Polite Society
Bottega Dining Room is the refinement of fine dining.
By Jan Walsh
There’s no dining like fine dining. It is something to look forward to… With our reservation made, we begin scouring Bottega Dining Room’s menu online and photos on social media. It is fun to think ahead what we might order, if still on the menu. It is also a night out and a reason to dress up. Heels and jewels for me. That new sport coat and dress watch for Kev.
Outside Bottega’s limestone façade, between artichoke topped stone columns, the large French door swings open promptly at 5:00 and we are ushered to our window table. Here crisp white tablecloths, aromatic roses, and romantic candlelight set the table and the restaurant’s elegant ambience.
As we settle in, a friendly, familiar face, Tina Goodwin welcomes us, as our server tonight. For 20 years, she has served at the Stitt Restaurant Group, in all four restaurants: Highlands Bar and Grill, Chez Fonfon, Bottega Café and Dining Room. All are locally owned and operated by Chef Frank and Pardis Stitt.
From his early years Chef Stitt catalyzed Birmingham into the food city, it is today, but also a wine, city with restaurant wine dinners and experiences. His wine lists provide an opportunity to discover new gems, lying like jewels among wines he has vetted. Among an impressive list of 15 bottles of bubbly, I find AT Roca Brut Rosat Reserva Penedes. Not your typical Cava. From Sant Sadurní d’Anoia, Catalonia, Spain, this certified organic wine is equal parts Macabeu and Garnatxa Negra. Winemaker Agustí Torello Roca hand-harvests and naturally ferments the wine in stainless steel, the wine is aged for over 20 months. The wine is made in the traditional Champagne method and is vintage dated. Creamy notes of raspberry, strawberry, and apple tickle the nose and please the palate. This vibrant sparkler is served at proper temp, bringing forth its integrated and sustained effervescence. Highly recommended!
To our delight legendary Chef Frank Stitt, donning his veste blanche (white jacket), appears at the table with an off the menu Bruschetta in hand. We enjoy catching up with Chef… The joy he finds in food and people is contagious.
Every member of Bottega’s staff eludes the same gioia di vivere. They are quintessential fine dining professionals: confident not cocky, humble not haughty… A word of advice to out of state investors and chefs rushing to open restaurants in Birmingham, leave your computerized data driven concepts at the state line. Fine food and deep relationships are the magic the Stitts have been making here for decades. It can’t be replicated by AI. Our warm bruschetta is a melding of melted mozzarella atop charred, house made focaccia, crowned with cherry tomatoes, aioli, and fresh basil. A lovely and appetizing start to dinner!
For our first course, Kev selects stuffed Agnolotti and I have the Caprese Salad. Never have I seen a prettier pasta. His agnolotti is stuffed with creamy, hand dipped ricotta, crisp sweet corn, and fruity, nutty chanterelle mushrooms. And a tangy, spicy pecorino is the exclamation point, complementing by contrasting with the rich, earthy pasta dish. My salad is a late season menagerie of Harvest Farm heirloom tomatoes. The ripe, juicy fruit are punctuated with lactic, milky house made mozzarella. Fresh basil adds a licorice like flavor. And it is finished with “the good stuff…” Aromatic aged Balsamico envelopes the salad in complex acidity and mellow tartness. This TOMATO salad needs nothing more, no salt, no veggies or bacon. I swoon over each bite, savoring this synthesis of flavors and textures that is nearing its season’s end.
For the main course, Kev opts for Joyce Farms Pork Osso Buco, and I have the Spaghetti with Lobster and Shrimp. Kev’s heritage pork is fall off the bone tender, with pristine pork flavor of Joyce Farms regenerative agriculture. Seeing gremolata mentioned on the menu, I know Chef Stitt and Chef de Cuisine, Julio de la Rosa Julio De Laroasa have been playing with parsley again. This Italian herb sauce brightens the earthy pork with notes of parsley, garlic, and lemon. And the scrumptious saffron risotto rounds out the plate with fragrance and creaminess. Oh, my! My plate is a generous catch of crustaceans; perhaps the dish should be renamed “Lobster and Shrimp with Spaghetti.” Encircling ribbons of house made spaghetti and fresh corn, are succulent, Gulf shrimp. And topping the pasta are delicate lobster claw meat. I wind the creamy pasta and sensational seafood together as they are made for each other and for me. Catch this fulfilling dish if you can!
For dessert, Kev has the tried-and-true Ice Cream Sundae that he had previously at Bottega Café. And I select my own dessert, Fig Tart. Kev digs deep through the vanilla ice cream, Luxardo cherries, and crumbles of brown butter streusel, to the decadent chocolate brownie on bottom. Happiness found! On a hazelnut sucrée, sliced figs are artfully arranged and enhanced by fig jam, pastry cream, and honey glaze. I too am a kid again… Fig flavors take me back to picking and eating figs off my grandmother’s tree.
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