Bella

An Italian restaurant in Burrillville hits the mark

by Dawn Keable

1992 Victory Highway, Glendale, 568-6996
Open Tues-Thurs, 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m., Fri, 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m.
Sat, 4-10 p.m., Sun, 12-8 p.m.
Major credit cards
Sidewalk access

To many city dwellers, Glendale might seem like the last place to head for a gourmet Italian dinner. Indeed, most Providence residents probably don't even know where Glendale is.

Well, for the record, it's one of the villages that make up Burrillville in the northwest corner of the state. But enough of the geography lesson -- I've spent too much of my life explaining to strangers where I grew up. Plus, why give away a good thing and risk crowds at Glendale's Bella restaurant?

On a recent Sunday afternoon, my fiance, Andre, and I pointed our car toward North Country. Our mission: to investigate the e-mailed claims of my childhood friend, Michael, who'd been baiting me for weeks with details of his meals at Bella. And don't worry about dropping bread crumbs to find your way back to the highway -- Bella is definitely within the realm of civilization.

Easily accessed by taking Route 146 North to Route 102, the glass facade structure sits on a hill overlooking the local thoroughfare. Inside, Bella features the bare minimum of ambience. Half of the establishment houses a banquet facility, and this layout carries over into the dining room, with its traditional furnishings and open floor plan.

As usual, Andre could have cared less about his surroundings, however. His belly was growling because he'd skipped lunch, and he immediately tore into the basket of Italian bread on the table. Thanks to our waitress's incredible forethought (she put in our order for an appetizer while we were deciding on our entrées -- did she hear Andre's stomach?), our plate of Carcinofini Ripieni ($6.95) also arrived soon after we did.

Of course, I'm embarrassed to admit how quickly we wolfed down the four stuffed artichoke hearts. Filled with a creamy crabmeat stuffing, the delicate appetizers were served with a garlic butter sauce. This alone was worth the trip!

Next up were the tossed salads that came with our meals. Of the traditional garden variety, the ingredients consisted of crunchy basics: iceberg lettuce, tomato wedges, cucumber slices, shredded carrots, and red onion. Mine had the added flavor of a tasty sherry-based dressing appropriately called Bella.

For his main course, Andre decided to pass on the liver-and-onions special for the veal offering ($21.95). (Yes, he still has a knack for choosing the most expensive item on the menu.) And his lean steak, although a bit dry, came with so many accompaniments, that he could customize his meal himself.

For starters, the veal was topped with sliced mushrooms, a jumbo shrimp, and strands of glazed onions, whose sweetness deliciously enhanced the flavor of the meat. Slices of caramelized carrots continued the theme, seasoned with a hint of brown sugar. Finally, the entire presentation was capped off with a pair of polenta pieces cooked to perfect crispness on the outside and softness on the inside.

For my entrée, I went with the pasta primavera ($10) -- a platter full of penne and assorted fresh seasonal vegetables. Sauteed with roasted garlic, broccoli crowns, onions, sliced mushrooms, red peppers and artichoke hearts had been tossed with the pasta in a buttery wine lemon sauce for a simple but very satisfying dish. And my leftovers made for a hearty lunch that tasted even better the next day.

For dessert, Andre satisfied his sweet tooth with a luscious slice of carrot cake ($4). Topped with an incredible whipped-cream frosting, the petite wedge was loaded with pieces of walnuts, carrots and a unique spicy nutmeg flavor.

My confection, chocolate cake ($4), was nothing short of heaven. It was a smorgasbord of alternating chocolate flavors: a layer of dark over milk chocolate on top, chocolate mousse at the center and sandwiched in between, and moist rich chocolate cake. All in all, it was an out-of-this world experience. But fortunately, all of this goodness is very much in your world.