La Botte A Barrel of delight

620 Santa Monica Blvd Santa Monica 310 576-3072

 

The ingeniously designed La Botte is, as its name implies, like entering a ‘wine barrel’ full of gastronomical pleasures.  The beachside newcomer conveys the warmth, romance and richness of a prized wine and celebrates this not only through its extensive list, but also by embodying it in its décor.  The floors are old wine cask staves, two of the walls are extensive wine racks and barrels are artfully placed around the spacious room.  

 

La Botte is the child of long and enduring friendship between Chef and co-owner Antonio Mure and designer and co-owner Stefano De Lorenzo.  Growing up in the famous ski resort town of Cortina d’Ampezzo in Northern Italy, Stefano learned about luxury service and the importance of paying attention to detail early in life and met Antonio only a few years after this when they started working together.  Born in Sicily, Antonio grew up in Parma and this duality is evident in his cooking style, fusing the best of both together. 

 

Starting with finely shaved carpaccios, the roast beef filet mignon with arugola, Parmesan and mustard dressing is subtle where the sea bass carpaccio with sea urchin, green onions and lemon is tart and heady. The sautéed radicchio topped with fresh burrata cheese and caramelized balsamic is a treat of flavors and textures.  It towers above the rest.  The bitterness of the radicchio is perfectly balanced by the balsamic reduction and the crunchiness of the leaves pillowed by the soft cheese. 

 

The black linguine is homemade with squid ink and served with generous chunks of shredded Dungeness crab meat and roasted garlic, a coastal favorite that doesn’t spare from its marine overtones.  The most decadent of La Botte’s offerings just may be the impeccable, homemade ravioli filled with duck, foie gras and cabbage on a bed of marinara and drizzled with butter and sage sauce.  It celebrates La Botte’s fusion of Northern Italian food with Sicilian like no other.  The infectiously passionate General Manager, Emanuele Massimini served as our consummate sommelier and elevated the food with a versatile, outstanding bottle of red Valpollicella Classico Su Periore.  

 

One taste of the vanilla custard topped with a thick coat of soft caramel and berries, and you are bound to ask if the dessert is a mainstay on the menu.  Unashamedly rich, the simple yet delectable dessert is the perfect parting kiss from a memorable dinner.

 

--GD/M. Gouvion