by Rob Balon

Chef and owner Steven Loiacano is very proud of Bellagio, his sumptuous Italian restaurant at the entrance to Jester Estates off 2222. And he should be. The place exudes old world charm along with new world culinary sensibilities. It is at once elegant and sophisticated, yet eminently inviting.

And on top of that, they make their own pasta. What more can one ask for?

Bellagio opened in May of 1999 and has been a fixture in northwest Austin ever since. Chef Steven hails from upstate New York, a useful pedigree for a chef who cooks Italian, and was trained at the renowned Johnson and Wales Academy in Rhode Island. But he has adapted his skills perfectly to the Austin palate, mine included.
Those skills were in evidence on our last visit. We began with a delightful Scungilli, an east coast mollusk very similar in taste and texture to conch. If not cooked perfectly, they can be dense and chewy. But the chef delivered, and the scungilli came to our table in a pasta bowl covered with a mellow and savory marinara sauce. Ask for this dish in advance as it’s not on the regular menu.

We also had several excellent salads. One was the Insalata Nichetti, which is Bellagio’s version of the caprese salad. The fresh spinach was delicate, and the balance of balsamic vinegar and olive oil was irresistable. The other salad we tried is new, called Insalata Mandorio (which means almonds in Italian). It featured cranberries tossed with sliced almonds, gorgonzola cheese, and field greens in a raspberry vinaigrette. This was lip pursing, sparkling flavor. Order it.

And you must try Bellagio’s calamari. Served with a lovely tomato pesto, the taste of these baby squid is exquisito.

For dinner entrees, we chose to start with the Chicken Saltimbocco. What a good choice! The dish features a chicken breast sauteed with carmelized onions, fresh prosciutto, mozzarella cheese and marsala wine. Served with an almost perfect polenta, the synergy of the diverse pairings in this dish leads to nearly flawless presentation and taste. And of course there is the amazing Veal Osso Buco, a braised veal shank done in an absolutely delicious and fulsome burgundy reduction sauce. This classic Italian dish is tender and savory. Don’t forget to use the tiny fork provided to scoop out the marrow from veal bone.

Another great dish at Bellagio is the Homemade Ravioli. It’s fun to watch them make the ravioli and it’s an even bigger treat to taste it. That night it was stuffed with seafood, and it was a blast. The pasta is appropriately al dente and the Sicilian sauce, a tomato based sauce more on a broth scale, has onions, peppers and celery along with clam juice and chef Steve’s personal mixture of spices. Again, strong recommendation.

Bellagio is about innovation and passion for cooking, and about boatloads of happy and loyal customers. This is the kind of place that, once you try it, you’ll find yourself going back often. The nightly specials are amazing and the place just bubbles with the creative energy of chef Loiacano. Hope to see you there, food fans.

Bellagio
6507 Jester Blvd.
(512) 346-8228
Mon-Fri 11 am-2 pm
Mon-Sat 5 pm-10 pm

–From the October 2004 Austin Review