Category Archives: Italian Food

Simply San Diego

24 Wednesday Apr 2019

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While life can certainly be filled with many different surprises, the unexpected can at times really throw us off  –  some are good surprises that give us joy, hope, comfort, and happiness, and some…can hurt, really really hurt, and leave you hanging with uncertainties, and disbelief…

The days before, during and after my relatively short trip to San Deigo encompassed a mixture of these surprises which left me to ponder how truly fast and sudden events in life can change from one moment to another.

The month leading up to the trip was the beginning of a revelation, a test of  tolerance, and love. First of all, the trip itself was somewhat unexpected, but very welcomed. I was to accompany my boss who wanted to cheer on her daughter who was going with her school on an athletic competition.

Aside from her attending some of the games, the daily activities were to take photos at scenic locations, and look for good places to eat. The food was of course the best part for me. I searched and read reviews and looked at all the Yelp’s photos to decipher which would be the best choices for her and me.

Most of the ones we did try turned out to be excellent and delightful. The first place we stopped at was lunch at a restaurant named Baci Ristorante.  The restaurant was totally empty when we got there, which made me feel a bit uneasy, but we were told that the reason was because it was the day after Christmas.  Since we were there already, we decided just to stay and try. Being the only customers, the waiter was naturally attentive,  even the owner came over to greet us, and shared with us the history of his restaurant. Later on after the meal, took us on a tour of the whole place and explained to us the stories behind all the artwork, which turned out to have been created by a relative of his who had since passed away. Some of his work were in fact quite distinguished. And after that, he even took us next door to a much more casual restaurant run by his son.

The food turned out to be so much better than expected, in fact, they were excellent in taste and preparations. We started with a white wine reccommended by our waiter. The steamed black mussels in wine and garlic was exceptionally fresh, plentiful and perfect in flavor. My Veal Chop Lamberti topped with roasted garlic, appeared simple, and yet was outstandingly executed, and my boss enjoyed her Swordfish Oregonato, cooked also with white wine and garlic. Everything, the food, the wine, the ambience, the encounter with the owner,  made for a very special and magnificent afternoon.

Elegant yet unrestricted was how I woul describe  Mister A’s, one of San Diego’s finest restaurant on the twelth floor, minutes from downtown offering a spectacular view of San Deigo’s skyline. It had been a while since I felt the sophstication and polished attentiveness of the staff in a restaurant, “classy” would be the suitable word. THe restaurant offers modern American cuisine with influence from the French and the Mediterranean.

My Duck Confit with Fingerling potatoes and sauce Quercynoise was without a doubt the best that I had ever tasted. I usually choose not to eat the potatoes, but the ones on my plate were so different in taste and texture from other potatoes, that I ate them all with glee. There was not one thing that I could criticize about this dish!

The others at the table order the Surf and Turf , which included a Filet Mignon that was truly exceptional, as I was told.

I was again thinking of how very blessed I have been as we dined at George’s at the Cove, Ocean Terrace. The atmosphere and the view would certainly qualify this restaurant to be representational of the sun and fun of a beach town. Situated on the top level of a commercial building admist the bustling shops at the heart of La Jolla, we enjoyed our lunch overlooking the beautiful Pacific ocean with a gentle breeze and warm afternoon sun. I think this was what “being on vacation” is supposed to feel like, all the unpleasantness of life seemed to have disappeared if only for those moments.

The Spaghetti with Clams was an excellent choice for my boss, with ample amount of clams and huge shavings of parmesan. My Prosciutto and Fig Panini, though tasty, was just a tad disappointing because of the heavy bread. However, the ambience and the beauty of being there more than made up for whatever was lacking with the dish.

Foodwise, it definitely ranked amongst the top out of my recent trips, with the exception of Hong Kong. However, because of an incident that happened toward the end before returning to LA, I was reminded that with everything wonderful, there would be things to offset that a bit. The lesson taught me to try to be much more careful in all that I do as I move forward in life’s journey with God’s mercies.

