The Eating Essentials
200 N. Main St.,
Monticello
Hours of Operation
Tuesday-Saturday: 4-9 p.m.
Sunday: 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
For the past five years, the Memeci family has pleased diners with some of the freshest, creative Italian dishes around at Bella Luna Restaurante, located on Monticello’s downtown square.
Family patriarch, Rudy Memeci, and his son, Ton, launched the establishment. Today, brothers Ton, Mike and Sunny operate it. The family has a long heritage of owning and operating restaurants.
According to Mike, they prepare each order with the freshest ingredients possible. The chicken and veal are never frozen to ensure a superb taste. All sauces are prepared in-house from the family’s secret recipes.
In addition to a menu of chicken, seafood, pasta, veal and pizza, weekend specials are extremely popular. Lamb shank, Chilean sea bass, lamb chops and steaks are just a few of the outstanding offerings. Mike said that Bella Luna has “brought out the taste buds in Monticello.”
Amanda Killingsworth, a local resident and frequent visitor, said, “The food is amazing. They do so much for the community.” She added that Bella Luna treated area residents, who otherwise would not have had a great Thanksgiving meal last year, to a free meal. “The owners do so much to help others.”
The Stuffed Mushrooms were magnificent. The mushrooms, packed with crab and topped with melted mozzarella cheese, were lovingly arranged in the signature pink sauce, a perfect blend of Alfredo and marinara sauces. I suggest enjoying some of their tasty homemade rolls with the sauce.
Pink sauce also enhanced the order of Cheese Tortellini I tried. The pasta was delicious, and the attention to detail was outstanding.
The Ala Casa Veal was top-notch, convincing me that the Memeci family is dedicated to delivering authentic, artistic Italian cuisine. The dish featured fork-tender veal, mushrooms, spinach and onion with an excellent white wine cream sauce over pasta.
The Jerusalem Chicken was equally good. Team Bella Luna ensured that the creation of mushrooms and artichoke hearts, sautéed in a flavorful white wine and lemon sauce, served with two tender chicken breasts and spaghetti, was expertly combined.
The chef will prepare special menu combinations upon request. During my visit, Mike spoiled me with a Bella Luna original plate of Scallops and Shrimp. The huge scallops and shrimp sautéed with olive oil and butter were attractively served with delicate shavings of fresh mozzarella cheese. Ask if this is available when you visit.
The subtly spicy Chicken Shrimp Murphy was my favorite of the favorites. It included chicken breast and shrimp sautéed with onion, Romario peppers and top-secret Bella Luna
ingredients with spaghetti and that perfect pink sauce.
I didn’t sample the pizza, but I saw some attractive pies being served. Stromboli, calzones and pepperoni rolls are also available.
For dessert, I tried the Cannoli, a plate of pure happiness. Other desserts include Cheesecake and Tiramisu
“We love to feed people,” Mike said. “God has blessed my family. I love it here. The community supports us, and we always want to give back to the community.”