Bottega Louie

A recipe for perfection...right down to the ribbon.

Cross the regal opulence of Versailles with a playful Italian wholesomeness. Top it off with a laid back Los Angeles vibe, and what do you get? The answer is one of downtown’s latest additions, Bottega Louie.

Walk through the glass doors of this restaurant, bar, and market, and one is easily transported to some kind of European fantasy, all the sophisticated artistry with none of the pretense. I can’t help but wonder whether Marie Antoinette would have fared a different fate had she taken a cue or two from this charming establishment.


Welcome to the Court of Louie

With floor to ceiling windows, bold white walls and sleek marble floors, the space exudes celestial perfection. Roam the shelves and you’ll notice that every detail is accounted for, right down to the ribbons. The market offers counter service for an assortment of delicate pastries, full coffee bar, fine cheeses, meats, jams, spices, and gourmet deli items (They even have kugel!), It’s an impressively deep and varied offering, one to keep in mind for future picnics, entertaining at home, or just a quick fix for those folks employed downtown.


Exquisite pastries send my sweet tooth into hysterics.


Honey dates, and fresh figs, and fine cheeses, oh my.

Despite the decadent surroundings, Bottega Louie boasts a supremely egalitarian ethos. All are welcome. No reservations. Last week, the crowd was a diverse bunch. The huge dining room held a cluster of kids celebrating a birthday, several serious business types working through a power lunch, bohemian rocker artists sipping wine, old ladies who lunch, a couple on a romantic rendezvous, and yours truly enjoying the boisterous, bustling Court of Louie. Yes, depending on the time of day, the place can get pretty darn loud. So prepare yourself.

As for its food,this isn’t the place to go if you want gastromolecular flourishes or fusion gimmicks. The menu is simple and straightforward. Classic, comfort food fit for a king. Dishes are traditional without feeling dated or dull. I recommend the farmer’s market breakfast, two poached eggs over a medley of roasted shitake mushrooms, green beans, golden beets, cherry tomatoes and potatoes.


Farmers Market Breakfast

Or the smoked salmon benedict, two potato pancakes covered with wilted greens,smoked salmon, a dollop of crème fraiche, red onions, and topped off with poached eggs. I was not particularly impressed with their pizza. Something about the relationship between cheese, sauce, and toppings tasted confused. But I suppose they gave it a good enough try. Za Czar that I am, there are few places I can trust for a great slice. All in all, the cooking here feels fresh and easy with a refined touch. Even the to-go items are special. A vegetarian sandwich I had one afternoon was the perfect blend of paper thin cucumber, hearty nut bread, buoyant sprouts, and spicy mustard.


Mixed berry tart with vanilla cream and shortbread crust

As for desserts, the mixed berry tart with vanilla cream filling and shortbread crust is a delight. I can’t bring myself to order anything else.

Though the restaurant is open for dinner, I prefer idling away my mornings and afternoons here, when the bright sunshine fills the space up with an invigorating, unbridled energy. That said, every time I glimpse sight of the sexy bar, I entertain fantasies of charming a mysterious baron over cocktails. However you choose to spend your time here, one thing is certain, you can easily pass away the hours like a queen, eating as much cake as you like without fear of losing your head.

- Sascha

Jar

Deciding on a restaurant for a special occasion can be a difficult process. What reviews do you trust? How do you accommodate everyone that will be attending the dinner? The list goes on of different issues to address when picking a place where you hope lasting memories will be made. For my birthday I decided on Jar as the memory-maker. Unfortunately, the only memory I made was not to come back.

Jar does a lot of things right. The staff is very welcoming and accommodating; our server had been there for quite a while and directed us through the menu like a pro. The décor of Jar has been considered by many to be a modern take on 1960’s cool, a la Mad Men, and it lived up to the billing.

