shrimp. Looks can be deceiving; the shrimp were over cooked and the salad was over dressed with a bland sauce. It was sad to eat alone (I was the ONLY diner in the entire restaurant at 12:30pm), but it was even sadder to realize that one of my favorite places had changed for the worse. The glass of Pinot Grigio I had was as refreshing as the service from my waiter, who was in remarkably good humor despite the 118F weather and having only one diner. Considering lunch was under $20, I left a healthy 30% tip, hoping that would show the waiter I appreciated his work, and hoping the lunchtime chef was just having a bad day.

Upon arriving at the Esmeralda in Indian Wells, the last thing I wanted to do was drive anywhere for food, so I had their bar menu of four tacos for $10, ordering two shrimp tacos and two carne asada tacos. My server suggested the Luna Pinot Grigio ($8) from Cava restaurant, and then he went out in the 118F heat to get me a glass from the restaurant! I wish the food was as good as the service. The shrimp were nicely done (thankfully not overcooked), crispy and tasty, but the carne asada tasted as if it was boiled in water, and the tortillas were obviously industrially made tasteless discs.

My friend Cindy wanted sushi, so we got a platter of Spicy tuna roll with avocado, yellowtail, white tuna, albacore, and mackerel for $40. Cindy liked it, but I thought the fish was not quite fresh enough for the price.

Our final meal in the hotel was lunch at Cava. We both chose the chopped salad with turkey, avocado, tomatoes, corn, and mixed greens for $12. It was fresh and lightly dressed, but I was disappointed that the turkey was cubes of sliced turkey and the waitress disappeared after we were served (we had to ask the hostess for our check and paid at the hostess stand because our waitress never reappeared).

Sometimes old favorites change for the worse, and new finds are mediocre, but great places like Zini Cafe that continue to excel are the reasons I love to eat in the Palm Springs area.

Sawtelle Kitchen

My friends used to drive in from the Valley to come eat here, but for some reason I was a virgin to neighborhood favorite Sawtelle Kitchen.  The menu is an eclectic mix of Asian curry, katsu dishes, Italian pasta, salads, and appetizers that incorporate ingredients as diverse as lotus roots, kabocha, mussels, and lamb shanks (not all in one dish)!

I had to try one of the hot appetizer/side dishes, so I chose the Japanese mushrooms with wild vegetables sauteed in a soy butter sauce for $7.95. It was a decadently rich rendition of vegetables whose silky sauce begged for bread to soak up the sauce (and I used my dinner roll to do just that).

I had a very nice bowl of Miso with lots of tofu and a huge piece of wakame (seaweed) with my dinner.

I ordered the Chilean Sea Bass with the ginger sauce and a salad instead of rice for $22.45 (it’s $19.95 with rice instead of salad). Sadly my fish was slightly overcooked and the ginger sauce was a bit too salty, but the salad was very good. I would definitely order another dish next time.

The Pasta Carbonara with ham, onion, cream and black pepper for $11.95 was absolutely perfect (as my Italian dinner partner said, he would have made this dish exactly the same way at home). This dish was the epitome of sublime decadence; not too rich to eat but luxurious enough to make you want to eat the entire bowl.

Perhaps the best thing about the place was that we went during happy hour which is from 3pm-10pm Monday-Thursday, 3-7pm Fridays, and 11:30-6pm on Sundays which means all our food and drinks were HALF PRICE (so take 50% off the prices I posted)! They serve French and Tahitian beers, espresso, and French lemonade, but if you want wine (they only serve two), bring your own and pay only a $5 corkage fee for each 750ml bottle.

Who would have thought that a neighborhood place in Little Osaka would have pasta an Italian would love? Not me, but that just means I will be going back for salad and a pasta soon.

Cube Cafe In The Afternoon

The time between 2-5pm is usually when when restaurant employees eat or when the lunch shift goes home, but before the dinner shift begins, so finding a good place to eat during these hours can be a challenge.

Thankfully, Cube Cafe is open all day and serves up a varied menu from small bites to full plates until 11:30pm. I met some friends for a 3:30pm meal and was surprised to find the restaurant was half full in the middle of the afternoon! I guess we weren’t the only ones who eat at “odd” times.

Still or sparkling triple filtered water is offered gratis to all tables, and it tasted as clean and fresh as any bottled water. They offer teas, coffees, and wines, and house made limonata and aranciata (lemon and orange sparkling sodas). We were offered a taster plate to start with Nicasio cheese and candied pecans that was an unusual combination of pungent cheese with sweet crunch that worked perfectly together.

I chose the Charred Baby Romaine with olive oil croutons, shaved red cow parmesan, cherry tomatoes, anchovy vinaigrette for $10 that had enough anchovy to make me happy. This was a nice light bite for anyone who wants something green and fresh with some flavor.

I also had the Braised Baby Octopus, served with charred radicchio, cipollini onion marmelata for $8. I loved the accompaniments and the baby octopus was tender, my only note would be that some of the octopus was not as tender as other pieces, but overall the flavors were well balanced.

