Biella

Moved to Greenwood in Feb and have eaten at Biella several times since. Great place to take a date. Love going there cause you can always expect great food and service. Good way to impress a date, ladies love it! more

Let's be honest, Biella offers amazing food for one \r \r reason only: The REAL chef, MADI AMIRA. I have \r \r been to Biella several times in the past. I only \r \r noticied an incredible difference when a new chef de cusine started in 2008. His creativity and simply tasteful Tuscan dishes put him at the top of my list in \r \r Minneapolis, St. Paul dining. I can say without a doubt who actually creates the food at Biella. If I come to the resturant on a day when Madi is not in charge, I know it will not be as good of an experience. I have had the chance to meet with him personally a couple times and know his more than 8 years of cooking experience in Florence, Italy is what sets him apart. \r \r I also think it's pretty obvious from reviews below \r \r (i.e. ""We would like to apologize for our boss."" and \r \r Never go there unless you want to be berated!!!! ) why \r \r he doesn't get the credit he deserves.\r \r But back to the food, as that is most important. Madi's \r \r pastas, seafood and espcially his homemade Tiramasu are \r \r the best in Minnesota. Chef Madi creates dishes that \r \r leave me coming for more and I would continue to go \r \r where he cooks. That's the real story. more

I have worked in the restaurant/hotel biz since 1981 and normally not that impressed with MN dining. The food is usually good but service at most establishments is lacking as far as attentiveness and personality of waitstaff. \r I ate dinner tonight at the bar and was pleasantly surprised by friendly, professional service and three-course meal I had. The first course was a nice, crisp Ceasar Salad and the Romaine was covered with just the right amount of dressing. Second course was a delicious lamb entree that had potatoes as well as carrots with it and was cooked perfect medium-rare. The dessert was quite the finish as I had a chocolate souffle cake with vanilla ice-cream that was out of this world! Wow, what a great dessert.\r I read some of the earlier reviews and having worked with some of the best chefs in the states in Fla, Hawaii, and Alaska I wonder if Minnesotans are really more eaters then actual diners. I found Biella's to be friendly and my server Dave was entertaining and yet very professional. I think Minnesotans should relax, go out to eat during the week if your afraid of crowds and learn to dine! Either that or eat at Perkins as Biella's is awesome and definitely impressed me! Pros: Food and Professional Waitstaff more

My wife and I met another couple there for diner. I forgot our servers name, but she was very informative and didn't overly check in with us, but instead let us enjoy ourselves and our outstanding meals. My wife still talks about her pasta dish (we ate there a week ago) and our friends want to meet up there again asap. Also, the owner stopped by our table to see how our experience/meals were and was very courteous (He even offered to buy us a glass of wine at the bar after our diner). We've never gotten this kind of service before and were all impressed. I particularly enjoyed our servers wine recommendation which was matched perfectly with my entree. Can't wait to dine there again! Pros: very smooth dining experience Cons: a little loud when busy more

I have dined at Biella a few times and always enjoyed my experience. Last night when my friend called me and asked if I wanted to go to happy hour at Biella I couldn't turn it down, I had no idea they had a happy hour! We each had a glass of wine and some apps. I was very surprised by the large portions, we assumed they would be small so we ordered 4 apps to share and couldn't finish it all we were so stuffed. Our bartender, Kyle, had a full bar but was still extremely attentive and personable and the owner Mark also was very nice. Mark helped make room for us at the bar since there was only 2 chairs, not together, left to sit at. I have always enjoyed Biella as a place to go with a date or to bring somebody who loves food like myself but I never thought to go there for a great happy hour. Thanks Biella, once again you made my night! Pros: Food, Service, Price...everything more

I discovered Biella early last fall, and have become a regular there. The staff is friendly, cordial and informative, especially regarding the food they provide and also with their knowledge of many types of accompanying wines or other beverages. The food is always top-notch, and the chef is very expressive with his menus of tasty dishes and entrées. Lot's of 'wow-factors' present in their offerings. I've always enjoyed myself at this very classy place that constantly reminds me of bistros and classic small restaurants of Europe. The decor is warm and inviting, the place is always clean, and most weekends, it's a vibrant, exciting place to meet friends, share some good wine and great food. I can't say enough regarding my dealings with the excellent staff and management of this classy place in this classy small town. Pros: Best place to meet up with friends at the bar Cons: Because it's relatively small, it can get crowded when busy more

I visited Biella with my parents and was not only blown away with the impeccable service but the food? To die for. We were greeted by an incredibly friendly host, asked if we'd like a glass of wine, and seated at the bar for a few minutes while our table near the kitchen was readied. The head chef came out (as we did the tasting menu) to ensure everything was above par. Without question, it was one of the most enjoyable meals I've had in quite some time. Five starts, hands down, to the proprietor, his staff and, most importantly, the head chef Raul Templonuevo. Pros: Competition for the best Italian in Minneapolis more

