Bella Luna & more Italian
This note from a reader about Bella Luna:
"My husband and I were joined by my sister and her husband for dinner recently to celebrate Valentines Day. We decided to try something different and chose Bella Luna Restaurant on Eastern Ave. in Linwood. It turned out to be an excellent choice.
"Bella Luna is a quaint little Italian, family owned and ran, restaurant. The food was delicious, portions generous and atmosphere cozy and unique. Prices were $15 - $25 range. The owner, Harry Evans, took the time to visit our table as well as many others. It was very refreshing."
"Bella Luna is a quaint little Italian, family owned and ran, restaurant. The food was delicious, portions generous and atmosphere cozy and unique. Prices were $15 - $25 range. The owner, Harry Evans, took the time to visit our table as well as many others. It was very refreshing."
Read what Polly Campbell and CiN Weekly have to say about it.
But what's the deal w/ Italian restaurants here? It seems to me there should be more non-chain, good Italian joints in this town. Where do I usually end up? Carrabba's, and I don't even like chains - though I do love the Rigatoni Martino there. My fiance even declared Carrabba's better than his old standby, Maggiano's Little Italy. I should make an effort to venture out more. I still need to try Pitrelli's in Mason and Antonio's Ristorante in West Chester. So much to eat, where to begin!?
posted by Julie Gaw at 4:58 PM
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Post a Comment*I love Pitrelli's. It's small and cozy, and the food and service are great.
Not such a fan of Antonio's ...
Try barresi's in Deer Park or Nicola's downtown. Both are really good. Barresi's is more traditional, Nicola's is contemporary.
I used to frequent Barresi’s many moons ago and loved it, but no longer live or work in the area. I read that the Barresi family sold the restaurant not too long ago. Anyone with first-hand experience of the changes? Are the new owners still offering cooking classes? I am always interested in finding out about cooking classes in the Cincy area. (The website is http://www.barresis.com/, but as with websites of many local restaurants, I wonder how current they are.)
I only began visiting Barresi's in the last couple years. I don't know about how it used to be, or anything about cooking classes. But all I can say is that I've always found the food, service and atmosphere to be flawless (and I've eaten there as recently as a couple months ago). That's getting to be a rare attribute at any price these days.
I quite like Karlo's Bistro Italia, in Florence.
Maggiano's?? Carrabba's??? And you call yourself a food writer????? ;-)
Amazing how those chain restaurants can be soooo convenient isn't it?? Yes, I myself have tried them. HATE Maggiano's and their "tour" of the menu. Carrabba's I must admit isn't bad. I even tried Macaroni Grill, although the noise level in that joint made me want to kill myself. I will not even discuss Olive Garden (45 minute wait????).
Try Pitrelli's, great little place without the constant attempts of "upselling" by the waitstaff.
Italian food is so much more than the homogenized entrees the big chains offer, get out there, and experience real Italian food, cooked the way any Italian would appreciate.
Hi Brando -
Pitrelli's is definitely on the list. I've heard great things about it. And to be honest, I don't consider myself a food writer. As editor of the Weekend section, I'm constantly scouring the city as I drive around and keeping my ears open at dinner parties to find "new" or undiscovered restaurants for us to check out. But at base, I'm a real person who loves to eat. Do I eat gourmet all the time? No. Do I take shortcuts sometimes? Absolutely. And I'll make no apologies for that. Would it be great if I had more leisure time to drive across town to try a new spot? You bet. But I'll keep trying!
To Anonymous - I phoned Barresi's, and they have another wine tasting coming up March 20 (Italian wines). It should be posted here soon. http://www.barresis.com/events/
Chef/owner Sarah Wagner is the only one conducting cooking classes at the moment, but since she's expecting a baby in June, she doesn't think she'll be able to teach the classes again till after the baby is born.
Support downtown Cincinnati - go to Trattoria Roma across from the Aranoff. It has great food and great service.
Vincenzo's in Tri-County is also good. I love Nicola's. I agree, I can't imagine anyone considering Maggianos or Carrabbas to be Italian restaurants -- more like feeding troughs.
Try Antonio's. It is truly a wonderful quiet place to enjoy your evening meal with the food being absolutely the best!!!!!!!!M. Johnson
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