- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
Bella Monica
Categories: Restaurants Italian Restaurants Pizza Italian, Pizza [Edit]
3121 Edwards Mill RdRaleigh, NC 27612
(919) 881-9778
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 11 am - 10 pm
Fri-Sat 11 am - 11 pm
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
65 reviews for Bella Monica
Review Highlights
"Starts with garlic bread in olive oil."
(in 8 reviews)
"...stars - but rounding up for the extensive gluten free menu."
(in 2 reviews)
"At that time I had a Creme Brulee Napoleon."
(in 4 reviews)
Loading...
65 reviews in English
-
Review from Art M.
Cary, NC
12/2/2011
First, they have NO sign. I drove here three times over a couple of months, and always ended up eating somewhere else because I couldn't find it. What? Well, yes, the fourth time I asked directions when I got in the plaza area. (Take your shot, I'm a guy.)
So my wife and I found it last night, and we had the Chicken Parm and two "flatbread" pizzas (Trevino and Putanesca). I was worried when they said it was a very thin crust. But the crust was perfect, the edges a bit crunchy, but overall very soft and flexible. Nice texture, surprised me. Absolutely delicious (and we're those fussy NY'ers who don't rave about anyone's pizzas south of wherever we lived).
WORTH finding, even if you have to ask directions. This, Aladdin's Eatery, and Bahama Breeze are now officially our favorite restaurants in Raleigh. Our server was very nice, too (Ellen?). Music was even great (old timey carols). And, yeah, even on Dec 1st we ate outside--with the heaters going, it just added to the charm of the evening together. Definitely coming back often. -
Review from Antony C.
9/29/2011 1 Check-in Here
Great little find in this plaza shopping center. I particularly love to support restaurants that support local food and farmers.
I started with the Italian wedding soup. Stock was homemade, which I could tell because I do a lot of cooking myself. I had the genoa flat bread pizza; nice sized portion. Service was friendly. Will be back. -
Review from Saliha B.
Mountain View, CA
8/26/2011
I love Bella Monica and I have been going here for years...it helps that it is right next to our neighborhood! The food is so good and now everyone else has realized that it is good so it can get really packed here and hard to get a table. I highly suggest reservations if you want to eat in. Unless I go with friends, I usually just get my favorites to go and go home to enjoy my meal! My absolutely favorite dessert of all time is tiramisu and Bella Monica's tiramisu is the best I've ever had! Also I do not consume alcohol in any form, and thus it can be difficult to find tiramisu without alcohol, and Bella Monica is one of the few places that has an amazing tiramisu without alcohol. The staff know me by now as the person who always gets tiramisu (and sometimes other food as well) to go.
I would highly recommend any of their pasta dishes (which all come with a salad) especially their baked ones for some amazing cheesy goodness. I love their whole wheat chicken pasta dish as well but I find it is a bit dry so I ask them to use marinara sauce instead of EVOO and it's delish with that adjustment :). Their bread they serve is almost like a cake as far as its density and its drizzled with olive oil and has some red onion relish thing on top, which is very yummy that you might be tempted to eat more than one slice but you don't want to get too full to eat your entree! Now as for their pizzas, I truthfully find them uninspiring and not that tasty as compared to their pasta dishes. Of course I'm not much of a fun of thin crust so that may be my issue. I feel like if you're going to eat a pizza, then eat a real pizza with some amazing thick, NY style crust, and not these flimsy thin crust deals.
Aside from their tiramisu, their other desserts are amazing as well. My friends love their cannoli and I have one friend who loves the cannoli here just as much as I love the tiramisu :).
I read another review on here about some poor service and was quite surprised. I have been to Bella Monica many, many times (too many to count) and have never had a problem with subpar service. I would suggest to that reviewer that it was likely a one-time occurrence and to come back and give Bella Monica another chance. Or just get the food to go like I do most of the time! :) Besides, the ambience at BM is a bit small, dark, crowded anyways. Also, it can get a bit noisy if there are large parties celebrating in the back especially. And I absolutely hate sitting outside most of time because let's face it it's NC and either it's hot and humid or cold, so it is quite difficult to go here at a time when the weather is perfect for outdoor eating. -
Review from Aaron B.
Raleigh, NC
2/3/2012 2 Check-ins Here
Wonderful homestyle Italian food. A hidden gem is the weekend brunch offerings. It's not expensive, but quite good. It certainly doesn't look like much, housed in a strip mall, but don't let the cover fool you, the book is quite good. Reservations are absolutely necessary, even for lunch, it's that popular.
-
Review from Kay L.
Raleigh, NC
12/31/2011
This restaurant can be found by first driving left from the Harris Teeter, then circling right as though you are going to Caribou Coffee. It is a tucked away gem. I've just been there once, but it was a special experience... staff very friendly and welcoming without intruding, knowledgeable about the menu, and they recommended a wine that turned out to be great. The decor is hipster-ish, yet softened around the edges. My friend and I were dressed very casually, but treated like royalty. (Next time I go, I'll dress up just a tad, i.e. business casual, in keeping with the upscale-leaning ambiance.)
