Author Spotlight
Paige Hess
Bella Napoli
On the corner of Brookside Boulevard lies a quaint little pizza shop called Bella Napoli. Due to the barely-visible sign, I nearly missed it the first time I walked by. Unlike the more contemporary restaurants that seem to be popping up every which way, this place was extremely homey and traditional. From the very second you open the doors, you feel as if you are in the Italy, the birth place of pizza.
There was hardly anyone there that Monday afternoon, so we were free to sit wherever we wanted. The place very much fits in with the older established feel of Brookside. The dispassionate waitress came up to our table and handed us menus without much chitchat. I looked at the menu and felt as if I was a foreigner in another country, which judging by the atmosphere of the place, seemed pretty fitting.
The pizzas all had their Italian names and I had no idea what to pick. I finally decided on the Giovanni, which was tomato, sausage, peppers and caramelized onions.
The murmur of slow business was broken by the men in the attached Italian deli. The talkative guys were joking around and their laughter roared from within the neighboring shop. After what seemed like 30 minutes, the masterpiece of a pizza came out from the kitchen.
The first bite was the best part. The strong mixture of all the authentic Italian ingredients combined to make a delicious taste. But, the more I ate, the less I liked. The flavor became jaded after the first few bites. The sausage was drastically peppery and left us all with a serious case of bad breath.
Although this home-style Italian restaurant’s pizza was probably the best out of all the different places I tried even though, I still would only suggest going if you needed a small fix.
SPIN
From the second I walked in, I felt as if I was downtown. The intricate paintings on the wall were subliminally grungy. The giant mural on the wall and the exposed wood planks nailed to the ceiling gave the place an industrial feel. I was pleasantly surprised with the quick service and more specifically the friendly servers, because I was immediately escorted to my spacious table.
At Spin, you’re able to get in line at the register and order your meal right away, so there is no monotonous waiting for a busy server to bring menus only to disappear for another 15 minutes. From all of the different combinations that I was offered as I looked at the menu, I eventually decided on the Salsiccia con Mela, which is Italian for sausage and apples and caramelized pecans.
When the concoction on pizza crust came out, I found myself feeling rather hesitant. The pizza looked as if it was someone’s haphazard art project.
But after I finally took the first bite, I was amazed. The mixture of all the flavors somehow worked together to create one delicious taste. The apples were cooked as if they held every flavor possible. There was no goopy sauce to deal with so the pizza proved easy to eat.
Yet again, the multiple tastes of the pizza were over powered by massive amounts of pepper which was not to my liking. Pepper is not exactly my favorite but this pizza is perfect for anyone who does. The sausage had pepper, the crust had pepper and the whole pizza was topped with pepper. I felt as if I could never look at pepper again when I left there.
Overall, the place was a modern spot tucked into a strip near the Country Club Plaza that made a lasting impression of great gourmet.
Blue Grotto
This upscale restaurant made me feel as if my North Face raincoat and black jeans were an embarrassment to wear and pushed me to the level of being a social pariah. I should have dressed to look older, was my first thought. This feeling distracted me from the unique decor. Everything from the booths to the stairs to the silverware were all sleekly designed. Although it was unique and fun, I felt extremely out of place.
Being a mere age of 16, I felt as if the staff looked down upon me for being in there. The 25-year-old crowd was just like the staff: stuck up and stand-offish. They were helpful, but definitely not the friendliest people I have ever encountered; it seemed like they were being forced to be nice to me, which, in a way, they were.
The entire place was centered around a giant wooden oven that climbed as tall as the second level. Surrounding the oven was preparation station for the cooks so you had the ability to watch them cook. It was very classy and modern feeling with the same menu as the others. I felt as if a jazzy band should have been playing out on the back deck.
When the pizza came out, you could tell it wasn’t an “original style” pizza. The crust was extremely thin and flat. I felt as if the chef threw the ingredients on my pizza thinking that I wouldn’t even notice how much it looked like a first grader created it.
But I did. The pieces were all different sizes as well as the crust. There was no cheese on it, nor was there much sauce.
This was the farthest thing from my preconceived idea of pizza. It was nothing even somewhat like the usual delivery type or even oven-baked pizza. The pizza at hand had a rough chalky texture, along with the peppers that were so caramelized that they stuck to the roof of my mouth. The only redeeming quality was that the sausage added a little kick to the bland taste of cardboard that they called pizza.
Pizza Bella
Pizza Bella was by far my favorite when it came to the atmosphere of the restaurant. The large wooden ovens gave off a strong fire burning aroma that is carried throughout the entire place. There was no wall facing the street which incorporated the closed-off and downtown feel of its location.
The workers were welcoming even though the girl at the door did not greet us. In her TOMS and loose baggy T-shirt, she gave off a very relaxed vibe.
All of the pizzas that were offered were really tough and liquid-y. The one that I chose was thicker than any of the rest I had tried. The pizza I got had a very strange version of pesto on it that just dripped all over the place. There was no sauce other than that on the pizza, which made it unique to me.
The vegetables and herbs that were in the food tasted as if they were locally grown. The cheese was not all over the pizza – it was in slabs, as if they just cut a block of cheese and toss the pieces on top before setting in the oven. Being a bit tough was the only thing setting the crust from being perfect. It was light tasting and dry.
On a scale based on decor, Pizza Bella wins by a landslide. It has such an earthy atmosphere and low volume that makes you feel at peace. There is not music playing but the city sounds are the music.
I would personally recommend this restaurant for anyone who is in the mood for a low-key environment and a light bite to eat. I would not suggest this for any big dates though. While it is a fun environment, the food is not exactly going to impress anyone.
Leave a Reply