cucina bella

nice local place. ate there the other day with my wife. nice atmoshpere andservicewas good. the menu is focused around pizza. the pizza selection is very good and interesting. you can tell the ingedients are fresh, which makes a difference. prices for the pizza are higher than the local pizza shop, but fare based on quality. salads and selection are good, but way, way, way over priced. the owner may want to consider a lower price point on the salads. i would recommend.

wow. see also: yum. my first trip here and only sampled two menu items so i can't say everything is a home run but whoa - the pizza (the daily special) and the antipasto were both delicious. knowledgeable, friendlyserviceand a nice-casual atmosphere to boot - and byob always makes me happy. i wouldn't consider this a place for romance (kind of loud and a little crowded) but if this place were near my office i would want to get lunch there pretty much every day. i can't wait to go back and try more offerings! the only suggestion i might make is that the two-top tables are really small - if i had been there with my husband, i am pretty sure he'd have wanted to try two pies, and there's no way they'd have fit on the table.

theservicewas okay initially, then our waitress disappeared for a while before we ordered. she told us to put our menus on top of each other when we were ready to order. which we did. we were the only people in the room at the time and we didn't see our waitress (or anyone else) for a while after that.

the food was decent. i got one of their many pizzas and dad got their meatball calzone. my pizza wasn't great, but it was good. was my pizza worth the $16 dad paid for it? not even remotely. the pizza at blaze is better, faster, and just a tad over half the price for lots more toppings. i'm not against paying more for better food and service, but if you're not getting better food or service, i see no reason to bother.

i hadn't checked out the menu before dining there and was surprised that it's a pizza place. since pizza wasn't invented by the italians, it was surprising given the name even though one of the pictures scrolling on their website is of dough. i'd never seen warm bread with dipping sauce on a menu before. that was different.

normally with byob, you are given glasses, they open the wine bottle, etc. and charge for that. the waitress did not touch either of our drinks other than to remove the bottle & can after we drank them and did not offer a frosted (or any other) glass for us to drink. however, there was a $6 charge on the bill.

the fine print of their website tells you that they're byob, though the first picture on their website when i went to it was all wine bottles, which implies that one could order wine. it's not like you're going to bring in a dozen wines to choose from if you're bringing your own. i included the picture of the wine bottles on their website (misleading) and a clip of exactly what it says about their byob policy - no fee is mentioned. we didn't see it on the menu either, but after the shocking bill, the waitress found it on the menu (after a while of looking and she works there) - it's listed in very fine print at the bottom of the menu after some info about how they add a huge tip for parties over a certain size and if you don't sign your tab (which is crazy, since a signature is only needed for those who contest the bill). the fee for byob is $5 per bottle of wine and $3 per beer can or other bottle (it only mentions beer, but clearly they charged for my drink even though it wasn't a beer).

fantastic! this was our first visit and will not be out last. there were 8 of us and we were able to sample different offerings & theservicewas great. i had the special joe t(just a coincidence) pizza and i can't stop thinking about it. a perfect combination of gorgonzola, mozz, figs, prosciutto, basil, and a drizzle of a balsamic reduction...delicious! can't wait to stop back.

fresh ingredients.  good salads and pizza.  byob, which is great to have a few byob restaurants.  service is predictable and friendly.  if the weather is right, great to sit outside.  unfortunately, we were forced inside due to the weather.  still a nice place but it is noisy inside.  we split a salad that had goat cheese, and some fresh peaches with a very good wine vinaigrette.  just wish it had a few more slices of peaches, was expecting a few more slices.    our pizza had fresh mozzarella, homemade meatballs that were so good, a tasty sausage, parmigiana, san marzano tomato sauce and some olive oil.  it was mouth watering tasty.

the best. what great p, fresh food and favors. the antipasto plate is a great way to start the night. the artichokes, buff mozzarella, italian meats and olives were so flavorful that you want to take an hour to enjoy this with your byob wine before ordering dinner. we had the ortelana pizza which again had great flavor with the crust perfectly done and the toppings of mushrooms, artichokes and basil very enjoyable. i read some comments about overdone crust but in my 7 or 8 visits never had anyang to complain about. theserviceisn't always up to par but you want to go there not in a hurry but to take time to enjoy the food and company and not worry about slower than average but friendly service. i give cucina bella a two thumbs up.

could've been better. first visit last night after hearing rave reviews. the place was jammed tight, and the noise level extremely loud. there are definitely more tables crammed into the space than their web site shows in the photos. theservicewas excellent with a menu limited to pizza, sandwiches, salads, and appetizers. everything served looked great on other tables.

the stuffed figs were delicious. the cheese filing overwhelmed the taste of the figs, but the honey drizzled over was a nice touch. the caprese salad was not quite as good as home made, but definitely better than most places. the imported mozzarella seemed a bit old. they smashed it down between the halved cherry tomatoes and it was a little too firm to be fresh. our pizzas came separately, and the ingredients tasted all fresh. my only complaint was that they left almost 2 1/2" of bare crust all the way around the 12" pie. i would have preferred the fixings to go all the way up to the edge, or at least within 1" of it. having to eat that much dry crust was a waste, with nothing to dip it into in lieu of more fixins. $16+ for a pie should buy me a little more goodies.

it's byob and we brought our own wine. dinner for two pizzas, one salad, and one appetizer was over $70.

with too much empty crust and the really loud noise level, i'm only giving it 3 stars.

the food is fantastic and theservicewas pretty good too. i will be back for sure.