Baci Ristorante – 1955 Morena Blvd. SanDiego, Ca 92110  Phone: 619-275-2094

Mister A’s – 2550 Fifth Ave, 12th Floor, San Diego, CA 92103  Phone: 619-239-1377

George’s at the Cove – 1250 Prospect St. La Jolla, CA 92037  Phone: 858-454-4244

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A Very Filling Afternoon – Ganache and Coffee Zone

25 Monday Apr 2016

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Had a pretty good lunch at Tasty Garden in Alhambra before going to a job.

The job finished quite a bit earlier than expected so I had some time before my other assignment in Chinatown. So I decided to have some coffee at the Coffee Zone in Monterey Park. I wanted a quiet place to sit and relax, and I remembered that Coffee Zone offers such an option. I ordered the Cappuccino while my friend ordered an Americano.

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The cappuccino came with a little frozen cream puff on the side. I must say that the cappuccino was one of the best that I have had for a long time. Even though the espresso was not very strong, I found that the overall presentation and taste to be excellent, especially with the fine chocolate powder sprinkled on top.

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Although the time was around 5:00pm, we decided that perhaps we should have an early dinner. We chose a place called Ganache Patisserie and Cafe by Nicol on Atlantic since it was close by, and one that I have not tried before.

The restaurant is small and empty since it was not quite dinner time yet. The menu has numerous pasta options. The wall had photos of delicious looking desserts even though the waitress said that some of the desserts were not available, and that some did not really look like the photos.

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I chose the Vegetarian Pasta with a tomato base sauce, while my companion ordered the Seafood Pasta. The servings of the pasta were not huge, but given that I was not that hungry, it was just the right size.

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The chef did a good job on the pasta itself since it was still al dente. The taste was a tad sweeter than I would have preferred. The pasta came with sun dried tomatoes and mushroom, but I did not get too many mushrooms.

I wanted to try the desserts but was too full to do so. Overall, it was a decent place to try if one is not in the mood for Chinese food in that area.

Coffee Zone: 328 S. Atlantic Blvd. Ste. 107, Monterery Park, CA 91754  Phone: 626-521-5880

Ganache Patisserie and Cafe by Nicol:  141 N. Atlantic Blvd. Ste 102, Monterey Park, CA 91754  Phone: 626-943-8688

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spaghettini – Dinner and Live Music

04 Friday Sep 2015

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Dinner with live music sounded like a good combination for an evening out. The fact that the restaurant is located in Beverly Hills made it even more appealing. So we purchased yet another Travelzoo coupon to try out the place.

Turned out that the restaurant is right next to Spago, and being that it was a Saturday evening, there were quite a bit of people and fancy sports cars everywhere as expected.

The inside of the restaurant was busy, and the atmosphere was lively and festive. The waiter was a nice gentleman with a very personable persona.

We started off with a nice glass of Prosecco, slightly sweet and bubbly. Dinner menu consisted of 2 appetizers and entrees with a dessert to share.

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The Scallop Cerviche was really fresh according to my dinner companion, while my Farro wtih various vegetables was hearty and light on flavor which was just perfect for my taste.

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My Maine Scallops arrived really late, almost after my friend was finishing up his Lamb Chops. The scallops appeared to have been carelessly overcooked since the top of the scallops were dark brown. I had to cut off the brown part since I do not like my food too burned. However, the mashed potato that came in the middle was perfectly executed and delicious.

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The waiter highly recommended the Flourless Chocolate Cake with Ice Cream, and it seemed that almost every table was ordering that as well. I found the cake to be extremely sweet with a rather unusual taste, so I only ate a tiny portion of it.

