Cafe Bella is Bella

I recently had a chance to eat at Café Bella with a friend. We were both looking for something different and did not know exactly what we wanted to have. What we did know was we did not want another bad buffet or tired sandwich shop. We chose Bella because we had both eaten there in the past and we heard it was under new management. We wanted to see if it had changed any. It had. I am so happy we did.

They are located in the transition area between Clintonville and the campus area. There is nothing remarkable about the building on the outside. Parking is in the rear. As soon as you come in the back from the parking lot you have two choices to make. You can go straight back into what looks like and actually is the kitchen. The other choice is to go left and sit in a much more traditional restaurant dining room. We went straight and I would highly recommend it if you want a slightly more personal dining experience. There was no menu. The chef asked what kinds of things we liked and based on that and what fresh ingredients he had we negotiated a meal. Actually he suggested a Frittata. I am glad we took his recommendation.

This is a very personal and intimate place to eat. If the chef is going to invite you into the kitchen while he prepares your meal there is almost no chance they are going to short you. You are going to see if they use good ingredients, is it prepared in a skillful manner, does the chef have a sense of the characteristics of the food he prepares. On this I can say yes to all of these questions. They rely heavily on fresh ingredients, even to the point of having a garden for fresh produce on their roof.

We both had the recommended cheese and vegetable frittata. The meal when we dined at Bella was great. We got to see the eggs broken and the ingredients being chopped and prepared. We got to smell it cooking and listen to it sizzle. We watched the chef use rich green olive oil to cook our Frittata. It was every bit as good as promised. The service is good, personal but informal.

Food cooked by individuals, following an individuals sensibilities and devoted to a real person's desire to create something unique and worthwhile, will always trump corporate, mass produced and assembled fare. Café Bella is one of the places where this belief shows itself to be true, brilliantly and clearly.

They offer Italian and American cuisine with periodic specials such as meatloaf or pasta. Open for lunch or dinner Monday through Saturday. They are located at:

Cafe Bella
2593 N High St
Columbus, OH, 43202