Gordon Y.
Yelp
Cuisine: 7
Service: 10
Decor: 7
Value: 6
Overall: 7
This new tiny specialty shop on Austin Street is only offering gnocchi, so come if you love that denser texture for your pasta with a good chew.
I liked that the menu is small and simple. Pick from their three premium predetermined combinations, or build your own gnocchi dish. A few protein add-ons, salad, and dessert options. We had a group of four people, hence we tried nearly everything.
Let's first talk about the star of the show, the pasta. I felt that the gnocchi was good, not great. If I were to choose, I think the ricotta spinach gnocchi was lighter and fluffier than the potato gnocchi, hence my preference. We didn't bother trying the gluten-free.
We did two build your own pastas. I think the better sauce was the pesto, which had a good flavor, though I would definitely add the grated Parmigiano Reggiano for a zing. On the other hand, the pomodoro sauce was lacking in that robust taste we were looking for. We also ordered the Porcini Truffle Cream Gnocchi, which was my second favorite out of the three.
As for proteins to add onto the pastas, the shrimps (5) were poached perfectly. The chicken & beef meatballs were pretty good too. The most popular chicken cutlet was actually over fried, but the flavor was quite decent.
This review would not be complete without mentioning our wonderful server Marcella, who worked the cash register and three tables by herself with a smile. She was extremely friendly and helpful. I almost left the restaurant without our Tiramisu that was sitting in the fridge. Marcella was alert enough to immediately reminded me as we walked out of the restaurant and even added a free cannoli. If the owner of Gnocchi Bella is reading this, she is your biggest asset besides quality food.
For the price, I don't see myself going back regularly. However, I may go back for their premium Pesto Alfredo because I think the creaminess of the cheese might work really well with the pesto. Good luck to this establishment on finding success.