Far from the vineyards and olive groves of Tuscany, the gondolas of Venice, the ruins of Pompeii, and the temples of ancient Rome exists our own little 'piece of Italy' right here on the island of Providenciales, Bella Luna Ristorante.
Located on Grace Bay Road in 'the glass house' this island landmark of sorts has existed since the mid 80's where once upon a time, it was a private home and nothing stood between it and Grace Bay Beach. The landscape and its occupants may have changed over the years, but its warmth and allure is palpable and genuine. For Chef Cosimo Tripodi, Bella Luna has become a creative outlet that often extends beyond the boundaries of the kitchen . stroll beneath his new pergola and up to the second story terrace to discover al fresco dining amidst greenery, delicate lighting and a trickling fountain, or dine just indoors where unique and beautiful frescoed walls and ceilings conjure romantic memories of Italy.
Chef Cosimo, now far from his birthplace of Calabria, in Southern Italy, has called Providenciales home for over a decade and exudes that classic Italian passion and warmth in every aspect of his life. With a seemingly effortless flair for total consistency, Chef Cosimo brings a Caribbean twist to the natural simplicity and traditions of his southern Italian roots, with an emphasis on healthier foods with robust flavours using an abundance of tomatoes, garlic, sharp cheeses, olives and herbs including oregano and basil, and favouring four basic sauces. These earthy, Mediterranean key ingredients 'open up your stomach' and are easy to digest, even more so when paired with his fine and extensive selection of wines, Dalla Nostra Cantina (from the wine cellar). The menu permits indulgences from antipasti to insalata; from pasta to pesce; from vitello to pollo and sweet endings with dolci.
Representative of Chef Cosimo's natural philosophy of simplicity, we began with Brushchetta, compliments of the chef. With an emphasis on fresh that your can truly sink your teeth into - fresh tomatoes, garlic, onions and olive oil atop deliciously crispy bread oozed with taste with a wonderful, spicy bite; followed by thick slices of grilled foccacia bread served with a homemade tomato sauce with a perfect blend of herbs and spices for dipping. Chef Cosimo procures many of his fresh ingredients including tomatoes and arugula from Provo's own hydroponics farm, and grows many of his own herbs.
Antipasti selections began with the Carpaccio, exquisite, paper-thin slices of beef tenderloin on an aromatic bed of peppery arugula with a generous abundance of thick furls of pungent Reggiano cheese and extra virgin olive oil. A simple, yet complex combination of fresh, natural and unprocessed flavours. The Mozzarino Calabrese was a wonderful union of contrasting tastes; delicate and mild Mozzarella, enveloped in flavourful Genoa salami and smothered in a balsamic lemon sauce - powerful and intense. Three very plump, oversized ravioli stuffed with creamy, light ricotta cheese in a fragrant basil and pesto cream sauce, was a featured antipasti for the evening, Ravioloni Pesto e Panna. The snails were absolutely redolent with garlic aromas, succulent and tender -- Chiocciole all Aglio, snails out of the shell, sautéed with garlic, butter and white wine. On a hot, sultry Provo night, the Gazpacho con Gamberi is certain to soothe the senses - cold vegetable soup with shrimp, garnished with buttery avocado, red peppers and tangy lemon. The Conch Frittelle is a popular menu item; grilled conch patties served with a top-secret jerk mayonnaise sauce. And for the lighter side, several insalata options are available, including the classic odoriferous and flavourful Cesare topped with crispy foccacia croutons.
