Bottega Louie’s Amazing Mushrooms

Downtown L.A. eatery Bottega Louie won me over the moment I walked in and saw the rainbow-colored macaron display, cases of perfectly crafted desserts and dainty pastel pastry boxes.

The sprawling Italian restaurant is simplistic but elegant, and despite the floor-to-ceiling windows that are a reminder of your surroundings, it’s easy to feel removed from the somewhat gritty area around you.

Of course, an aesthetically pleasing setting doesn’t always reflect the quality of the food, but in this case the cuisine lived up to the appearance.

I ended up ordering a very mushroom-heavy meal off of their expansive menu, which includes salads, soups, pizzas, pastas, sandwiches, entrees and small plates, all at reasonable prices.

I started off with a gazpacho soup ($8), which was delicious and light, while snacking compulsively on the Portobello fries ($9) we had ordered for the table. These are apparently one of their most popular dishes, and after ordering them I can see why. The fried gourmet mushrooms are coated in Parmesan cheese and seasonings, and are so incredibly delectable I’m already looking forward to getting them next time I go.

For the main course I shared the mushroom pizza ($18), which is topped with fontina cheese, mozzarella, crème fraiche, shiitake mushrooms, garlic and parsley, and like my other two courses, it did not disappoint.

Unfortunately, my meal did not leave room for dessert, so I didn’t get to try a colorful macaron (I personally would have gone for the hot pink). I’ll save that for my next visit because I will definitely be going back!