Bella Cucina Italian Ristorante is truly a family affair. Once the home of popular Pizza Di Paolo, the South Minnesota Avenue location went through a rebrand when previous owner Linda Napolitano passed the keys to brother-in-law Don Napolitano.
Linda’s husband, Dennis, passed away and was the creative mind behind the wood-fired pizzas made with son David’s Breadico sourdough crust.
“Bella [Cucina] operates on values out of the past,” said Don, who is the current executive chef and CEO. “The recipes are from a tried and true Italian family. And we specialize in customer service.”
It was decided early on that the pizzas would stay, with the menu expanding with some of Don’s favorite recipes. Some can be found in The Bella Cucina Cookbook: Old Italian Family Recipes, which he wrote and produced in 2022.
“I love Don’s sense of humor & determination to get things Done.” -Greyson Deelstra
A few of the favorites include the Pasta Primavera with pasta in butter cream sauce mixed with vegetables and the Baked Atlantic Cod sautéed in olive oil, butter, and fresh herbs with capers and rigatoni pasta and blackened cauliflower.
“All of our pasta entrées are cooked fresh each day, including our four separate sauces,” said Don.
Expansive menu additions depend on the day for availability, but pizza, calzones, and Don’s special spaghetti and meatballs are a daily staple. The Spaghetti & Meatballs is made with the Napolitano family recipe from Naples, Italy and is served with Italian Salad and garlic bread.
“For the other daily pasta dish on the menu, it’s always fun and interesting because it depends on what we have ingredient-wise and what Don feels like making,” said shift manager Avery Roth.
Calzones are also served regularly and are a customer favorite, according to the Bella Cucina team.
Did You Know?
All entrées can be split in half for children’s portions.
“People often comment how much they love our calzones,” said front of house Alexis Vincent. “A commonly ordered item is the Fourcheesio Calzone.”
In regards to family business, Vincent isn’t just a part of the Bella Cucina team, but she’s also Don’s great niece.
“Chef Don Napolitano is a very talented, smart, and hilarious guy,” she said. “I really enjoy working with him, and he has taught me a lot of culinary and customer service skills.”
While the pair are directly related, Don says the whole staff and restaurant clientele feel like family.
“We depend on our employees to help our customers enjoy the experience of the past history of the meaning of famiglia and great food,” he said.
Server and dishwasher Greyson Deelstra agrees.
“It’s such a friendly and welcoming restaurant,” he said. “My favorite part about Bella Cucina are the people and friends you make along the way.”
More Bella Cucina
STARTERS
» Antipasta
Sliced fresh apples and parmesan cheese.
» Soup of the Day
Includes bread basket.
PIZZA
» Willie Pepperoni
Red sauce, mozzarella, and pepperoni.
» Garlic D’arco
Artichoke, spinach, garlic, parmesan, and ricotta cheese.
» Hey Goombah
Spinach, mushroom, vodka sauce, and gorgonzola.
Don also recommends customers asking team members what they recommend for anything from starters, to entrées, to wine pairings. Be forewarned, though, as many of them have different go-tos.
“Whenever a new face comes in, I usually recommend the Bambina Mia Margherita with marinara, mozzarella, parmesan, and basil,” said Deelstra.
Vincent added, “For a first-timer, I would recommend our Willie Pepperoni, Supremo, or our Primo Carnera pizzas.”
Pizzas, which can be ordered whole or by the slice, can also be made-to-order.
For those with a sweet tooth, Bella Cucina offers “classic Italian sweets.” This includes Spumoni Ice Cream and Tiramisu, which is made in-house.
“Personally, I love our Cannoli,” said Vincent.
“I enjoy seeing regulars come in every week, as well as new faces every day.” -Alexis Vincent
The quaint pizzeria also has dabbled in events, including having live music and corporate gatherings. Don says he hopes to add more live music into the mix on the third Saturday of the month.
“The live music and events have been more fun than I could have imagined,” said Roth. “Although it can get busier on those nights, it’s not hard to look around
and realize that customers are having a good time, and so are the employees.”
It’s that comradery that Don says makes the restaurant a success. And the staff agrees.
“My favorite part about Bella Cucina is the reward of working with the employees and building relationships with them,” said Roth. “We take work seriously, but have a good time doing so.”