I went there primarily because I'm on a gluten-free diet and they have not just one or two standard items (e.g. gf past w/marinara, yawn), but gluten-free focaccia bread (!), shrimp with polenta and more. It was yummy and original. I forget what my friend had, but he shared a bite and it was delicious too. I will definitely return to further sample their menu! A pizza awaits with my name on it! -
Review from Meghan B.
Cary, NC
8/25/2011 2 Check-ins Here
When I arrived at Bella Monica today, I was offered the option of sitting at the bar or outside since I was by myself. This bothered me a little, but I remembered other Yelpers saying this place gets crowded, so I let it slide. The bartender who waited on me more than made up for it. I'm sorry I didn't get his name because he was fantastic. He was attentive without being overbearing. My drink was never close to empty and he was friendly.
I ordered a small pizza with fresh mozzarella. I was pleased to see the fresh mozz as an option, as it is probably my favorite pizza topping. The flavor of the pizza was quite nice, but I wasn't entirely pleased with the crust. It had the consistency of a cracker and I was expecting something a little softer. However, by the second piece the crust had softened up from absorbing the yummy goodness of the fresh mozz. I also would have preferred a little more sauce on the pizza.
Now to reveal a slightly odd opinion I hold when it comes to restaurants, I appreciate a well-decorated restroom. To me, it is a sign that the owners are concerned with every element of their business, even those elements that won't determine whether or not someone returns. It is an attention to detail that I've discovered often finds it's way into the food and service. Bella Monica's room is something I'd love to replicate in my own home. -
Review from K. P.
Morrisville, NC
1/6/2012
The food here is great! The service has always been really courteous except for the last few times I've gone and they haven't been up to their normal standards. I take everyone here and everyone loves this place. The salad is what I'm not a huge fan of. Also, I would not go here for brunch. Brunch is OK.
-
Review from John L.
6/1/2011 1 Check-in Here
Their flatbreads are quite yummy. We ended up with two: the Trevino (spinach, pancetta, pine nuts, tomatoes, mozzerella) and the Franco (peppers, sausage, mozzerella). Both were really good, especially the Trevino, where the spinach and pancetta made for a great combination.
The bruschetta was okay: the spicy one with goat cheese had more flavor than the blue crab, but both were overall good.
The restaurant's ambiance is also quite nice, especially considering it's in a shopping center and all.
So overall, quite good. -
Review from Ian S.
5/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
in one word...RESERVATIONS. The other reviewers said it, and they weren't kidding. I called an hour before, thinking getting a two top on a Wednesday would be easy peasy...and got a reservation for a half hour later than I was hoping. Now, I'm basing the decision to go here completely on yelp...which I now know to be the definitive word.
Now, for levity's sake, at my own expense, I was with my 55 year old female coworker. We were in Cary for work, and knew no one for miles. But damned if everyone there thought I had brought out Mrs. Robinson for a date. I felt awkward thoughout the meal. Perhaps my own baggage, but the waitress and maitre d' both were willing accomplices being cutesy about my obvious discomfiture at the situation.
The food...for the most part, pretty good. My appetizers were not exactly as expected, but edible, and hers were bad enough she forced one on me to prove its taste was off in some manner. It was.
Soon though, the main dishes came and my cannelloni was served in a nuclear reactor lead dish which did little to cool the food within...but once it had...bliss. Italian epicurean delights untasted by these lips, and it will be missed until next time. -
Review from Ron W.
You know, I've heard so many good things about Bella Monica since I've lived in Raleigh but I never tried it until today. You know why? Because I could never find the damn place! Located in a busy, congested plaza off of Duraleigh, Bella Monica has a totally inconspicuous front with no obvious markings, just a small "Pizza" sign. If I had to guess, this place started as a basic pizzeria and over the years, expanded into a full-service restaurant. That being said, once you find it you're going to be in for a treat!
Inside I'd call Bella Monica upscale cafe, you could do a nice business lunch or casual dinner but it's not a place to impress a date. Out front they've got a handful of sidewalk tables under cover which is perfect for a nice day. With fellow Yelper Andrew W, I perused the menu. A lot of basic Italian-American favorites, all of their sandwiches come with a cold pasta side. I ordered up a steak sandwich with mozzarella and asiago cheese, yum! The sandwich came out with a nice side of toothsome orzo pasta salad and some greens, fresh stuff. The sandwich was an interesting combo of thin-sliced steak, lots of melted cheese all on a fluffy roll, not bad at all.
Service is really good at Bella Monica, you can tell the staff is well-trained here. Prices here are a bit high for what you get, even if it's good quality. I mean you're in a strip mall! All I know is that I'm glad I FINALLY know where it is...
(And after reading Nikki K's review, shame on you Bella Monica. Very poor service and attitude for a host from a supposedly upscale Italian restaurant. -
Review from Kuanyu C.
