Food Find: stuffing my face at Bottega Louie

Sometimes, stuffing yourself into a state of dizzying, stomach-throbbing proportions is a bad thing. And occasionally, it's just delicious.

Last night Bil, Jessica and I headed downtown to Bottega Louie, the new market/bar/restaurant that has the corner of 7th and Grand abuzz. Beautiful marble, attractive waitstaff and just a touch of gilt make the cavernous space feel a little bit museum, a little bit Dean & Deluca.

We started our evening at the bar. I started my buzz with a Lemon Drop.

When we finally reached our table in the main dining room, the waitress emphasized [over and over again] that the Bottega Louie menu was best experienced family style. So, at her suggestion, we ordered a little bit of this and a little bit of that. Namely, we ordered the Modena Salad, Rigatoni Pomodoro, Fettucine Belmondo, Heirloom Carrots, Brussel Sprouts with Almonds, and--oh yeah--the Margherita Pizza. My carnivorous dining mates attempted an order of the sea bass as well, but there was a little problem with bones in the "boneless" fish. Oops.

I forgot to take a picture of the food as it came. But you can see here how it went. And how...

And then there was the small remaining matter of dessert. We skipped the 25 minute wait for the house special, the Chocolate Souflee, and opted instead for the Peanut Butter Terrine. I'm not sure what Terrine means. But it tasted like a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup which is cool by me.

So, yeah, there were some problems with the fish. And a couple of communication glitches with our well-meaning waitress. And the larger problem of me eating ad nauseum. But I'd do it again. I totally, totally would.

Food find (budget edition): Osteria Mozza, Nobu West Hollywood, Rice + Beans

Here are things that people do during a recession: save their money, eat at home, NOT go out to expensive dinners. Here are things people like me do: ignore the recession, buy new boots, eat dinner at Osteria Mozza, the famed Batali restaurant (an offshoot of the next door Mozza Pizzeria).

My friend and I visited there last week, despite their reputation for a month long wait for reservations. Apparently the recession has hit Batali's business as well, as we waited only 20 minutes for a table. Each of us ordered the Pomodoro Gnocchi. Let me translate this for those of you who might visit as well: child's size portion. Now, I understand that nicer restaurants focus on the quality and presentation of their food over heaping portions. But in economic times like these, I prefer the increased portion sizes of chain outlets like Pizza Hut--currently touting their Panormous pie, the 'BIGGEST pan pizza ever' to servings that should come with a microscope. Lesson learned, I'll take processed cheese over fresh burrata until my 401 k comes back to life.

Speaking of eating on a budget, I recently read about Nobu West Hollywood's 'Recovery Menu.' Though I'm not a seafood eater, I thought I'd share what sounds like a decent deal with you.

Score Nobu staples inlcuding rock shrimp tempura and the miso cod at a [relatively] decent price (most items are under 10 bucks), along with [relatively] reduced-price cocktails.

As for me, I'll be sticking with rice and beans for the next month or so. May I recommend my favorite: Zatarain's Red Beans and Rice. It may not be 5 star, but it's less than 5 dollars.