As the city continues to expand, many of the new restaurants are opening in the far northeast and northwest parts of town. While that upsets many people that only those two areas get the love, I try not to let that get to me. Trying something new doesn’t have to always be top priority or be a rite of passage to make you the cool foodie. While I do love trying new places, I cannot forget about the gems we already have. West street is an area of town that doesn’t get enough love. There are so many delicious eats and one of them is Bella Vita Bistro.
=====================
120 N West St, Wichita, KS 67203
316-941-4500
Monday – Thursday: 5pm – 8pm
Friday – Saturday: 5pm – 9pm
Closed on Sunday
Website | Facebook
Cash/Card Accepted
=====================
Bella Vita Bistro specializes in Italian food, with a focus on Northern Italian and French Continental, in a charming atmosphere. It makes for a nice intimate date night or quiet relaxing evening where you can surround yourselves with friends and family and easily hear each other at the dinner table.
For this particular visit though, I did neither of the two. I was running solo for the night and opted to get some carryout. After looking for some suggestions, I went with the blackened shrimp over spaghetti aglio e olio. It was basically an olive and roasted garlic spaghetti. Their soup du jour was a coconut clam chowder which sounded amazing and was added to my order.
It was the exact comfort dish I was looking for. I loved the firmer texture of the spaghetti noodles and the spiced up charred shrimp that gave the dish a slight bit of heat. This dish didn’t require an overuse of sauce to mask the flavors. It was a simple, yet perfectly paired pasta dish that made me want to crawl into bed immediately after.
BUT I still had the soup. I love clam chowder and this version of coconut clam chowder was a very pleasant alternative. It was creamy, hearty and full of big chunks of clam swimming around. This would have been perfect as a meal by itself, but I decided to go full pig out mode and eat both.
In a city full of delicious restaurants, Bella Vita is often one of those that gets overlooked and I think part of that is due to the fact that it’s on West Street. People think fine steakhouses, restaurants in New Market, Bradley Fair, College Hill when it comes to date nights or a classy meal. Don’t sleep on Bella Vita Bistro. Whether it’s Italian food, date night, a quiet place to eat or just a delicious meal, this is one spot worth adding in your rotation. They can match all the popular spots on service and quality of food.
Here’s the menu:
Happy Dining,
Eddy
To nominate your restaurant or event to be considered for a review, please email us with your restaurant information. We are always open to suggestions.
Want to help support the continuing content of Wichita By E.B.?
