Last week the Cincinnati TasteCasting Team had the wonderful privaledge of tasting the food at Cafe Bella in Mason, OH. I had definitely heard of them, but hadn’t been out there yet, until now, and boy am I glad I made it to this tasting. It was FABULOUS! Truly, every team member loved the food and we are all excited to go back very soon!
Cafe Bella is a unique restaurant that has been open since February of 2008. They serve Mediterranean food and even serve lunch now! Chef Ben, previously Encore and Trio, joined her recently and are just now introducing their best menu yet!
Our team sat in the private room which would be perfect for parties or events. Lots of room to move around and enjoy the people you are with. The table was set beautifully and the smells coming from the kitchen were making my stomach growl with hunger!
Our first dish was Bella’s Hummus (a special recipe) that was served with warm pita. Also on the same plate was a single, pan seared scallop with Sweet Corn Bisque, Braised Leeks and Shitake Mushrooms. This was an amazing way to start out the evening. The hummus was the best I have ever had! Truly delicious. The Scallop was slightly undercooked (in a good way) and nearly melted in my mouth. The Sweet Corn Bisque was not what I would expect with a Scallop, but now I am not sure I want to eat a Scallop any other way!
Next, our wonderful server, delivered a Baby Fennel Salad with Mushrooms and Parmesan. It was topped with a Lemon Basil Vinaigrette dressing. This was a small salad, but perfect for the second course. I am not a huge Fennel fan because I don’t like the taste of licorice, but this was great with the light Lemon Basil dressing. The Parmesan was very light and just added a touch of flavor.
The next serving was one of everyone’s favorites – the Pistachio Salmon with Mediterranean Couscous and an Orange Cumin Vinaigrette. The salmon was cooked perfectly. I love fish and this was absolutely one of the best pieces that I have had in the Cincinnati area. To my surprise, the Couscous was spicy and had Pinenuts, Spinach and Olives in it – and I liked it! The Vinaigrette was sweet and that helped even the tastes out.
On the fourth delivery of food to the table, we received the Caribbean Spiced Beef with New Potatoes and Roasted Red Pepper Coulis (pronounced coo-lee). If I had to choose my least favorite thing we were served, this would be it, but please note that there was NOTHING bad about it at all! It really was great! The beef was seasoned beautifully and the Coulis was probably the best part of it – delicious!
For our final serving, we had a taste of the sweetness of Bella – House Made Tiramisu! WOW! This was served in a single serving clear dish and had ladyfingers in it that had been soaked in Rum. By the time I reached the bottom of this dish, I think I might have been a bit tipsy! Lovely! A perfect ending to a perfect meal from Cafe Bella!
You can check out their website at http://www.cafebellamason.com/home.html. They are located at 5948 Snider Road in Mason – at the corner of Snider and Tylersville. Call them for reservations at 513-770-4141. You won’t be disappointed!
Also, if you are on Twitter – follow them @cafebellamason or become a fan of theirs on Facebook.
Check out Jesy’s review of Cafe Bella here: http://jesyisms.wordpress.com/2009/09/12/i-dance-when-i-love-what-i-eat/
http://www.yelp.com/biz/cafe-bella-mason#hrid:ytDK4Gap_YaAJwHa9lvPmQ/src:self
Cafe Bella was like going on vacation back to Sardinia… blend of the Italian and Mediterranean cuisine items, with the best of both! From the incredible appetizers… scallops in corn bisque WOW… to the main entrees and, of course, tiramisu, the selection is fabulous. My pictures and words to describe the taste (which just don’t do the selections justice, so try them yourself) are located here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sdugas/sets/72157622294827721/