Restaurant reviews

Food: 8  Ambiance: 7.9  Service: 7.2
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It's a bit hard to tell which came first at Bellissimo: the mountainous portions of homemade pasta (sizable plates all but guarantee leftovers) or the fiercely loyal patrons. What is clear is that the conflux of the two makes it that much harder for us regular folks to indulge in Bellissimo's well-worn charms.

The tiny Fairfax locale houses maybe a dozen highly prized tables — most nights, the place is overrun by families, clusters of friends and boomer couples — framed on both sides by vibrant coastal frescos. Decorative columns and other Roman mementos help complete the Italian feel, but the food is the main attraction here.

Menu choices include a handful of pastas, along with loads of veal, poultry and meat (lamb, filet) options. Seafood creeps into various pasta dishes, appetizers and salads, while also bolstering numerous stand-alone favorites.

One fettucine standard goes grand with a pungent marinara anchored by spicy Italian sausage bits and a hail of crumbled goat cheese (tangy cheese folds into the herb-infused sauce beautifully). Swordfish pescatore summons a terrific swordfish steak (remarkably tender) sauteed with mussels and shrimp in a winey tomato broth. Fried calamari is good, but the crunchy squid can't salvage its clumpy polenta counterpart.

The exclusively Italian wine list touts approximately five dozen bottles, including nearly two dozen Piemonte and Tuscan reds, all under $120.

Bellissimo
Traditional Italian $$$
Food: 8.2  Ambiance: 7.9  Service:

What it lacks in square footage, Bellissimo makes up in spirit, showering first-time guests and repeat customers alike with a panoply of Northern Italian delights.

The tightly knit dining room accommodates just shy of two dozen tables, which keeps this family-run enterprise-proprietor Samira Hradsky has brother Dani run the place while she tends to her Parisian cooking schooling most weekends. Then again, perhaps the chairs remain filled because staff bid regulars farewell with enthusiastic handshakes and thunderous pats on the back.

Each visit begins with a basket of crusty bread and individual saucers of nutty olive oil heaped with fresh grated parmesan. Daily specials abound, including fresh seafood offerings and signature pastas along with standard chicken, veal and beef selections. One tantalizing opener summons a crispy shingle of Parmesan capped with chilled peppers and piles of shaved prosciutto. A quartet of plump scallops are seared to a crisp and covered in a wonderfully grainy pesto sauce. Twin cuts of garlicky tenderloin are stacked sky-high atop a foundation of sautéed spinach and wine-soaked mushrooms. Meanwhile, a five-course menu gastronomic (approximately $100 per couple) gives the chef carte blanche over the entire meal. And no visit is complete without a round of complimentary digestifs.

DREAM MENU APPETIZER: Pesto sea scallops
ENTREE: Marinated beef tenderloin
DESSERT: Raspberry sorbet
YOHAI'S WINE PICKS: Bellissimo declined to share their wine list for review

Bellissimo Ristorante, Old Town Fairfax $$$

Located on the corner of Main Street and University Drive in Fairfax City, Bellissimo is small in size, but big on charm. Yet most likely due to its size, the Italian restaurant requires reservations, so plan ahead before visiting. Besides, trust me; even if you are Mr. or Ms. Spontaneous, you will consider the formality of calling ahea, a small price to pay for as fantastic of a dining experience as is enjoyed at Bellissimo.

After all, as soon as you walk into the restaurant, its staff greets you in true Italian fashion: warmly and enthusiastically. And that staff makes you feel like — much loved — family throughout your entire visit. Furthermore, just about anyone who has ever dined at Bellissimo will tell you to expect a large number of enticing specials, in addition to an already tempting menu with a mind-boggling array of choices. And, well, they are not lying. Still, that is not the end of the restaurant's appeal; even the simple fact that Bellissimo is small adds to its charm. Moreover, softly painted Italian murals, sophisticatedly appointed tables and boisterous opera music are also responsible for making the restaurant's well-heeled diners smiley, enchanted. Nevertheless, in an effort to relieve soon-to-be Bellissimo first-timers of ordering anxiety, I will make a few suggestions.

Let's see. Appetizer-wise, there is at least a two-way tie for the "most delicious" title, shared between the Portobello tartufato —grilled Portobello mushrooms topped with a heavy dose of fontina cheese and truffle oil — and the capesante al pesto — several sea scallops, grilled to perfection, topped with the restaurant's homemade, absolutely magnificent pesto. Bravo! Entrée-wise, however, you can't go wrong with the pesce di spada — a large portion of grilled swordfish topped in a pleasantly spicy tomato sauce, served with three large mussels and a couple of shrimp, as well as fresh green beans and carrots. And when it is offered as a special, order the ground veal-stuffed homemade spinach ravioli; it will leave you in awe. Recently, the perfectly prepared pasta was served around a sizable veal medallion, and both were topped in a wonderful white wine sauce with wild mushrooms. The only problem was that, after enjoying the appetizers and the ultra-soft homemade Italian bread a little too much, the ravioli seemed to cool too fast, in comparison to slowed eating. Yet as beyond satisfied as my friend and I were, we couldn't bear leaving without having dessert; therefore, we ordered the tiramisu — rich and creamy! — and enjoyed some complimentary Amaretto, which can win this gal over any day.