Bella Luna's extensive main entrée selections leave one somewhat bewitched, beguiled and bewildered with each dish appearing equally as enticing and captivating as the next, further tempted by the features of the evening. A celebrated and sought-after favourite, 'Pesce del Giorno' the catch of the day, is the ultimate taste of Provo. Tonight's fresh catch was a choice between Mahi Mahi or butterflied Snapper, perfectly grilled and brushed with extra virgin olive oil, again, simply prepared to emphasize the delicate and fresh-caught flavour of the fish. Veal was an oft-requested preference on our palates this evening beginning with Mare e Terra. Moist and tender veal scaloppini and savoury shrimp, sautéed with shallots and sun-dried tomatoes and smothered in a portabella mushroom sauce with prosecco, an Italian sparkling white wine, and a dab of delicate but rich, creamy mascarpone - divine. Intrigued by the Trio Veneziano I was not to be disappointed. A generous grilled lobster tail, a filet of fresh fish and shrimp all grilled and brushed with extra virgin olive oil and herbs served with a side of pasta erbe. My husband was smitten with his choice of Vitello ai Carciofi, veal scaloppini sautéed with artichoke hearts and laced in a sauce of marscapone and prosecco. A historic delicacy, artichoke hearts trace their roots back to ancient Rome, venerated by those of high noble rank. This compilation of flavours resulted in a venerated dish indeed! And finally, as a special request, Chef Cosimo generously and enthusiastically prepared Seafood Risotto. Made the traditional Italian way with Arborio rice, the risotto was creamy with that fabulous 'nutty' flavour, absolutely delectable with an abundance of mussels, clams, scallops and shrimp. At a virtual loss for words, the diner considered this dish 'to die for'! A very well rounded selection of entrees goes on to include seafood, poultry and pastas; spaghetti, ravioli, penne, gnocchi and linguine - all with incredible combinations of sauces and spices.
Coupling the perfect wine with your menu selections can elevate your dining experience to even higher level and Bella Luna's wine cellar proffers wines from France, California, New Zealand, Chile and of course, Italy. The grape has long been revered as the 'fruit of the gods', and at Bella Luna a portrait of Bacchus, the Roman god of wine hangs vigilant and observant, pleased with his perspective. Our generous hosts presented our table with their last coveted bottle of 2001 Brunello di Montalcino, which was indeed, the fruit of the gods, from the region of Tuscany this vivid, ruby red wine rendered lingering berry flavours. A hard act to follow, the Amarone Masi 2003 Classico was robust and full-bodied, with a long and lovely finish it did not disappoint.
A picture is worth a thousand words, and as each and every dish is served to our table, there is a brief photo session before indulgence is permitted. Neighbouring diners, oft-times unaware of our restaurant review intentions look upon our dining group with curious amusement as we photograph each and every course! As the finale to this meal approached, while few of us had room for dolci following the deluge of dining pleasures we already experienced, we needed to photograph the sweet finale, ultimately succumbing to the classic Italian dessert, Tiramisu. Served in a teacup, soft and delicate ladyfingers drenched and soaked in espresso were topped with smooth, rich marscapone cheese. You won't see a photograph of this, because a picture would not do this authentically divine dessert justice, but a thousand words could, or perhaps we should have photographed the squeaky-clean teacup! For chocolate lovers, Fondante ai Cioccolato, a hot chocolate truffle with vanilla ice-cream, or the famous Italian dessert, semifreddo, an ambrosial combination of semi-frozen chocolate cake and vanilla ice cream. The Banana al Caramello is meant to be shared . fresh bananas, whipped cream and crème de caramel on a delicate graham cracker crust for two.
We have many reasons to celebrate Italy - wine, food, art, music and . Orangcello. In my opinion, another 'fruit of the gods', all the way from the orange groves of Southern Italy, this liqueur was a completely luscious and nectareous 'fine' to a perfect and seamless evening.
When Chef Cosimo was recently featured as one of the Great Chefs of Provo, he confessed to me that his great accomplishment was in the simplicity of this . "That he prepared foods to the best of his ability, that his guests, many of whom are his friends, enjoyed and had fun. That the food was good, and they would come back for more." Cosimo and Kathleen, "Alla sua salute!" an absolute accomplishment indeed!
Review by Mandy Rostance-Wolf
Reprinted from "Where When How - Turks & Caicos Islands"
March/April 2008
