Why things become classics at the Bottle Inn[restaurant review]
If you grew up in this area, you may not remember your first visit to the Bottle Inn. You were probably too young to drive, or to legally sample anything from the wine list, a kid dressed in nice clothes going out to dinner on mom, and dad’s anniversary, or a significant birthday. In the early days it was a “Continental” restaurant, serving American-Italian and pseudo-French dishes. Couples who had dated there, and returned for anniversaries saw a gradual shift toward more authentic classic Italian dishes. The cozy, dark restaurant continued in that vein for five decades, and if the place started looking a bit worn and dated toward the end of that time, the soft lighting and abundant wine made that easy to ignore. In 2017 the restaurant changed hands, but not culinary style – a team led by Hilary Condren took the reins, and Oscar Arellano, who had been Maitre’d for over 20 years, stayed on as chef-partner. The restaurant did get a subtle but much-needed makeover that made the style more classic than rustic, and a new bar added liveliness to the front room. During the pandemic they made an arrangement with Martha’s across the street to use their outdoor patio, more than doubling…
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