When it comes to dining in LA, the array of options, from historic joints to up-and-coming stars, is fairly dizzying. I don't live in the city, but I had plans with a group of friends to attend a Candlelight Concert downtown recently, and we needed to find a spot for dinner beforehand. One of my friends decided (somewhat randomly) to make a reservation at Bottega Louie in Los Angeles. It looked great - good reviews, attractive menu, perfect location - and who doesn't love Italian food? It was the happiest accident, and I ended up discovering what just might be the best pasta in LA, or at least the best carbonara!

This beautiful restaurant has two locations, one in downtown and one in West Hollywood. We visited Bottega Louie in LA which is housed on the ground floor of the historic Brockman Building.

The front of the restaurant is a French patisserie, gourmet market, and coffee bar. We spent a little time ogling the fresh pastries and bread, as well as the massive case full of rainbow-colored macarons.

The gorgeous pastries were nearly sold out even before we arrived. In fact, the Limoncello tarts we had our eyes on were gone by the time we finished our dinner. Something to look forward to next time!

The center part of the restaurant has a lovely bar and cafe tables where you can enjoy brunch, pastries, and drinks.

Across from the bar is the huge open kitchen. Seeing all of the fresh ingredients definitely got our mouths watering.

While we waited for our table, we ordered a couple of signature cocktails at the bar. I wholeheartedly recommend the Pear Martini and the Black & Blue.

At our table, our server greeted us with this photo-worthy bread and butter, which was every bit as fresh and tasty as it was pretty.

There were four of us dining together and we decided to order from several sections of the menu and eat family style so we could try more dishes.

We started off with the heirloom and burrata appetizer and Italian salad, both of which were delicious. I was also pleasantly surprised by the Portobello fries and the incredible aioli they were served with.

After watching the huge pizzas being hand-made in this open pizza kitchen, we all agreed to add that to our order. We chose the Vodka pizza prepared with three sauces - vodka, tomato, and basil pesto - and topped with garlic and fresh basil. It was a stellar choice and the crust was perfect.

And then I dug into the pièce de résistance, Bottega Louie's pasta carbonara. I'm going to start by saying that I love carbonara, so much so that I taught myself to make it. But let me tell you, this pasta is on a whole other level. It is the creamiest, cheesiest, most delicious pasta carbonara I've ever had. I'm pretty sure I'm going to end up dreaming about it.

This was my first experience here, but I hope it won't be my last. Have you ever been to Bottega Louie in Los Angeles? Tell us your thoughts (and your favorite dish!) in the comments. The next time you find yourself craving some of the best pasta in LA, might I suggest making your reservation at Bottega Louie? You won't regret it. And for a whole evening of fun with friends or a romantic date night, consider grabbing tickets to a Candlelight Concert. I have been to three of them and am a little obsessed.

The Golden State has no shortage of unique and delicious dining - check out more of our favorite spots to eat and drink in SoCal.