Hey folks, I could really use your advice -- where should I dine next?  And are there any restaurants you think I should avoid like the plague?  Please send me some feedback. 

Beware going to Bella Napoli after dusk; I had a fun time trying to find the driveway.  The restaurant is set far back off Mesa, and the entrance is to the RIGHT of the lit sign.  Go to the left, and you'll wind up in a local bar.

I don't normally comment about the look of the places where I dine.  I try to keep my mind on the food, since that's what I'm there for.  This proved difficult at the Bella Napoli, thanks to a decor bordering on ludicrous.  The ceiling of the room where I sat was a grape arbor, replete with plastic grapes hanging down.  Next door was apparently the apple room.  Both rooms had lots of blinking christmas lights criss-crossing the ceiling.

It's true, the decorations were distracting, but the waiter's deliveries quickly drew my attention.  Someone watching would've assumed I'd ordered onion rings as an appetizer, but he would be wrong.  It was calamari, breaded and fried, apparently from a VERY BIG squid.  It was quite good, too.  The bread was hot, split open, with butter; again, I prefer to butter my own bread, but this was a nice change from having it painted over the crusts.  Next came the salad, with which I ordered my usual bleu cheese dressing.  After taking a few bites, I realized that along with the usual lettuce and assorted greens, someone had thrown in a slice of salami.

This was DEFINITELY an Italian restaurant.

The main course came next, with a side dish of spaghetti and sauce.  The side of pasta that comes with your typical Italian meal is merely an afterthought, but this spaghetti was VERY good.  Not overcooked, and the sauce had both a good flavor and an interesting texture.  Certainly not out of a jar.  As for the main dish, I'd ordered the house special, the Jerusalem chicken (not related to the Jerusalem cricket).  How to describe it...  Thin cuts of chicken, in a pasta bed with a heavy white sauce...  There's only one word I can use.  Scrumptious.

The Bella Napoli Restaurant is easily the equal of any Italian restaurant I've ever been in, with excellent food, and the price is right.  I proudly award it with five stars, all around.  If you're ever pining for a little Italian, and she isn't available, go drown your sorrows in the food there.  Your waistline is the only part of you that might be sorry.