The waiter was nice enough to notice that, and asked me if I wanted to try another dessert. I picked the Butterscotch pudding and it turned out to be the best tasting offering for the evening. I was enjoying my dessert together with the cup of black coffee, while the band played various jazz rendition of favorites such as La Vie en Rose, …

Spahettini & the Dav Kov Lounge: 184 N. Canon Drive, Beverly Hills, CA 90210  Tel: 310-424-4600

 

 

IL GRANO – A Most Enjoyable Evening

14 Tuesday Jul 2015

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We purchased yet another deal at Travelzoo a little while back, it was for a restaurant named Il Grano on Santa Monica Blvd near Sawtelle. I made a reservation for the past Saturday and off we went.

As usual, I was just a bit anxious, not knowing whether the food and everything else will turn out satisfactory. The drive was quite fast and we were able to find meter parking just outside the restaurant.

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The inside of the place is modern, clean and relaxing. The waiting staff was very courteous, and appropriately attentive. The little round dome shape bread served with olive oil was warm and had a crunchy outer crust, and the server came and replenished with new ones whenever we were done with one.

There were two choices for the each of the five courses for dinner, so we just made it easy by taking one of each.

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We started off with The Crudo and Heirloom Tomatoes w/Mozzarella
as appetizers. The Crudo included five different type of raw fish and a different sauce for each fish. And all the different varieties of heirloom tomatoes were sweet and complimented well with the mozzarella.

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The second course included Grilled Octopus and Ricotta and Marjoram filled zucchini blossoms. I found the octopus to be very tender, unlike some that can be rubbery. And the lightly fried zucchini blossoms(tempura style) were crunchy on the outside and delicious inside with a soft, luscious center.

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The third course with the Squid Ink Pasta with Uni Sauce, and the Porcini Risotto were both creamy and tasty. All the portions so far had been very decent and not just the one-bite portion as in some of the other fancy places, which I thought were not as satisfying.

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The entree included Wild Alaskan King Salmon and Duck Breast. My companion said the fish tasted very fresh and the serving was quite large in size. The duck breast was thinly sliced and flavorful, however, it was just a tad undercooked, so some of the them were a little chewy.

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The desserts –  a trio of three different house made gelato and sorbets were extremely refreshing, while my layered dark, milk, white chocolate bar was extra rich, totally sweet and decadent.

Travelzoo 5 course dinner: $89 for two

IL GRANO – 11359 Santa Monica Blvd. West Los Angeles, CA 90025   Phone: 310477-7886

 

 

 

 

 

Michael’s on Naples – Exquisite

13 Tuesday Jan 2015

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I have been on this culinary quest for good Italian food lately, and so when there was a Travelzoo deal for an Italian restaurant named Michael’s in Long Beach, I decided it might be worth while to give that a try, especially since the 5 course tasting menu seemed rather appetizing with its varieties of pasta dishes.

Even on this rainy Sunday evening, the restaurant was somewhat busy, which was indeed a good sign. I was immediately impressed with how clean the restaurant looked and felt. The table cloth was crisp and white, and I did not feel the urge to wipe any of the silverware nor the plates with any napkins, in fact, this was one of the few times when I did not even ask for paper napkins.

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The service was very prompt and friendly. The waiter was right there soon after I sat down and asked me if I wanted any beverage.

There were 2 tasting menu for the evening, and since we had already purchased the Travelzoo deal in advance, it was just a matter of waiting for the dishes to arrive.

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I was quite famished from not having much of a lunch, so the Ravioli with Mushroom was just what I needed to start, rich and creamy with the brown butter, so good. The Squid ink pasta with Fish in tomato sauce was equally delicious. My favorite was the next dish which was a homemade pasta with duck meat – the pasta itself had really great texture, chewy and thick, with a creamy yet not heavy sauce.

 

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By the time the fourth course arrived, I was already a bit full. Even though not a big fan of gnocchi, the homemade version here was the best that I had tried – light and smooth.

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There were 2 Italian Donuts with orange glaze and an Almond Cake w/Vanilla Whipped Crream for dessert. The donut was quite amazing, fresh and warm, slightly crunchy on the outside, and the best part was that it was not sweet, and together with the hot, smooth coffee, it was quite a perfect ending to an exquisite meal.

