2-Bit Review: Bella Italia

One or two visits. A few hundred words. Sometimes that’s all it takes.

When Marj Schloff, the electrician, noted in her A2 Questionnaire that she likes to go to Bella Italia, I thought to myself, “hmm, maybe it’s time to give that place another chance.” I visited when it first opened in the Colonnade Shopping Center on Eisenhower, but had been so put off by the spartan interior that the food hadn’t really registered. But I learned a long time ago to pay careful heed to food recommendations by people in the trades.

CNN too loud on the TV – just like dinner at my house.

The interior at Bella Italia is still a far cry from fine dining. Their best window is too high to offer a view or light, and the only seating is provided by large booths that march along the wall, across from the pizza assembly counter. And there’s a TV blasting VERY LOUD. I really didn’t want to hear about Hamas gunmen at lunch. But Marj sang the praises of the gnocchi, so I stepped up to the counter ordering the alfredo version, even though $12 for pasta at lunch seemed a bit pricey. But the entrée came with a lovely salad that had a spicy vinaigrette, and hot bread sticks brushed with a bit of pesto. And here’s the thing – the gnocchi were perfect. In fact, while I’m a fan of Argiero’s, I’d say Bella Italia beats them at the gnocchi game, hands down. The only drawback was that there was way too much alfredo sauce in the bowl for my taste – you could have fed a small village in Africa on that quantity of sauce.

As I was paying my bill at the counter, I commented to the Jim, the young owner, that a smaller, less expensive, lunch portion seemed in order for the pasta. He told me they do half-sizes for any of the pasta dishes which come with a red sauce, they’re just not on the menu. Well, for heaven’s sake, put it on the menu! That said, I found both Jim and his fiancé Katie to be awfully friendly and attentive. They bought the business from original owners Giuseppe and Rosa earlier this year.

Having learned from Jim about the lunch-size portions, on my next visit I ordered a half-size of the Penne Arrabiata for $8. Katie asked me how spicy I wanted the sauce, which I thought was a nice touch. And again the entrée was accompanied by that lovely salad and the gut-busting bread sticks. The penne was quite good, just the right amount of heat and fresh tomato flavor, and this time I found the sauce quantity to be not as embarrassingly over the top. Leftovers were taken home to The Button, who normally won’t eat sauce on her pasta. But she loved the Arrabiata.

Despite a less than high-end environment in terms of atmosphere and location, I have to say that Bella Italia serves some damn fine pasta, with a smile.