Bella’s on Fort Couch menu in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

The best way I can think of describing this place is as a good, traditional, Italian-American restaurant. They offer all the classic dishes in a homey atmosphere and all are executed well. We went there with a group of friends and were treated very well by the very attentive staff. Carol was a delight ? personable, funny, extremely knowledgeable, and efficient ? everything you want from a good server. The support staff of bus boys was a bit overeager (they whisked glasses and plates away ? sometimes before we were quite finished!) but were quick to replace them or leave them when we commented on it. And the manager also stopped by to check if everything was to our liking.

As to the food: Wedding soup, house salad, Chicken Parmesan ? those are all Italian classics. The chicken Maremana and the Seafood platter were slightly different than the norm, but not so far out of line. The special of the Rockfish was well executed as well, although the garlicky risotto stole the show there! All the dishes were done well. I am not disappointed, but none of us were wowed by how exceptional they were either. Every dish was done very well, but did not go beyond that.

This is a place that I will definitely want to go when I want to get this kind of food and know that it will be done well every time and will never change. If I want more adventurous food, or variations, I will need to find other places. These are not negative statements. The longevity and crowds in this restaurant are a testament to how successful their formula is.