Bella Italia in Cape Girardeau brings all the flavors together

I enjoy flavors now that I did not as a child. I think most of us can say that. According to www.howstuffworks.com, we have a higher concentration of taste buds when we're children, predisposing us to enjoy sweeter foods. As we grow into teenagers, we are able to discern more and differing flavors, preferring less sweetness. Finally, according to www.mayoclinic.org, our sense of taste will begin to decline around age 60. Frankly, I was horrified to read this, and I hope I am spared the worst of this ravage of time.

All of this is to say that when I was a kid, I hated mushrooms. They were "gross, fungus" and I thought that the one boy I knew who liked them was a freak. I didn't like the flavor, I didn't like the texture, I didn't like their very reason for existence. But, oh, how things change!

I visited Bella Italia in Cape Girardeau recently, and it looks like Christmas arrived there with quiet, beautiful dignity. With the lighting low, the soft white Christmas lights glowed, washing over the tables and chairs. I couldn't help but feel right at home, and it was the most Christmas spirit I have felt so far this year.

Bella Italia always starts you off with a fresh baked round loaf of bread, served with a plate of olive oil, black pepper, and cheese for dipping and scooping, so pure and unapologetic with its classic flavors.

I always attempt to try something new for an article, so I ordered the Eggplant Siciliano for an appetizer. Large rounds of hand breaded fried eggplant appeared, sprinkled with Parmesan and served with a rich marinara. Not greasy or slimy as poorly cooked eggplant can become, each slice was crunchy outside, the delicate breading holding in that soft rich center. So simple and well done, this was another flavor that child me would have spurned.

Eggplant Siciliano, eggplant done right at Bella Italia.Submitted by Rebecca LaClair

For a main course, I chose Chicken Saltimbocca: "braised chicken breast with prosciutto ham topped with Fontina cheese and served with mushroom Marsala risotto. " Phew! Let's break that down a bit. My dish arrived in a large shallow bowl, about 14 inches across. Two pieces of chicken had been placed in the center, on top of a veritable sea of risotto, an incredible amount of food. Traditional risotto is made from Arborio rice, a fat-bodied, starchy rice grain. Risotto must be carefully tended and stirred the entire time it cooks while small amounts of liquid are added throughout. This leads to a silky smooth dish, the starches in the rice creating its own thickened sauce. It is labor intensive, which is why I don't cook it much at home. I don't want to stir a pot for 20 minutes or more while ladling in broth, but Bella Italia will! And they will throw in slices of mushroom to boot.

Prosciutto is made of thin cuts of ham, rubbed with salt and dried so that most of the moisture is pulled out of the meat. This leads to a highly concentrated ham flavor that is famous in Italian cuisine. In my dish, prosciutto was sprinkled throughout the risotto, adding a bite of saltiness to those forkfuls. Fontina cheese is kind of similar to Parmesan in profile, except it is much creamier, richer, and has a strong undertone of butter. Marsala is simply a type of wine, so when you see it on a menu, expect a wine sauce, probably made with a generous amount of garlic. In this dish, it was used as part of the risotto liquid, so the flavor was cooked throughout and merged with the cheese so well that I couldn't actually taste just wine. The braised chicken was cooked well, fork tender and juicy with a marvelous flavor. I built as many perfect bites on my fork as I could, consisting of rich creamy risotto, a slice of mushroom, a square of prosciutto and a sliver of chicken. Salty ham, buttery cheese, creamy rice, tender chicken, complicated and complimentary flavors that 6-year-old me would not have appreciated. So far, I am thankful for the evolution of my taste buds and grateful to the chefs who know how to play upon them.

Bella Italia is a lovely place with cozy decor, especially this time of year. Their food will warm your body and delight your senses. Overall, it was a quiet, stress-free trip, something that I desperately needed. Thank you for tending to me.