Catching Up at Bottega Louie

It's still hard to believe that it has been 18 years since I graduated from high school. The obsession with Jane's Addiction, the overuse of Aqua Net and my beloved after-school job at Wet Seal all seem like they were just yesterday. Though so much has changed, some fundamentals have stayed the same. When I get together with my high school buddies for a catch-up over dinner and drinks, it's almost as if no time has passed (except our hair looks much better these days!).

Last night Janet, Veronica, Giselle and I headed to Bottega Louie for a rare girls' night out. Vern (as we used to call her) now lives in Seattle, Janet is in San Diego and Giselle and I live in the LA area, so it's a real treat when we can all get together. We decided to each pick one thing from the menu and share everything. Giselle chose the famed portabello fries, which were very light and crispy on the outside, and moist on the inside. They were earthy without being overbearingly so (even if you don't like mushrooms, I think you'd like these) and served with a tangy sour cream-like dipping sauce.

Janet chose the arugula salad and the garlic spinach (not pictured - I forgot!), so we got our [unfried] veggies in. Both were dressed lightly and seasoned perfectly.

I chose the pizza margherita, which I am a major sucker for! Bottega Louie has a woodfire oven, and they make the crusts thin and light so they crisp all the way through to the middle. The pizza was absolutely perfect with a nice bite to the crust, a tangy tomato sauce and lots of fresh basil.

Vern opted for the tomato bruschetta. The tomatoes were bright and fruity, and mixed with just enough garlic and olive oil so that it was still quite light. Simple and delicious.

Being a sweet tooth, Giselle talked us into sharing a couple of desserts. After the peanut butter and chocolate torte (<-- cannot remember the exact name) arrived, we were all very happy she did! This tasted like a fancy version of the peanut/chocolate Girl Scout cookie; the center was a super creamy peanut butter and the whole thing was coated in decadent chocolate.

But the real winner of the night was the apple tart with vanilla ice cream. The tart was made of feathery puffed pastry and filled with sweet, cinnamon-y apples. The cold ice cream combined with the warm tart and rich caramel sauce was HEAVEN. Again, simple and perfect.

I'm looking forward to our next night out, which probably won't happen for a few months. But the memories from this evening will last at least that long!