"Are you Anthony?" I asked as I surveyed the small glass cabinet containing numerous muffins and cakes clearly marked as being made by Anthony.
"No." replied the affable chap behind the counter. "They're made by Anthony, Anthony Flinn."
Yes, turns out he meant THE Anthony as in Anthony's restaurant on Boar Lane and in the Corn Exchange, the latter creating very tasty sweet things.
It was impressive to see Mr Flinn was letting this little coffee shop on The Calls sell his stuff.
La Bottega Milanese is a relative newcomer to the neighbourhood. Little Oliver was labouring under the illusion the doors had only been open a few months but the same chap behind the counter assured me they'd been going for about a year.
You'd be forgiven for missing the place unless, of course, you spend a lot of time down on the riverside of Leeds.
Luckily for this venue plenty of people – mostly office workers and city living residents – do spend a lot of time down there.
But for the rest of us La Bottega Milanese isn't exactly eye-catching. It has a very tasteful grey and black frontage but, it's so tasteful it merges in with its surroundings.
Still, when you're stood on the pavement it looks delightful.
That affable chap behind the counter, by the way, is Allessandro Gallantino, who is not only Italian but learnt his trade as a barista in Milan.
He's founder and boss of this independent and he is, apparently, a lovely guy who makes a visit personal.
After chit-chatting for a moment he told me all about the food, which is a tad limited but then again so is space in this bijou outlet.
He also explained about the aforementioned muffins and cheesecake (the latter not made by Anthony, actually) and recommended a coffee to boot.
It was a great recommendation since my cappuccino was one of the best I've tasted in a long time – perfectly hot, smooth and the right mix of coffee and milk.
The cheesecake was sublime and the chunk of lasagne which formed the mainstay of my lunch was great and patently homemade.
The lasagne and coffee formed part of their own meal deal so cost me a fiver, with the dessert at a not unreasonable 1.75 the final tab wasn't too bad at all.
You could get lunch for two here for less than 14.
And it's all great stuff, with a warm welcome and an authentically Italian environment.
The only drawback is that it's a little small and puts you off eating in (although you can as there are a number of chairs). It's a real pity because you genuinely want to stay a while and soak up the ambience.
Nevertheless, it is still a great antidote to the high street coffee giants who took the whole barista concept and turned it into the corporate beast which pops up on every street corner these days.
But this is the real deal and it deserves to have a much bigger profile.
Star rating: 4/5