Second night of TRW, and I'm all by myself. Time to get fancy. As I walked up to Bella, I literally almost walked right into someone I later discovered was the manager. He let me inside and sat me at the bar, letting me know he should have a table for me soon. Since I was by myself, I was surprised when the manager talked to me he did not forcefully insist that I dine at the bar. He made good on his promise. I got my table just in time to finish my course selection and got my first sip of the wine. As soon as I sit down, I got myself a glass of Sangiovese, which had a really good taste on the tongue.
[Interior] Definitely looked like it was originally a pizzeria turned full restaurant. There's a main dining area between the front door and the bar/waiting station, which was way crowded. The patio offset some of the crowd, and the rest were stashed away at the table alongside a narrow hallway down the length of the kitchen.
Now, on to the menu.
[anti-pasta] It was a tough choice between the bruschette and the calamari. I ended up going with the calamari (alla genovese I think,) which was a good choice. It was sauteed with a herb pesto, with a small side of arugula, beans, carrots, and decorated with romesco sauce.
[entree] As soon as the Pork Loin Spiedino arrived i can smell the roasted garlic right away. The loin was seasoned mildly, covered with enough roasted garlic and pine nuts oil based dressing. The side of Sweet potato mash with goat cheese was ingenious.
[dessert] There is no question I would've picked Affogato with a cappuccino to cap off this meal. Affogato was made with honey vanilla gelato sitting on in espresso, dusted with cocoa and cinnamon. Of course the mint leaves and chocolate-covered expresso bean was nice garnish too. One of the better gelato I have ever tasted.
[After-thought] As I finished the meal the manager walked up to my table, just chatting away and asking my opinion about the food tonight. Actually quite a pleasant individual. Before I post the review, I did a quick search for keywords on this review page, turns out majority of the low star reviews are associated with the word "groupon." Perhaps the establishment had something against groupon users? Thinking we are here to get a free meal?Listed in: TMNTurtle Feed, Buon mangiare, mia bella
-
Review from Rocky B.
Cary, NC
5/23/2011
We had an 8:30pm reservation on a Friday night. That's the best time I could get even 3 weeks in advance! We arrived a little before 8pm and enjoyed a glass of wine at the bar while we waited for our table. Great and reasonably priced wine list. We were seated just after 8:30pm in a nice booth. Our waiter was knowledgeable about the food and offered suggestions to the most tasty and popular items.
Appetizer: Bruschetta - four sizable pieces with lots of tomatoes. It was good, but could have used a touch more garlic and/or fresh basil.
Entrees: Eggplant Rollatini (technically an appetizer, but definitely large enough to be an entree) - it was absolutely delicious and I'm not even a huge fan of eggplant. Deeee-licious!
Veal Bolognese over Trofie (fresh pasta) - also good, but overpriced for a pasta dish.
Dessert: Cannoli - YUM! Definitely save room for desert if you you go.
We will be back - can't wait to try some of the other dishes! -
Review from Graeme B.
Chapel Hill, NC
4/6/2011 1 Check-in Here
I am still confused by this restaurant - it seems to be a hybrid of a bistro and a restaurant. If it were a car - it would be a Prius I think.
After the review and recommendations given to me, I assumed that this place would be a dark& broody with Godfather music playing in the back ground and large Sicilian men guarding the entrance, instead I walked (via the back door) through the "B" seats (booths and bare tables) to the front of the restaurant where there were white table cloths and black napkins.
Similarly there were two menus - one good, and one better (and more expensive).
So on to the food...
I started with some of the Bruschetta - and it was marvelously tasty, but small enough that you might be in danger of consuming your own fingers if not careful (I think this was my fault - you are supposed to order a few to sample - I only ordered one to taste).
I then had the sauteed Brussels sprouts - which were sadly disappointing. They were over cooked and too dry, which meant that my jaw ached after eating about half of them. The taste was great and I can only imagine what the dish may have tasted like if properly prepared.
Salad were salads. Fresh and tasty.
Main courses. The Lasagna with Chicken & Fennel was outstanding. Perfectly balanced, with just a hint of fennel to compliment the chicken - with a sauce to die for. Perfect!
The Veal Parmigiana was good. The veal was OK, a little over cooked to my taste, but the coating and sauce were excellent.
Then we decided to have dessert and tried the Creme Brulee Napoleon. This was beyond astonishing. The chef has decomposed a Cream Napoleon and a Creme Brulee and created something better than both.
He/She creates multiple layers of crisp, Filo pastry, which are golden and crunchy to resemble/replace the burned sugar layer and the filling is soft and creamy and is between whipped cream and custard. Around the plate is added a coulis of raspberry (I think). It is without doubt the best foodstuff I have ever put in my mouth. This dessert would not be out-of-place at Claridges in London.
Bottom line - service is good, food can be good, but was a little inconsistent - the dessert is world class.
Definitely worth a visit. -
Review from Marc C.
3/15/2011 1 Check-in Here
We have been to Bella Monica several times and have always left happy. Excellent Italian food and comfortably paced service.
