05/31/2026
Bella Napoli: Located in Brookside Kansas City, Missouri, an extremely planned community in a quasi-Suburban section of the incredibly large city of Kansas in Missouri, this more “authentic” interpretation of Italian cuisine focuses on pasta and pizza. After starting the dinner with some crisp white wine and soft white bread, relatively sweet with little mouthfeel, I opted for a pasta alla giacomo. This orecchiette pasta, reminiscent of a shell pasta but this time in an ear shape. Topped with lightly cooked sausage the pasta emanated a nice sweetness which melded well. There was a light layer of oil, likely from the sausage rather than a sauce, with a stir fried rapini provided a nice crunch to contrast with the mild al dente bite of the pasta. Despite garnish with parmesan, I found it a little bland but with a small addition of red pepper flakes, the dish was elevated levels above how it was served, the heat melding with the sweetness and providing more of a crunchy texture, allowing the sausage and vegetables to truly shine. After taking creative licenses, we were offered a small portion of complimentary pistachio ice cream, which was white good with just a little sweetness but a smokey a nutty undertone, the pistachios retaining a puffy, freeze dried flavor which was quite enjoyable. I did try a little bit of tomato sauce pasta and the freshness excluded in the simple sauce was quite delightful. The slice of pizza I tried had quite a bready crust and was pretty bland. Overall, a decent dinner that ran a little pricey for its portion size - - 8/10