Bella Via

Great Pizza!

Meh. We didn't get the pizza (which is supposedly their specialty) but we tried a bunch of the entrees and they were....ok. Nothing great. The service was excellent and the ambiance was good, but the entrees sorta fell short. We'll come back to try the pizza out, but I wouldn't come back for pasta.

I don't know the area so I did my research and chose Bella Via and it did not disappoint. I had the mushroom risotto and for desert I had the chocolate souffle. I ate at the bar with a couple of the locals and had great conversation. I can't wait to return to NYC so I can try the pizza.

Walking into Bella Via, it looks like the stereotypical gourmet pizzeria/modern Italian restaurant. You know, the kind with white tablecloths, where the pizza is brought out all fancy, and usually ends up tasting no better--if not worse--than a cheap slice joint down the block. Well while this place has that look, there are two notable differences. First off, they have one of the only coal ovens in Queens (other is in Sac's). Secondly, the pizza is quite good. It's also worth noting that the decor in this place is actually kinda nice, and the service was pretty good as well, although these were hardly the focus. The margherita pies we ordered came out pretty quick and they looked pretty. They were sparsely topped with ingredients, which I thought was interesting as Totonno's tops its pies very similiarly. The crust was a good example of why coal oven pizza often comes out better than gas oven pizza; it had a nice black blistering to it, and even though I have had better out of a coal oven in terms of bready flavor, it was a good decision to sparsely top it The tomatoes were fresh san marzanos (not too bitter) and the mozzarella was well-done homemade. Nothing blew me out of the water, but the final product was legitimately greater than the sum of its parts and well balanced. I would definitely come here again given the opportunity. Very odd that the owners here are from Salerno and yet they kept the coal oven instead of installing a typical wood burning oven. Bravo!

I went their last week with my co-workers. We ordered the Arugula, and the Margherita. The pizzas are thin crust. I tasted fresh ingredients. and I will definitely come back.