Bella Napoli Pizzeria restaurant review
My husband and I love to eat. Thank God we are in the restaurant industry and do a lot of walking. Otherwise we would catch the diabetes and have to wear flexy pants. Italian food was next up on our list. Chandler’s friend who also loves food gave us the recommendation of Bella Napoli Pizzeria. It is located in the Edge Hill Village which is right down the street from Vanderbilt University. We ordered the margarita pizza and the Gnocchi alla Siciliana. We started off with a house salad. The place was cute and had a little patio with pretty industrial old buildings around them. I asked the server if the owner was from Italy. He said he is originally from Naples and that is where his love of food began.
The house salad had just the right amount of balsamic dressing which they make in house. Some places put too much on and this was a happy medium. The Margherita pizza is made up of only three ingredients. Fresh Mozzarella‚ basil‚ and extra virgin olive oil. These three ingredients placed in a wood fired oven created a symphony in my mouth with just three simple notes. The crust was crunchy with just the right amount of smoky char lovingly baked into it. Simple‚ elegant and expert preparation made this dishes sing.
Onto the Gnocchi alla Siciliana is Handmade potato dumplings baked with eggplant‚ fresh mozzarella and parmigiano tossed in tomato in tomato sauce. It comes in this cute little crock pot and it is piping hot. The dumplings are so soft they melt in your mouth. The sauce was delicious and the eggplant and tomatoes gave it a nice consistency. The sauce was a little creamy but not too thick. Again‚ gnocchi is a simple dish but when lovingly prepared with dedication it becomes a transcendence.
It is spring and a perfect time to sit outside. It’s cozy courtyard with tall industrial buildings that are probably a 100 years old gives the feel of history that one might have if they were dining in Naples‚ Italy. Right behind us was an Italian couple who spoke in Italian which I thought was neat.
I love that the owner used his culture to give the food and the place the ambiance of Naples‚ Italy. I would love to visit Naples now that I got to enjoy this Italian cuisine. The owner Paolo Tramontano grew up learning how to cook in his Mother’s kitchen. He worked at various restaurants in Tuscany‚ Barcelona‚ and he finally made his way to New York. He then moved to Nashville and they had no chef jobs available. He got a busing job and worked his way up to chef at an Italian restaurant. He then went into business with the two of the men he worked with and created this solid little restaurant.
Bella Napoli Pizzeria is located at 1200 Villa Place Suite 206
Nashville‚ TN 3721’‚ (615) 891-1387.
You can go to http://bellanapolipizzeria.com/menu/ and check out their menu.
Do you love Italian food? Have you ever been to Italy and tasted their cuisine?
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