Michael’s on Naples: 5620 E. 2nd Street, Long Beach, CA 90803  Phone: 562-439-7080

Tasting menu: $55, $110.      Entrees: $30 to $42

Wonderful Thanksgiving Buffet @ Trump’s

30 Sunday Nov 2014

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Not that I do not enjoy a good Thanksgiving meal at home, or at a friend’s house, but having the Thanksgiving Brunch at the Trump’s National Golf Club in Rancho Palos Verdes was truly an exceptional and marvelous experience. In addition to all the traditional Thanksgiving fare such as turkey, stuffing, potatoes, ham, there were the freshest sushi, sashimi, and the best soft shell crab roll. The Seafood Bouillabaisse had large succulent lobster tails, mussels, clams.There were also Korean style ribs, made to order pastas and omelets, smoked salmon, crab claws(so tasty), salads, white and green asparagus,oysters, cheeses, huge shrimp, crepes, and lots of tempting desserts, …

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There were unlimited champagne, orange juice, coffee,..

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All the ingredients were top quality and ultra fresh.  The taste of the food was just right without being salty and overly seasoned. The service was attentive and yet not too formal. The servers were cheerful and everyone was in good mood probably because of the holiday. The room was elegant and spacious, beautifully decorated. The view of the Pacific Ocean was impeccable, unobstructed. The weather was gorgeous, sunny and warm – a terrific day with amazing food for Thanksgiving.

Trump National Golf Club of Los Angeles: 1 Trump National Dr. Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90275  Phone: 310 265 5000

$85 person

 

Scardino’s Italian Restaurant

21 Friday Nov 2014

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I have been craving for good Italian food lately, so I am currently on a quest to try different Italian restaurants in the Los Angeles area. After trying Il Fornaio, Buca Di Beppo, and Osteria Mozza, I ventured into a rather nondescript, small neighborhood Italian place close to my home this afternoon.

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Actually, I have passed by this restaurant hundreds of times throughout the years while getting take outs from a Chinese restaurant a few doors down. Some friends had recommended me to try but I never did until I received this “buy one get one free” coupon.

My son got off school early today so we decided to go when the place is not busy (there is usually a crowd outside on weekends). There are less than ten tables inside. The decor is cozy and homey, and the waiting staff was exceptionally friendly.

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We were brought a basket of garlic bread to start. My son who said he was not that hungry earlier scoffed down almost the whole entire basket of bread. He said they were the best garlic bread he had ever tried! These were his words “crunchy, crispy on the outside, soft inside, and nicely buttered”.

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My Eggplant Parmesan was very tasty and not greasy. The sauce was fresh with a mound of soft, melted mozzarella cheese on top. My son was very impressed with his spaghetti with meat sauce. The noodle was al dente and he said the tomato sauce tasted so fresh that it was like drinking tomato juice. He was still raving about how delicious it was on the way home.

While the food was indeed good, I would have be more satisfied if the portion size could have been larger, my eggplant was a bit too small for a hungry stomach.

Scardino’s Italian Restaurant: 4803 Torrance Blvd. Torrance, CA 90503. Phone: 310-542-2222

Entrees: $10 to $23

Culina at the Four Seasons Hotel

15 Wednesday Jan 2014

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Delicious and  comfortable – that is how I would describe the food and the experience at the Culina Restaurant at Four Seasons Hotel in Los Angeles.

My friend bought a “Travelzoo” voucher a couple months ago for a Five Course Dinner for this restaurant. We decided to give it a try this past Sunday. We were fortunate enough to find street parking nearby and avoided the $8 valet parking fees.

Culina is located right on the ground level next to the hotel entrance, so it was very convenient and easy to find. I was pleasantly surprised by how elegant, yet modern, and nicely decorated the interior was, even though this is the Four Seasons Hotel. The ambience was warm, inviting and extremely comfortable.