Comfortably cushioned chairs on rollers, the soft lighting, and the lack of exciting flavors in each plate tempts one to take a nap in between courses, why not the whole meal. I don’t mean to be so cynical; Jar does offer delectable treats like their pudding dessert but once our server informed us of what Jar stands for, Just Another Restaurant, I realized that the place definitely lives up to its name. For someone who has been to a number of great steakhouses and feels they know a thing or two of how a steak should be prepared and cooked, the Kansas City Steak was a huge disappointment for me. Undercooked and lacking proper flavor, it tasted like just another steak. The lamb shank was decent but not memorable, again not much flavor. I can’t actually remember what other entrées we had. Picking up on a theme? Boring and forgettable, that’s what you’ll find at Just Another Restaurant.

I enjoy going out to fine restaurants. They truly are a treat and not something I get to do everyday. That being said, I expect greatness. I expect such a magical experience that I dream of the next time I will get an opportunity to return to that restaurant. Unfortunately Jar is not one of those restaurants. Live and learn they say, and I was reminded of a valuable lesson (among others) on my birthday; looks can be deceiving.

- Jesse

Tavern

To spend time at Tavern is to indulge in a trip down the rabbit hole. Inside the latest addition of Suzanne Goin and Caroline Styne’s dining empire lies a world all its own, a restaurant and adjoining larder that seem culled from the pages of Lewis Carroll’s beloved Alice in Wonderland with a 21st century twist. It’s hard to find fault with this food oasis, a delight for every occasion. The front entrance leads you into the bar, a dark, mysterious room, bisected by comically oversized chairs, a place like some historic gentleman’s club, where secrets are told, fates dealt. Not your cup of tea? Fear not. Soft glowing light beckons you into the dining room, a most extraordinary space for day or night. The room literally glows with a perfect blend of natural (full skylights fill the roof!) and artificial light, at once both intimate and vibrant. I felt simultaneously out in the open countryside and nestled inside an elegant estate. The architecture is seamless. Wait staff get to the kitchen through a trick door with no knob. Living olive trees recede into the ground through subtle grates. Couches connect tables. If ever a room radiated quiet, casual elegance, this is it. Another glass of wine and my imagination may have easily transformed the Brentwood crowd into dapper animals in formal attire. The place is enchanted.

If you know Goin’s cooking, then the impeccably seasonal menu will be no surprise. Our dinner last week, for example, felt perfectly situated in time, stone fruit highlights echoed the end of summer and robust meats and root vegetables heralded an earthy transition to autumn. I have to say our appetizers were the stars of the evening. Lamb merguez with couscous, almonds, and roasted apricots. Soft shell crab with sweet corn salad and green harissa. Each dish a symphonic dance for the palate. What makes Goin’s cooking so special is the way she plays with contrasts. She marries bold exotic flavors with pure, fine ingredients so that what surprises also strikes a comforting familiarity. She privileges her patrons to eat from the world’s garden.

Our main courses included: Grilled halibut with wild chantrelles, pancetta and figs. Sea bass with yellow tomato confit, cucumbers and labne, a most delightful yogurt variety. Duck confit with black rice, pistachios and local plums. And rounding it off, beef cheeks with ricotta gnocchi and cherry tomato-brown butter. I don’t tend to favor rich, thick dishes. In fact, I’m not a particularly avid meat eater. So the entrees were a bit heavy for me. That said, everything, and I mean everything, was cooked to perfection, an impressive feat for such a bustling kitchen. I appreciated such brave parings of sweet with salty, tart with creamy, and sharp with nutty.

The ricotta cheesecake with black mission figs and abbamele that we had for dessert was fit for the Gods. I wouldn’t be surprised if it functions as an aphrodisiac. By then, my tummy full, my senses overwhelmed, my eyes dozing, I wondered if the Italian honey was in fact some tincture to send me through a new portal of bliss. I couldn’t tell if I was shrinking or growing. Would I be able to stand up and walk out of the room to my car?

As I headed out the door, a sharp rattle on the window glass spun me around, and a boisterous group of Italian men beckoned me back inside with raised arms. Surely I didn’t want to leave either, wanted the dream to continue on forever. But even Alice needs her sleep. After such an enchanting evening, I’m under Tavern’s spell.

- Sascha