Biella Ristorante

Thanks to my iPhone and the Open Table app, several weeks ago we tried Biella Ristorante in Excelsior on a whim.  Biella is in a beautiful space.  An old building with exposed brick...very cozy!

We were among the first guests that evening, so our waiter was very attentive.  They had a large staff ready for the tables to be filled with diners.  While they waited there was a lot of adjusting of tables, fixing unsturdy chairs, and shining silverware.  It was interesting watching the wait staff check their tables and make sure the settings were in good shape for their guests.

We both started off with a salad.  I had the Mista which was comprised of Romaine, Sweet Corn, Baby Tomatoes, Blueberries, Provolone, & a light Balsamic Vinaigrette.  The Vinaigrette made the lettuce look like it was old and wilted, however the lettuce was crisp and fresh.  I might suggest they put the dressing on the side so that the salad at least looks fresh when it is brought to the table.  I enjoyed the blueberries in the salad.  I'm sure this salad would seem much fresher if it was the middle of summer.  The hubby had the Florentine Salad which had Mizuno Greens, Egg, Bacon, Heirloom Tomato, Cucumber, and Olive Oil & Lemon.  Both salads were fine, but not outstanding.

I stayed with the blueberry theme for the main entree and ordered the Manhattan Filet.  This was an 8oz. Filet with Blueberry Demi, Potato Puree, & Broccoli.  The filet was more like a New York Strip than a filet and was a bit on the tougher side.  I think they could have butterflied the filet to cook it.  Instead I went with ordering it medium (versus my normal medium well).  It had a nice flavor.  While there was a blueberry demi sauce, I didn't get an overwhelming blueberry taste.  I suppose that was fine, the sauce was still a nice addition to the meat and the potato puree. 

The hubby went with the Chicken Ravello - which was a seared ChickenBreast, Fingerling Potatoes, Spinach, Bacon, with Star Anise Glaze and a hint of Truffle Oil.  I know that if there is anything on the menu with truffle oil, he'll end up ordering it.  Same thing with polenta - although that was not on the Biella menu that evening.  His meal was fine, although the fingerling potatoes were oddly cut and seemed to just roll around on the plate. 

Overall the meal was nice and the atmosphere was great.  Our waiter was one of the best we've had in ages.  He was attentive, able to explain the selections, kept the water glasses filled, and all in all was very good.

Biella is a good restaurant if you live on the west side of the metro area.  I doubt we'll be rushing back anytime soon, but mainly that is because we have so many restaurants to try that it's hard to revisit average ones.

Happy Eating!