Cuisine:

• Coffee Houses
• Italian

Cafe Bella Roma Description:
A tiny, under-the-radar charmer, Bella Roma serves the cuisine of Emilia-Romagna in a tiny dining room with a handful of granite-topped tables. An intimate terrace overlooking an unfashionable block of Robertson Boulevard provides a slightly more romantic flavor. Chef-owner Roberto Amico is passionate about his native cuisine and soccer (on Sundays, Italian football is often playing on the TV). After being graciously welcomed, begin with plump rice balls filled with mozzarella or a salad of julienned fennel, arugula and good quality Parmesan, which is large enough to share. Pastas include lobster ravioli in a delicate saffron sauce, penne with salmon in a light pink sauce, and one of the city's best renditions of spaghetti carbonara. Among main courses are veal piccata, rack of lamb with a Sangiovese reduction, whole branzino presented at the table before plating, and a hefty veal chop in a green peppercorn-Cognac cream sauce that is not particularly heavy. Bring your own bottle of wine, which will be uncorked at a very modest fee. For dessert, consider "spaghetti freddi" (vanilla gelato extruded at the table to look like pasta, covered with raspberry sauce and white chocolate shavings) or the house-made tiramisu, a good bet with strong, imported espresso.


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