Bellagio serves good food, but bad service nearly ruins meal

By CRYSTAL PETROCELLI
Get Out

Wait: We walked into the recently opened Bellagio just past 8 p.m. on a Wednesday. Without so much as a “How many?” a host tossed two menus on one of the restaurant’s handful of tables. Where is the love?

Service: Our waitress, while more welcoming than the guy who seated us, often left us wanting even though we were one of just two tables dining at the pizzeria. She gave us wine menus but never picked them up after we’d ordered, announced that we needed more water but never brought any and held our check high in her hand as she asked if we would like anything else (I’m all about efficiency; just don’t wave the check in my face). After all that, I was still hovering around a “C” for service until a couple of staffers dragged a big trash can from the kitchen through the front counter, pushing it behind and then to the side of our table and, after what seemed like forever, out the front door. Nasty.

What we liked: We loved the bruschetta — five thick slices of Italian bread slathered with olive oil and garlic, baked till the edges were slightly burnt, then topped with a chilled mix of chopped tomato, Parmesan cheese, more olive oil and a sprinkle of parsley, salt, garlic and onion. Perfecto! The large Greek salad, enough for four, was a pretty bowl of fresh romaine lettuce neatly layered with cucumber slices, tomato wedges, red onions, Kalamata olives and squares of feta cheese with a side of light balsamic vinaigrette dressing. We preferred the barbecue chicken pizza over the rich, saucy garlic pizza Palermo. Both had airy, thin crusts, but unlike the white sauce that weighed down the Palermo pie, the subtle barbecue sauce let the creamy cheese, scallions, cilantro and chicken flavors flourish.

Scene: Bellagio shares a parking lot with a Wal-Mart Supercenter, but it manages to shake the strip-mall blahs with rich orange walls and dark mismatched tile flooring. Kill the big-screen TV and you’ve got a romantic little neighborhood pizzeria.

Bathroom break: Tidy single units with random swap-meet-quality penguin and seal posters.

Tab for two: $44 with tip and tax for large Greek salad ($7), a dozen hot wings ($6), bruschetta ($4), small barbecue chicken pizza ($9), small garlic pizza Palermo ($9).

If work weren’t buying: The kitchen is running smoothly, but the front of the house needs a tune-up before I make another visit.

Eggplant parmigiana beckons critic back to strip-mall eatery

By CHRIS PAGE
Get Out

Wait: We arrived at 5:30 on a Sunday afternoon and were seated immediately at a corner table in the cozy dining room.

Service: Service was prompt but chilly at first — curt young hostess dressed, like the rest of the waitstaff, in black — though our server did pep up a bit as the meal progressed.

What we liked: Hungry for something small but rich, we started with a simple but subtly delicious baba ganoush, followed by entrees of fettuccine Alfredo and a 10-inch garlic pizza romano that was cheesy, creamy and garlicky, with a perfectly dry, slightly crunchy crust. The Alfredo was peppery and fresh and wonderfully not as overpoweringly creamy as it typically is. We took much of our entrees home, and both made for great leftovers. We would have liked to try other items on the menu, like the cheese manicotti and the “aphrodisiac” chicken with spices and what’s described in the menu as sweet and spicy apple sauce. Next time.

Scene: Bellagio — a small strip-mall eatery opened by yet another Scottsdale Culinary Institute grad, as the menu boasts — screams good, no-frills starter restaurant. Dark stone tiles creeping up the walls and jazzy artwork blend with the smooth jazz piped overhead to make Bellagio both cozy and oddly sedate. The only mood-brightener: Obligatory big-screen TVs playing football during our visit.

Bathroom break: Stoney-warm as the dining room, the men’s loo could have used a once-over cleaning before our visit.

Tab for two: $32 with tax and tip for baba ganoush ($4.50), fettuccine Alfredo ($7) and 10-inch garlic pizza Romano ($9).

If work weren’t buying: Gotta love any place you can get both taboule and eggplant parmigiana. We’ll be back for sure.

Bellagio Pizzeria
4545 E. McKellips Road, Mesa

Major cross streets: McKellips and Greenfield roads
Hours: 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mon.-Thu., 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fri.-Sat., noon to 8 p.m. Sun.
Reservations accepted: Yes, for parties of six or more
Health report: Three major violations on Oct. 25
Kid friendly: Yes
Web site: www.bellagiopizzeria.com