Kerry ordered the Margherita pizza and was shocked that it was so big (about 18″ x 12″). Made with buffalo mozzarella, basil for $13, this passed Kerry’s pizza taste test (she is a Margherita expert) and she loved the thin crust.

Marian chose the Italian tuna paninni with basil pesto, market tomato, and an argula salad as her included side for $12. She was thrilled with the basil pesto accent to the rich tuna,

Brendan chose the Piedmontese burger for $15 with blue cheese, charred shallots, heirloom tomato, arugula. He is a burger aficionado, so his thumbs up was a good sign. He became addicted to the home made ketchup and was dipping every scrap he could into it (including bits of Kerry’s pizza crust).

Finding a good place that is open all afternoon and late into the night is more difficult than it may seem here in Los Angeles, but finding Cube Cafe proves that there are food treasures if you look for them.

Campagnola

Whenever an Italian suggests that I join them at an Italian restaurant, odds are good that I will be happy with my meal. Campagnola makes my kind of happy meal. Service is superbly European, the wine list has good labels, with bottles that are under $65, and the ambiance is both comfortable enough for a casual meal and upscale enough for a date.

The tapenade was a great indication of the great things to come. You see only part of the serving below because I completely forgot to take a photograph before devouring several bites of the wonderful olives in olive oil and red peppers. You can taste the olive oil in a tapenade and it is evident that they have used very good quality oil to compliment the firm bite of the earthy olives.

Whenever I see spinach sauteed with garlic I have to order it and this fresh green version for only $5 was addictive.

Since I missed my steak tartare fix this week, I ordered the beef carpaccio, thinly sliced raw beef topped with arugola, capers, and shaved parmesan in a lemon dressing for $12.25. This was one of the best versions I have ever eaten in my life! Again the quality of the ingredients, in this case the beef, elevated the dish to ethereal heights.

Robin (the Italian) ordered the Pollo alla Scamorza, a sauteed chicken breast topped with spinach oil, garlic, cherry tomatoes and smoked mozzarella cheese served with mashed potatoes and sauteed spinach for $17.95. I tasted the dish so I can report that not only was the chicken tender, juicy, and well seasoned, but even the potatoes were perfectly done with tender centers and crisp exteriors.

I had no room for dessert, but Robin said the Tartufo was only the size of a “lepton” and I tasted the exquisite chocolate and hazelnut ice cream confection, not once, but twice.

If you are in the mood for some Northern Italian food, you can’t go wrong at Campagnola (even if you’re not Italian).

Ugo

After seeing “Rio” with two friends we wanted something sweet to eat, but we also didn’t want to just have dessert for dinner. Across the street from the theater we saw Ugo, which turned out to be a good choice for appetizers and gelato.

My friend Mika chose the Polpette, two 100% ground beef meatballs with homemade bread crumbs and marinara sauce ($6.50) because it said on the menu they were the “best you would ever taste”. While she didn’t agree with the description (neither did I) because they were a bit dense and dry, they were good enough to finish and the sauce was a very good light rendition of marinara.

I chose the beef carpaccio with Parmesan, capers, and arugula because I was in the mood for beef and it’s not often that I see raw beef on any menu. I was relieved to find this dish so balanced with greens, beef and cheese, rather than other versions I’ve had which either drown the dish in olive oil or smother it with Parmesan. I loved the lemon vinaigrette dressing on the bed of arugula which gave my bites of the beef with salad a piquant fresh crunch.

Alia chose the fried calamari which I tried to photograph, but none of those pictures came out, sorry. The calamari was tender and did include tentacles as well as rings, so although it was not noteworthy, it was a well executed version of this dish.

Alia’s dessert choice was the Bacio di Dama Hazelnut and vanilla crunch gelato topped with thick whipped cream, Bacio di Dama cookies and chocolate for $9 (sorry the picture is blurry). The dessert was big enough to share, but Alia somehow managed to eat nearly all of it even after her appetizer; it was as delicious as it looked. She especially loved the crunchy bits of hazelnuts in the gelato.

I was boring and ordered the wild raspberry cheesecake. It was a dense, thick version, with a layer of raspberry jam for $6.99. Like many other things on the menu, I found it uninspiring but decent.

Mika chose the cappuccino gelato served in a chocolate coffee cup topped with whipped cream $9 and adored both the presentation and the taste of the perfect way to end a meal for non coffee drinkers.

Ugo has a wine bar next door and they have a happy hour, so if you are happy with decent appetizers and great gelato desserts, this is a good choice before or after your movie in Culver City.

Enoteca Drago

One of my favorite Italian restaurants is Il Pastaio in Beverly Hills with pasta that is so delicate and light that it literally melts in your mouth. With Dine LA week in full force, I tried their sister restaurant next door, Enoteca Drago for lunch.

I went on a wonderfully sunny day in January, where in Beverly Hills, the temperature was about 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Dining outdoors, I got some sun and enjoyed people watching at the same time. The friendly welcome was a harbinger of the professional service to come as I was invited to pick any seat on the patio and told about the Dine LA $22 menu as soon as I sat down.

