The Bartolottas Experience - Ristorante Bartolotta's

**Disclaimer**
 The food here is so good we could not control ourselves.  The food was eaten before I could even get my camera out to snap a few shots.  Poor self control :)

Ristorante Bartolotta's located at 7616 West State Street in Wauwatosa, WI.  My home town.  We come here time and time again and are NEVER disappointed.  The service, food and ambiance is consistently spectacular.  This is a small restaurant nestled in The Village of Wauwatosa, it probably only seats around 50 people at a time.  It's definitely an upscale establishment... fancy clothes, high prices sorta thing but you pay for what you get.  They have a set menu but there is a Chefs Seasonal menu that changes seasonally (obviously).  Some of the seasonal menus we've come across are truffle season and heirloom tomato season.  They always have wine pairings to go along with any menu item and though I'm not such a professional wine drinking that I focus on a wine pairing (I'm more of a drink what I like wine drinker), but I hear its always spot on.  We always start our evening off with the "Affettato Mitso di Prosciutto e Salumi alla Emiliana", basically a fantastic cured meat platter with little fried cheese balls.  Just amazing.  Seeing as we were celebrating my new job (and being with a manager of another Bartolotta's restaurant, Amanda) they also provided our table with a complimentary "Cozze alla Zafferano", Mussels in a creamy, tomato-y, wine sauce.  Aaron and I both don't like any seafood but Amanda enjoyed it. 


Now, the best part.  Our main entrees.  I went with my all time favorite, the thing I dream about and crave every time I pass the restaurant, "Pappardelle al Ragu d'Anatra".  It's homemade ribbon pasta, which is just to die for, topped with braised duck ragu.  Fantastic.  It is creamy and rich and the duck is sensational.  The pasta is almost 1.5" wide, the perfect thickness and wonderfully long. I always tell myself I'm going to get the smaller portion but the second I see one of the waitstaff walking out with a plate of it I know I'm getting the dinner portion.



Aaron always goes for the "Filetto di Manzo alla Perla Nera di Norcia".  A hand cut filet with carrots, on top of pureed potatoes and topped with a truffel sauce.  It is Aarons favorite steak in the state and to be honest he says its the best steak he's EVER eaten.  Cooked to perfection... its not too charred and it's so tender you don't need a knife to cut through the 3" thick filet.  It melts in your mouth and when partnered with the truffle sauce its just fantastic.

We finished our food adventure off with dessert.  3 desserts to be exact.  The first a trio of homemade gelato.  The flavors were a chocolate flavored latte, coconut and raspberry.  We also got tiramisu which was ridiculously rich and a Carmel and Sea Salt pudding topped with a thin layer of chocolate and homemade whipped cream.  The last is my favorite.  By far.  The mix of the sweet and salty is perfect and homemade whipped cream is soo good.
 

Here's the link to their website: Ristorante Bartolotta
   I promise that the next time we go, one of us will get something new off the menu to share with you as long as the next time you have something to celebrate you promise to head to Ristorante Bartolotta.  You will not be disappointed. Mangi!