BOTTEGA LOUIE: A DOWNTOWN LA FAVORITE FINALLY ARRIVED IN WEHO
The Cost - $33 per person
The Atmosphere – Patisserie chic. The spacious setting is well decorated and the back patio is gorgeous.
The long-awaited arrival of Bottega Louie’s West Hollywood location has finally come. After what may have been two years of construction, the restaurant, patisserie and cafe finally opened its doors, delighting everyone who lives anywhere west of Koreatown. So as one does in WeHo, I woke up late on Sunday, cleaned myself up and headed out to brunch.
The Order - French Toast, Beignets, Smoked Salmon Benedict, Avocado Toast, and Portobello Fries
The Great – Bottega Louie’s French Toast is made with caramelized pain de mie (white bread), raspberry pear compote, buttered almonds & maple syrup. The fluffiness of the delicious pan de mie and the hardiness of the buttered almonds, combined with the fragrant notes from the raspberry pear compote, easily made this the best dish of the meal.
The Good – If I see beignets on a menu, I will order them. These beignets were huge and came 4 to an order. Accompanied by a raspberry compote, the beignets were good but nowhere near New Orleans quality. The Smoked Salmon Benedict, poached eggs, smoked salmon, crème fraiche (sour cream), red onions, sautéed spinach & hollandaise sauce on a bed of hash brown potatoes, was a nicely done classic. The Portobello Fries are a creative alternative to french fries but I’m not quite sure they were any healthier and if given the choice, I would have gone French fries. That said, the aioli they came with was very tasty. Lastly, the Avocado Toast, which included fresno chiles and chorizo, gave me serious California vibes and the spiciness of the dish was a welcomed surprise.
The Verdict – The food at Bottega Louie is solid but when you add in the atmosphere and the cocktail list, it offers the recipe for a fabulous meal. You will walk out of this restaurant full but it will still be hard to resist buying some of the incredible pastries and desserts on your way out!