They have done a great job turning a strip mall location into an inviting restaurant with in and outdoor seating.
We went last Saturday night before the Hurricanes game. We arrived at 5:00 PM and the place was absolutely packed. Thankfully, we had reservations. The service was spot on and they got us out in time to see the puck drop!
I had one of the evening specials, Veal Bologneese. Excellent veal based Bologneese sauce over fresh pasta. It was terrific!
My wife had the Stuffed Shells. It was a nice portion of pasta shells stuffed with Ricotta & spinach and then topped with tomato sauce and mozzarella. They were very good and the filling had a nice consistency.
Our dining companions had another of the specials; Lobster ravioli. They both thought that it was terrific, very nicely presented but, left looking for a hotdog at the hockey game. While tasty and pretty, it was an amazingly small portion, more like an appetizer or small plate than an entree.
I would echo the previous reviews and make reservations. For obvious reasons, This place fills up fast! -
Review from Annie G.
We called around 6 to make a reservation and they were booked till around 9pm. The guy on the phone, Trevor, was super nice and looked into things to see what he could do to accommodate us. He advised us to just come in and find him and he would try and get us a seat quickly. It WAS a Friday night so we expected a long wait. It took about 50 mins to get a seat, but we didn't mind because the experience was worth it!
Our waitress was super nice and informative and gave us great tips on her favorite foods served there. My boyfriend took her suggestion and was very pleased. He got the veal chop with Parmesan. It was delicious and perfectly cooked. It was served with pasta with marinara sauce which barely got touched because the veal was so good and such a big sized portion. I got the lobster ravioli and it was really flavorful! This was obviously made in-house because there were such big chunks of lobster and the ravioli was tan and black. Very cool looking! For starters we got the Capresi salad and the sausage flat-bread. Both were incredible! The homemade mozzarella and sausage were amazing!!! So flavorful! Our friends got the lasagna and it was everything you wanted lasagna to be, cheesy, gooey and rich. Yum!!!
The wine list was great and our waitress said all the wines come from Italy.
Now the desert, we got the special which was a layered creme brulee. It was a dollop of the custard toped with a thin phyllo dough layer slightly baked and covered in sugar and cinnamon and then repeated until you end up with a tower of delicious perfection. My boyfriend said this was one of the best desserts he ever had. He said it was like a flavor "grenade" went off in his mouth! It really was perfection! This was also a recommendation from our lovely waitress.
The service was spectacular, the food was fresh, homemade and wonderful. Can't wait till we go back. And we will make reservations this time!!Listed in: Ladies Night
-
Review from Jeff S.
My 2nd favorite place in Raleigh to meet the wife for lunch. It's always great, never a bad decision.
They don't have a large dining area, so we try to get there around a quarter of noon to beat the rush. We love to site outside when the weather permits. That's almost year round as they have heaters.
Onto the food!
My go to meal is the Garlic soup. It's just amazing. It's extremely garlicky, so if you're on a date-date, you may want to bring lots of gum! Hearing the waiter describe the process in which it's made is intoxicating.
Why just the soup? Well, the bread - or as I like to call it, 'the cake', is amazing. Served with oil and vinegar, this is almost it's own meal.
The one time I had a problem with an order, it was immediately rectified and we were given a free order of canoli.
The folks that run the place are always there, and they care. I love to give my $ and business to local establishments, and this is one of the best.Listed in: Showing off the Triangle, Outdoor Hangouts in the RTP
-
Review from Shae F.
Raleigh, NC
12/30/2010
i'm sure my yelp admission about bella monica is going to contradict most avid patrons of the BM however my first experience was nothing short of "ok."
Prelude: i'm new in town and i'd driven past this place various times before and didn't even know that it was Bella Monica due to the lack of any kind of business sign but upon investigation, i ascertained that the dimly lit restaurant at the end of the Harris Teeter shopping center near my apartment was the destination i was seeking.
Upon arrival on a late Monday night, my date and i were greeted at the door reluctantly by a grey haired man asking if we had reservations and in response to our "um no" we were seated directly next to the entry door. Perhaps the various vacant tables in the joint were unsuitable in some respect unbeknownst to me.
THe waitress came for our drink order, approximately 13 minutes after we were seated and the old door guy had already sheepishly delivered two glasses of water; i suppose to keep us hydrated during the wait.
The waitress continued spotty behavior and disappearing acts all night.
The salad was lacking in flavor and could have had a better dressing. I need a little bit more flavor than the tasteless olive oil.
Lastly, The manicotti was very delicious and not some crap served up at olive garden. however, The pricey menu and exclusiveness of a small italian restaurant isn't worth my time if the service can't match the menu. -
Review from Christopher D.
West Lafayette, IN
12/29/2010
Yelp pointed me to this spot while I was in town last spring for work. Dropped in for an early dinner (sixish) with wife and both toddlers in tow.
First star: nobody blinked at the kids. Host was genuinely friendly and welcoming, though there was a 20 minute wait. We went to the supermarket next door to pick up some sundries and said we'd be back. No problem -- he held our spot!
