By Mary Cobbler
Irrespective of whether you happen to be craving a homemade pizza with great, yeasty bread, reliable gradual-cooked Italian sauce around pasta, new seafood or stuffed subs, you can get your resolve at Bella Napoli Italian Restaurant in Pasadena.
My dining companion and I arrived at Bella Napoli in Pasadena on a chilly Sunday night. The cafe has a cozy, retro come to feel with a choice of booths or tables. It truly is a community favored tucked in the corner of a shopping center near Foodstuff Lion. The regional band, Spellbound, was environment up in a corner and performed oldies tunes.
Our pleasant waitress, Taylor, arrived quickly and gave us a great deal of time to peruse the considerable menu. My eating companion was an outdated mate I hadn’t observed for some time, so we had a good deal to catch up on: cats, puppies, crafts and other entertaining minutiae.
We kicked off our food with a number of appetizers: the product of crab soup (a restaurant beloved), mozzarella sticks, and bruschetta with tomatoes and cheese.
Taylor introduced warm bread with herb-infused olive oil – a spicy, heat touch on a chilly evening. The restaurant’s neighborhood award-profitable product of crab soup, one more consolation foodstuff, hardly ever disappoints. I liked the soup leisurely, savoring the rich, creamy texture and spicy additions of Old Bay, pepper, sherry and yet another seasoning I couldn’t recognize Taylor, inquiring the cook dinner, said it is a chef’s mystery!
Added crunchy mozzarella sticks were being a treat. Crammed with freshly melted cheese and topped with oregano, they paired correctly with savory home made pasta sauce.
The generous part of a few substantial slices of pizza-design bruschetta was a little bit of a shock. I was expecting the thinner, crispier garlicky bread I commonly have, but there ended up no complaints. The bread was toasted and topped liberally with olive oil, fresh new tomatoes, cheese and basil — a gratifying and tasty blend.
Obtaining a very good time selecting on her entree, my companion chose the fettuccine Mediterranean, and I, getting perused a assortment of informal evaluations on the internet, picked a margherita pizza.
As is generally the case, I favored my companion’s food. The unbelievable aroma of the seafood was intoxicating and additional yet another sensory ingredient to the dish. The fettuccine was cooked to perfection, covered with a buttery white sauce, delicately flavored just sufficient to enhance the seafood — shrimp, scallops and crab — well prepared just appropriate, tender and flavorful.
The margherita pizza was classic, with refreshing home made crust. I like a somewhat thinner crust, but that is a preference. It truly is topped with an Italian pasta sauce with the homey taste of one particular that has simmered for a very long time to deepen the flavors and with thick mozzarella cheese with significant basil leaves.
For our desserts, I selected the chocolate mousse, and my companion picked the lemon sorbet. They mouse was decadent, and the sorbet was refreshing and sweet.
Dark chocolate whipped to an ethereal and somewhat sweet delight, the mousse was just what it should be. The sorbet was just gorgeous! A lemon hollowed out and filled with sweet tart and tangy, icy sorbet. Light-weight and refreshing, it was a good conclusion to a weighty food.
We had a good deal to fill our doggie luggage! With a few appetizers, two entrees and two desserts, our entire food arrived to about $70.
Bella Napoli provides friendly assistance and excellent food. The cafe has a total menu of authentic Italian meals, beer, wine and liquor.
Owing to COVID-19, the cafe has restrictions on the range of indoor diners. It does have exterior lodging with heaters and a firepit. And, of system, curbside pickup is readily available. Connect with 410-255-9400 to put an order or make a reservation. The restaurant also gives catering. For much more info, you can check out www.bellanapoli.us.