Bella Italia strives to create authentic Italian cuisine

Bella Italia owner Mark Dirnberger says that as one of the few noncorporate Italian restaurants in Cape Girardeau, it is setting the standard for original Italian dishes as well as service with a personality.

"Our staff has more of a unique way of delivering the messages to the table. We don't have a cookie-cutter way of delivering lines to the table," said Dirnberger of his restaurant at 20 N. Spanish St. According to Dirnberger, people hear too much reciting. He believes that customers would rather not have a paragraph recited to them and that the staff would rather be more original in their service delivery style.

"We have a lot of staff that comes here that are tired of the corporate world," Dirnberger said. He also said that with the noncorporate atmosphere, the kitchen crew is able to be create original recipes without having to report to a corporate office.

"Every day we have specials that our chefs and cooks create. We always challenge them to make something new. If something they make is really good, we sometimes add it to the menu," Dirnberger said.

Besides the original Italian-inspired recipes and a staff that is allowed to use their own personality to add a little extra spice to the Bella Italia equation, Dirnberger boasts about the restaurant's ability to offer a large selection of Italian wines.

"We probably have one of the biggest Italian wine selections in the area," he said. Dirnberger said offering a larger Italian wine selection adds to the authentic feel of the restaurant.

Although the original concept of Bella Italia's authentic Italian cuisine was not his, Dirnberger said that after acquiring the restaurant he and his staff have tried to expand upon the restaurant's original Italian theme. "People really like the romantic candlelight dinners with fine Italian wine and food," Dirnberger said.

Although it is a great place to have a romantic dinner, Bella Italia offers much more, Dirnberger said.

"It's not a fine-dining atmosphere. It's a family place, but we have a big mix of business dinners and family dinners," Dirnberger said.

Bella Italia offers its Italian cuisine and atmosphere to catering services, available for on- and off-location gatherings. Dirnberger said the restaurant can serve up to 70 guests in its banquet rooms.

An outdoor patio dining area is available and is popular in nice weather, Dirnberger said. Carry-out is available for customers who prefer to eat at home.

Bella Italia's hours of operation are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday.