Bottega - Michael Chiarello [0]
Bold Italian Flavors from the Heart of California’s Wine Country
Dedication
To Nick, Joël, and the rest of our Bottega family. You give our guests a simple and powerful gift. You “throw the party” and make each guest welcome. You are Bottega!
To my life’s partner, Eileen. That you knew what Bottega should look and feel like astounded me. You are what love should be.
To my kids: Aidan, li’l chef/dirt bike rider/photographer; Giana, my little 4x4 country girl; Felicia, artist with a Pop’s-like sense of humor; and Margaux, lover of all things Spanish. I love sharing your dreams and watching as you achieve them.
Mom, I promise to work less, play more, love as I cook, and smile with my heart as I serve. I miss you each day but you live in the fabric of my spirit and everything I touch. The gift of how to love and leave room for growth is one I will share each and every day.
To our guests: thank you for loving what we do and for always, always coming back.
Acknowledgments
The Italian culinary journey that began for me at Tra Vigne in 1987 led to our opening Bottega in 2008, and many, many people have helped along the way.
First, always first, thanks to my wife, Eileen; once again you surprise and delight me by knowing in your heart that I belong in a restaurant. Thank you for the gigantic leap of faith that I can balance our family with the restaurant family. To Prince Aidan for suiting up in his “whites” and sharing with me the joys of our kitchen Saturdays. (I’m hoping for many more to come.) To Giana, forever my baby girl, for insisting I take this opportunity with Bottega and finish out my culinary dream. To Felicia for being proud of her Pops for what we have created and for having the courage to work her way through school in my favorite Italian restaurant in San Francisco. To Miss Margaux for enjoying Bottega as an adult as she charts a course for her life ahead.
The Bottega Management Team: To Chef Nick Ritchie, my surrogate baby brother. I am eternally grateful to you for putting all your culinary soul into Bottega. Executive Sous Chef Ryan McIlwraith, you are truly and deeply talented and have sensitively brought your brilliance to the food, kitchen, and experience at Bottega. Pastry Chef Michael Glissman, super talent, great spirit, and best laugh in the biz. I so appreciate you applying your tremendous skillset to a cuisine that was literally foreign to you (which you now speak in dialect!). General Manager Joël Hoachuck, for taking the plunge with Nick and me, building the spirit that Bottega would become and for never, ever losing your cool. I have loved each and every day we have worked together over the last twenty years. Wine Director/Assistant General Manager Michael Iglesias, the day you walked in the door and said “I’m in!” Bottega became a better restaurant. The rest of the kitchen and front of the house management: Nick Petrilli, Arthur Coutinho Doyal, James Darden, Allan (Badger) Mochwart—wow, what a team! The entire kitchen and service staff: Your attention to the needs of our guests, and the quality of food and service makes me very proud. Bottega would not be possible without your dedication, input, and discipline. I will forever be in all of your debt and service.
Bottega partners: Without your absolute commit-ment to bringing the Bottega dream to life it would have stayed a dream and never become the success it is today. I am eternally grateful to all of you.
Michael Guthrie and Associates: The space you created for our food to ring true is amazing and twice what I dreamed of.
V Marketplace and Villagio Partners: Your vision and foresight is truly remarkable. I can’t thank you enough for making room for us and our dream and letting it grow.
The cookbook team: Claudia Sansone, the most gracious, loving, and thoughtful book partner any chef could hope for. Your warm spirit was a guide in discovering the truth of Bottega and getting it into print. Ann Spivack, never have I met a writer that loved her topic as much as you have. Thank you for keeping my voice