Specialty Pizzette

Football season is here, and because of this, we are going to jump on the bandwagon and offer an Italian appetizer anyone can enjoy before, during, or after the game. This delicious appetizer or meal is called a pizzette, and the best part about it is no pots or pans are necessary!

For those not familiar with a pizzette, it is essentially a pizza, but smaller and healthier. The simple reason they are so thin. That reason is simple. People love pizza right? Be it take-out, homemade, served at the greatest pizzeria in town or even frozen, everyone loves it. So why not enjoy a thin crusted pie of pizzettes for a reasonable price?

Everyone loves pizza, right? Be it take-out, homemade, served from the best pizzeria in town, or, dare we say frozen, the cheese and sauce on a crust is a staple of our society. A pizette, on the other hand, offers the same thin-crusted deliciousness of a pizza, except bite-sized and a lot less pricier!

Here at La Bottega Farmingdale, we offer tasty food with a pleasant atmosphere, and the pizzettes are one of our specialties. It took only one tiny crisp of parmacotto artichoke hearts with sundried tomatoes on margherita pizza to remember some of the best meals in the world are deceptively simple. Why settle for a simple piece of pepperoni pizza when you can get better, healthier ingredients for a much better price? Don't like artichoke? No problem! At La Bottega Farmingdale, we have over ten different pizzettes to choose from, from sweet italian sausage to oven roasted chicken, and even sauteed spinach for all you vegetarians out there!

At La Bottega Farmingdale, we give you the option of coming in to dine at our restaurant or having us deliver our delicious food to you! We also have catering options available. Isn’t is about time you try something new and indulge yourselves with our huge variety of famous specialty pizzettes?

A Taste of Autumn

As the summer heat transitions into an autumn breeze, and the leaves begin to turn shades of red, orange, and yellow, the fruits and vegetables growing in our gardens go through some changes as well. Fall brings the largest and most bountiful harvest of the year, with many cultures and religions celebrating holidays and festivals where food is the main attraction. Some of the most essential fruits and vegetables are harvested in the fall, including apples, pumpkins, zucchini, beets, eggplant, beans, potatoes, and squash.

With so many delicious crops being harvested in the Fall, right now is the best time to get a taste while they are in season. Eggplant and zucchini, two main staples of any Italian kitchen, are in season in the late summer and early Fall in most climates, and at La Bottega of Farmingdale, are a main ingredient in many of our delicious vegetarian paninis. The Foggia, Sicilia, and Potenza all use eggplant and is an excellent choice for both plant and meat lovers alike.

Zucchini is another great tasting and incredibly healthy vegetable packed with nutrients, containing a low calorie count and no saturated fats or cholesterol. La Bottega of Farmingdale uses zucchini in two of our legendary vegetarian dishes, the Terra and the Quattro Formaggi. For all the chicken lovers out there, the Trieste combines grilled chicken with zucchini, mozzarella, and black-olive paste on ciabatta bread, and the Cuneo subs out the black-olive paste for roasted peppers, another staple of the fall harvest.

La Bottega of Farmingdale also offers a wide variety of chicken, steak, turkey, and seafood salads with delicious autumn vegetables. Our salads contain a wide range of fall fruits and vegetables, from beets, artichokes, and peppers to squash, carrots, and chicories. Come down to La Bottega of Farmingdale and try out everything the autumn harvest has to offer.

The importance of incorporating soup in your diet this autumn

As we begin to adjust to the cooler temperatures this fall, the perfect meal or addition to any meal is a hearty bowl of soup. Vegetables including pumpkins, butternut squash, and broccoli are in season right now, making it the perfect time start incorporating soup in your diet.

Vegetables in season are often at it’s freshest and most nutritious. The average adult should be consuming 7 or more cups of fruit or vegetables daily which can be made achievable when adding vegetable soups into your diet.

Whether you like to make your soup at home or order at a restaurant, there is a lot of options to choose from. Butternut Squash Soup, also known as Zuppa di Zucca, is a popular soup dish for the season. Butternut squash is a nutrient packed vegetable; high in fiber, vitamin A (an antioxidant), B-group vitamins such as thiamin and vitamin b-6, and low in calories and fat. At La Bottega of Farmingdale, pair this soup with one of their artisan paninis, such as the the Gubbio, which has roasted portobello, goat cheese, basil pesto, and roasted pepper on whole wheat bread, or the Como, which has imported smoked prosciutto, fontina, baby arugula on ciabatta bread.

Another popular soup dish is the Broccoli Cream Soup, also known as Crema di Broccoli. Creamy in consistency, broccoli serves as the main ingredient in this dish. Broccoli is also a nutrient packed vegetable; high in fiber, vitamin C, folic acid, and potassium, and low in calories and fat. This soup is a very delicious way of incorporating more nutrients in your diet. Try this soup with the Torino panini, featuring slowly roasted porchetta, mozzarella, tomato, and baby arugula on rustic bread, or one of their Brushette’s such as the Mozzarella Basilico.

