Steve K.
Yelp
If you want to skip the review, "DO NOT GO!"
Drinks: The Good and the Bad
- Limoncello Martini ($15). Filled to the rim and tasty. Very good! I am giving 1/2 Star (because it's just a cocktail)
- Negroni-beer on draft ($14). Draft beer that was watered down. So much so, my colleague took it back to the Bar, and asked for a bottle of Modelo ($5). HOWEVER, they still charged us for the watered down draft beer (see attached Check with Negroni circled in Orange)
Appetizer:
- Fried Calamari ($17.99). The highlight of the evening! Excellent Calamari (even though, they added a few fried Shrimp to bulk up the dish). I am giving 1/2 Star (because they bulked up the plate with fried shrimp)!
Entrees: 5 people dining and their comments
- Chicken Parmigiana ($22.99) with green beans. A decent cut of breaded chicken, with mozzarella on top, BUT swimming in a watery broth. I took 2 bites and put it aside. HORRIBLE! I should have just bought Chef Boy R Dee and poured it over some Chicken McNuggets! HARD PASS! (See photo)
- Salmon w Spinach ($26.99). My colleague said she thought it was like eating fish jerky. Sad.
- Chicken Marsala ($24.99). My other two colleagues let us taste the sauce. Imagine molasses syrup on chicken. They added 15-20 grinds of pepper and red pepper flakes to take down the sweetness, but they gave up.
- Chicken Carbonara ($23.99). Another dish swimming in broth with bland flavor. My colleague took 4 bites and quit.
Service: We ordered a bottle of Chianti ($55), but with 5 people, the bottle was soon empty. We waited 20 minutes for the Server, but eventually, my colleague just went to the Bar (to return his watery draft beer), and grabbed drinks for the rest of us I CURSE that my colleagues convinced me to Tip 15%! I would have given 10%.
Ambiance: None. It's a cafe in a small strip mall.
POSSIBLE ILLEGAL CHARGE; On my receipt, circled in RED, you see they charge $9.94 for Credit Card payments! If you follow my reviews, I travel globally, and this is the MOST EGREGIOUS SERVICE CHARGE. I will be contacting the Minnesota Business Affairs and Taxation District about these added surcharges.
Overall: If you're in St Paul and want Italian food, go to the grocery store, buy a bottle of Rao's Marinara ($8.99), some fresh pasta ($4.99), and a bottle of DaVinci Chianti ($15.99). MUCH BETTER MEAL AND YOU CAN FEED YOU AND YOUR COLLEAGUES!
Tip for Bella Ciao ownership: You better call Gordon Ramsay for a Kitchen Nightmares intervention. Otherwise, you should be out of business within 6 months.