Bites Nearby: Bella Frutteto

Overview:  

Bella Frutteto means "beautiful orchard." Its name comes from the lovely view of Soergel's Orchard from the restaurant's patio. Bella Frutteto serves authentic, contemporary Italian cuisine. Reservations are suggested on weekends as it is a popular dining spot. It was very busy the Saturday night we were there.

Although the restaurant is not affiliated with Soergel's, many of its specialties feature apples. 

It is open daily for lunch and dinner.

Décor:

The dining areas are decorated in warm, muted tones. The lighting is dim, almost too dim, but the atmosphere overall is congenial and intimate. The bar is newly remodeled and very large. It sports four large-screen TVs and the website encourages patrons to join them for Steelers games. There is one small private room with a table that seats eight and a patio area. 

Drinks:

The wine list is interesting and extensive, with a few local wines. Prices per glass and bottle are reasonable. We saw people bringing in their own wines, and our waitress informed us that the corkage fee is $10. The restaurant has a full bar and specialty drinks.

Appetizers:

Appetizers include unusual selections such as Apple Bruschetta, Apple Ravioli, Beer Battered Asparagus and Fried Macaroni and Cheese. There are more familiar choices such as Stuffed Zucchini, Spinach Dip and Stuffed Banana Peppers. Appetizers cost $6 to $11. We had the Apple Ravioli and the Beans and Greens with Sausage (for an extra $1). Both were very good. The beans and greens were some of the best we've had and were quickly gone. The apple ravioli was different -- and I don't mean that in a bad way. I think my daughter summed it up best when she said, "This is delicious, but I'm glad I ordered it as an appetizer." As an entrée, it would be almost too much apples and cinnamon. 

Entrees: 

Apple Ravioli is served as an entrée. Other entrees include Filet, Balsamic Chicken, Pistachio Walnut Chicken and Italian Style Meatloaf, among many others. From the entrée menu, we ordered the Seafood-Stuffed Striped Bass ($20) and the Veal Oscar ($19). Both were very good. From the pasta menu, which is also extensive, my husband ordered the Seafood Bake ($19), which was generous on the seafood and featured a creamy red sauce.

Bella Frutteto also has a full salad and soup menu and a traditional "Pick a Pasta" menu with various pastas, sauces and proteins that can be combined for a custom-made pasta entrée.

There were so many choices, and all sounded delicious, that we had a lot of trouble deciding what to order -- not a problem we usually have.

Service:

The service was excellent, and our waitress was efficient and knowledgeable. Several staff members stopped to ask how the food was -- and they really seemed to care about the answer.

Cost:  $$ to $$$

Address and Phone: 2602 Brandt School Road, Wexford, 724-940-7777

Website: http://www.bellafrutteto.com/

Hours: 11:30 a.m. - 10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11:30 a.m. - 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 11:30 a.m. - 10 p.m. Sunday.