Second star: waitress was equally friendly and treated the kids like a couple of regulars. Extra napkins, split plates, breadcrumbs all over the table -- she handled everything with professional calm and poise.
Third star: brussels sprouts! and really tasty ones to boot! I loved that we could order veggie sides a la carte. And that there were more vegetarian options than the run-of-the-mill eggplant parm.
And a fourth star just to sum it all up: great service, kid-knowledgable (which is more important than "kid-friendly" in my book), comfortable ambiance, plenty of non-meat choices, and oh, yeah, yummy yummy Italian food. -
Review from Gina B.
1/12/2011
Mama Mia! This place is awesome!
I'm going to give you a little advice, that is going to go a long way....First, come hungry. I mean like starving. Fast for like a week before you get there. They are going to feed you like you have never been fed before. I promise you!
2nd, make reservations! We went on a Tues night during an ice-storm and people had braved nearly killing themselves to get there. They have steady business almost every night. The joint is tiny and has great music... you aren't the only genius in town... call ahead.
3rd... get an appetizer! They have some fabulous options. The tuna peppers, while sounded bizarre, were fab.
They are the most accommodating group of people I've ever met. We didn't feel rushed, they took the time to help me w/my food allergies and go over the menu and made every entree sound like it was going to sing in my mouth.
Results... tuna peppers; yum, salad (huge... could share it), salmon dish w/orzo...fantastic... , chicken lasagna (slap your mama good)....didn't even have room for bread. I know... that is so wrong, but it's the truth.
I'll be back and this time I'm saving myself for dessert! -
Review from j m.
Wake, NC
1/26/2011
Bella Monica is kind of the definition of "hidden gem". You could drive by this place a hundred times -- in a corner of a grocery-store plaza with a tiny neon sign that says "Pizza" -- and never guess that there was an excellent, full-service restaurant here. They don't really need to advertise as word-of-mouth and repeat business seems to keep them full every night. As others have noted, reservations are a good idea here, even on nights and times you wouldn't expect to need them.
The physical layout is a bit awkward, with many of the tables along one edge of a long hallway and no real reception or waiting area. But once you are seated you'll find the decor appealing in an upscale-but-casual way. You will be presented with a regular menu as well as a long list of specials (almost a second full menu) - you can go from basic pizzas and calzones at under $10, to spaghetti-and-meatballs ($13 with salad) to more sophisticated dishes, topping out around $20. I can't think of a clinker we've ordered; they have a wide selection of pastas including at least one fresh pasta and are willing to make it pretty much any way you'd like.
The speed of service tends toward the leisurely, which makes this a good choice when you are not in a hurry. Quality of service has ranged from acceptable to excellent. They don't have a full liquor license but serve bottled beer and a decent list of Italian wines by the glass or bottle. -
Review from Annie W.
1/25/2011 1 Check-in Here
Mmm, Bella monica, il vostro cibo è delizioso. They start you off with focaccia bread doused in olive oil and herbs which is super yums. We had the brussel sprouts as an appetizer and I did not know brussel sprouts could taste that good. Perfectly sauteed with some slight carmelization. I had the arugula salad with portobello mushrooms and it was terrific, best salad I've had in a good long while.
Service was incredible, waiters very friendly and knowledgeable, chef came out and asked us how we liked our food, that was nice.
Not a quick dinner kind of place, but somewhere you sit and enjoy your meal and company. -
Review from Jennifer M.
Cary, NC
3/11/2011
I have to give this place 5 stars because of their amazing service. Warning...make a reservation!!!!!!!!!!! We went on a Thursday night and there was a pretty long wait. This being said, they did everything to accomodate us. They brought us a drink and then put our party of 3 at a banquet table with another party at the other end. They even brought us a complimentary appetizer as an apology. The food was really good. We had the mozarella and tomatoe as an appetizer along with a small pizza. I got the whole wheat penne dish which was good, but my friends lasagne was amazing!!!! I will definitely go back..with a reservation:)
Try this place you will be glad you did!!!!!!!!! -
Review from Donna B.
9/1/2010
Italian food is one of my weaknesses...can't get enough. A couple of co-workers and I decided to actually leave the office building for lunch (egads!) this week. I was able to use Yelp (there's an app for that...) to find nearby restaurants and Bella Monica popped up. With two of us jonesin' for some Italian, the decision was made.
We arrived at a good time for lunch, just before noon, before it started getting crowded. I had the chicken and smoked mozzarella sandwich with lettuce, tomato and their red pepper mayo, their house Caesar and the non-alcoholic Arnold Palmer to drink. Wow on all counts. The sandwich was incredible, and that was one of the best Caesar salads I've ever had. The dressing was just tasty enough, not too heavy. The service was pretty good though I wish it had been a little faster.
I'll definitely be back. I want to do dinner here!Listed in: Italian joints
-
Review from Rachel B.
