Food

Dirt Cheap Eats 2009: La Bottega

This little Italian deli, owned by the proprietors of nearby Pane e Vino restaurant, offers not only quick solutions to weeknight dinners—in the form of meats, cheeses, pastas, sauces, and wines—but also generously filled Italian sandwiches. Choose a crusty baguette or a focaccina (which here resembles ciabatta) and order one of several fillings.

The simple Tropolino ($5) is a classic combo of salami, provolone, and olive oil. The Calabrese ($6) mixes spicy soppresatta, peppercorn-studded Pepato cheese, and olive oil. The Toto ($6.50), piled with prosciutto, cheese, tomatoes, and olive oil, is another winner. See a theme here? No lettuce, no tomato, no mayo, which is the Italian way. Cookies are imported from Milan, but the sweet and gooey gelato is made in-house.

Open daily for lunch and dinner.

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Ann Limpert
Executive Food Editor/Critic

Ann Limpert joined Washingtonian in late 2003. She was previously an editorial assistant at Entertainment Weekly and a cook in New York restaurant kitchens, and she is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education. She lives in Petworth.