Bella Luna Ristorante Reviewed November / December 2010
Bella Luna’s Linguini Tuttomare
A recent trip to the Eternal City of Rome was unquestionably the ultimate way for me to bring about an authentic twist to this Bella Luna review. Truth be told... I don’t know what I was anticipating more... the carbonara or the Coliseum! While the Coliseum was quite spectacular, many of my fondest memories of Rome are of the incredibly warm and gracious people; the captivating and tantalising cuisine; the seemingly endless flow of sparkling Prosecco and hearty, red wine and the out and out profusion of affable ristorantes and trattorias that flank virtually every cobblestone street.
Appetiser Vitello Tonnato
Here on Provo, far from his birthplace in Southern Italy, Chef Cosimo Tripodi invites you to experience fabulous fine Italian dining at Bella Luna. Dine al fresco on the terrace, amidst greenery, soft lighting and a trickling fountain; or indoors where unique and beautiful frescoed walls and ceilings conjure up romantic memories of Italy. There’s even a larger–than–life portrait of Bacchus, the Roman god of wine, appearing vigilant and pleased with his perspective. Also for your visual palate, you can’t help but admire the absolutely stunning and dramatic piece of Cosimo’s own glass art – an expression of his many artistic and creative talents that extend far beyond the boundaries of the kitchen. The quintessential host, you’ll most often find Chef Cosimo front–of–house, eager and happy to greet his guests. Passionate and charismatic, he animatedly talks with his hands... particularly spirited when conversation turns to his Italian homeland. Cosimo knows his guests and with an uncanny memory he’ll call to mind not only what you ordered and enjoyed on a previous dining occasion, but he’ll even go so far as to recall where you were seated. It’s an atmosphere of warm hospitality that is genuine and palpable, where, over the years many Bella Luna guests have become his good friends.
Bella Luna Ristorante at the Glass House in Grace Bay
With an effortless flair for total consistency, Chef Cosimo brings a Caribbean twist to the natural simplicity and traditions of his southern Italian roots. With an emphasis on healthier foods with robust flavours he uses an abundance of tomatoes, garlic, sharp cheeses, olives and herbs maintaining that these earthy, Mediterranean key ingredients ’open up your stomach’ and are easy to digest. With great zeal he divulges, “Nothing is premade – we can do anything.” Bella Luna’s menu permits indulgences from antipasti to insalata; from pasta to pesce; from vitello to pollo; manzo to risotti and sweet endings with dolci. Bella Luna also features a ‘Fixed Price Menu’ of 3 courses at a very appealing price; and ’Featuring Today’, a wide–ranging selection of specials together with wine recommendations.
Representative of that natural philosophy of simplicity, we began with a basket of mouth–wateringly warm and crusty foccacia bread served with Cosimo’s own homemade dipping sauce. Made from a blend of imported plum tomatoes, aromatic Italian herbs, garlic and EVOO these uncomplicated ingredients came together to create one of the most addictive dipping sauces prompting several choruses of, “I want to eat more!“
A Favoutite Lobster Fra Diavalo
Delighted to be dining during lobster season, we collectively indulged in a plate of Lobster Fra Diavola as a precursor to our starters. Cosimo smiled and admitted, “It’s a very popular dish. That and the Picatta.“ Succulent and tender chunks of lobster were smothered in a deliciously spicy and rich plum tomato sauce and served on a bed of delicate al dente angel hair spaghetti that engendered accolades from around the table. Chef Cosimo generously shares the recipe on page 84 of the new 2011 Providenciales Dining Guide.