Atlanta, GA
8/7/2010
When my fiancé and I started dating, he would often take me to dinner at Bella Monica. We usually shared a few drinks and a cozy table on the patio although we have been seated inside on occasion. We were always welcomed by attentive waitstaff that clearly befriended the local, recurring patrons. It was always a very warm, charming atmosphere to enjoy a comforting Italian supper on a clear Raleigh night.
The wine list is great, and they always bring out a plate of warm focaccia with olive oil and herbs. I have had several entrees there, but my favorite being a special with goat cheese, sun dried tomatoes and pine nuts over penne.
Even though we left the Raleigh area almost one year ago, Bella Monica still comes up in conversation every now and then. I can't wait to return to the place where we shared meals and conversation during our first year together. -
Review from Rebecca H.
Fountain Valley, CA
11/10/2010
4 1/2 stars - but rounding up for the extensive gluten free menu
My family has been coming here for years, and while I was never a huge fan (after having one mediocre pizza here several years ago) - this place has definitely improved.
First off, they are one of the few restaurants in Raleigh that has a separate gluten free menu. The menu includes a variety of appetizers, salads, soups, entrees, pizzas, and desserts. Furthermore, the wait staff is extremely knowledge, and went to extra lengths to assure me that my meal was not contaminated with gluten (a common problem when eating out).
Needless to say, I have been 3 times in the past few months - and every meal was delicious. During my recent visits I had both the eggplant parmesean and pork medallions. The pork was cooked very well and came with asparagus in a lemon-caper sauce. The eggplant came with spinach and a delicious marinara sauce and was more than enough for 2 meals.
Everyone in my family loves this restaurant and the fact that I can eat here without worry makes it that much better. On a side note - I spent 2 years living in Rome and have lived in New York for the past 4 - and this is definitely the best Italian restaurant I've been to in the US.Listed in: Gluten and Dairy Free in…
-
Review from Lisa B.
Raleigh, NC
12/1/2010 1 Check-in Here
First off, make reservations if you plan on going here. You can dine without them, but you'll have a long wait or get stuck outside.
Secondly, the service was very good. The waitress and the hostess were both friendly and attentive.
Now on to the bad part...Not sure what all the hype is for this place. Had a chicken pasta dish that was dry and bland. It was chicken, tomatoes, pasta and cost nearly $17. The serving was very small, not like you'd get at an Olive Garden. The bread they bring out was tough and looked more like cake then bread. I was very disappointed in the food and the portions for the price. My husband said his meal was good, but again the portion was very small for the price.
Bottom line, I can't see paying this much for tasteless bland food. I won't be going here again. I'd rather go to the Olive Garden. -
Review from Nikki K.
3/27/2011
My husband was impressed with all the 4/5* Yelp reviews on this place so we decided to venture out of our neck of the woods and drive over 45 minutes to give them a try. We arrived at around 4:30pm on Saturday. There were currently four tables seated in their patio and two that I noticed inside. The bar had around four people sitting at it. I didn't see anyone outside so I ventured inside while my husband finished up a phone conversation. After I went inside to find a host/hostess, a man opens the door behind me and says "Umm, can I help you?"
I said "Umm... table for two?"
He said (not a lie) "No, I'm sorry."
I said, "Excuse me?"
And he replied "Yeah, we ONLY take reservations here so your going to have to come back some other time or have a drink at the bar."
I said "Oh. Can I get put on your waitlist?"
He replies "No. We don't have a waitlist. [insert patronizing voice here] this is a NICE Italian restaurant, we are obviously reservation only." [husband starts walking up]
At this point I begin walking outside completely floored. People are not staring. I exclaimed "WOW! This place DOES look incredibly fancy. I can't BELIEVE you have no waitlist, you aren't even full, and you ONLY take reservations."
We left. Five minutes later, still fuming in the car, now looking for somewhere else to eat at, my husband decides to give them a call. He asks, Aaron or Erin (the manager) if they have any reservations. He says no, you can just walk in. So my husband replies, well if we are on our way right now, and we will arrive in five minutes do you have availability of a table for two? The guy says absolutely. Here comes the heated breakdown. My husband explains to him what just happened. The guy from above story (the jerk) had curly dark hair. It turns out, they had plenty of availability and who knows why we were snubbed so poorly. OF course Aaron/Erin encouraged us to come back in and was very apologetic. But by this point, the deed had been done and we were already at another restaurant.
Let me give you a hint, I'm Italian, grew up eating incredible Italian food at least every Sunday, AND I spent almost three weeks in Italy this summer. Let me tell you something, "fancy" and "reservation only" isn't going to be Bella Monica. In fact, it's not going to be in a strip mall, and unless it's Napoli or Capri, it's not going to serve crappy looking pizza. Furthermore, if you know ANYTHING about Italian culture, they would never turn away guests and treat people with the incredible amount of disrespect that we felt tonight. Was it my hair? Was it my face? Was it my purse? It definately wasn't the jeans because everyone (includinig the staff we saw) was wearing jeans. I don't know what it was. Maybe we weren't "good looking" enough for this "extremely fancy" Italian restuarant.
