Where: Bottega Louie

Location: 700 South Grand Avenue, Downtown

I’m a big believer in killing two birds with one stone. So when it came time to think about how to make Valentine’s Day special, I absolutely loved my boyfriend’s idea to make it a sequel. After an impressive anniversary dinner last month, I knew I’d be back in the near future to partake in what Bottega Louie is also famous for – their weekend brunch. Rather than deal with the chaos of dining out on Valentine’s Day, we decided to celebrate the following morning over an indulgent brunch.

{Bottega Louie, exterior.}

It’s quite fascinating how a mere 9 hour difference makes downtown LA feel completely different. While the night finds you on rather deserted streets (minus the bustle of activity near restaurants) prompting a more on-guard approach to the city, the day turns into a flourishing metropolis with sidewalks full of people of every nationality you can imagine. This is the part of downtown that I’ve come to love – it’s a magnet for attracting people from all walks of life.

Brunch inside Bottega Louie’s completely exposed, uncolored, minimalist establishment creates a space for enjoying your meal while pure California sunshine beams through the intensely large windows (which also leads to much better pictures for “the sequel” post).

(Bottega Louie, interior.}

I opted for their acclaimed lemon ricotta pancakes (pictured above) drizzled in their house-made blueberry syrup, with a glass of fresh cold pressed green apple juice. The pancakes had just the right amount of zest, while the ricotta added a more fluffy texture. An interesting thing to note is that while I very much liked the blueberry syrup when I dined in the restaurant, I think I much preferred it with regular maple syrup (shout out to Trader Joe’s) as I ate the left overs the following morning. I could taste the zest in the pancakes more. It seems the blueberry syrup slightly buries what’s unique about them. And though the trend is quite popular around LA right now with juicery after juicery popping up all over town, this was my first time ordering anything cold pressed. I wasn’t disappointed. Once you look through the frothiness that gathers at the top, I enjoyed the simplicity of natural juice without all of the added sugar. I think I became a cold pressed juice fan last Saturday morning around 11:30am.

{Fresh cold pressed green apple juice.}

Of course, one cannot leave the “Louie” without a quick stop in the patisserie section of the restaurant to shop for a little treat to take home. I’m already a fan of their vanilla, strawberry, and lemon macaroons; so I decided to try something different this time. If the visuals are any indication of how special and intricate every single pastry was in the case, I wish a picture could capture taste. I stepped out onto the busy downtown street with 2 fresh cupcakes in hand. Dessert was all the much sweeter for the next 2 days!

{Patisserie cases.}

As expected, Bottega Louie didn’t disappoint. The perk of this particular experience was that we were seated immediately (score!) and one really gets a feel for the stark decor as natural light surrounds you. Where our experience was weaker this time was in the service. Our waitress was nice, just a little slow. We also went through three different waiters in the little over an hour that we were there, due to rotating shifts, I assume. Understandably, it’s busy, so it didn’t hinder my experience.

Bottega is an equally fabulous choice for brunch or dinner (which you can read more about here) when you’re looking to celebrate something special over a special meal. And dare I say it? It’s officially my new favorite restaurant in LA. I’ll keep you posted if this changes in the near future. I have a list of restaurants a mile long that I still need to get through.

As for “Bottega Louie: The Sequel,” this my friends is…

{Post-brunch take home sweet treats: vanilla bean and strawberry cupcakes. Divine!}