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Bottega Americano — San Diego

May 29, 2015 Mad Hungry Woman 3 Comments

Bottega Americano is beautiful, however, visiting during lunch has its pros and cons. Pros include being able to see every intricacy the decor has to offer. The cons? Not being able to taste everything the restaurant has to offer. I am in awe of the space and spend a little time wandering around while I wait for my dashing dining companion to arrive. I eye the display case with its ample array of foods available for take out, and relish in the market’s wares.

bottega americano

My friend arrives and we settle at a table with a view of the entire restaurant. He starts with a Negroni while I stick with iced tea.

negroni

After deciding together on the course of the day, we begin with some antipasti — plump, sweet Fire Roasted Bell Peppers ($6) with capers, which we layer on crispy slices of toast. I enjoy this.

1-DSC07194

Marinated Ciliegine Mozzarella ($6) are even better, with roasted garlic, tomato marmellata and a drizzling of saba.

mozzarella

Although I am not usually a big fan of salads, the Butter Lettuce ($10) is rather delicious. It comprises pork guanciale, farmer’s egg, pine nut herb pangrattato, and tangy roasted tomatoes. Definitely a stellar salad.

butter lettuce

I choose Pesce del Giorno: which happens to be Grilled Mexican Wild Shrimp ($23) on this day. I do not realize it is another salad thinking it is the fish of the day,  so, we end up with two salads. This one is a mix of spinach and frisee, with red onions, purple radish, quinoa, feta, heirloom cherry tomatoes and fennel tossed in a pesto vinaigrette. The shrimp are nicely grilled, but I want a couple more for the price.

shrimp salad

My favorite dish of the meal is Mussels ($13) bathed in a gorgeous white wine and garlic herb butter sauce. Calabrian chiles add heat and the broth is hard to resist. I soak the grilled bread into it, but end up asking for a spoon to lap it all up.

mussels

I am always interested in trying house-made pastas and so, Agnolotti ($19) is in order, but turns out to be my least favorite of the meal. Sounding far better on paper than in my mouth, ending up far too sweet for my palate from the chestnut and kumquat. Even my friend mentions its sweetness — perhaps not the best combination with ricotta, porcini mushrooms and braised cabbage creating unbalanced flavors which do not meld well together. It is such a shame because the pasta itself is of perfect texture and consistency.

agnolotti

The Chicken Milanese ($16) is decent, coated with an herb pangrattato and fried crispy. A salad, of arugula and blistered cherry tomatoes, is tossed in an oregano vinaigrette and sits on top of the chicken. It is a safe choice if you are not feeling adventurous.

1-DSC07215

I see Affogato ($7) on the menu and it is one of three desserts I am not able to resist. Vanilla gelato is topped with hazelnut praline and chocolate biscotti. The espresso shot comes separately so you can control how much you want on it. This is one of the best affogatos I’ve eaten in a long time.

afoggato

My friend, who has even less of a sweet tooth sips happily on his incredibly strong espresso as he watches me devour the affogato.

espresso

Bottega Americano has great potential to become one of San Diego’s noteworthy restaurants. and I want to return again at a later date to try its dinner menu. The decor alone has won me over, and I hope the menu will catch up as time goes on.

Bottega Americano
1195 Island Ave
San Diego, CA 92101
619-255-7800
Bottega Americano on Urbanspoon

Food, San Diego CA California, Italian, San Diego

Comments

  1. Tracey Amernick says

    May 29, 2015 at 8:38 am

    I must go there – sounds awesome

    Reply
  2. Lynn @ Oh-SoYummy says

    August 13, 2015 at 6:49 pm

    The angles on the drink and food board pics are gorgeous! I love checking out the way others take their photos. I’d also want more shrimp at that price! I’ve never heard of Affogato but now it’s on my list after seeing that liquid poured on!

    Reply
    • Mad Hungry Woman says

      August 13, 2015 at 10:55 pm

      Thank you!! The lighting was great in that place… that really helps!

      Reply

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About Me

This blog is a journal of mostly my eating adventures, but also, other things I'm passionate about, including travel, the arts, and also, necessities to complete my life. Centered predominantly in and around Orange County, CA, some will extend to Los Angeles, San Diego and beyond. I am constantly searching for delicious food to eat and fun things to do, nothing is out of bounds. Sometimes it doesn't end well, but I can definitely say, it will always be an interesting journey.

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