But I'll tell you one thing. NON SARO MAI RITORNO. That's Italian for I'll never be back. Capisce???? And believe me when I say from Orange County, to Durham, to Raleigh... Hell, from Calabria to Civitavecchia I'll make sure everyone knows how we were treated at Bella Monica. -
Review from Andy E.
Astoria, NY
8/24/2010
I've lived in NYC the past 3 years and been to Milan, Florence, Venice, and Rome.
And this is some of the best Italian food I have ever had.
Period.Listed in: North Carolina COME ON AND…
-
Review from Magie L.
I went to Bella Monica today for lunch. Though there's a large parking lot, it seems to be full of people who don't know how to park. So many spots get wasted by people parking over lines. Something about this mall area, I don't know. Bella Monica doesn't have a sign above it, but there is a small sign that says "Pizza" and you'll see a lot of people sitting outside on the sidewalk eating.
I only get an hour break for lunch, so I usually try to pick something close by with fast service. From other reviews I read I got the impression that the place was busy, but I didn't think I would have to wait for a table at lunch time. I was wrong. There were just 2 bar seats left, and I was told I might have to wait as long as 30 minutes for a table to open up, and even that would have probably been outside on the tiny sidewalk with cars passing a few feet away. I ended up just taking the seats at the bar.
I wanted to get out in a reasonable amount of time, so I ordered my entree pretty quickly. I got the Veal Bolognese and my husband ordered the Stromboli with mushrooms, pepperoni and sausage. At $17.99 for my dish and $10.99 for his, it was a bit more than I usually spend for lunch, but I had heard that the quality was good and the portion size would be huge.
For a free appetizer they bring out 2 slices of focaccia bread in olive oil. One of the slices was more burnty than the other, and I'm not sure if they did that on purpose or not. It seemed from seeing others brought out that they all looked like that. I preferred the less burnt one.
My entree came with a salad, either garden or Caesar. When it first came out I noticed an overwhelming fishy smell like someone used way too many anchovies, but oddly that went away when I started eating it. I was surprised to see bell peppers on the salad, I love bell peppers. The croutons were made there, you could tell, because they still had a crispy outside and a tender inside. There just weren't nearly enough croutons.
The wait for the rest of the food was pretty long. I think it was 30 minutes or more from when we ordered until we got our entrees, and that's pretty long when you only have an hour for lunch. My veal bolognese was really good, but $18 good? I'm not sure. I tried some of my husband's stromboli and it was so much better than my dish! I was jealous. It was like fatty, decadent heaven wrapped in a flaky pastry crust. Next time I might get the stromboli too.
I had intended on ordering a creme brulee, but unfortunately my time had run out. I got the rest of our food boxed for tonight's dinner, and paid the bill. The service was very friendly so I tipped well, though I was disappointed that I had so little time to enjoy my food.
For next time I think I'll skip the lunch crowd, since I'd just end up late or too rushed, and try for dinner. We usually eat dinner early anyway, and I think with more time I'll have a better experience. It seemed like there were a lot of other tasty things yet to try, especially for desserts. -
Review from Michael E.
Raleigh, NC
Updated - 6/30/2010
Well we came back after a little hiatus. We didn't have reservations but found seats on the patio.
Service was once again stellar. Unfortunately that's where the enjoyment ended. The bruschetta had some very strange flavor profiles. We tried their select bruschetta and to take a portion of the blame-we selected and ordered them. They sounded great when being described, but upon first bite, they were quickly pushed to the side.
Entree's were also a bit flat on flavor. The previous time we had been here the flavors stood on their own and melded well together. My pasta was a bit undercooked and the sauce decent but I've had better. . The Pear and Gorgonzola salad as itself was pretty good. The chicken that was added on was rubbery and flavorless.
I'm giving them three stars for their previous display and chalking this up to a rough day by the back of house staff.1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
2/22/2010
I can't say enough good things about this place. 11 of us managed to get a table together via… Read more »
-
-
Review from Rebecca W.
Raleigh, NC
8/5/2011
We stopped in for a quick bite to eat at 10:03pm on a Wednesday, when their sign said they closed at 10:00. There were still a few customers lingering over their food, and we asked if they were still open, expecting that the kitchen would be closing down. But the manager and waitstaff were INCREDIBLY gracious and welcoming, gave us a table, encouraged us to take our time, and gave us both great service and delicious food. We'll definitely be back.
-
Review from Brett J.
Morrisville, NC
7/13/2011 1 Check-in Here
This place is awesome! Great setting and variety. I highly reccomend it!
-
Review from Jennifer B.
Durham, NC
9/22/2010 1 Check-in Here
YUM! I love dining here. The atmosphere here is so soothing and warm. Great for dates.
I had two things that were both on the specials menu. First the beet and goat cheese salad. I was not blown away by it as I normally in with some of their other salads esp. the arugela one. It was so lightly dressed I was a bit unsure if it had dressing on it at some points. The ingredients were quality though as usual.
I also had a brushetta with goat cheese and eggplant which was so wonderful.
