Finding a restaurant in the Lehigh Valley serving gluten-free food that's safe enough for someone with celiac disease can be difficult. Finding truly delicious gluten-free food is nearly impossible, or so it seemed. When I discovered that a restaurant in Hellertown had a gluten-free menu, and was serving food that I could enjoy as much as I did before having to go gluten free, I was thrilled. Bella's Ristorante on Main Street is a rare find worth discovering. The walls in the main dining room are covered with amazing murals and there are cozy booths to be had for those who prefer such.
I ate there once before I had to go gluten free, back when they first opened, and I remember their Pasta e Fagioli soup was almost as good as my homemade, which is of the Napoletana tradition. I had some sort of chicken dish for my entree and my food memory says it was very tasty. Their small canoli were indeed delicious.
I have now been back a number of times since my diagnosis and have enjoyed a lot of yummy gluten-free food there. This past fall, my man Joe and I went there after work one Saturday and one of the evening specials sounded so incredible that I requested it. After some questions, the waitress came back and relayed that Chef Vinnie said he would make it gluten free, just for me! This entree was a salmon fillet in a brown wine sauce with spinach and tomato and cheese. Normally, I tend to avoid cheese with seafood but my mouth was somehow watering at the menu description and so I couldn't resist!
Joe enjoyed a cup of some lentil soup while I dug into a fresh salad. Their house dressing is quite nice, a tangy vinaigrette worth pouring over the fresh mixed greens. As Joe ate some garlic-coated rolls, I tried to ignore the incredible scent of their buttery coating, remembering how I used to love them. When our entrees showed up, my huge warmed plate was full—a decent portion of salmon was provided, swimming in a sea of light sauce, almost a broth. There were lightly wilted leaves of fresh spinach adorning the broth as well as chunks of fresh tomato. The sauce was quite aromatic and I dug in fork and spoon to test this interesting flavor mixture. It was divine. Delicate and not too cheesy, the sauce was addictive. The only thing that could have made it better would be a small bit of pasta to soak up that delicious sauce!
I ate it all, something I rarely am able to do at Bella's, but I just couldn't stop digging in.
If you have a family member who is gluten free, this is an excellent place to go. They have several tasty choices on their standard gluten-free menu. My favorite, hands down, is their shrimp with pink vodka sauce. Despite not being a fan of pink vodka sauce, I tried it and fell madly in love with Vinnie's rich cream sauce and the mixture of big and small shrimp nestled in the sauce and penne. Last time he sprinkled it heavily with fresh chiffoniered basil leaves and that really made it delightful. Whenever chefs add fresh herbs, the food is elevated and, honestly, most restaurants fail at that for their gluten-free entrees. They are too cautious, not realizing that fresh herbs are safe for those of us with celiac disease.
Always remember that a lot of spice mixtures have some flour added for fluidity, which makes their products unsafe for people with celiac disease. When restaurants stick to fresh herbs and single variety McCormick bottled-dry herbs, they add so much more flavor to their gluten-free offerings.
Do tell the server that you are gluten free, and if you are celiac, mention that as well for extra care in preparation and serving. You won't be disappointed in the quality or quantity of food served at this beautiful Italian restaurant.
Mangia!
639 Main St., Hellertown | 610.748.1020 | bellasristorante.com
About the Author
Angela has been eating gluten free since her celiac diagnosis in the winter of 2013. She started a blog on Patch in February 2013 and moved to WordPress in 2015. Angela has been a writer of sorts for much of her adult life and enjoys writing blog posts as well as poetry, children's stories and an unpublished memoir.
Angela works as a circulation assistant at a small library and teaches in various elementary schools. She has also worked as a private chef, a paralegal, a quality control and edit clerk, a clothing store manager, a flower gardener and a few other odd jobs. She has been published in the Saucon Source.
Cooking has been a focus in her life ever since she baked small cakes at age five with her mom. Writing has been important in her past careers, and writing her blog allows her to combine three things that she truly loves: cooking, eating and writing. Angela's mission is to inform others living with celiac as well as anyone who eats gluten free for other reasons. She loves posting recipes she has created as well as product reviews, restaurant reviews and general rants about living gluten free.
Angela cooks seasonally, limits sugar intake and avoids processed foods for the most part, but she knows that sometimes you must indulge in lovely, sweet desserts, and for that you must forgive and simply enjoy.
She hopes that her postings here tempt folks with celiac or wheat allergies to eat out, to cook real food and to regain their joy in delicious meals.
