Bistro Bella Vita, Restaurant Week - 8/16/13

It's a Friday night, the four of us are looking to meet for dinner, and it's Restaurant Week when you can enjoy three courses for $25.00 at many area restaurants. There were so many restaurants with great offerings but being last minute people we had to find one that was open to take reservations that day. And Bistro Bella Vita it was.

Our options of adding to the 3-course meal menu special were a bread-jam-butter choice or a cheese course but we went to the main menu for antipasta - Italian meats, artisan cheese, garnishes, & crostinis. We've had it here before and it never disappoints.

Then we selected from the 1st course options from the 3-course menu: three of us chose the House Made Sausage (cotechino sausage, brussel sprouts, apple mostarda, pecorino),

and one chose the Albacore Cruda (cerignola olive tapenade, brown butter crouton, lemon mignonette).

Both dishes were beautifully presented and there was nothing to complaint about. But we were soon on to our second course options. One order of Amatriciana (house made guanciale, farm tomato sauce, gnudi, parsley, pecorino) was placed upon our server's recommendation but it ended up not being a favorite of ours. Guanciale (pig cheek) was too fatty. The few lean pieces were overwhelmed by the tomato sauce, which was delicious in its own right. The gnudi (a lighter, cheesy type gnocchi) was exquisite, however.

The next choice fared better - Cioppino (shrimp, lobster boudin, scallop, salmon, mussels, romanesco, fennel, heirloom tomato, in lobster-chili broth). Ordering seafood in the midwest is always a risk but tonight's offering was fresh and tasty, and the romanesco was a nice touch (Roman broccoli, a variant of cauliflower).

The last two diners both selected the S & S lamb "Paella" - lamb chop, roasted lamb, lamb sausage, and braised lamb, accompanied by peas, peppers, saffron basmati, and smoked tomato vinaigrette. That was a lot of lamb, but there were no mutton complaints, and the rice and vinaigrette made for a very nicely balanced dish. 

Third course was dessert and three of us chose the panna cotta (summer berries/granola) and one selected the chocolate tart (peanut butter pastry cream/sea salt caramel/white chocolate).

This is one of our favorite restaurants and tonight confirmed that. Our server was attentive and knowledgeable, and the food was creative and interesting. Their sister restaurants, The Green Well and The Grove, are also part of The Essence Restaurant Group who emphasize natural and local, sustainable business practices, and it shows. 

July 10, 2012 Visit 

 

Bistro Bella Vita, 44 Grandville Ave SW - 7/1/12

We love the Bistro and have lunched here many times. But tonight was the first time we took advantage of their '3 course meal for $25.00' offering. Available Sunday-Tuesday, it is so worth it. There are three choices for each of the three courses (antipasti, primi, secondi).

A Waldorf salad and summer salad were fine selections, with fresh ingredients. The Waldorf was unique and included honey-roasted chicken, dried fruit, goat cheese, and blueberry vinaigrette. The summer salad was beautiful to behold and to consume: apricots, hazelnuts, beets, arugula, strawberries, and a peppercorn vinaigrette.

Next course first brought us Tagliolini Caccaitore, a lovely combination of pasta and roasted mushrooms, brussel sprouts, kale, bacon lardons, and a tomato-demi glaze. 

Second was Albacore Tuna with cucumber gazpacho, quinoa fritter, and crispy kale. Just as good, and creative, as the previous item.

Third and final course selection began with Porchetta, served with carmelized onion bread pudding, cauliflower, and blueberry marmalade. It wasn't a favorite. The pork was a bit bland and the blueberry combination didn't work for us.

But the Ricotta Ravioli was exquisite. The ravioli was perfectly prepared and nicely presented with asparagus, corn, and cilantro, and a great lime zest flavor.

All in all, this is a great opportunity to have a 3-course meal for a reasonable price. This menu changes weekly, unlike their main menu. They have a wonderful outdoor patio and the service has always been great. The wait staff is knowledgeable and attentive, without being overbearing. The restaurant is owned by the Essence Restaurant Group, which also owns The Green Well and Grove. They obviously know what they're doing.

 

April 2010 Visit
www.bistrobellavita

Bistro Bella Vita, 44 Grandville Ave SW - 4/13/10

This is a large restaurant/bar that sits alongside the Van Andel Arena. We’ve lunched here several times, in the dining room, on the outdoor patio, and in the bar. Park at the meters on Grandville, and walk to the entrance on Weston. Enter and you are in the middle of the restaurant. The dining area is on your left, which is a combination of tables, and half, curvy booths. The bar is on your right and contains tables and full booths curving around a long, J-shaped bar. We chose a booth in the bar simply because there were fewer people there and we could have a window view. The entire place has a very open, airy feel about it. Very few walls, and windows on three sides give it a spacious feel, but other than the bar booths, it  doesn’t provide an intimate or warm atmosphere.

Out of the seven offered appetizers, we’ve previously had three of them (all good) so selected the antipasta. It was exquisite not only in its taste combinations but also in its presentation. The marinated vegetables combined deliciously with the meats and cheeses. Here the sum of the parts was truly better than the individuals. We could have used more crostinis to help finish the food but to be fair, we didn’t ask for them either. We still had full dishes to come.

Our main dishes were specials of the day and will not be found on the menu. The first was a meatball sandwich with fries, and coming off Rockwell’s a few weeks previously, made for an easy taste-test comparison. (Sorry, Rockwell’s - this one has your’s beat.) The meatballs were flavorful, and were served with grilled mushrooms, onions, and fresh basil leaves on French bread. Fries had partial skins and were nicely seasoned. Much more creative than Rockwell’s, this sandwich was, however, even messier to eat. The other special ordered was rigatoni with scallops, sausage, broccolini, grilled tomatoes, and chick peas, in a light lemon creme sauce. Again, a very creative and enjoyable dish.  

We had the same server as last time and she was great. Moving between the bar and the dining area, she was very efficient as well as personable. One other note on this fine restaurant, expect a higher tab (we parted with $54.00 including a generous tip). But the food is innovative and of high quality. We learned from the menu that both this establishment and The Green Well are owned by the same organization, and for fans of both of these places, you will see the pattern: fresh ingredients, local produce, creative dishes, and lovely presentations - Chef Ramsay would approve.

P.S. For you martini lovers, the Bistro claims to have the largest martini bar in Michigan.

www.bistrobellavita.com
www.thegreenwell.com