THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED La Botte Ristorante

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED La Botte Ristorante Restaurant Review:

While it may take a few tries to coax the name --- “la BOH-tay,” Italian for “the wine barrel” --- to roll off your tongue with a suave lilt, you’ll easily appreciate the kitchen’s refined touch. La Botte specializes in the intriguing cuisine from the far northern reaches of Italy, near the Austrian border. Prices may seem high for a cozy neighborhood restaurant, but one taste and you’ll find those dollar signs reflected in the intensity of flavor yielded by fine ingredients. To start, sample traditional items like sliced purple artichoke hearts with celery, arugula and shaved Parmesan. Pastas include a homemade black linguine with red deep sea crab, and pistachio pappardelle with lamb ragoût. Watch for unusual risottos, like one with heirloom tomatoes and goat cheese. Among the entrées, we like such robust choices as slow-braised pork shoulder with squash and dandelion greens, and roast Muscovy duck breast in an espresso sauce. For dessert, go for such favorites as tiramisu or a light-as-air chocolate-hazelnut mousse. What the predominantly Italian wine list lacks in creativity, it makes up for in volume, with page after page of top labels. Our only reservation is our experience with slightly surly service.