Another very popular soup dish is the chicken and vegetable soup, also known as Zuppa di Polla Ai Vegetali. This hearty soup is protein and fiber packed. The vegetables can be seasonally changed allowing for many different variations, and is perfect for pairing with a salad such as the Bietole, which contains mixed greens, roasted red beets, goat cheese, toasted walnuts, corn, and tomatoes with honey dijon, or one of their Brushette’s such as the Firenze.

Soup, in addition to being an excellent source of nutrients, can be extremely delicious too. Hungry yet? Come down to La Bottega of Farmingdale tonight and don’t forget to order soup with your meal!

Take Out Menu

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La Bottega Farmingdale
257 Main Street
516-253-2398

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The Infamous Lobster Roll

You’re a seafood lover, you’re hungry, and it’s a beautiful summer day. What comes to mind other than a lobster roll? The tender, sweet chunks of lobster meat lightly coated with mayonnaise on a buttered roll is mouth-watering just thinking about it!

A good lobster roll starts with a good lobster. The lobster should be active and moving around, as this is the sign of a good lobster. Size matters as larger lobsters, while a bit tougher, are meatier and of course more flavorful. Is it a boy or a girl? The pleopod, which is the first set of tails under a lobster’s body, is the easiest way to tell as a male lobster has a harder pleopod than a female. Is the shell soft or hard? Hard shells are meatier but soft shells are known to be a little tastier.

Now that you know what a great lobster is and what goes into making a great lobster roll, there is a place you can go to find lobster roll perfection. If you’re on Long Island (yes, Long Island, not New England) come down to La Bottega in Farmingdale and see just what a Long Island lobster roll is all about! It’s only on the menu for a limited time so it is a must if you haven’t had the chance to try one. Get on down to La Bottega in Farmingdale and satisfy that summer day appetite!

The History of Cannolis

Although cannolis are one of the most popular desserts throughout Italy and the United States, not many people know the history of the cannoli. Cannolis originated in Palermo, Italy during times when Italy was still under the control of the Arabs. Cannolis were made specifically for Carnevale. Carnevale was a festival that took place in Italy right before Lent. Carnevale could be compared to Mardi Gras today with parades, parties, tons of food and masquerades. Cannolis were believed to be a symbol of fertility during these times. Today, cannolis are featured year-round at all different festivities and holidays.

The original recipe for cannolis used ricotta cheese or sweet mascarpone cheese as the base for the filling. The cheese would then be flavored with different ingredients including wine, pistachios, honey, vanilla and chocolate. Today, most cannolis that are enjoyed feature ricotta cheese. However, some cannolis contain no cheese at all. The filling in these cannolis is made of milk, sugar and custard. In the United States, there are many different twists that are put on the original cannoli recipes. These twists include different sizes, different toppings that are added, and dipping the shells in chocolate.

Although the filling of a cannoli is what gives this pastry most of its taste, the shell is the part that could make or break the dessert. Cannoli shells are typically made of flour, butter and sugar. Other spices and ingredients may be added in to give the shell some flavor. The important thing to remember about cannoli shells is that they should be light, thin and crispy. This is so the dessert is not too filling with a heavy filling and thick shell. The other important thing to remember about cannoli shells is that they can quickly absorb the moisture from the cannoli filling. If the shells absorb the moisture, they will become soggy and limp as opposed to hard and crispy. To avoid this, cannoli shells should be filled right before they are being served so they do not sit long. Also, the filling should be cold to avoid the filling becoming runny and not filling the shell properly.

Please stop by La Bottega of Farmingdale and give ours a try today!

How to Choose the Right Caterer for Your Event

Are you in charge of Hosting an event soon? Too stressed to cook and don’t even know what to serve? A great option is to cater your event and leave all that stressful meal prepping and cooking behind you. If you are considering booking a caterer service for your next event here are some pointers you should keep in mind beforehand. First off there are many catering restaurants to choose from. Therefore don’t be afraid to ask questions or get recommendations from people who have catered here before. Figure out what type of food you're looking to serve.

The first main step when choosing a catering service should be setting a budget. One big mistake people make when booking is they haven't settled on a budget yet they are willing to spend. If you set your budget beforehand you will have a better understanding as well as the caterer as to what you want and need. Once you figured out how much your you want to spend, you can sit with a caterer and learn all the possibilities to make your event turn out perfect with great food. Ultimately the food and refreshments are at the heart of your catering needs. Once your budget is set you should walk through a bunch of sample menus that fit your range. Menu tastings should be provided and include everything they are willing to cater to your event. A caterer should be able to offer both buffet and dietary restrictions peculiar to your guests.

If you are in the Long Island area looking for a well established excellent restaurant find your way to La Bottega of Farmingdale. They cater special events with an exquisite Italian menu that includes anything from paninis to pizza, salads and gluten-free foods. Don’t hesitate to stop by and meet with us to figure out a perfect catering menu for you and your special guests. We even offer a 10% off coupon if you spend $100 or more which can be found on our own website labottegafarmingdale.com. Again, stop by and check out what we have to offer. We’ve yet to disappoint!