when i arrived at cucina bella, i felt as if i was in an italian cafe straight from tuscany. the ambiance is intimate, with beautiful italian music playing in the background. depending on where you’re seated, you can peer into the kitchen and see where the pizzas are made in their state of the art wood-fired oven. theserviceat cucina bella was excellent, and the staff was very attentive- it’s also byob, so if you’re interested in bringing a bottle of your favorite cabernet or pinot, expect a small corkage fee. the food is fairly priced, and depending on what you’re in the mood for that evening, they have a great selection of menu items. i had the pleasure to dine with carmen pirain and his family this evening. we started out with a delicious della casa salad that featured a homemade balsamic vinaigrette dressing. for the main course, we had a wood fired oven margarita pizza with pepperoni, (you’re probably saying it’s just a

service needs some work. we recently took relatives here for a special occasion. it was our first time and we had high hopes based on the reviews. we did sit near the kitchen which was a bit loud, on subsequent visits we asked to sit closer to the front. the food is quite good and a nice change for the south hills. although a bit on the pricey side, well worth it with reasonable bottle fees of $5 for wine bottle and $3 per beer drinker. the one thing that needs work is the experience of the staff. while friendly, they can be absent minded and slow. also timing from the kitchen is an issue. on both trips the main came out within minutes of starters, unacceptable. this place has become quite the spot for the merc and b'mer crowd, let's hope they can improveservicein spite of the great press. a must place to eat with great food, just sit near the front. you won't be walking in to a table on sat nite at 6 anymore.

outstanding !!!! we had an early dinner/late lunch. we started with a salad,rustica...mixed greens,prosciutto,artichoke,lemon and balsamic dressing. the salad was large enough to share,which the server suggested (sorry i forgot her name) as well as a pizza. the pizza was the santa lucia,fresh homemade pistachio pesto,sausage,fresh mozzarella and basil. theservicewas top notch! the owner,carmen was extremely personable and sent over some of his homemade meatballs that i will be having the next time i go there. it was such a positive experience...byob...small corking fee.
five stars!!!!!

great food,serviceis ok but i am willing to cut them a break because they are relatively new. i will get to theservicelater. the product carmen serves is high quality and very tasty! the arugula salad is quite possibly the best salad i have ever eaten! the zucchini pizza is to die for and their crust is super light and airy. the antipasti is fabulous too! also try the peppers app, both the hot one and the cherry one. we went to dinner w 3 other couples and brought 6 bottles of wine. we were seated at the large high top table, which is a great spot. the hostess left and no one came to our table for 15 min. they were busy but that can't happen. luckily we are all pretty easy going (some of are former waitresses/bartenders) but at least send someone over and let us know it might be a minute or two. and like a previous review - they did not serve our wine to us. it may be their policy but it would be a nice touch if they could do it. anyhow - we live very close so we will certainly be back to eat in and for take out. lastly, the owner is a local guy from lebo from a great family so it's nice to see him succeeding and we love to support him! mangia!

this posting for the "beautiful kitchen" should have happened awhile ago, for it is just that. i have been to the restaurant, cucina bella, time and time again and from my experiences i have nothing but wonderful things to say about the place. when you first walk in you can just feel what the atmosphere is supposed to be about - family, friends, small talk, enjoyable company, and of course the fantastic food! no matter how many times i have been there (which is now several), i do not feel as though i am sick of any of the food they have to offer, this does not happen often. theserviceis also pleasant, ever helpful, always ready with a smile, possibly a small word of conversation, or a kind "is there anything else i can get for you?". some of the best treasures in dining are found where you would least expect them, cucina bella is not just a "beautiful kitchen", but a beautiful experience to treasure. i highly reccommend cucina bella as a place for anyone looking to enjoy a tremendous dining experience.

great food, bad service. first i would like to state that this review is solely based on badserviceand principality, not the fantastic food. my wife and i stood inside the front dining room entrance for about 10 minutes holding a bottle of wine before we were seated and given a menu by a very nice hostess. after another 10 minutes a waitress approached our table and instead of asking if we would like anything to drink or possibly a wine glass asked "are you ready to order." i might be being a bit tough on her but the place was not busy by any stretch. after ordering we then had to grab her and ask for wine glasses. the waitress then brought glasses to our table and set them down before walking away. again i might be asking too much but if i am paying a $5 byob fee ( i know its only $5, to me its the principle), she could have possibly poured the wine instead of placing the glasses down and walking away. yes it was a screw top, no cork here. the food came out and it was outstanding. i just think what a better experience it could have been with a little effort by the waitress to accompany the great food.

cucina bella rules!. how did i not know that cucina bella existed until now? my husband and i were invited to a birthday last week ( april 18/12 ) held at the restaurant and were delighted with the food, the service, the atmosphere and most importantly, the chef----a genius in my opinion!

since we were a sizable party, we were able to taste a large selection on the menu-----antipasti, pizzas, salads. the range in the pizza selection were really unexpected. excellent dough topped with such a simpatico and imaginative variety of ingredients. our favorites were the arugula, capricciosa and one called
tartufata. i would never have imagined eating a pizza topped with fresh mozzarella, gorgonzola, truffle oil and walnuts of all things---just out of this world delicious!!!!!

theservicewas friendly and attentive, the ambiance relaxed and a general feeling of fun and good humor
ruled. we have already been back to taste more of carmen's excellent cooking and this time tried the
desserts-------uuuummmmm!

so do yourself a gastronomic favor and head for cucina bella soon!!!!