Our experience at Biella was exceptionable and memorable. We had a group of about 13 for a birthday party. They put us in a nice area towards the back which felt very private and they even added a special touch of flowers to the table which was extremely thoughtful. The owner Mark Nazigan seated our group and was very friendly and pleasant. It was nice to see that he made a point to greet every table and make sure each guest was enjoying their experience. Our server was very knowledgable on the food and wine. They had a fabulous sea bass special which Chef Raul seared perfectly. After sharing a few small plates such as mussels, baked brie, scallops and a fabulous flatbread each course was spaced out perfectly so we didn't feel rushed or full. We had a chance to socialize giving us a chance to breath and anticipate what was next. I would recommend the tiramasu for dessert. It is one of the chefs grandmothers recipe from Italy and you could tell it was authentic and above average!!! Prices were extremely reasonable as well with most entrees under $20. All in all, fantastic restaurant, great ambiance, and accomodating staff!!! We will be back!!! Pros: Fabulous food and excellent service more

We had 12 people for a birthday party.The staff was very accommodating and knowledgeable. We tried many dishes from the delicious mussels, salads, short ribs, pasta, halibut and sampled many desserts. The food was exceptional and the executive chef Raul cooked everything perfectly. The atmosphere of Biella is so charming! We will definitely make Biella one of our favorite places to dine out. Thank you to the great staff for making this an awesome experience! Pros: Excellent Service and Fabulous Food more

My family and I came into Biella on a weeknight and had a wonderful time. We were welcomed at the door by the owner, Mark. The atmosphere in the dining room was very warm and appealing. Our server, Judy, was very friendly and helpful explaining items on the menu. We ordered salad, scallops, pizza, and cheesecake...all were outstanding!!! Thank you for a wonderful eveining out. We will be back to dine with you!! Pros: Superior service and food!! more

I couldn't believe this place was in Minnesota! When my group arrived we were not only greeted by the owner but two other employees welcomed us. I never had that happen. First of all the decor is not only historic by utterly charming. The place was buzzing in a nice way and it was a Monday! We had a drink at the bar at which the bartender was friendly and professional! He really knew his wines and liquors. He suggested the Marktini invented by the owner. If you like Cosmo's you'll LOVE this drink! Everyone we talked to at the bar was either a local or a regular. They couldn't stop raving of this little find. We finally sat down and our server Angus was also professional and attentive. He was from Scotland and actually was one of the Queen's servers at one time. I loved his accent. I think my husband was jealous. The food was perfect. I had the mussel appetizer and the Manhattan Fillet. For $23 it was a steal. You would pay double that downtown for JUST the steak. We had trouble picking a dessert as the server told us ALL were homemade. When we left we were thanked by our server and the owner personally thanked us himself. Even David the bartender thanked us and held the door for me on the way out. Now that was class. This place is as good as you'd find in Boston, New York or San Francisco. I'll be back and will probably become a regular as well! Pros: Great food, reasonable prices, first rate service Cons: Hard to get in on weekends more

The birthday dinner mentioned in the last review was my first and probably last dining experience at Biella. Might go back for the tiramisu but that's it. The food was ok but cold and nothing special. \r It was nice that the manager gave my niece a price break but she (and the chef) could have solved the problem from the very beginning of the evening. They were friendly people but all demonstrated lack of customer service (obviously part of the culture). She told them what was promised by the boss. All they had to do was make it happen.... and they didn't. The requests should have been doable even on the fly. It's not like the place was really busy! Pros: awesome tiramisu Cons: food, customer service more

