Bella Cibo Italian Restaurant,retsaurant review,Margate,Pompano Beach,Coconut Creek,Coral Springs

Trattoria Bella Cibo
The Fabulous Italian Restaurant with Fabulous Personality
By L. Hirsch

Bella Cibo is indeed a welcome addition to Broward County's lineup of restaurants. From the outside, Bella Cibo appears to be unassuming. The truth is, it's very quaint and casual. There is an outdoor patio, which is kept separate from the parking area by neatly cut hedges that surround the patio. The roof is lined with small white lightbulbs, giving it a bistro look. As you enter, you immediately inhale the wonderful smell of garlic. The lighting is dim, making it a relaxing dining area, despite the less-than-muted sound of people conversing and dishes clanking.

The walls are of white stucco and faux coral columns separate the dining area from the open kitchen area. Atop the columns are various shapes of Italian pottery. The walls are adorned with scenic paintings. As we looked at the incredible dishes being delivered to patrons, there was also a rare sight - the owner/chef Thomas Valdes took time out every so often to greet his guests, shaking hands, and even sitting down with regulars. This is a man who sincerely cares about his patrons and complements that with his passion for cooking.

We were instantly seated at our table and greeted by our extremely charming and professional waiter, Dwayne, who checked in with us regularly to tend to our needs. In just minutes, a basket of their specially warm baked garlic bread came out. The bread was dusted with grated parmesan cheese and was simply fabulous.

We started off with the stuffed clams casino appetizer. Fantastic and cooked to perfection with the right amount of bell peppers, olive oil, oregano, and parmesan cheese surrounded by a garlic parsley and olive oil gravy. I dare anyone to be able to refrain from dipping their parmesan garlic bread strips into the gravy. That was a meal by itself.

My companion ordered Chicken Portobello, and I ordered the Chicken Francesca. Each of these entress comes with a fantastic house salad. Of course, anyone can serve up a house salad, but what Bella Cibo does is put it in a pita-style bread bowl for two. It made a very unique presentation and was delicious with their house red wine vinegrette.

The Chicken Portobello was a giant size tender chicken breast dusted with fresh herbs and pan sautéed with virgin oil, marsala wine, roasted garlic and shallots and served with angel hair pasta ($15). My Chicken Francesca was equally as generous and was sautéed with fresh spinach, sun dried tomatoes, mushroom medley, roasted peppers and lemon butter served with angel hair pasta ($16). It was a colorful dish and was simply delicious!

After the salad, appetizer, and incredible bread, we had to bag our entrees so that the next day we can relive this wonderful culinary experience. But, we did make room for their sinfully delicious Bella Cibo Chocolate Tower. That was a 6" high wedge of freshly made chocolate silk cake nestled between layers of rich chocolate, fresh cream and chocolate glaze. It was pure heaven despite its sinfully delectible taste. On our next visit, I promised to try their banana cake and ice cream.

My recommendations? Run, drive, take a bus, but get to this amazing Italian restaurant in Margate. You'll love the friendly, hometown personality, Tom the owner, and his very serviceable staff.