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Business & Tech

La Nonna Bella: Now, That's Italian!

New owners bring authentic Italian cooking to new menu.

Have you ever visited Italy, loved the freshness of the food and wished you could find something so authentic here? Well, you are in luck. La Nonna Bella's new menu, which debuts this week, aims to bring a taste of Italy to Garden City.

Lino DeVivo, who was born and raised in Conversano, Italy, grew to love and certainly appreciate what authentic Italian food means. And that requires using the finest ingredients when making sauces and pasta. In mid-November, Lino and his wife, Erica, took ownership of La Nonna Bella, located at 660 Franklin Avenue.

Lino was the chef under previous owner Anna Maola, who named the restaurant in honor of her grandmother (La Nonna Bella means "beautiful grandma"). Lino and Erica decided to keep the name while adding some of the unique dishes from Italy that he grew up with. The DeVivos use an Italian importer to bring in the freshest ingredients daily. "The food is a little fresher and lighter," he said of true Italian food.

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The new menu debuts Tuesday. Here are some of the highlights:

Antipasto:

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  • Polipo Alla Griglia – balsamic grilled octopus served with arugula
  • Cozze Al Pesto – mussels in a white wine sauce with roasted garlic, cannellini beans and a drizzle of pesto

Primi Piatti:

  • Cavatelli Conversanese – This hits close to home for Lino, who serves homemade cavatelli sautéed with onion, fresh spinach and smashed fava beans – just like at home in Italy
  • Bucatini Amatriciana – buccatini pasta in a fresh plum tomato sauce with pancetta and onion
  • Pennoni Al Tonno – large penne pasta with imported tuna, chopped tomato, roasted garlic in a caper anchovy pesto

Pesci:

  • Bronzino Alle Erbe – Mediterranean sea bass with fresh mixed herbs served with arugula salad

For those who loved La Nonna Bella's offerings just the way they were, the Founder's Favorites portion of the menu includes old-standbys like Eggplant Rollatini, Stuffed Shells and Ravioli Portobello.

Lino and his wife are excited that the new menu will appeal to everyone who loves Italian. "You have to have quality, it has to be fresh and has to be made at the moment," Lino said. "Everything is made to order."

Lino, who will be one of two Italian chefs in the kitchen, said he would customize any dish for a customer as long as the ingredients are available. But because the restaurant specializes in the freshest meat or fish of the day, there is always a chance, albeit slight, of running out of an item, Erica said.

She makes it a point to visit tables to make sure customers enjoy their food; and if not, they will do everything they can to satisfy your palate. "We've very dedicated to what we are doing," she said.

La Nonna Bella is open for dinner, Saturday and Sunday, beginning at 2 p.m. and Tuesday through Friday. The restaurant has special menus for Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve. For information, call La Nonna Bella at 248-0366.

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