Coming soon in Montco: Bellisimo
Just heard that Chef Giacomo from Trinacria is opening his own place! It will be just north on Dekalb Pike in the same shopping center as Radice, Jolie Salon, etc. He is taking over the space on the end formerly occupied by a take out/italian deli restaurant - can't remember the name. The menu will be trattoria style, very home home made and authentic. (The chef hails directly from Italy himself.) I'm really looking forward to it...
They are redecorating at the moment in preparation for opening in some weeks. May be available for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Will let you know more when the opening date is firm.
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Very exciting news!! Have only been to Trinacria once for a company dinner. Little pricey. Will be curious to see more info - menus, prices, etc. about Bellisimo and whether it will be a BYOB or not. Have not tried Radice, but Mirna's is quite good.
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re: Jdbc
Bacchus101
May 21, 2011 09:57 AM
Yes, one would think it is a bit crowded for another Italian place in that area. The regional cooking in Italy, because of climate variations is quite different one from the other. Given the possibilities I suppose one could hope to see something different. It will be interesting to see what emerges.
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re: Jdbc
I was thinking the exact same thing! I so miss the great food from my old neighborhood in Maryland where I could get good Thai, Chinese, Vietnamese, tacos, Greek, Indian, and more all in a short drive of my suburban home. So far here the only place I really like is Saffron in Ambler.
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re: sharonlouk
Have you tried going to Zakes for dinner?
They are open for dinner Wednesday through Saturday and offer a 3 course prix fix (app, entree, dessert) with a complimentary glass of wine on Wed and Thurs for only $25.
Their food is outstanding, better than any place in bluebell / ambler IMO.
They also have incredible salads / sandwiches for lunch.
Website is: www.zakescafe.com
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re: sandlansd
Thanks for the info, sandlansd. I have only been to Zakes once. Met a friend there for coffee and pastry. I will check their website for hours and information. I have been past there on several occasions where the parking lot was empty, so am never sure when they are open for dinner. Will definitely check them out. $25 for a complete dinner, including wine is a great price.
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re: sandlansd
Me again!!! Just made a reservation for this Saturday at 6 p.m. Hopefully we can get a table on the enclosed porch. Will post a chow review on Sunday morning.
Thanks again for the recommendation. Their website says 5:30 p.m. for dinner hours, but only that. I think they should add an end time, but they said it depends on how many diners they have on a particular evening. They said it's usually 9 p.m. on weekends and can be earlier during the week.-
re: curly girl
As I recall, the wine was decent, not low grade stuff, not high end either, but certainly a nice touch.
They are also a BYO, so you can feel free to bring your own wine if you like a certain type, or want more than one glass.
9PM is usually when they stop serving, but they tend to go till 10 on the weekends and sometimes close early on weekdays if they are completely empty and have no reservations.
And they are very accommodating. If you call back and ask to be seated on the porch, I'm sure they would be more than willing to save you a place. Or you could request it when you get there, but sometimes that area fills up fast on weekends.
As far as menu items:
For appetizers, I can recommend any of the salads, and the lobster mac and cheese. The panko crusted goat cheese salad is particularly delicious. I'm sure their asian appetizers are delicious as well, I just haven't personally tried any of them.
For entrees, I would highly recommend the rack of lamb if you like lamb. It was to die for last time we had it.
The homemade gnocchi are also out of this world.
The duck preparations are usually amazing as-well, but they change the sauce / cooking method frequently, so I can't speak to the current preparation as I haven't tried it yet.
Their fish dishes are also usually sublime, however I have not sampled any of the current dishes, so I can't give my personal stamp of approval to those.
And if you haven't had their desserts yet, you're in for a treat, as they started out as a bakery specializing in cakes / wedding cakes. Their desserts are all good, but my personal favorite is their triple chocolate mousse cake, it's sinfully good.
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re: sandlansd
OMG - our dinner at Zake's tonight was so good. I had the Chicken with Irish Cheese Mashed Potatoes; hubby had the Maple Horseradish Pork Loin with Louisiana Rice and Plantains and my brother-in-law and sister-in-law both had the Moroccan Salmon. Each couple shared an appetizer and two of us had dessert - Carrot Cake and their famous Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake......both devine. With tax and tip, it came to $73 per couple. Really inexpensive for such a great meal. We ate in the new atrium. Definitely will be paying a return visit soon.
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re: sharonlouk
The cheap ethnic places which are the hallmark of the greater DC area do exist in Philadelphia, just closer to the city, and a few out in the suburbs. Saffron is a great example of one. Vietnam Cafe out in Telford (45 minute drive? from Ambler) is another, though you also have Pho Thai Nam, Saigon on Main, Pho and More for other Vietnamese restaurants. A better comparison is probably all the Vietnamese restaurants on Adams Avenue in Philadelphia, as well as both the vietnamese and ethiopian restaurants in West Philly (not quite Adams Morgan.. but .. ) and the wonderful mixture of Vietnamese and Mexican on Washington Avenue in Philadelphia.
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