The first we tried was lasagna (which I'm not a fan of) but when I tried Bottega La Dolce Vita's lasagna it was so good I just couldn't have enough. When we asked the chef about it all he told us was that he "did not use Ricotta cheese" but only fresh Italian cheese. He would not say anything else. Bottega La Dolce Vita also makes two homemade hazelnut spreads. One was very similar to Nutella, HEAVENLY, the other was a white hazelnut spread, which they compared to white chocolate that left me speechless. When that spoon of the white hazelnut spread went into my mouth...... OMG I wanted to eat the entire jar! It wasn't as sweet as white chocolate and it had a light nutty flavor that took me to my very happy place. I'm definitely going to buy a few of these jars for our Valentines Day picnic!!
Some of the other memorable dishes were from Christy's and La Giralda Tavern. Christy's served a salmon with mango chutney, green beans and white rice which was simple yet decadent. La Giralda Tavern's calamari rice although slightly undercooked, was delicious and my husbands favorite dish. The Local's steak tartare with egg mouse and Mise En Place's 12 hr braised short rib empanadas were my favorites. The acidity of the steak tartar brought out the egg mouse and the flavors exploded in your mouth! What an experience!!! Same thing with the empanada. It was served with pico de gallo and each flavor just complimented the other.
There was one that fell short: Bricktop's. They had trays of deviled eggs with a piece of caramelized bacon. The deviled egg lacked finesse and presentation. Also, the bacon had a burnt taste to it. I would think that restaurants would want to serve you the best to WOW you and make you want to visit their restaurant. This was anything but.
I've always been a huge fan of Christy's but I'm looking forward to visiting some of these restaurants. On the top of my list is The Local and La Giralda Tavern. If anyone is in the Gables area I recommend you do the same!
