The "Other" Maritime Restaurant - La Bottega
At this point, it seems that everyone with a taste for fashionable eateries has been descending upon the Maritime Hotel in Chelsea to see and be seen at Matsuri. Clearly, I didn't want to be left out the loop. So, my friend Pam and I decided to pay a visit on Friday night. Pam had eaten at the restaurant a couple weeks ago and was overwhelmed by the beautiful people and beautiful surroundings but was decidedly underwhelmed by the tiny portions and bloated bill, so we decided that cocktails were the way to go.
After several minutes trying to scout out a seat at the bar with our layers of scarves and coats in hand, we decided to call it quits. Still, it was way too cold to hit the streets of Chelsea in search of another hot spot for a drink and chat. So, we ambled upstairs to the Maritime's lobby and were treated to an uber-stylish lounge which was reminiscent of Ian Schrager's Aspen ski lodge avec roaring fireplace - not that I've ever been.
Alas, all the seats were filled there too. But, happily, there were seats open at the bar area of Matsuri's new Italian neighbor - La Bottega. The restaurant had just garnered a paragraph of praise from Hal Rubenstein and I had once met the chef. After a warming and civilized glass of wine, Pam and I decided to move over to the dining area in the hope that we might be able to have dinner. Perusing the menu, the prices seemed gentle enough and happily the chef ended up helping us secure a table, amongst the waifs and hipsters who seemed to have already glommed onto the place.
It was 10pm and we were starving, so when a Ribiola Cheese Pizza with White Truffle Oil was suggested as a starter, we couldn't say "no." A little pricey for a starter course at $15, it was hot and crisp with a heady aroma and melting cheese center. We devoured it quickly.
Too full to really order main dishes each, Pam and I split a lovely, lightly acidic salad of Arugula, Thinly-Sliced Red Onions and Cannellini Beans. We followed it up with a plate of Paparedelle with Rabbit Ragu, which was spectacular - chunks of rabbit meat, bright green fava beans and stewed tomatoes surrounded the wide ribbon noodle. A surprising hint of cinnamon put the dish over the edge. And, the pricetag of $14, means that this will probably become a repeat favorite.
We were treated to a cookie plate and glasses of fruity, red sparkling wine, Brachetto d'Acqui, and we sipped the sweet wine slowly as we watched the Paris Hilton look-alikes leave the restaurant in packs of four or more. We stayed until 12:30am and then high-tailed it into a cab to head home in the Arctic night. And, as we watched the scenesters head off instead to club-land, we couldn't help but hope that La Bottega would start attracting serious foodies, in addition to the hip set. But, frankly, as long as they keep the place in business, I don't really care.