By Mary Cobbler
Regardless of whether you might be craving a homemade pizza with wonderful, yeasty bread, reliable slow-cooked Italian sauce more than pasta, clean seafood or stuffed subs, you can get your deal with at Bella Napoli Italian Restaurant in Pasadena.
My dining companion and I arrived at Bella Napoli in Pasadena on a cold Sunday night. The restaurant has a cozy, retro feel with a decision of booths or tables. It is really a neighborhood most loved tucked in the corner of a purchasing heart close to Meals Lion. The local band, Spellbound, was setting up in a corner and played oldies music.
Our helpful waitress, Taylor, arrived swiftly and gave us loads of time to peruse the intensive menu. My dining companion was an old pal I hadn’t noticed for some time, so we experienced a good deal to catch up on: cats, dogs, crafts and other pleasurable trivialities.
We kicked off our food with several appetizers: the product of crab soup (a restaurant most loved), mozzarella sticks, and bruschetta with tomatoes and cheese.
Taylor brought scorching bread with herb-infused olive oil – a spicy, warm contact on a chilly night. The restaurant’s local award-winning cream of crab soup, yet another convenience foodstuff, never ever disappoints. I relished the soup leisurely, savoring the wealthy, creamy texture and spicy additions of Outdated Bay, pepper, sherry and a further seasoning I couldn’t recognize Taylor, inquiring the cook dinner, claimed it can be a chef’s magic formula!
Additional crunchy mozzarella sticks had been a handle. Stuffed with freshly melted cheese and topped with oregano, they paired correctly with savory selfmade pasta sauce.
The generous portion of 3 substantial slices of pizza-style bruschetta was a bit of a shock. I was expecting the thinner, crispier garlicky bread I usually have, but there have been no complaints. The bread was toasted and topped liberally with olive oil, clean tomatoes, cheese and basil — a enjoyable and tasty combination.
Possessing a fantastic time determining on her entree, my companion selected the fettuccine Mediterranean, and I, acquiring perused a wide range of informal opinions on-line, picked a margherita pizza.
As is usually the scenario, I preferred my companion’s meal. The unbelievable aroma of the seafood was intoxicating and added an additional sensory aspect to the dish. The fettuccine was cooked to perfection, protected with a buttery white sauce, delicately flavored just ample to greatly enhance the seafood — shrimp, scallops and crab — ready just proper, tender and flavorful.
The margherita pizza was traditional, with fresh new home made crust. I like a marginally thinner crust, but that is a desire. It’s topped with an Italian pasta sauce with the homey taste of a single that has simmered for a extensive time to deepen the flavors and with thick mozzarella cheese with big basil leaves.
For our desserts, I chose the chocolate mousse, and my companion picked the lemon sorbet. They mouse was decadent, and the sorbet was refreshing and sweet.
Dim chocolate whipped to an ethereal and a bit sweet delight, the mousse was just what it really should be. The sorbet was just stunning! A lemon hollowed out and stuffed with sweet tart and tangy, icy sorbet. Light-weight and refreshing, it was a wonderful end to a major food.
We had a good deal to fill our doggie luggage! With three appetizers, two entrees and two desserts, our full meal arrived to about $70.
Bella Napoli provides friendly assistance and fantastic food stuff. The restaurant has a comprehensive menu of authentic Italian foods, beer, wine and liquor.
Due to COVID-19, the cafe has constraints on the amount of indoor diners. It does have outdoors lodging with heaters and a firepit. And, of training course, curbside pickup is out there. Connect with 410-255-9400 to location an get or make a reservation. The cafe also offers catering. For a lot more facts, you can stop by www.bellanapoli.us.