On the subject of ravioli, Matthew Fort’s culinary travelogue Eating Up Italy states, “It’s just flour and eggs, just flour and eggs and lots of work, lots of work.” Simple to attempt, tough to master. But for Medford’s family-run Bella Ravioli, 20 years of practice makes perfect. Bella’s vibe harkens to a Greater Boston foodscape that neophytes couldn’t imagine. That Boston was stocked with urban legends like Sablone’s, the European, Circle Pizza, and the Marliave.
But don’t fret for Bella. The long line for pumpkin ravioli ($6.50/24) during the holidays proves that this pasta shop isn’t joining its fallen brethren any time soon. Whether assembling spinach ($5/12; $6/24), mushroom ($7.50/24), eggplant ($6.50/24), luxurious lobster ($11.50/24), or tried-and-true cheese ravioli ($4.50/12; $5.50/24), the DePasquales are not nifty dilettantes fumbling with time-honored culinary tradition. Hailing from the Campania region, near the ankle of the figurative Italian boot, food is part of their genetic code. Home chefs can add sage and butter to a big plate of Bella’s signature squash ravioli ($6.50/24) and thus rival a restaurant’s overpriced version. For Italian comfort food, try the sweet marinara sauce ($3.75/pint; $6.50/quart) on plump, potato- or ricotta-filled gnocchi ($3.25/pound).
But know this: Bella is not a sandwich shop. It’s not a café. Pasta — headlined by ravioli but including spaghetti, fettuccine, and a crimped noodle called mafalda — is what they do. It’s all they need to do. Bella is a yardstick against which to measure imitators and banish pretenders. It’s curious that in a city with its fair share of specialty shops, few concentrate exclusively on this kind of Old World–style pasta. It makes Bella a priceless commodity.
Available at Bella Ravioli, 369 Main Street, in Medford. Call 781.396.0875.
Related:
Red Sky, Dough, Sorellina, More 
- Red Sky
The pitch for Red Sky is that it’s nicer, more upscale, and appeals to a slightly older crowd than the other nightspots around Faneuil Hall.
- Dough
One of the most fantastic views of the Beantown skyline is from East Boston’s Maverick Square waterfront.
- Sorellina
Another week, another second or third restaurant by a famous chef (Jamie “Mistral” Mammano) focused on a single cuisine (Italian), with a more-junior chef (John Delpha) at the controls.
- Hungry Mother
Platters such as “catfish pâté” can be visually hilarious, but also really delicious.
- Poop patrol
Cowboy and I are obsessed with our dog’s poop.
- Simpler, but not too much
In taking over the space recently occupied by Mim's, one of Portland's prissiest restaurants, the owners of the Farmer's Table were wise to choose a name designed to set customers at ease.
- Wiley’s
In the early ’90s, lines of hungry hopefuls used to stack up at breakfast time when Wiley’s was a tiny 10-seat place at Middlebridge in Narragansett.
- Fancy that
While Munjoy Hill is all of a kind, the west side of Portland has a split personality.
- Real men eat quiche
This article originally appeared in the August 1 issue of Stuff@Night.
- High Spot Deli
The High Spot Deli is an anomaly on the Beacon Hill restaurant scene, since it’s neither divey (Capitol Coffee House, Fill-a-Buster Restaurant) nor swanky (the Federalist, Scollay Square).
- Hot Tomatoes
Since they opened in March, the crew at Hot Tomatoes has been going through cases — yes, cases — of tomatoes every day.
- Less
Topics:
Noshing
, Culture and Lifestyle, Food and Cooking, Foods, More
, Culture and Lifestyle, Food and Cooking, Foods, Fruits and Vegetables, Less
