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Business & Tech

Restaurant Review: Bella Italia

Bella Italia is full of Italian paraphernalia, as if years of trips to the old country's markets and souvenir shops had found their way to Ardmore.

Restaurant:
Address: 12 E Lancaster Ave. Ardmore, PA 19003
Rating: ★★★ out of 5 stars
Style: Eat-In / Take-Out / Delivery
Food: Italian / Pizza / Hoagies
Atmosphere: Casual Pizza Joint
Parking: Metered Parking Lot
Service: Counter Service
Price: Under $10
Unique Feature: Bella Italia loves its soccer, so if ever you need a place to watch a match, chances are you can feel at home here.

 

This past Labor Day, while the majority of the area’s restaurants and cafés had closed down to celebrate their government approved day of rest, others chose to stay open, catering to those of us who had already had our summer’s fill of barbecue.

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I craved something different, something cheesy and melty. Something that came nowhere near a grill but may possibly be deep-fried. It was this kind of day that lured me to Bella Italia for lunch: a day when burgers and dogs just wouldn’t do.

We ordered at the counter. I went with a slice of veggie pizza, an order of mozzarella sticks and an Italian hoagie. My friend went with a slice of white pizza and an order of wings.

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While the scorching temperatures of the pizza oven and deep fryer did their work, we took a seat at one of the classic pizza joint booths that lined the wall and took in the scenery. Bella Italia is full of Italian paraphernalia: as if the spoils of years of trips to the old country’s markets and souvenir shops had found their way to Ardmore. And obviously these owners liked their soccer. There were photos, posters, and a flat screen tuned to the day’s highlights.

The man behind the counter yelled something out that sounded remotely like the order I had placed. His beckon had me on my feet and paying for my lunch in seconds. I added a Coke and a Cherry Coke to the order (two points for Coke products, over Pepsi). Grand total, $28.

Everything was piping hot, fresh out of the fryer. I dug into my order of mozzarella sticks first. They were your basic flash-frozen lot, fried and brought back to their cheesy destiny. They were just what I wanted. And the marinara sauce was decent too.

After polishing off a couple of those, I moved onto my pizza. Its crispy crust was thin, yet strong enough to hold the weight of its veggie toppings and cheese, a very good sign. My slice was topped with tomato, broccoli, spinach and cheese. I sprinkled on a bit of parmesan, red pepper flakes and oregano and went to town. It really was everything I’d hoped for.

The white slice wasn’t nearly as tasty. A little garlic and salt would have gone a long way, but it was what it was: a white slice.

Moving on to my Italian hoagie. To my eye, its looks were deceiving. Domestic ham in an Italian hoagie is a deal breaker for me, but I buckled down and took a bite nonetheless. Truth be told, the flavors were great. The provolone cheese, capicola, red onion, and a fresh mix of oil and vinegar went a long way in bringing this hoagie back from its Americanized brink. The soft Amorosoroll was a plus and its soggy, second day iteration was just as impressive as any I’ve had.

The wings, which had taken an extra few minutes, were great as well. They were hot, fresh and coated in a delicious hot sauce. They weren’t breaded, which is nice, and the chunky blue cheese, though served in foam, was the perfect consistency for dipping.

Everything at Bella Italia was good. I would definitely go back, and if I was a soccer fan, I’d now know where to go to find others who shared my enthusiasm.

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