Whenever you drive down La Grange Road through the heart of downtown La Grange, you (probably unwittingly) pass by one of our best kept secrets: Bella Bacino’s. Well, it’s actually not a secret. In fact, everyone with any working taste buds should eat here at least once (but preferably millions of times).
When you first walk in, you might find the interior decor overwhelmingly average and if you have broader shoulders than either of the Olsen twins, you’ll probably feel cramped at one of their tables, so I suggest you dine in a booth. Thankfully, this is a restaurant review and not an architectural critique, because once you’re comfortably seated, you can enjoy the outstanding service and mouth-watering food.
Our server was Gabriel, and as cheesy as this sounds, it seemed like he came down from the heavens to ensure our party of three had the perfect experience at Bacino’s. He was able to answer all of our questions with an air of confidence that made us feel very comfortable with our choices.
We started with the Mozzarella Pizzaoila, which was nothing like the mozzarella sticks you’d get from the local pizza joint on the corner or the sports bar that also calls itself a restaurant. Think of normal mozzarella sticks as “wine in a box” and Mozzarella Pizzaoila as wine from Bordeaux, France. There was nothing greasy about the “Mozza P,” and every aspect of the dish–the mozzarella, the sauce, the olives, and the garlic rubbed toast that goes with it–was flavorful and satisfying. Not only was this appetizer visually appealing, but it was also very difficult to share.
Luckily, before we started a fight over the last mozzarella stick, Gabriel brought out the wood-fired thin crust pizzas we had ordered earlier. One was a Four Cheese pizza with pepperoni, made extra thin and well-done–just the way I like it. My friend Super Star (yes, that’s his legal name) ordered an extra thin pizza with extra pizza sauce and a combination of cheese, mushroom, pepperoni, and olives. And last but, not least, my lovely sister, Edie, got a pizza with spinach and feta cheese.
As a food critic, I felt it was my duty to devour sample a slice of pizza from each of my companions. My pizza receives a score of 8/10 . Super Star’s concoction also receives an 8/10. My sister’s spinach and feta pizza, however, receives a perfect score of 10/10. There was nothing wrong with the first two pizza. In fact, they were light, bursting with flavor, and perfectly prepared. However, the spinach and feta wood-fired pizza at Bacino’s is probably the closest you can come to a perfect pizza. The spinach and feta cheese go together as well as Sonny and Cher or John and Paul. All three pizzas receive a recommendation from this food critic, but if there will only be one pizza at your table, then you have to go with the spinach and feta cheese.
We didn’t leave room for dessert, but Gabriel swore to us that the crème brûlée is superb. We’ll just have to take his word on it until next time.
The check came out to about $60 for three people, but we ordered–without a doubt–more food than we had to. Three people can easily fill their bellies on just an appetizer and two pizzas at Bacino’s. If you’re in the mood for light, but filling, Italian fare, then Bella Bacino’s is the place to go. On top of the satisfying meal, you’re sure to be impressed with the friendly and helpful staff.
Restaurant Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Welcome to the blog!
August 26, 2009
I appreciate you visiting the site. I hope that my blog is informative enough to help you choose from the all the marvelous fare we have in the Village of La Grange. According to the Village’s 2003 Economic Development Plan, we have approximately 40 restaurants. La Grange takes pride in all there is to do downtown, and it is my personal goal to get you more acquainted with the area, particularly the food. Bon Appétit!
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