La Mesa's Ciao Bella offers quality cuisine along with friendly service By Sarah Wilkins, Senior Staff WriterMy mom lives in the Bay Area, and ever since I moved down to SanDiego for school, she's fantasized about coming down too. She readsabout the city incessantly and sends e-mails to me about everythingI'm missing in the name of school - kitschy boutiques, Indianrestaurants and corner bookshops she discovers while perusing theInternet on her breaks at work.
One of her messages was particularly gushing, "Check out thisItalian restaurant called Ciao Bella in La Mesa, honey, it soundsdelicious! And I read that the people there are really nice."Italian, I thought, sounded good - but in La Mesa?East County is hardly the hotbed of impressive cuisine, or reallyanything other than, well, heat - but it seemed worth a try.
Pulling up to the restaurant didn't do much to dissuade theuncertainty. Ciao Bella sits on the corner of Fletcher Parkway andBaltimore, behind a Shell station and beside a 7-Eleven. It's hardlynoticeable, particularly at night when the gas station's marqueeflashes the costs of overpriced fuel.
But, entering the building is another story altogether. Walkslowly, because the front door is carefully manned by the business'lovingly gregarious owner, Francesco Mezzetti. Come in and he'll bethe one rushing over with a smile on his face and his voice booming.Dependent upon gender, he'll call you "bella" or "bro" with equalsincerity and likely accompany it with a hug or kiss.
The waiters are equally friendly, though usually more reserved.Listen carefully when they offer the day's specials, because thoughthe menu is tempting, limited-time seafood offerings or a colorfulmarinated appetizer will usually prove irresistible.
If the specials don't suit your mood, however, the permanentcollection will certainly do something to entertain. The restauranthas a wide selection of appetizers, or antipasti, ranging fromclassic Antipasto Italiano, which combines prosciutto and salami withrich blue cheese to the delicious Pizzetta Rustica, which coversfresh dough with black olive pate and creamy gorgonzola. Theantipasti are priced on the high side of moderate, ranging from $6.95to $9.95, but are practically a meal in themselves, so make sure tosplit them with another.
With appetites whetted, it's time for the main course. Ciao Bellaoffers a wide selection of pasta and risotto ($9.95 to $14.95),cooked by the establishment's head chef - Francesco's wife,Cinzia. The list is consistently torturous to whittle down and canonly be done so with the promise of trying a new dish with eachreturn to the restaurant. For seafood lovers, the Penne Ciao Bella(salmon, shrimp and spinach in light cream), Capellini Alle Vongole(clams in a garlic white wine sauce atop delicate angel hair) orCartoccio (spaghetti with mushrooms, shrimp, clams and salmon in awhite garlic sauce) are sure bets.
For vegetarians, Penne alle Noci is a personal favorite. Here,penne pasta is doused in cream sauce and covered with walnuts andricotta, creating a sinfully rich and ridiculously delicious dish.Ravioli Campagnoli, which combines cheese ravioli with sauteedeggplant in marinara and basil or the light Capellini Ortolani, withfresh tomatoes and mushrooms in a spicy, garlicky tomato sauce, alsotop the list.
Ciao Bella's meat dishes carry their own bragging rights -spicy Penne Arrabiate combines sausage, bacon and black olives in atart marinara sauce, while rich, homey Ravioli Mammamia tops cheeseravioli with mushrooms and ham and Penne Alla San Diego sautésmushrooms and sausage with creamy saffron and gorgonzola. For alittle more, Vitello Matriciato ($16.95) combines sautéedcapers and spinach with veal in a light lemon sauce aside mixedvegetables.
If meat or pasta isn't your style, risotti has its own to offer.The dish, made by slow-cooking rice, is thick, creamy and a welcomealternative to noodles. Ciao Bella offers four varieties, the best ofwhich is Risotto Delizioso, made with short-grained Arborio rice andmixed with gorgonzola and fresh pears. The fruit is at first asurprise, adding sweetness to the rich texture of the rice andcheese, but turns out to be a perfect addition to the moretraditional meal.
Ciao Bella's portions are large, and ordering a dish with creamsauce, in particular, will leave you too full to eat any further.However, if you have room, the restaurant's dessert menu will hardly let you down. It is small, offering only two desserts (tiramisu andsalame al cioccolato, a frozen chocolate and cookie mousse) plus theaddition of a special Torta Paradiso, but don't let that fool you.Its tiramisu, with rich layers of cake and sweet, decadent mascarponecheese and chocolate, is the best for miles. Every bite sends eatersinto a different level of bliss, and specials such as its occasionalstrawberry tiramisu, will only send you further into blissfuldelirium.
Despite the broad, mouthwatering menu, the real star of Ciao Bellais the service. The staff is consistently friendly, and theatmosphere is always relaxed and outgoing. It is a truly family ownedbusiness - the Mezzetti's family photos (particularly those ofCinzia and Francesco's infant daughter) adorn the restaurant, andthey treat guests as one of their own. To dine there is more akin tocoming home for a family gathering than just going out for a quickbite, making it no surprise that it appealed so much to one in my ownfamily.
- Ciao Bella is located at 5269 Baltimore Drive in La Mesa. Formore information, please call (619) 337-0238.
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