If mussels are on the menu – I’m committed and uncompromising. From the ‘Featuring Today’ menu, I must admit this was somewhat of a déjà vu experience for me as I had recently dined at Bella Luna and experienced these plump and incredibly luscious mussels. Bathed in a to–die–for white wine and cream sauce with ‘heaps’ of fragrant slivers of garlic and just a subtle hint of lemon... these were indisputably the most outstanding mussels I have ever experienced, again. My husband couldn’t resist participating in the same game of déjà vu, anticipating this previously enjoyed and particularly unique antipasto dish, Vitello Tonnato. Between bites he raved of the “refreshing” flavours of the tuna sauce that inundated the exceptionally thin, fork–tender slices of veal. Come to think of it, this was virtually déjà vu all around as my favourite dining companion was tempted and enticed yet again by Bella Luna’s delectable snails – Chiocciole all Aglio. Enthusiastically she proclaimed to the Chef, “Your slugs honey, never disappoint!” Delirious with culinary kudos she continued to sing the praises of these tender little morsels and for the scrumptious, lip–smacking garlic butter and white wine sauce that flooded her palate. Across the table, a liberal portion of Insalata Caprese had my fellow diner boasting of the unfussiness and simple flavours of the ripe, juicy tomatoes, creamy, fresh Buffalo mozzarella and fragrant basil.
Cosimo’s Family Recipe Lasagna Tipica
Call me a hopeless romantic, but I truly believe you can actually taste the gusto, passion and love that goes into each and every Bella Luna dish and one of the most tangible expressions of these three essential elements is Lasagna Tipica. A ‘Featured Today’ dish, this was no ordinary lasagna – an old family recipe prompted this diner to admit that it was not only the Best Lasagna on Provo – but quite possibly, the best lasagna this side of Italy! With the popular Piccata a Limone already spoken for, I appealed to Chef Cosimo to recommend a veal dish for me. I wholeheartedly approved of his suggestion of Vitello ai Carcioli – a tender and moist veal scaloppini sautéed with fabulous artichoke hearts and laced in a decadent and creamy sauce of ultra–rich mascarpone cheese and Prosecco! The artichoke hearts took me back to Rome, fabulous memories of strolling through the Campo dei Fiori marketplace, charmed and fascinated by the farmers and their skilled hands at trimming these incredible, edible vegetables. The Piccata a Limone undeniably lived up to its illustrious reputation – veal scaloppini smothered in a tangy and flavoursome lemon butter sauce. At the onset of our evening, as Chef Cosimo began to tease and tempt us with his oratory of evening specials, one in particular caught my husband’s unwavering attention. The oratory certainly lived up to its hype – this outstanding pork tenderloin boasted an utterly superb sauce with profound and intense flavours compliments of the black, sun–dried cherries, honey from the Dominican Republic, rum and a balsamic glaze. Most entrée selections are typically accompanied with vegetables and spaghetti marinara or spaghetti erbe. We were unanimous in our choice of spaghetti erbe – an ideal accomplice that did not overpower or overshadow our main dishes.
Bella Luna Chef and Owner Cosimo Tripodi
An earthy and robust 2004 Pian Delle Vigne Brunello di Montalcino proffered tobacco and leathery aromas with a long and impressive finish. It was a marvelous wine that flattered all of our appetiser courses; and likewise, the simplicity of the focaccia bread and the concentrated flavours of the tomato dipping sauce. A tough act to follow, a 2005 Marchese Antinori Chianti Classico Riserva was a very pleasant and satisfying Chianti – ripe, ruby–red hues and delicate hints of oak and spices made it a wonderful complement to our entrées.
Dolci... the word alone softly and delicately rolls off your tongue alluding to the imminent sweetness to come... Banana Al Caramello, Fondante al Cioccolato and of course, the most infamous ‘dolci’ of them all – Tiramisu. The more disciplined – or the more perilous – depending on your perspective can decadently indulge in specialty coffees and dessert drinks including martinis.
An Italian dining experience at Bella Luna is so much more than just food – it’s an inimitable and enchanting atmosphere of genuine warmth and welcoming hospitality – where you arrive as a guest, and leave as a friend. Mangia!
Care was taken to ensure correctness of information at press time. Information is subject to change without notice. Ad Vantage Ltd. accepts no responsibility for such alterations or for typographical errors or omissions. Entire contents of this page may not be reproduced in any manner without written permission of Ad Vantage Ltd. © November / December 2010 Where When How - Turks & Caicos Islands.
Skip over the Website Main Navigation.
