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Bella Notte, Lexington

Bella Notte

DINNER

Lexington, United States

APPETIZER

DESSERT

About this restaurant

DINNER

APPETIZER

DESSERT

Rustic Italian trattoria known for its wood-fire-grilled meats, freshly baked bread, pastas & wines.

Recipes

Lexington

Location

14 Recipes from Bella Notte

Pappardelle Bolognese

Inspired by bellanotte

Pappardelle is a wide and thick fettuccine shaped pasta noodle seen often in northern Italy and traditionally served with Bolognese sauce. We make our own semolina egg yolk pasta dough fresh in house and cut our own noodles by hand. Our bolognese is a creamy Northern Italian ragout of ground veal, pork and bacon, simmered for hours with milk, white wine, carrots, onion, celery and herbs, finished with a splash of cream, shaved parmesan and our own homemade wood charred ciabatta bread.

Veal Valdosta

Inspired by bellanotte

Tender veal cutlet, breaded and “country- fried” until golden brown, served with a sauce we make from cream, fontina cheese and white truffle oil. Gnocchi is a dumpling made from potatoes and flour. White truffles are regarded as the rarest and most expensive food in the world, only available during a few winter months, wild foraged from the mountains of Alba Italy, usually selling for around $2800.00 per pound!

40m

Pom Pom Salmon

Inspired by bellanotte

Pom-pom refers to the use of pomegranate. This is a 7 ounce piece of hand-cut wood-fire grilled salmon, basted and caramelized with pomegranate molasses, served atop a puree of vanilla sweet potatoes with cream cheese, lemon juice and a splash of bourbon vanilla. Paired with a chilled slaw of fresh shaved fennel, arugula and ruby grapefruit.

45m

Crispy Chicken Salad

Inspired by bellanotte

This seasons blend of greens we are naming “café greens” in anticipation of our new restaurant in development, that this will be a new salad for. A fresh mix of carrot, radicchio, kale, romaine and red leaf lettuces with hard boiled hens egg, roasted pancetta (Italian bacon), smoked and candied peanuts, heirloom cherry tomatoes and our homemade version of ranch dressing. Topped with a honey herb brined chicken breast, that has been hand dipped in spice seasoned flour and buttermilk then fried until crispy.

1h 30m

Coffee & Doughnuts

Inspired by bellanotte

The classic pairing reinvented. Our signature cooked-to-order ricotta doughnuts tossed in cinnamon sugar paired with fresh made espresso gelato from Sorella’s and a dollop of fresh whipped cream.

Perfect Lemon Tart

Inspired by bellanotte

Rarely do we use the word perfect to describe a dish. This is the exception! We define what makes a lemon pie great and worked to push that greatness to the edge. A filling of silky smooth egg lemon custard is the star, topped with rich and creamy Italian meringue all held together with a buttery almond sable crust.

Braised Fennel

Inspired by bellanotte

We have taken a few humble, wintery vegetables that are typically used in supporting roles and made them the star. Whole fennel bulbs, slowly braised in chicken broth and herbs, served chilled with spicy tangerine vinaigrette, apple cider vinegar cured celery branch, crispy prosciutto and candied orange.

Smoked Salmon

Inspired by bellanotte

A new take on a classic. House-cured and smoked salmon fillet from our wood-burning oven over a salad of marble potatoes marinated in our own homemade preserved apricot dijon vinaigrette. To balance the spice from the salmon cure, we pair with house-pickled shallots, crispy fried capers and a dollop of sour cream with chives.

Veal Braciole

Inspired by bellanotte

Meaning a stuffed, rolled steak, this is Bella’s version of the classic southern Italian home-style Sunday meal. We start with veal steak cut into a scallopini (flat/thin) and layer it with peppered bacon, golden raisins, garlic breadcrumbs and toasted pine nuts, rolled and covered with a Sicilian-inspired sauce of crushed tomatoes, chianti wine, kalamata olives, living basil, onions and herbs, slowly braised for hours until “fork-tender”. Served over soft polenta (Italian “grits”) prepared fresh from locally grown and milled corn from Louismill in Louisville.

Winter Gnocchi

Inspired by bellanotte

Gnocchi are tender potato dumplings that are served light and fluffy. We sear them in rich and nutty brown butter with cremini and shiitake mushrooms, boiled chestnuts, roasted pancetta and cave-aged gorgonzola dolce DOP. We add the cheese at the end and gently toss just to warm through.

Chocolate Brownie Sundae

Inspired by bellanotte

The ultimate gooey, fudgy brownie sundae! Starts with our signature malted milk dark fudge brownie served warm with a scoop of malted milk gelato from Sorella’s, our own homemade honey oat granola, salted caramel sauce and a tart amarena cherry from Italy.

30m

Winter Salad

Inspired by bellanotte

This season’s blend of greens we are naming “café greens” in anticipation of our new restaurant in development, that this will be the new house salad for. A fresh mix of carrot, radicchio, kale, romaine and red leaf lettuces with hard-boiled hens egg, roasted pancetta (Italian bacon), homemade cornbread croutons and sweet mustard dressing.

50m

Lentil Soup

Inspired by bellanotte

A comforting soup that eats like a meal! Chicken broth is the base with puy lentils, italian sausage, tomatoes and spinach. Light and hearty at the same time with a garnish of our own homemade cornbread croutons.

24h

Espresso Almond Pork Chop

Inspired by bellanotte

24-hour brined 12-ounce shoulder chop, butchered in house from pork raised at Stone Cross Farms. Wood fire grilled with an espresso almond rub. Served with a chilled salad of chianti wine and spice poached pears, arugula, gorgonzola dolce, spiced walnuts, pomegranate seeds and honey balsamico.

Bella Notte

Lexington, United States · DINNER

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