Appetizer
WINTER SALAD $9
This season’s blend of greens we are naming “café greens” in anticipation of our new restaurant in development, that this will be the new house salad for. A fresh mix of carrot, radicchio, kale, romaine and red leaf lettuces with hard-boiled hens egg, roasted pancetta (Italian bacon), homemade cornbread croutons and sweet mustard dressing.
- Gluten-Free: no (omit croutons for gf)
- Vegetarian: no (omit pancetta for vg) | Vegan: no | Dairy: cheese in croutons
LENTIL SOUP $8
A comforting soup that eats like a meal!
Chicken broth is the base with puy lentils, italian sausage, tomatoes and spinach. Light and hearty at the same time with a garnish of our own homemade cornbread croutons.
- Gluten Free: no (omit pancetta for vg)
- Vegetarian: no | Vegan: no | Dairy: cheese in croutons
BRAISED FENNEL $10
We have taken a few humble, wintery vegetables that are typically used in supporting roles and made them the star. Whole fennel bulbs, slowly braised in chicken broth and herbs, served chilled with spicy tangerine vinaigrette, apple cider vinegar cured celery branch, crispy prosciutto and candied orange.
- Gluten Free: yes
- Vegetarian: no | Vegan: no | Dairy: no
SMOKED SALMON $14
A new take on a classic. House-cured and smoked salmon fillet from our wood-burning oven over a salad of marble potatoes marinated in our own homemade preserved apricot dijon
vinaigrette. To balance the spice from the salmon cure, we pair with house-pickled shallots, crispy fried capers and a dollop of sour cream with chives. Shallot is a variety of onion in the same family as leeks and garlic.
- Gluten-Free: yes | Vegetarian: yes | Vegan: no
- Dairy: omit sour cream for dairy restrictions
Entree
VEAL BRACIOLE (Bra-zshŌl) $22
Meaning a stuffed, rolled steak, this is Bella’s version of the classic southern Italian home-style Sunday meal. We start with veal steak cut into a scallopini (flat/thin) and layer it with peppered bacon, golden raisins, garlic breadcrumbs and toasted pine nuts, rolled and covered with a Sicilian-inspired sauce of crushed tomatoes, chianti wine, kalamata olives, living basil, onions and herbs, slowly braised for hours until “fork-tender”. Served over soft polenta (Italian “grits”) prepared fresh from locally grown and milled corn from Louismill in Louisville. >> This is the ultimate comfort food!
- Gluten Free: yes | Vegetarian: no | Vegan: no | Dairy: yes
ESPRESSO ALMOND PORK CHOP $20
24-hour brined 12-ounce shoulder chop, butchered in house from pork raised at Stone Cross Farms. Wood fire grilled with an espresso almond rub. Served with a chilled salad of chianti wine and spice poached pears, arugula, gorgonzola dolce, spiced walnuts, pomegranate seeds and honey balsamico.
- Gluten Free: yes Vegetarian: no | Vegan: no
- Dairy: yes-gorgonzola
PAPPARDELLE BOLOGNESE $17
(Pa-Par-dell Bo-low-nays)
Pappardelle is a wide and thick fettuccine shaped pasta noodle seen often in northern Italy and traditionally served with Bolognese sauce. We make our own semolina egg yolk pasta dough fresh in house and cut our own noodles by hand. Our bolognese is a creamy Northern Italian ragout of ground veal, pork and bacon, simmered for hours with milk, white wine, carrots, onion, celery and herbs, finished with a splash of cream, shaved parmesan and our own homemade wood charred ciabatta bread.
- Gluten Free: ragout is, sub gluten-free pasta
- Vegetarian: no | Vegan: oh dear lord no | Dairy: yes
WINTER GNOCCHI $22
Gnocchi (Nyo-key) are tender potato dumplings that are served light and fluffy. We sear them in rich and nutty brown butter with cremini and shiitake mushrooms, boiled chestnuts, roasted pancetta and cave-aged gorgonzola dolce DOP. Dolce (dole-chay) meaning “sweet” in Italian, is a soft, blue, buttery cheese made with uncooked whole cow’s milk from the Lombardy region near Milan. We add the cheese at the end and gently toss just to warm through.
- Gluten Free: sub gluten free pasta
- Vegetarian: omit pancetta for vegetarian | Vegan: no | Dairy: yes
Dessert
CHOCOLATE BROWNIE SUNDAE $9
The ultimate gooey, fudgy brownie sundae!
Starts with our signature malted milk dark fudge brownie served warm with a scoop of malted milk gelato from Sorella’s, our own homemade honey oat granola, salted caramel sauce and a tart amarena cherry from Italy.
- Gluten Free: no
- Vegetarian: no | Vegan: no | Dairy: yes
PERFECT LEMON TART $9
Rarely do we use the word perfect to describe a dish. This is the exception!
We define what makes a lemon pie great and worked to push that greatness to the edge.
A filling of silky smooth egg lemon custard is the star, toped with rich and creamy Italian meringue all held together with a buttery almond sable crust. Sable is a crumbly sugar cookie preparation.
- Gluten Free: no
- Vegetarian: eggs/butter | Vegan: no | Dairy: yes
COFFEE & DOUGHNUTS $9
The classic paring reinvented. Our signature cooked-to-order ricotta doughnuts tossed in cinnamon sugar paired with fresh made espresso gelato from Sorella’s and a dollop of fresh whipped cream.
- Gluten Free: no
- Vegetarian: eggs/milk | Vegan: no | Dairy: yes