I started with the Vitello Tonnato, which I have never seen on any menu here in Los Angeles. For those who have never had this dish of thinly sliced veal with a creamy tuna infused sauce, this version is an excellent introduction; the tender veal and caper accents made this a mouthwatering appetizer.

For my entree I chose the shrimp ravioli with lobster sauce and zucchini puree. The ravioli was unusual with one side of each ravioli made of squid ink pasta. I found the lobster sauce magnificent, but the texture of the pasta here was not the light heavenly version found next door at Il Pastaio. The squid ink pasta was partially to blame for this, but I literally needed a knife to cut the ravioli and it made me long to go next door for the ethereal pasta at the sister restaurant.
The shrimp were slightly over done, but not to the point of being rubbery and the filling was a nice if not inspired mixture of seafood.

I chose the pear Napoleon for dessert and received this architectural medley of pear chutney with almond ice cream and almond brittle. It was beautiful and not too sweet, but a bit difficult to eat, even with the spoon and fork given with the dish.

The service I received here was among the best; no one hovered, yet as soon as I placed my silverware on the plate after eating, it was immediately removed. I was asked if I wanted any drinks with my meal, then asked if I wanted coffee with my dessert. After every dish I was asked how I liked it and I am sure if there had been any problems it would have been rectified immediately. Timing is very important when it comes to service, and the timing of the staff here is impeccable.

Antica Pizzeria, a taste of Naples in the Marina

I have been wanting to try Antica Pizzeria ever since I saw the twitter posts from @ChefLudo and @FrenchChefWife; when a chef and a pizzaphile (Krissy) both rave about a pizza, it’s time to go for a taste. Even better than their posts was the actual experience of both the restaurant and the pizza.

Antica Pizzeria has two locations in Los Angeles, one on Third Street and one in Marina Del Rey (where I went). Do not confuse them with Pizza Antica in the new Santa Monica Place Mall. The major difference is that Antica Pizza has the one of the four VPN designations in California.

VPN is an organization (Associazione Vera Pizza Napoletana) created to preserve and uphold true Neapolitan pizza. This designation makes sure that when you order a pizza from one of these establishments everything is done correctly, including the use of proper ingredients, like the flour (Tipo 00), San Marzano (plum) tomatoes, all natural Fior-di-Latte or Bufala fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, sea salt and yeast. Only fresh, all-natural, non-processed ingredients (preferably imported from Naples or Campania region, are acceptable), the manner in which pizza is prepared (no machine, not even rolling pins), cooked (wood burning ovens only), even the measurements of the circumference and thickness of the center.

If you haven’t had pizza in Naples, this is as close as you will get to tasting it here in the US. I ordered the Napoletana ($13.50), made with tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, basil, and anchovies. I know most of you shudder at the thought of anchovies, much less want them on your pizza, but it is so rare for me to even find anchovies on a menu that I had to order this classic.

They offer 15 other pizzas ranging from a Pizza Blanca al Prosciutto ($14.50), made with fresh mozzarella and garlic topped with Parma prosciutto and arugula (no tomato sauce); Pizza Capricciosa ($14.95), made with tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, basil, artichoke hearts, mushrooms, black olives, and Italian ham; or for those who can’t decide, Pizza Quatro Staggioni ($14.50), with a quarter section each of the mixed seafood, Margherita, Capricciosa, and Marinara.

Since they make everything to order, it took about 15 minutes for my order, so I had plenty of time to peruse the many articles praising Antica Pizzeria from the Los Angeles Times to Saveur magazine. You can create a meal to go if you are in a hurry from their very nice take out section of prepared foods from Arancino di Riso (rice cones filled with peas, ham, and smoked mozzarella), to meatballs and lasagna. They also offer salads, pastas, rissoti, and freshly grilled specialties if you are not in the mood for pizza; nothing on the menu is over $24 and portions are generous.

But I came for the VPN pizza and I could not wait to get the pizza home before trying a slice.

I felt as if I was in Italy from the first bite; the tomato sauce had a perfectly ripe sweetness, the fresh mozzarella was melted just enough to warm it without making it bubble, and the basil and anchovy were sprinkled throughout with a measured hand, neither overpowering nor underwhelming the cheese and sauce. The crust was so tender and thin that I actually ate the whole thing (ask anyone who has ever seen me eat American pizza and you will hear “she never eats the crust”). Pizza dough made by hand with top quality ingredients and baked in a wood burning oven is a taste sensation rivaled only by the taste of freshly made baguettes still warm out of the oven from a boulangerie in France. If you don’t eat carbohydrates, you are missing one of the great joys of life, especially if you don’t taste the pizza here.

I will be doing my best to bring everyone I know here whether or not they are going to see a movie in this complex on Maxella. Antica Pizzeria gives me hope that perhaps after tasting this pizza American taste buds will reject the processed disks they eat from other vendors. Once you taste something divine, you will never settle for less, and Antica Pizza is one of life’s pleasures,. What is the point of life if you do not experience pleasure?