NYC: La Bottega

Denise de Castro

13 years ago

Salumi and Formaggi plate

Located in the Chelsea neighborhood of New York City in the Maritime Hotel, La Bottega serves delicious Italian fare indoors in their brasserie-esque or al fresco on their terrace with views of Ninth Avenue. La Bottega is open for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and brunch.

I dined here for dinner, and had a wonderful meal. Too bad I didn’t try their pizza, as I had pizza for lunch. The waitstaff are friendly, and provide excellent service.

For starters, I recommend the Salumi and Formaggi plate, $16, which is a selection of sliced Italian meats and Artisan cheese, grapes, bread, and olives served on a carving board. It’s enough to share with 3-4 people. If this is not your thing, go with any of their salads, like the Arugula, cannellini beans, red onion, parmigiano salad for $8. If the watermelon salad is available, opt for that refreshing choice.

For the main course, you can’t go wrong with the Branzino or the Tagliatelle alla bolognese. The Branzino, $24, is roasted Mediterranean sea bass on cedar plank with broccoli rabe. The sea bass and broccoli were perfectly cooked, and very flavorful. The Tagliatelle alla bolognese, $16, is fresh pasta with a ragu of beef, pork, and veal. A colleague claimed this was the best bolognese she ever had. That says a lot for someone who typically gets this dish at many other restaurants.

For dessert, do not pass up on the Pizza Dolci con Nutella, $12 – double crusted pizza with nutella, mascarpone, and bananas. There’s no need to explain anything – it speaks for itself.

Some refreshing whites to drink:
Veneto Italy Primaterra Sauvignon Blanc 2009, $36
Bertani Due Uve Bianco (Pinot Grigio/Sauvignon Bianco) Italy Veneto 2008, $36
Sangria Bianco, Pitcher $38