Jump on La Botte

If you're feeling romantic, or in search of a place where romance drips off the Italian waiters that pour your Italian wine, head on down to La Botte. The food is rustic but elegant. From homemade pasta to tables made with the slats of wine barrels, this place doesn't miss a beat. The food is impeccable as well. The evening will start with a basket of fresh foccacia, which is divine, and if you're looking for something to start your meal, both the Corn Soup (may be seasonal) and the Branzino Carpaccio ($18) are to die for. I went with the Papardelle with Pistachios and Lamb ($20) for dinner, while my date dined on the Seafood Risotto - both of which were outstanding.

Save this one up for a date night.


La Botte Ristorante
620 Santa Monica Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 576-3072
$$$$

That Lovin' Feeling

A few people have asked me for Valentines Day recommendations, so below are some of my favorite romantic restaurants in Los Angeles:

Cafe La Boheme
8400 Santa Monica Blvd
West Hollywood, 90069
(323) 848-2360

Il Cielo
Italian
9018 Burton Way
Beverly Hills, 90211
(310) 276-9990

Off Vine
American
6263 Leland Way
Hollywood, 90028
(323) 962-1900

Green Door
American
1429 Ivar Ave
Los Angeles, 90028
(323) 463-0008

Falcon
American
7213 Sunset Blvd
Hollywood, 90046
(323) 850-5350

Moon of Tunis
Moroccan
7445 1/2 Sunset Blvd.
Hollywood, 90046
(323) 874-3333

Lily's
French
1031 Abbot Kinney Blvd
Venice, 90291
(310) 314-0004


Or check out this article for a few restaurants offering free items specifically on Valentines Day.

Go on, lovebird!

Moules Over, My Frites Are Here

Oh, I am in French heaven! Last night, I ate dinner with a friend at Soleil Westwood, as Wednesday night is Moules Frites night. Now, "what does that entail?" one might ask. Ah, alas, dear friend, that is just what I am going to tell you.

Every Wednesday night, the folks at Soleil graciously offer ALL YOU CAN EAT Mussels and Fries for a measly $14.95. This place is absolutely adorable, and I probably would have never gone had it not been for this amazing deal! Which, by the way was to prove to my semi-recent LA transplant friend from NY that LA does have good mussels and fries. Jaimey-1, Caryn-0.
Both she and I were pleasantly surprised with the garlic and wine steamed mussels, the crusty french bread, and the abundant basket of shoestring fries! The service was also fantastic, and the mood is very French - low lighting, outdoor seating and guess what - you're allowed to take your time with your food! No rushing you out the door here! So, go, sit back, and enjoy plates and plates of yummy mussels and don't feel bad about it one bit (just make sure you give them a 24hr heads up for the reservation)!

Soleil Westwood
1386 Westwood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90024
(310) 441-5384
$$

Yum to the Third Power

Photo Courtesy of BeverlyHillsPeople.com

As of yesterday, it had been a week since I'd eaten a carb. I needed bread bad. Really bad. So I did what any resourceful Jew would do and organized an end of Passover get together so that I could eat large amounts of pasta and pizza with other people, blaming the "company" for my insatiable hunger.

CUBE seemed like the perfect locale and the menu was ripe with carbs ready for the picking. Unfortunately, I was so focused on eating a piece of bread that I forgot my camera, so please let your imagination run free. Note that CUBE is very close to, but has yet to secure a liquor/wine license. For the time being it is BYOB, and they do not charge corkage.

OUR MENU:
Crostini ($6.95)
Tomato, Olive and White Bean - very yummy, a good start

Roasted Garlic Pesto w/ Gorgonzola & Walnuts ($11.95)
Delicious! The pizza was a thin crust, very moist and fresh dough. The cheese was really top notch; great flavor.

Wild Mushroom Ravioli w/ Sun Dried Tomato Sauce ($12.95)
This came at the waiter's recommendation and was very good. The sauce was a cream base, but not heavy at all.

Mozzarella, Prosciutto & Arugula ($12.95)
I think they made the mozzarella in the back - so creamy it melted in my mouth! The Proscuitto was also fantastic. A very simple but tasty dish.

Four Cheese Mac & Cheese ($6.95)
Lots of flavor, I just wish it was crispy on top. It's a side dish, but certainly enough for one person.

Russian Kale $4.95
Not on the regular menu but they had it in house. Lightly crisped, salty, yum!

Tartufo $4.95
I like mine with a hard chocolate shell, but this was pretty yummy. Rich cocoa coating, coffee and liquor gelato center.

The meal started with complimentary flat bread (like pizza dough) which was great. We were also given two small plates with an assortment of 3 cheeses (about an ounce each), dried cranberries (or currants?) and cashews. The presentation was very nice as the plates were slate so the cheese names were written on the plate itself with chalk. We had a Tilamook, A Cows Milk Cheese and one other that I can't remember. I'll blame it on the wine.

The ambiance and service was really top notch. Our waiter understood that we were in no rush and let us be for about an hour until we ordered our main course. At one point, my friend Sam walked down the street to buy another bottle of wine because we wanted to keep the party going. In fact, we were the last table to leave that night, after the chefs, after the lights went off, after all the other tables were set for the next day. I honestly felt like I was in Europe and was sipping wine and eating great Italian food on my own clock, not feeling rushed by any of the waitstaff. I recommend CUBE to anyone who loves good food. It's by no means pretenious, despite its list of over 80 cheeses (I plan to go back to sample some of these when they get their wine license).

This is a restaurant that appreciates good food, and taking the time to enjoy it.

CUBE
615 N. La Brea
Los Angeles, 90036
(323) 939-1148
$$