I am very excited to share with you some more great Gluten Free dining options from Bella Monica. I mentioned in a previous post about the new pizza choices from The Bella Monica Flatbread Company, that the affiliated Bella Monica restaurant was working on a brand new Gluten Free menu. The menu is now available!
Please see the following link to view the menu. You'll be surprised how much is being offered! FYI - I have been granted special access during the creation of this menu and helped advise Bella Monica on how to safely prepare these items for folks dining GF. Special consideration has been taken in preparation and cooking of the items on this menu. If you have any questions, please email me or go directly to the source, Corbett Monica the Bella Monica chef/owner.
PIZZAS
Where to start... how about those wonderful pizzas! Yes, all 3 varieties will be available in the restaurant as well. The pizzas served will be the exact ones you can buy now at Harmony Farms (Whole Foods coming soon). FYI - if you have not yet tried these pizzas and would like to, please contact Harmony Farms before going to make sure they are in stock (they have been flying off the shelves). The pizzas are intentionally not made at Bella Monica to prevent cross-contamination with the wheat pizzas which are made at the restaurant. The good news is these taste like fresh pizza anyway so no big deal there. The pizzas are cooked in an oven on wire screens which are dedicated to GF Pizzas to also prevent cross-contamination issues during cooking.
ENTREES
In addition to the pizzas, Bella Monica will also have a wide variety of entree dishes they normally serve which can be modified to be Gluten Free. For example - Eggplant, Portobello, Chicken or Sausage Parmigiana can be modified to replace wheat pasta with either spinach or Gluten Free Linguine. All GF pasta will be cooked in separate cookware with separate utensils to ensure no cross-contamination occurs.
Other items like Shrimp Scampi and Shrimp & Grits will use Polenta as a substitute. There are two additional items, Pork Piccatta and Chicken Balsamico which need no substitutes at all. Another item (which I was lucky enough to taste test while Bella Monica was creating this menu) is the Gluten Free Stuffed Shells. If you are familiar with Conte's Pasta then you'll be excited that these are available on the menu. Both the stuffed shells and the GF Linguine are from Conte's. The GF Stuffed Shells are baked in an oven (top rack) and covered with foil to prevent splatter from other items.
APPETIZERS/SALADS
In addition to these wonderful entrees and pizzas, Bella Monica can also offer several appetizers and salads for your GF dining pleasure. Garlic Soup sans croutons, an antipasta plate with gluten free "crostini" (toasts), Portabello with cheese and tomato plate, Polenta, Fresh Mozzarella plate and Chicken Breast skewers are the great sounding appetizers. Salads include House, Caeser, Spinach, Chopped, Arugula and Pear/Goat Cheese salads all served with no croutons.
BEER
In additional to everything above, Bella Monica will also have RedBridge Gluten Free Beer in stock for your beer drinking pleasure. They also have a huge wine selection available if beer is not your thing. I myself prefer Chianti when dining Italian.
OTHER ITEMS OF NOTE
Bella Monica will be serving GF food on special Green plates. The plates will serve as a constant reminder to all kitchen staff and wait staff to take special consideration while preparing your meal. Bella Monica also has a computerized ordering system in which the Gluten Free Diet can be noted. A ticket with this designation will follow your food throughout the preparation and cooking process.
MY TRIAL RUN EXPERIENCE
I dined at Bella Monica recently for my birthday and ordered the GF Stuffed Shells and a Spinach and Tomato GF Flatbread pizza. Both were excellent in taste and I pretty much demolished the entire meal by myself. It was very exciting to be able to dine out on my birthday - something which I didnt really think I could do again (without extreme stress).
INFORMATION
Bella Monica Italian Restaurant
3121 Edwards Mill Rd Ste 103
Raleigh, NC 27612
Please see the following link to view the menu. You'll be surprised how much is being offered! FYI - I have been granted special access during the creation of this menu and helped advise Bella Monica on how to safely prepare these items for folks dining GF. Special consideration has been taken in preparation and cooking of the items on this menu. If you have any questions, please email me or go directly to the source, Corbett Monica the Bella Monica chef/owner.
PIZZAS
Where to start... how about those wonderful pizzas! Yes, all 3 varieties will be available in the restaurant as well. The pizzas served will be the exact ones you can buy now at Harmony Farms (Whole Foods coming soon). FYI - if you have not yet tried these pizzas and would like to, please contact Harmony Farms before going to make sure they are in stock (they have been flying off the shelves). The pizzas are intentionally not made at Bella Monica to prevent cross-contamination with the wheat pizzas which are made at the restaurant. The good news is these taste like fresh pizza anyway so no big deal there. The pizzas are cooked in an oven on wire screens which are dedicated to GF Pizzas to also prevent cross-contamination issues during cooking.
