Bella Pizzeria

You know me and New York style pizza right? So I was looking for something quick and new and kid friendly the other day for lunch and took hubby and my son to Bella Pizzeria.  This is another one of the traditional New York style places with the pizza (and calzones and breadsticks) sitting on the counter waiting to be warmed up to order.

So I went with my usual (you gotta compare these kind of places right?) which is mushrooms and red onions (well, that’s what I asked for) and hubby had sausage and pepperoni and their white pizza margherita. My son had cheese (go figure, he is a man of simple tastes). I also got a couple of breadsticks, one with cheese inside and one plain.

Well, my slice was served with a lot of chopped yellow onions over the top, which if I had known was going to be the case, I would have just gone with plain mushroom (which they did have already made).  The flavor of the crust was good I thought, and it was crunchy and yet bendy at the same time.  I wasn’t a fan of all those onions though and scraped most of them off.  They had a nice sauce that wasn’t over done, and wasn’t overly sweet.  Overall, I would say this was a good basic New York slice. Not the best I have had in town and not the worst.  I would like to try an entire pie and see how it heats up at home in my oven on my pizza stone.

The breadsticks weren’t moist and chewy which is what I like in a breadstick. I would give them a pass the next time.  Although, I did like the look of the calzones—they weren’t super doughy like some are which I find to be way too filling, particularly at lunch.

Sadly, hubby’s pizza slices were put in the oven last and had the shortest amount of time getting re-heated and didn’t crisp up enough.  The bite of the margherita I had (no red sauce at all) was a little too soggy.  My son’s cheese was cooked the longest and his was probably the best slice on the table.  He loved it and promptly proclaimed it his new favorite lunch place.  I didn’t try the meat slice, but hubby said he actually preferred the simplicity of my son’s cheese or my mushroom because the sausage and mushroom themselves weren’t anything special.  We decided when we try a whole pie, it will likely be a veggie version.  And it will be heated a little longer at our house. 

The prices are decent—hubby and I both got lunch specials.  Mine was a slice of pizza, 2 breadsticks and a drink for just under $6 and hubby had a special with 2 slices, and a drink for just over $6.  A regular slice is around $3-4 depending on the toppings.  For a quick slice at lunch time on the Northside, I liked it.  The pie was decent, the staff exceptionally friendly and it was quick.  Next time I go in, I may just ask them to heat it a little longer.

Bella Pizzeria

3855 East 96^th Street (and 2 other Northside locations)

Indy  46240

317/569-9211

www.thebellapizza.com