Restaurant "Grand Opening" signs are pretty common in downtown Mountain View, but even for Castro Street this change was fast. The new restaurant across from Books Inc. seemed to be Diyar Bistro & Wine Bar one day, Ristorante Bella Vita the next.The decor and a couple of servers from Diyar stayed on, so when you walk in, it feels very familiar. Adding to the confusion, the same owners have another Ristorante Bella Vita three miles away, in downtown Los Altos. (They also have a third restaurant, different name, in the East Bay.)
The Mountain View Bella Vita is about half the size of the one in Los Altos, which also has a wood-fired oven for baking focaccia, and a 2,000-bottle wine cellar. Los Altos has a full bar; Mountain View is in the process of getting a liquor license. The menus are the same. Still, one of my companions detected a lighter hand with the garlic in Mountain View.
Service at the new Bella Vita is very pleasant. Water is poured and plates are cleared with dispatch. At lunch, though, our waiter disappeared for a while. We happened not to be in a hurry. If you are, say so, or order food to go, a popular option.
The house-baked pita bread is available at lunch on the panini sandwiches, which go for $9.95 and $10.95 and touch all the bases: vegetarian, salmon, chicken breast and sausage. At dinner, the bread should have been fresher, warmer or both.
The house wine, Nathanson Creek, is not bad, especially at $5.95 for a hefty glass of Chardonnay, Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon. The Mountain View list offers a lot of bottles under $40.
The former tenant's wine bar and warm feeling remain. With the Tuscan yellow walls and faux painted scenery, it's like you're on the set of a play taking place in an Italian courtyard. At dinner, the white tablecloths come out but it's still a casual restaurant.
The recitation of daily specials takes a moment, always with a fish entree, risotto and pasta at lunch, adding an entree and occasional dessert at night. Popular specials include pappardelle with lobster cream sauce, beef short ribs in a mushroom Barolo wine sauce, and veal shank in a Marsala demi-glace. But the regular menu offers good choices in antipasti, primi and secondi, topping out at $15.95.
For starters, a heaping plate of calamari ($8.95) arrived hot and crisp. Lightly coated in crispy semolina, the rings and tentacles stayed tender, for dipping in a pleasant tartar sauce or drizzling with lemon. A refreshing patch of house green salad accompanied the seafood.
Salads and entrees were split at no extra charge. In the Caesar salad ($8.95), very fresh and cold romaine lettuce was dressed with a hint of anchovy and a good amount of Parmesan cheese. Fresh house-made croutons took to the corners of the square plates. The arugula salad ($8.95) also is very good.
Spaghetti Bolognese ($13.95) is made with ground veal, Chianti and plum tomato sauce. For texture, I preferred Penne alla Siciliana ($12.95), featuring chunks of roasted eggplant.
Secondi tap into the greatest hits of American Italian menu items. A plate of veal scallopine ($18.95) offered plenty of tender meat in Marsala sauce that could have used more mushrooms, as well as very good mashed potatoes and julienne vegetables.
Life is good, also, for tiramisu ($6.95). It's not one of those giant soggy sponges, but a sweet ending with distinct strokes of espresso, amaretto and creamy mascarpone.
While the corner of Castro and Dana streets has changed and changed again, the next-door restaurant has been a Mongolian barbecue for nearly 30 years. When it opened, my husband said confidently, "It'll never last."
