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| - Stumbled across this place my last night in Pittsburgh and was very impressed. Great build out, very quaint and rustic with exposed brick and dark wood furniture. Definitely a great "date" restaurant (unfortunately, I was with my co-worker so their was no cuddling up over a bottle of Pinot).
Our server, Jodi was super friendly and outgoing. She was actually getting ready to leave Pittsburgh for Boulder, Colorado; likely a big loss for the restaurant because she made us feel at home and she did a great job of walking us through the menu.
The owner and executive chef, Jason Capps was actually working on some new menu items and he was kind enough to let us test an appetizer and a side dish. He was really personable and you could tell he was passionate about his restaurant and food. He checked in with us throughout the meal and we shared stories about some of the restaurants we tried in Pittsburgh as well as our favorite places to eat in Los Angeles. He has just visited LA so we had plenty to talk about. Apparently Bella Sera is a fairly new restuarant and a compliment to his already successful catering company. All I can say is that Jason is great guy, chef and I am confident that his restaurant will be as successful as his catering business.
He made us some amazing veal / sausage meatballs -- definitely amazing. The taste and texture was spot on the gravy was top notch as well. He also made us some brussel sprouts and panchetta ham; blanched and cooked in oil; let me say WOW. Generally speaking, I loathe brussel sprouts but these were delicious. They were not at all bitter and melted in your mouth. I'll never complain about panchetta being incorporated into any meal; fantastic!
I was nursing a pretty rough hangover and felt the need for something heavy and comforting so I ordered the chicken carbonara and was blown away. It was everything I hope for; succulent and creamy but not overwhelmingly rich. The portion was perfect too -- just enough to feel satisfied but not enough for an immediate "carb nap."
My colleague ordered the special; half a baked chicken on the bone with a mustard rub, garlic roasted potatoes and mixed vegetables. He ranted and raved about how much it loved it. I tried a piece of his chicken and the rub was to die for.
In the end, I felt vindicated after having a string of "so-so" meals in Pittsburgh. I would highly, highly recommend that you give this place a try. For me, a big part of dining out is the experience, the ambiance, the service, etc. etc. Obviously, the food is important but it is only one piece of the puzzle for me. This place is the total package -- you will not be disappointed.
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