The quickest way to complete the renovation would be to close for a month. They decided that was not economically feasible. Instead, La Bottega closed several times for a few days during March through January. They continued to serve customers during the renovation by being creative about using the space available and instituting a construction menu. Some customers didn’t like the limited menu which led to a decrease in sales. Now that the renovation is complete and the regular menu is back, business has been “insane,” Lisa Dougherty said.
The goals of the renovation were to open up the space and make it more user-friendly. At the front are the deli counter with meats, cheeses, olives, salads, as well as a cooler filled with to-go items like ravioli, broth, fresh pastas and sauces. There’s also a glass case filled with such desserts as Cara Cara orange cheesecake, cannoli and cappuccino pot de creme. Sandwiches and food from the cases can be ordered there and taken to go.
The retail area, with Italian delicacies like bags of dried rice for risotto, tins of Ortiz anchovies, and jars of Toschi’s Amarena black cherries in syrup, was moved to the left as you enter. The boxes of wine that were stacked on the right have been moved into a new climate-controlled wine cellar that is sandwiched between the front dining room and the new back dining room. Most notably, the space in the main dining area is wider and the artwork has changed. The Doughertys found some Chagall reproductions that were for sale and filled the walls with large pieces of the artist’s vibrant work.
The new climate-controlled wine cellar has around 470 bottles from Washington, Oregon, California, Portugal, Spain, France and various wine regions of Italy. Lesser-known wines from South Africa and Israel are also represented. The Doughertys’ daughter, Nichole, who serves as their sommelier and dining room manager, plans on adding wine from even more countries to fill the new space. A refrigerator outside the wine cellar is stocked with bubblies and roses.
