★★
Overall Rating: Good ($ 1/2)
New York Style
Pizza ordered: 1/2 Al Fresco (similar to Margherita)/1/2 Spicy Hawaiian
Crust: In a top-notch New York Style crust, I look for relative thinness, a slight crispiness to the edge, and bottom, that transitions into chewiness in the inner and upper crust, as well as the presence of charring on the bottom and edges, notably more difficult to achieve in a gas, or otherwise cooler oven.
Bella's produces a good New York Style crust with adequate thinness and the requisite chewiness; however, the edges are a bit thick and bready, and the crust lacks significant charring and associated crispiness. Overall, the crust is an adequate platform, with a neutral flavor, as one would expect in NYC style pies.
Sauce: Bella's sauce is a tomato blend, nicely spiced and not overly salty; however, this particular pie could have used a bit more sauce, on the Hawaiian portion, to balance the flavors.
Cheese: The cheese appeared to be a blend of cheeses that is not uncommon on NYC style pies and their cousins. At times, blends of cheese can result in added salt; not the case with this pie; however, the cheese was a bit overly present and generally upset the balance of the pie.
Other Topping(s): On the Al Fresco portion of the pie, the fresh basil was tender and flavorful as were the fresh tomatoes, although, I found the garlic to be overly present.
The Spicy Hawaiian portion of the pie, certainly a more complex flavor, was a nice combination of sweet pineapple and savory ham and pepperoni, with the interesting kick of the pickled jalapenos.
Atmosphere: Bella's has the relaxed, friendly feel of a neighborhood pizzeria and pub, with an interesting mix of locals and tourists visiting and enjoying a full Italian menu and a bar with a number of local and regional micro-brews
Service: We were greeted at the door by a friendly staff, and, since they were very busy, we had a bit of a wait, but not to worry, the bar was just as friendly and the local micro-brew delicious. Our server told us we would have an hour wait for pizza, and although it did not take as long as predicted, she kept us comfortable with excellent salads and calamari.
Utensils: Sturdy utensils and substantial paper napkins.
Overall: Bella's makes a solidly good New York Style pizza that is certainly welcome after a long day on the local ski slopes or hiking trails. The pie is substantial and well-presented; however, I did find it to be a bit unbalanced in flavor with the cheese and garlic dominating.
Payment: Cash /Credit cards
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