Adventures in Dining

Selection meets fresh ingredients:

Bella Luna indulges in options and quality

By Jessica Jones

Italian seasonings and crisp salad bar scents combine with a spacious, sparkling space at Bella Luna Pizzeria and Pub in Orange Beach—and that's only the beginning of a sensual experience.

 The restaurant prides itself on a selection of more than 50 beers and endless pizza combinations, not to mention  options for a fast, inexpensive lunch.

 Specials such as Mexican Mondays offer reasonable dining options with specials on taco pizza and imported delights, while game days mean half price wings and domestic deals.

 Annette, Harry and Jessica prepared their taste buds for this month's Adventures in Dining; Italian flavors and renovated rooms exceeded expectations as the new restaurant boasted fresh ingredients with its fresh paint.

 Part of the restaurant's appeal rests in the large windows, impeccable landscaping with tropical palm trees and  art work that ranges from farm scenes to wine and grape still lifes. Upon entering, the large dining room, with sparkling floors and silver chairs tantalize the eyes.

 Manager David Kyle spoke of the newly renovated building with a hint of resolve in his voice.

 “It's spotless, but that's not going to change,” he said.

 Eyes satisfied, and on to the taste section. 

 Brushetta spread bursts of flavor over anxious tongues as the appetizer of toasted provolone crostinis topped with fresh tomato chunks and slivers of basil, basked in olive oil and brought  rounds of smiles.

 Kyle suggested their famous Thai Fire Wings and eyes lit up at the sweet and spicy delight. Baked wings seasoned with cilantro ginger, garlic, lime, peanuts and Thai sauce are a house favorite, he said.

 “People come in from Gulf Shores just for those Thai Fire Wings,” he divulged.

 Another item sending customers diving into the action, is Bella Luna's half price wings on game day. The $10 treat becomes $5 while sporting events stimulate receivers.

  Large lunch portions and half sandwich, soup and salad options offer customers 30 minute delights for short lunch breaks. One such best seller is the muffaletta, according to Kyle.

 Harry raved over the olive salad and portion size, as Jessica enjoyed the tangy flavors of the Italian Hoagie with its ham, genoa salami, cappicola, provolone, lettuce, tomato, onions and banana peppers. Italian dressing sets off a soft hoagie roll with chewy comfort and bold flavors.

 “Come hungry,” Kyle chuckled. “I've never had a problem with anybody complaining about not getting enough food.”

 The barbeque chicken pizza mesmerized guests with its swirl of sauce topping and hearty taste. Chris Singleton whirls dough into perfection to stretch the first layer of each pie.

 Kyle explained that Bella Luna offers more than the average cheese and marinara…they have a peperoni plus outlook.

 “Eating pizza everyday, you need something a little different—and it's the tastiest,” he said with a smile.

 Guests can build their own pizzas by choosing the style, size, base and toppings.

 With 8-inch, 14-inch, 18-inch and Chicogo Deep dish 16” pizzas, variety never falls short. The pizzeria and pub boasts red, pesto and ricotta bases with 28 toppings; and the severely hungry can sink their teeth into The Big 32.

 The 32-inch pie is perfect for little league teams, according to Kyle, as its cut into about 60, 3 by 3 square slices; beware, the menu challenges customers to pay nothing for the pizza if eaten by one person in less than an hour.

  With options of that size, some may assume that quality falls by the wayside like stray lettuce from the salad bar. But this pizza place leaves frozen ingredients to the other guys.

 “There's nothing in there that's not fresh,” Kyle explained. “We make the dough every day, slice the meat, chop the olives for the muffaletta, make our own sauce and buy the best mozzerella.

 The best of the best even means thinking outside the domestic. Bella Luna offers more than 50 beers, a variety of foreign and domestic, along with expert advice on beer and pizza pairings.

 On such example would be their Naked Pig pale ale with the Roma pizza. The pie offers, sausage, pepperoni, ham, ground beef and bacon. The ale brings an intensely hoppy flavor to cut through the Italian meats, according to Kyle.

  Another good blend, he said, is the Heegaarden Belgian White Beer with the Tuscany pizza—a mixture of feta cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, basil and pesto.

 And for the final grand pairing, Bella Luna's Orange Beach location will be joined by another in Gulf Shores around the second week in October, according to owner and new Orange Beach resident Rob Patterson.

 Kyle said the new restaurant will have a new cross-training program.

 “It won't be uncommon to be served by your chef,” he explained with an excited tone. “It's nice because there's a lot that's missed in between.”

 “You'll be able to see them making pizzas.

 “From sanitation to safety and just a quality product—it's all about the product and keeping people satisfied.

 “We want people to say, 'Wow! That's the best pizza on the island and it'll keep 'em coming back.”