Cuisine Review

Music blaring, cruising at a steady pace across the Bayway, I drove with a certain expectation, yet trepidation arose the closer we drew to the Eastern Shore Centre. Unfortunately, there are no locally owned restaurants left in the Centre but for Rousso’s and Ciao Bella.

Ciao Bella has interested me for some time. The owners have several restaurants in the panhandle of Florida, and one not far from my family’s vacation home. Quite a few people have related to me that the pizzas and pasta dishes were worthy of review.

Ciao Bella is located in the north rear of the property, with wrought iron tables outside around a fountain. Multitudes of young families were enjoying a cool night, with the parents enjoying their wine or beer, and the children running about with no worry. The scene was reminiscent of a quiet village somewhere, albeit it was just in the midst of a deserted outdoor mall.

What first jarred me were paper signs with rules from the owners. One door demanded no entrance and to only enter around the corner and inside a couple of signs saying “restroom for customer only” – which customer gets to use it? I wondered. Concerning. Plus you had to get a key to use it.

I did not like what appeared to be an attitude. The atmosphere is mall meets faux painted Italian grapes and scenes. At least the menu looked appetizing.

I had cajoled two friends to join me, and they seemed oblivious to all that bothered me, maybe you would be as well. A large menu of Italian favorites makes up the menu. I skipped by the pizzas, to my chagrin. Several caught my eye only after dinner. The first is the “ortolana” (12” – $16; 14” – $18) topped with fresh spinach, artichokes, black olives, feta, sliced tomatoes, mozzarella and tomato sauce.

Or the “marchigiana alla vincenzo” (12” – $15; 14” – $17) that contains grilled eggplant, fresh mozzarella, black olives, shredded mozzarella and tomato sauce. The “pizza dell pastore” (12” – $17; 14” – $19) I would gladly have ordered – wild mushrooms, proscuitto, fresh mozzarella, gorgonzola, shredded mozzarella and sauce. All of the pizzas are authentic. You can also create your own, even a deep pan with a plethora of toppings available.

We all veered toward the pasta dishes. But first, I ordered some bruschetta ($6) that was quite a disappointment. What appeared to be regular toast had chopped hothouse tomatoes, one cube of fresh mozzarella, basil and herbs. But, mind you, this was the only real food misfortune we had. There are several salads – Greek, Caesar, one with grilled chicken or a large spring salad with grilled Portobello, roasted walnuts, mandarin organs, gorgonzola with raspberry vinaigrette ($9).

Our meals came with a house salad, hot bread and a garlic/olive oil dip. The house consists of greens, tomatoes, onion, cucumbers, kalamata olives with their house Italian dressing. It is a balsamic base with a strong aftertaste, a good one. We could not figure out the ingredient. It is a secret, so the staff would not divulge. There are several panini sandwiches, the most interesting to me was the porchetta panini ($8) made with roasted, marinated pork dredged in rosemary, garlic brown sauce with melted mozzarella on an Italian roll.

Spaghetti and meatballs, lasagna, eggplant parmagiana, meat or cheese ravioli, manicotti, stuffed shells, alfredo – all the Italian-American favorites are present. But these just touch the beginnings. I was torn between several, the carbonara (which is my favorite and a dish I could always eat, $12); the penne cacciatore ($13, tossed with chicken mushrooms, onions, kalamata olives, roasted red peppers, capers, crushed red pepper and fresh crushed tomatoes – and spicy); or the fettucine del boscaiolo ($13).

I chose the later, with prosciutto, wild mushrooms and roasted red peppers, tossed in a light garlic olive oil. I enjoyed it thoroughly. The olive oil melded with the softness of the red peppers, creating a light, slightly caramelized base with shards of salty meat and large mushrooms. I left nothing in the large bowl.

Other interesting items include ravioli portofino, cheese-filled ravioli with fresh Gulf Shrimp, diced scallops and mushrooms in a gorgonzola tomato sauce ($17); veal parmigiana, marsala, piccata and cacciatore (all $18) and the same with chicken. One of my friends did try the chicken cacciatore ($17) where the chicken was to be sautéed with fresh garlic, kalamata olives, capers, onions, fresh crushed tomatoes, roasted red peppers in white wine. The sauce itself was delicious, full-bodied in flavor. The chicken was on the dry side, which saddened the dish. I suspected the chicken had been partially cooked earlier and then finished off – which is often done, but the second time around it was cooked too long.

Four fish specialties were found, and my other friend chose the tilapia livornese ($15), with the fish sautéed with capers kalamata olives, onions, garlic, crushed tomatoes, herbs and white wine served over capellini. This was strong with the olives and capers, briny, and the fish was cooked the right way, soaking up, but not overwhelmed by, the flavor. However, it was decided that the dish itself was not very distinctive. Overall, this was the case – well-made, tasty sauces that may not have the finishing touches down pat.

I can definitely see eating pizza here, and maybe casual is what they do best. If you live nearby, or are shopping at the Centre, eat at Ciao Bella. But, my drive, while not wasted, will not likely be repeated.

Kinnon Phillips is Lagniappe cuisine editor. Contact him at kphillips@lagniappemobile.com.

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