While we can’t always book a flight to our favourite destination, luckily the delicious cuisine we crave can be found close to home.
Sudbury’s Bella Vita Cucina is known for its traditional and authentic Italian dishes. People visit to experience good food prepared well and to celebrate life’s biggest and most important occasions.
“People that come here find a family that brings all the love and the authentic flavours of traditional Italian dishes,” says owner and chef Filippo Rocca.
“We make everything from scratch with all fresh ingredients, from our bread and pizza dough to our pasta (lasagna, gnocchi, ravioli), dessert (tiramisu, crème brulée cheesecake) and sauces—everything has the real Italian taste. Our whole family is involved in this business and we all came straight from Calabria in the south of Italy to bring our experience and background to customers here in Sudbury.” Filippo’s mom makes each piece of pasta by hand; it’s the perfect illustration of their dedication to quality and authenticity. “We stick to the original and traditional methods.”
This is a place where everyone is welcome. Front of house staff have created a warm environment where guests instantly feel at home. They pay close attention to diners’ needs, something loyal customers can attest to. Two of their regulars, Paulina and Bill, for example, have a preferred table, time and drink—the kitchen already knows and is ready with a warm welcome.
“Guests become part of our family, as if we are hosting them in our home. This is what we love to do, give our customers a special place where they will feel at home.”
Hosting a celebration at a restaurant—whether it’s a gathering for friends, family or co-workers for an event (a birthday, anniversary or milestone) or a holiday—comes with lots of advantages. You know both the food and the service will be of the highest quality, and you can spend more time in the moment, enjoying your guests and being a part of the celebrations.
To make things even easier, the culinary team has created a family-style menu for special occasions. “It is very popular and people love it because they can create their own menu for a special occasion or a simple get-together,” says Filippo. “It gives staff the opportunity to plan everything ahead and make their event feel more welcoming.”
“It does requiring planning a little bit in advance, but all of our customers who have dined with us family-style always leave super satisfied and very happy,” he says.
Filippo was born in a village where his parents and grandparents grew fresh vegetables and herbs, made their own olive oil, wine, salami and cheese, and raised their own animals. “I was raised knowing what something fresh tastes like,” he says, so he is very particular when sourcing ingredients. He went to culinary school for four years before he came to Canada and worked in Italian restaurants while attending school. “Because of my schooling and my background, I can recognize good ingredients.”
He goes that extra mile to provide customers with high quality food. Sometimes this means rolling up his sleeves and doing things himself when he can’t find a product that meets his high standards, like planting his own basil plants to make the right basil pesto or making his own preservative-free cured meats and homemade sausage in house. It’s all behind-the-scenes stuff that diners may not ever be aware of, but that kind of attention to detail is the chef’s way of honouring his roots.
No matter what the occasion, enjoy a little bit of Italy at Bella Vita Cucina. Visit the restaurant online at Bella Vita Cucina or follow them on Facebook.