With my mom's 60th birthday approaching, I wanted to plan a special evening. I live and work in the Netherlands but was able to arrange a brief visit to Minnesota. More than a month in advance, I booked a reservation at Biella for Sunday, October 4th at 6pm. I spoke with Biella's proprietor and general manager, Mark, who told me about a number of special options that he could arrange. We decided on a 5-course taster's menu and he said they could make a special tiramisu for seven people and serve it with candles. Mark promised to create the taster's menu and send the details along with a price estimate before the evening of the dinner. I also told him we might take advantage of the happy hour (I understood it ran until 6:30pm on Sundays) and he said fine. After that I never heard back from him, though I tried to call a few times before the big night. However, I'd already sent a number of emails and we'd spoken on the phone twice - I felt sure that he would follow through. We arrived on Sunday and my dad went to check on the reservation. It was there, though it was listed as a ""60th wedding anniversary party."" Neither the wait staff nor Raul, the executive chef, had heard about a taster's menu being prepared for our party. They said we could just order off the regular menu. I said we'd like to see what was available for happy hour but were then told it only applied for those sitting at the bar (why didn't Mark mention this to me when I expressed interest?). The waiter brought wine and poured the glasses too big so he had to open another bottle in order to fill my mom's glass (a bottle which we wouldn't have ordered otherwise, and didn't finish). He also delivered an appetizer we hadn't ordered, and bothered us continually to keep ordering food so the meal could be ""timed"" right. But the service was really the least of the problems. Then the tiramisu. The waiter asked me if he should take other dessert orders or just bring out the tiramisu. Of course just the tiramisu - it was for seven people, right? Well, a piece came out with a candle and was placed in front of my mom. We sang, she blew out the candle, and we waited. Ten minutes passed and it became apparent that no seven-person tiramisu was on its way. At this point I went and spoke to the manager for the evening who did provide us with more tiramisu and gave me a discount on the meal. This was the only redeeming part of the evening. This experience was completely outrageous. Mark has demonstrated an utter lack of interest in his guests and has lost at least seven future customers (my family are locals). Even the staff seem to recognize his incompetence - I was told that ""we would like to apologize for our boss."" I will never eat at this restaurant again, and urge anyone seeking to create a special occasion to avoid it like the plague. Pros: looks great on paper Cons: everything else more

We had the misfortune to pick this restaurant for our 21st wedding anniversary. Food was bad, undercooked, and inedible. Service was excruciatingly slow when we were in a rush with a play to catch. The server knowing our timeline told us five minutes before we needed to leave that our main entrees were not ready and that she could pack it for us. We said that they knew the timelines we were under and should just remove the cost of those items and we would be leaving without them. The owner yelled at the server and came to confront us. He told us that good food had to be prepared and that we could not realistically expect that it would be prepared in our needed timelines. He did not respond when asked why the server took the order knowing our timelines and the restaurant's inability to meet them. Food was brought out uncooked and we were forced to pay. The server and the owner were extremely rude. The appetizers were not appealing. The owner knew this was our anniversary and did his best to destoy our special evening. Pros: Location Cons: Poor service, confrontational owner/manager, bad food more

Fun happy hour, great scallops, amazing pasta, fresh fish and best cheesecake in town. Stags Leap priced great. Service was professional and knowledgeable. We will be back. Oh, cute host. Pros: love love the scallops Cons: our evening had to end more

Best food in Minnesota!!!!! Amazing chef, excellent atmosphere, terrific service!!!! The bartender made me the best expresso martini I ever had. One of the best restaurants my family has gone to in years. Just want to say thanks, Biella keep up the good work. Pros: Food, service, martinis Cons: Cant eat there 7 days a week more

You have to try the ""best "" Italian restaurant in the Twin Cities. The intimate yet energetic atmosphere is just like being in Tuscany with exposed brick walls, fabulous food and great service. The chicken Ravello is AMAZING!!! Biella deserves 10 stars!!! Pros: Food, service, ambience, cost more

Every time I arrive at Biella I am assaulted by wonderful smells and new tasty entree's, my favorite thing about the restaurant is the menu that changes and new dishes that the suburbs have never seen. I went in on Monday and had the asian chicken salad, something you wouldn't usually see in an Italian restaurant, it was amazing. The napa cabbage was fresh and crunchy the salad has more then enough chicken and the housin sauce blended acidity and sweetness to perfection. The best part was Biella offered my friend and I movie tickets to the local theater, every Monday the owner is giving movie tickets to customers in a dinner and a movie promotion. I defiantly will be back often on Mondays and in the future. Pros: Parking, service, great variety Cons: some menus can be hard to read and can be loud on the weekends more

Wow! This dining experience was excellent and the food was superb. I was with 3 other people and we all tried each others food - everything was excellent from the creamy artichoke dip appetizer, to the crisp arugula salad (with goat cheese and raisins - I was skeptical about the raisins but they added a great flavor), to the creamy risotto with seafood, to the fish special - swordfish with olive tapenade - to the almond pannacotta with pureed kiwi topping - again skeptical of the combo but it was fantastic! The wine list was extensive. Great customer service as well! We will definitely be going back. more

We love to find and frequent unique owner/chef run restaurants. Fortunately, the Twin Cities has a lot offer in that category. Still, we live in the western suburbs and have struggled to find a place ?out by us? that we can fall in love with. We tried Biella when it first opened and thought it was good, but it seemed to go through a period where it was less than stellar ? lots of turn-over ? particularly with Chefs. Great News: We gave it another shot and are quickly becoming ?regulars?. The original chef is back, the bar and wait staff are seasoned and personable ? and the food is out-of-this-world. The steak tartar is the best we?ve found and daily pasta specials are unique and always beautiful. Two thumbs up from a couple that has tried them all! more