ENTREES
In addition to the pizzas, Bella Monica will also have a wide variety of entree dishes they normally serve which can be modified to be Gluten Free. For example - Eggplant, Portobello, Chicken or Sausage Parmigiana can be modified to replace wheat pasta with either spinach or Gluten Free Linguine. All GF pasta will be cooked in separate cookware with separate utensils to ensure no cross-contamination occurs.
Other items like Shrimp Scampi and Shrimp & Grits will use Polenta as a substitute. There are two additional items, Pork Piccatta and Chicken Balsamico which need no substitutes at all. Another item (which I was lucky enough to taste test while Bella Monica was creating this menu) is the Gluten Free Stuffed Shells. If you are familiar with Conte's Pasta then you'll be excited that these are available on the menu. Both the stuffed shells and the GF Linguine are from Conte's. The GF Stuffed Shells are baked in an oven (top rack) and covered with foil to prevent splatter from other items.
APPETIZERS/SALADS
In addition to these wonderful entrees and pizzas, Bella Monica can also offer several appetizers and salads for your GF dining pleasure. Garlic Soup sans croutons, an antipasta plate with gluten free "crostini" (toasts), Portabello with cheese and tomato plate, Polenta, Fresh Mozzarella plate and Chicken Breast skewers are the great sounding appetizers. Salads include House, Caeser, Spinach, Chopped, Arugula and Pear/Goat Cheese salads all served with no croutons.
BEER
In additional to everything above, Bella Monica will also have RedBridge Gluten Free Beer in stock for your beer drinking pleasure. They also have a huge wine selection available if beer is not your thing. I myself prefer Chianti when dining Italian.
OTHER ITEMS OF NOTE
Bella Monica will be serving GF food on special Green plates. The plates will serve as a constant reminder to all kitchen staff and wait staff to take special consideration while preparing your meal. Bella Monica also has a computerized ordering system in which the Gluten Free Diet can be noted. A ticket with this designation will follow your food throughout the preparation and cooking process.
MY TRIAL RUN EXPERIENCE
I dined at Bella Monica recently for my birthday and ordered the GF Stuffed Shells and a Spinach and Tomato GF Flatbread pizza. Both were excellent in taste and I pretty much demolished the entire meal by myself. It was very exciting to be able to dine out on my birthday - something which I didnt really think I could do again (without extreme stress).
INFORMATION
Bella Monica Italian Restaurant
3121 Edwards Mill Rd Ste 103
Raleigh, NC 27612
Note - Please call ahead for reservations and indicate you will be dining Gluten Free to allow the staff at Bella Monica to prepare for your GF meal.
Phone: 881-9778
Hours:
Monday - Friday - Lunch: 11- 2:30pm
Saturday - Lunch: 12- 5pm
Monday - Thursday - Dinner: 5- 10pm
Friday and Saturday - Dinner: 5- 11pm
Web site
Gluten Free menu
View Larger Map
Hours:
Monday - Friday - Lunch: 11- 2:30pm
Saturday - Lunch: 12- 5pm
Monday - Thursday - Dinner: 5- 10pm
Friday and Saturday - Dinner: 5- 11pm
Web site
Gluten Free menu
View Larger Map
6 comments:
FYI: Last Saturday at 2:30pm they had a 20 minute wait for a table. I had the polenta and the chicken and goat cheese appetizer and both were very yummy.
Thanks Zach! It goes without saying we are really excited to offer these items to all of you with gluten intolerance and Celiacs Disease. The kitchen is all set, the wine and beer are ready to be poured and our staffs' smiles will set you at ease. Come. Relax. Enjoy. Dinner is served!
Trevor Chambers
Bella Monica Restaurant and FlatBread Company
The menu looks awesome! I'm going to try to come this weekend! :-)
This looks wonderful. Do you know if any gluten-free item is also dairy-free? I have a good friend who can't eat dairy and gluten. Thanks
Bella Monica staff, Corbett, Trevor, everyone at Bella Monica is just awesome. I've been in more times than i want to think about and have really come to enjoy everything about the restaurant.
When I called and made my first reservation, I told them I needed a gluten free menu. They must have noted this in my record because from the time I walked in the door and every time since, the staff gives me the proper menu, speaks to me about the food, what is good/what is on special that is gluten free, and other things that we need to know about.
The flatbreads and the STUFFED SHELLS are my favorites. And the last time we went, we could even have BEER since they also now carry Redbridge.
Thanks Bella Monica!
Last Sunday Trevor and Corbett welcomed our Raleigh Cel-Kids group into Bella Monica and gave us a wonderful gluten-free pizza party! Excellent product! They just kept bringing out more pizza for all the families to enjoy. The kids loved it! Many thanks!!
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