I stopped into Mon Bella this week, about a week into their first opening. After my meal, you could tell two things: 1) This will be a great neighbourhood joint, and 2) You could tell it was the first week of opening.
I only had a quick bite at the bar, so here’s my quick low-down:
I sat at the bar with a glass of pinot grigio and ordered a grilled calamari salad and aglio e olio pasta. I was expecting the salad first, but the pasta came out first. The pasta was well-cooked and tasty, although a bit under seasoned for my taste. A little more parmesan and/or herbs would have made it great. The calamari salad came out with a small bunch of greens and a grilled partially sliced calamari “steak.”
I liked the salad best. The squid was very flavourful and went well with the greens. I passed on the dessert this time, but the ladies next to me seemed to devour the lemon tart, so it’s on my list to try next. Service was personal and very nice.
A couple other miscellaneous items:
- Good bread basket – a mix of focaccia and french bread (perhaps to match the Italian/French theme)
- They have a risotto of the day on their specials board every day! Love that.
Looking forward to my next trip – I expect it to keep getting better. It’s a nice alternative to have in the ‘hood. A good change-up from my The Smoking Dog, and more intimate and WAY quieter compared to Trattoria on 4th.
