THE HUDSON LA - RUGGED GENIUS

So after work today, I went with some of my coworkers to The Hudson LA which is only about a mile from our work location (yes that was a lot of 'works' in that sentence, oh wait another one). The place wasn't that packed yet, but the atmosphere was very rugged with wooden tables, and dark plush couch like seats.

Since it was Happy Hour, I ordered a Bellitini which was SO GOOD & STRONG (maybe because I'm a lightweight :/). I was very tempted to get another drink, but I still had a bit of a commute back home, womp. Off the menu, I got the Jalapeno Mac & Cheese with Bacon and the Fried Chicken Sliders. The mac was pretty good, just ultra cheesy. You need to eat that stuff fast while it's still hot. Then the sliders were okay, I just felt like I ate something really bad for me afterwards which didn't sit well in my mind haha. I mean this is a bit off tangent but for lunch I had half a burrito, then for dinner for mac and fried chicken sliders. This only means that I have to workout hard this week.

So to be more descriptive, the water was served in like little jars with a glass bottle of water provided at the table, just like at Bottega Louie. The Happy Hour was pretty great though with the foods priced at $6, beers $3, and well drinks $4. The service was great, though the food took awhile to come out, maybe because it was Happy Hour? I know for a fact I will come back to this spot, especially with my coworkers. It's very low-key, chill, and reasonably priced.



You Just Do You, Imma Do Me
Camille

BOTTEGA LOUIE - ITALIAN CHIC

So today, my godsister and I had the pleasure of going to BOTTEGA LOUIE in L.A. I heard of this place before but never really got around to looking it up enough to go there. Well thank you godsister for giving me a reason to actually explore new things.

I think the one reason why I don't necessarily like to go "exploring" is because of the parking situation! Not only do the one-way streets make this task more difficult, but how can anyone regularly find parking? One place had $6 for only 2 HOURS, even metered street parking costs $4 FOR ONE HOUR! Eventually we settled at a $5 spot and walked 2 blocks. Walking those two blocks felt so much like NYC for me, with all the high buildings blocking out the sun and the liveliness of the streets. Too bad Downtown Los Angeles doesn't get a great rep when the sun goes down...

So arriving at this place looked super fancy. The decor was so clean with all white marble/stone and dark brown seating. What I loved was the openness of the place and the high ceilings. It definitely brought a lot of light into the space, though I think the "open" effect of Bottega Louie contributed to the really high volume of noise throughout the restaurant. It was pretty loud in there, where you basically have to speak up, maybe even yell a bit to get a clear message across.

We ended up ordering the pizza which we halfed Pepperoni/Mushroom, then also shared the Orecchiette pasta. The pasta was okay, but the pizza was on a 'WHOLE NOTHA LEVEL'. I think I have an idea why the pizza was pretty bomb...THE MOZZARELLA. If you haven't tried this type of cheese on a pizza, then you are seriously missing something in your life. I could've just settled with a just a plain Mozzarella pizza, but the pepperonis and mushrooms gave it that extra flavor. With those two entrees, we were pretty stuffed by sharing the pasta, and eating one slice of our pizza only! There are six slices in pizza which are pretty big to say the least.

At the end of our meal, we of course had to make a stop in the dessert section where Bottega Louie is known for their macarons, but actually all their desserts looks DELICIOUS!!! I WANTED ALL OF THEM but couldn't really afford to get a lot so I managed to get 3 macarons: Vanilla, Salted Caramel, and Rose, in addition to the Beignet filled with chocolate! Each macaron cost $1.75, while a Beignet is between $1-$1.50, so I had to take it easy the first time.

[Photo Credit: http://tastingsf.blogspot.com/2011/05/bottega-louie-los-angeles.html]

I will definitely come back to Bottega Louie for it's beautiful atmosphere and food, especially the pizza! And now that my mom liked her Rose macaron, I guess I shall go back and get some for her. From the small taste I had today, I will come back to this place for sure.



You Just Do You, Imma Do Me
Camille