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The service was excellent and attentive, the waitress was sincerely genuine, friendly and helpful, traits that I find to be rare sometimes in this type of upscale restaurant.

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The meal came with a glass of Prosecco, an Italian sparkling wine that I was trying for the first time. The bubbly had just the right amount of sweetness that I liked. My first course started with Prosciutto and an Italian semi-soft cheese, along with some not-overly-salty olives and walnuts, all presented on a small wooden charcuterie board. The prosciutto was paper thin, tasty and went well with the cheese and wine.

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The second course was Polpette, an American Wagyu Meatball that was slightly larger than the size of a ping pong ball, and sat in a tangy tomato sauce. it was so good that I finished every bit of the meatball and sauce.

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The Rigantoni with wild mushroom was extremely rich and creamy with the white wine, garlic and Parmigiano-Reggiano.

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The main course of Branzino, a Mediterranean Sea Bass, with tomatoes, capers, and lemon was perfectly cooked – tender, flaky, moist with a slightly crispy thin layer of skin. My friend’s Tagliata, New York Strip, was very flavorful and tender as well.

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The Tiramisu was probably one of the best that I have tried, light, not too sweet, with a strong coffee flavor. The Nuvola di Riso, a rice pudding mousse was smooth and mild, though my friend said the flavor was not quite strong.

The server was telling us that there is a Sunday Brunch at the restaurant that is spectacular for $68, hope to be able to try it one day.

Culina:  300 South Doheny Dr. Los Angeles, CA 90048  Phone: 310-860-4000

Back For More – Bottega Louie

28 Monday Oct 2013

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When my friend mentioned Bottega Louie for lunch, I was just a tad hesitant. Not that I don’t not enjoy the food there, but because of the fact that I had gotten a ticket on the way home after the last visit, the dark shadow is still hanging over me from the trauma of receiving an unjust, unfair, highly expensive citation that did not fit the violation.

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However, the remembrance of one of the best pastry I have ever tasted, Le Grand Macaroon, and the image of the beautiful, elegant display of the exquisite patisserie, as well as the magnificent architecture, the ambiance, the energy and the excitement of the place, which is so reminiscent of Paris, all proved to be too strong for me to resist, despite the nagging uneasiness of having to deal with traffic and parking in the Los Angeles downtown area.

After my church service on Sunday, I armed myself with the round trip driving instructions from Mapquest so that I will be able to zip in and out of the area in the fastest, most efficient way possible.

Parking was difficult, I had wanted to find parking on nearby streets, so I stubbornly circled the area continuously for 4 to 5 times. The idea of just giving up and calling my friend to say that we should just go elsewhere crossed my mind, but again, the thought of the unparallelled taste and beauty of the pastries would not allow me to leave. I found a parking lot nearby for $5 and succumbed to paying that price for the sake of tasting the Grand Macaroon once again and trying new ones.

I was surprised by how incredibly busy this place was on this Sunday morning around 11:30 am. The whole restaurant was packed and there was going to be about a 15 minute wait.

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Famished, I ordered the Smoked Salmon Benedict, and the Portobello Fries, both of which I had wrote about in my June blog of this year. The fries seemed to be even better this time around. I had mentioned on my last blog how I wished there would be more smoked salmon with the Eggs Benedict, so I decided to take things into my own hand. I ordered the Smoked Salmon Plate. It came with ample slices of the firm, yet moist and silky, and wonderfully smoky wild salmon, served with a side of white bagel and cream cheese. Now my Eggs Benedict is complete with the addition of the extra salmon.

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We also ordered the Prosciutto & Burrata which are ultra thin slices of mildly favored prosciutto on top of the Burrata cheese on a potato pancake. I liked the fact that the taste of the meat was delicate and not too salty, which balanced well with the softness of the cheese and crunchiness of the pancake. Though the serving was small, it was just right given the fact that I was becoming full.

Now let’s get to the real and important reason for coming here. It was mainly for the pastries, the sweets, the true masterpieces!

