We’ve always enjoyed Michael Chiarello’s excellent Italian restaurant Bottega in Yountville, and this time was no exception. It's very centrally located in the heart of Yountville. It's hard to believe, but I first visited Bottega back in 2012 (!!). We loved it then, and we still very much enjoyed it this time.
Chef Chiarelli unfortunately passed away suddenly in 2023 from an unexpected acute allergic reaction. Bottega, together with next door pizza shop Ottimo and Coqueta have remained open.
The surrounding area to the restaurants is a nice place to walk around, especially in the fall when the foliage is out in full force.
We stopped by Ottimo multiple times to enjoy their coffee. We also saw another family enjoying Ottimo's wood-fired pizzas.
When it comes to coffee choices in Yountville, I much prefer the stronger Italian style coffee drinks at Ottimo. I don't really love the coffee at nearby Bouchon Bakery, which I find to be a bit on the milky side.
Dinner at Bottega
Since Chef Michael's sudden death, the team at Bottega continues to live out his vision and mission, "to serve Italian home cooked food made with the finest local ingredients, served with warmth, hospitality, and love."
I joined Bryan and a number of other people for dinner at Bottega, and it was still the warm, lively, and hospitable place we've always enjoyed. All the dishes were great, and I was happy that I could order a delicious vegetarian entree (which made the whole meal a lot lighter and healthier!).
Starters
The whole table began by sharing several starters.
Pastas + Risottos
Main Dish
I tried the layered baked eggplant, a vegetarian dish that I really enjoyed. Another diner opted for the whole roasted branzino (not pictured), which he enjoyed very much.
A Tasting of Amaros?
Bryan enjoys amaros in general, and is always curious to see if there are any new ones to try. Bottega had a pretty good collection, so the server brought over several for Bryan to taste, and then let him pick his favorite.
All in all, we enjoyed an excellent dinner. In general, I think this is a great place for a business dinner due to its good service, crowd-pleasing food, and excellent execution.
Bottega Ottimo Yountville
6525 Washington Street
Yountville, CA 94599
707-945-1050
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