The service was phenomenal even though we unfortunately came in close to closing time. Oh I felt so bad but we were so hungry and you know how hard it is to find a decent meal in Raleigh when you are not downtown after 9pm on a weeknight.
Anyway, you should check out the meatballs as well. My friend loved his, although I not being a meat eater are unable to comment.
Happy eating :) -
Review from L P.
Newport News, VA
10/12/2011
Will somebody from Raleigh adopt me so I can be next door to this restaurant?? Just kidding..lol. My 1st visit to North Carolina was ok, it would have been forgettable if not for Bella Monica. We were back in our hotel, yelping to see where to eat dinner and chose this. The location is in a strip mall, with ample parking. It was the weekend, and we were surprised to be told that they're fully booked for the night. For a strip mall restaurant???!! Anyway when we were getting ready to leave, the manager stopped us and said she found a table for us. Hooray! Of course we had to get their famous flat bread pizzas and bruschettas. I Iove Bella Monica with their amazing selection of gourmet flat breads, pasta and bruschettas. And they come out so beautiful too. Plus, the desserts are of 5-star hotel caliber. At that time I had a Creme Brulee Napoleon...the custard so creamy and the Phyllo dough so nice and crunchy. Definitely hard to go back to regular Creme Brulees!! Everything was so good, we left happy and satisfied, I don't even remember how we got home that night!
-
Review from Sean W.
Brookline, MA
4/18/2010
Holding true to Italian fashion, the close kinship between the staff and clientele is apparent. Families, friends and businesspeople sit booth to booth in a chic color scheme among art-speckled walls. The restaurant touts its entrees as "favorites from Nana's kitchen"
It's sort of a hidden gem that many don't know about aside from the locals. It's tucked away in an older shopping center next to a Harris Teeter..... Fridays and Saturdays tend to be very busy and book up in advance so call ahead to make reservations days before going. It's worth it ! Great service and food with a price that is very reasonable.
Every time I eat dinner here, I have the best meal. The eggplant rollatini is the best! Great wine selection. Will always be a great meal. -
Review from Kay A.
Raleigh, NC
5/8/2010
We went here on a very busy Saturday night yet our server was very fast in getting our food to us. Our daughter had cheese pizza which was decent...I had meat lasanga and my wife had the eggplant parmesan. My wife's dish was good but me and her agreed that the lasagna was spectacular-the best my wife had ever eaten in her opinion.
Not only was the food good but the service was excellent. Chris seated us and informed us that he normally works as a chef but tonight was handling the seating. He was extremely nice and knowledgeable about the menu...our server was great as well, making sure we had plenty of bread and sweet tea (a skill some servers lack these days). Another person, presumably a member of the kitchen staff, came by to pick up our plates, and he spoke with us and was also very friendly.
For dessert we had cannoli-it was excellent. There were several other desserts on the menu that we saw others order that looked very tasty.
Overall, i'd highly recommend this restaurant as an alternative to the numerous chains and lower quality pizza places in Raleigh. The ambience is very nice inside and outside as well, the food is high quality and served in very large portions at reasonable prices. You could also consider pizza take out-the cheeses are freshly made as are the sauce and crust-it would be very good for an easy weeknight meal. -
Review from Dave L.
Cary, NC
I last wrote about Bella Monica about a year ago but have been back several times since. It is every bit as good as it was last year but now I know more about the staff and menu so I am bumping up to 5 stars, there is nothing to suggest to make it any better.
Tonight's dinner included tuna stuffed peppers and plain ole spaghetti with olive oil and roasted garlic. The appetizer consisted of five small, sweet red peppers that had just a hint of kick stuffed with tuna salad on a bed of arugula - a wonderful combination of flavors. The spaghetti was served in a large bowl with a light coat of olive oil, salt & pepper with some roasted garlic on top. Pure Italian comfort food. I had no room for dessert.
As usual the staff was friendly, not over-bearing and informative. As you can tell, I love to come to Bella Monica...I hope you will love it too.Listed in: Have a little taste of ROTD
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
2/6/2009
Bella Monica makes some excellent home-cooked style Italian food, there are no frills, except in the… Read more »
-
-
Review from Matt B.
Apex, NC
9/3/2010 3 Check-ins Here
This is what i call "Foodie Food"
The kind of food that foodies will like. Lots of interesting ingredients. Great service. I will definitely be going back there. Warning to everyone, there will be a wait to get a table, so call ahead. This little secret, everyone in town knows. -
Review from Christine G.
Raleigh, NC
6/22/2011
I've been here twice. The food was a bit hit-or-miss. The service was good, but that also may have been because we purposefully went at an off (that is, not particularly busy) time. They did make an effort to make something not on the menu for someone in our party, but it didn't come out the way we expected it to. I'd say if you order off the menu you should be okay. It's neat they offer gluten-free options.
-
Review from John M.
Raleigh, NC
9/25/2010
Food, this time was ok (we will try again)
Wine, a very long list with no wine flight.