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And I do mean masterpieces – each one of the beautifully crafted cakes are meticulously and impeccably executed. While the appearances of some may seem delicate, the taste are often bold and exquisite.

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When I tried Le Grand Macaroon last time, it left me exclaiming in excitement to my son how incredible it was. So the first thing I looked for once inside was this splendid huge macaroon with the freshest raspberries and delicious cream filling. It did not disappoint me, it is just as good this time around.

However, as incredible as the macaroon is, the Cappuccino, unbelievably, is even better. Not only does the luscious light yellow custard-cream-like filling taste of strong espresso, but it is mixed with a striking liqueur flavor that is irresistibly flawless. Even my son chose that one as his favorite.

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The Hazelnut Brownie is a dense, not too sweet, round shape brownie with a slightly crunchy top. The Earl Grey Macaroon is chewy, crisp and moist all at the same time, but I did not get too much of the tea flavor. I must say the cookies are really good here, too, perhaps a bit under-rated and had gotten a bit lost amongst all the other great sweets. I had the Oatmeal Raisin and the Chocolate Chip, and both were excellent in freshness in taste and texture.

I am still energized and excited a day later from having visited this restaurant and from trying out the amazing pastries and cakes. Perhaps that is the mark of a great restaurant when it can instill such a sense of energy, passion and adventure. It was definitely worth the nuisance that came with the trip.

Bottega Louie – 700 South Grand Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90017  Phone: 213-802-1470

http://www.bottegalouie.com/main.html

Worth A Try – Bottega Louie

01 Saturday Jun 2013

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While browsing through the internet looking for a decent restaurant to try, I noticed the name of Bottega Louie showing up in different sites. The name sounds Italian, and I usually do not visit Italian restaurants much, since my impression is that the food is often overpriced for what one gets. After all, noodles or pastas are not expensive items unless they are homemade with quality ingredients. I understand that there are, of course, numerous other Italian dishes in addition to pastas, but somehow I have not managed to really embrace the idea of eating Italian food outside, even though I do really enjoy the flavors of Italian cuisine.

Upon looking up the menu and photographs of the food from Bottega Louie, I found that the restaurant offers a mix of American and Italian dishes. The prices are not cheap, however, the selling point for me was that the restaurant offers extensive varieties of pastries and desserts, including my favorite – chocolate soufflé. How could I resist?

The restaurant has a beautiful store front with marble columns and huge glass panels, and high ceilings. The restaurant was already filling up at 11:00am on this memorial holiday. Near the entrance, a dazzling and elegant display of exquisite looking pastries and macaroons kept patrons like me pacing back and forth. I do love pastries.

My companion and I ordered the Portobello Fries, Smoked Salmon Benedict, and pizza with 1/2 burrata, and 1/2 mushroom. The crusts on the mushroom fries were not heavy, and tasted really good with the aioli sauce (I asked for extra sauce). The pizza had the right amount of cheese and plenty of mushrooms, and a very thin crust, but I did not finish the crust since the bottom was too charred for my taste. As for the Smoked Salmon Benedict, I would have preferred a bit more salmon in order to render the dish more flavorful, there is not enough distinctive taste within the plate.

The chocolate soufflé took at least 20-25 minutes to arrive. I like the fact that it was not too sweet, and the taste was chocolaty enough; but it was not as rich and moist as I had hoped for. On the way out, I got a large macaroon with raspberries and cream inside and a chocolate éclair. Of course, as soon as I got home, I immediately opened the very pretty box that the pastries came in. The macaroon turned out to be one of the best all around dessert I have had for a long time. The cookie part was moist and soft with a slight crunch, and the cream filling was divine, and the raspberries were totally fresh. The éclair, however, did not measure up to its look.

One negative mark for Bottega Louie would be the noise level inside the restaurant. It was really difficult to carry on a good conversation. I would say that it was even noisier there than a busy Chinese dim sum restaurant.

Bottega Louie: 700 S. Grand Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90017  Phone: (213) 802-1470