Bella Italia Food and Win Store 2447 N. Wickham Rd. Unit 136 Melbourne, FL 32935
4 Stars
If, as the saying goes, “the apple doesn't fall far from the tree,” I was in luck as the name spewed forth today from my name generator was Bella Italia Food and Wine Store in Melbourne, FL. The owners also own a fine-dining Italian restaurant beachside, Antonio & Vittoria Italian Tavern. The last time I was there, it garnered a 5-star rating.
This is not a traditional restaurant per se. As the full name would suggest, Bella Italia is a food and wine store that offers catering and take-home Italian goods. Vittoria, the wife half of this team of food purveyors, ran the counter. She is congenial, knowledgeable and assures me that everything is made on-site (well, except the cheese unless they have livestock and churn stashed somewhere). They have a wide variety of cured meats, cured cheese, Italian snacks and several of your standard pasta selections.
I asked the charming Vittoria for an order of her Lasagna, some Ricotta cookies and a piece of Limoncello cake. Sitting back and relaxing a bit, I snapped some pictures of the foodstuffs in the cases (look at those deserts!) Vittoria had my order ready in no time. The smell wafting up and permeating the Big Boy Mobile on the way home is the cause for not taking any pictures of my order. It smelled so good. It was all I could do not to pull over and scarf some down.
The lasagna, while your typical Italian fare, was delicious. It is obvious that the meat sauce was made on-site. The delicate flavors of the herbs blended so well with the fresh tomato and meat sauce that my taste buds broke into a Monferrina. Alas, they were fooled, however, as we were not in the land of the sprawling dingles that is Italy but in the valley-less state of Florida. The Ricotta cookie was so light and fresh on the palate it was all I could do not to go back and order a dozen...or three. After Tiramisu, I would guess that Limoncello is the most common Italian dessert. OK, who am I kidding? We all know it's Gelado! Be that as it may, I love a good, fresh Limoncello. I'm not a big fan of coffee flavor outside of a cup of coffee. I've had exquisite Tiramisu, but I do prefer Limoncello. Vittoria or their pastry chef certainly knew what they were doing. The Limoncello had the perfect consistency and flavor, with a delightfully light yet citrusy frosting that would be the ideal end to a full Italian meal. And lest I forget, they also have a well-stocked section of Italian wines that would pair wonderfully with the deserts and pasta, for that matter!
The Big Boy says, “If you're looking to cater an event, stock up on Olive Oil, wine, Italian kitchen supplies, or just craving some good home-cooked Italian food for the family, this is the Italian store you're looking for.”
Stumbled upon this place and had the closest gelato to those of Rome that ive had in this country. Deli meats and cheeses are excellent, can't wait to try their baked goods bc it smells AMAZING
What a special place! A good friend posted that her Italian exchange student confirmed it was the real deal. We headed over and ordered a bundle of delicious treats; everything was fresh and perfect. Owner/ server Tony said he and his wife hand-make everything. Huge assortment, including gelato!
This bakery and deli is my family’s go-to for a refreshing treat (gelato), cookies and pastries for entertaining or gift-giving, or when a delicious Italian deli sandwich is needed! We can always find our favorite wine here and, if we are lucky enough, some of Antonio’s amazing salad dressing that is used at their restaurant: Antonio & Vittoria Italian Tavern.
Our 92 yr grandpa is transported back in time to his childhood and his uncle’s Italian bakery in New York when we bring him pastries from here. All generations in our family love what Bella Italia has to offer.
Entering the store it was super cute. But the lady behind the counter this Saturday afternoon (the blond lady) was not very nice, and was impatient with me when I had no idea what I wanted to order. That made it even worse because I was the only person in the store. I told her I had seen this place on fb and wanted to try it, but didn’t know exactly what I wanted. I still ordered within maybe 2-3 minutes. I ordered 1 pound of mix cookies, and a chocolate raspberry cake. The cake was delicious but the cookies tasted extremely stale. For $15 a pound I was expecting fresh cookies. Overall I liked the cake but they could use a friendly person out front. Reading the reviews of other people it seems that isn’t the first time. Not sure if I will be back or not.
