Changing My Tutta Bella Tune

Tutta Bella - Authentic Italian Classics (4 Stars)
http://www.tuttabella.com

In finding a restaurant that'd have a bit of what both Ryan and I wanted for dinner, we settled on Tutta Bella. As I mentioned in a previous review, I found their pizza crust to be soggy, but their tiramisu divine. My feelings toward their pizza definitely changed during this dining experience.

The Insalata di Mista is my favorite salad at Tutta Bella. The greens, red onions, white beans (really unusual), olives, roasted red peppers, and the carrots are a crunchy, creamy, hearty blend of veggies topped with a really sharp, tasty white balsamic vinaigrette. The large is definitely family style large and would serve two easily (possibly three to four). If you don't finish the salad during your dinner sitting, don't take it home as the vinaigrette ensures it won't be worth eating the next day.

Ryan and I ordered the same pizza: Campania (Pomodora San Marzano tomatoes, chicken sausage, cured olives, garlic, red chili flakes, basil, and Grana Padano, along with fresh mozzarella), though he also decided to half-and-half his with the Tutta Bella (sausage, Pomodora San Marzano tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, roasted onions, roasted mushrooms, and Grana Padano). I was a good bit surprised by the stiffness of the crust this time. It adequately held up to the sufficient (if not overly ample) toppings, and could be folded and brought to your mouth without losing its delicious toppings all over your plate and lap. The outer crust was crispy and chewy, with a very mild flavor and it seemed like a much better overall pizza than the last time I had dined here. That said, you may have a more mixed experience than we did depending on who's in the kitchen.

In keeping with my "this is the best Tiramisu anywhere" claim, we had to try Filomena's Tiramisu. It can easily serve two (unless you're especially dessert greedy) and is definitely worth it. Ryan commented that the espresso soaked sponge cake "didn't taste as much like coffee as he had expected", so don't fear if coffee isn't your favorite flavor. The mascarpone cream is very light and airy and topped with a generous dusting of shaved chocolate. For those of you who are iffy about alcohol in your desserts, I could barely taste the rum and Frangelico which probably means it's extremely light as I don't drink often and alcohol tends to shout at me in a dish.

Overall, I had to increase my rating for Tutta Bella from 3.5 Stars up to 4 Stars as the pizza was definitely better than it had been previously and the salads and dessert never disappoint.