A friend of mine recommended this quaint little Italian restaurant in Excelsior. He said he was a regular there. Since I was not to inclined to drive out to the Lake from downtown due to the gas prices and being skeptical I asked why he recommended it. While he noted the food and service was always on the mark the Owner and Chef actually care about the customers as guests and not as money in their pockets. I called to make a reservation and was surprised when the owner actually called me back to confirm my reservation. I said I was a friend of Tom Diamonte. Immediately the owner Mark said ""Oh, Tom and Dianne?"" I said ""Yes!"" He then said jokingly ""I'll just have to give you Tom and Dianne's table right in the window tonight."" I couldn't believe it! He didn't even know me and it was my first time in. Anyway, we showed up that night and Mark was there to greet my wife and myself with a warm welcome. He then proceeded to show us to out table in the window. \r
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We started with a pizza to share which was perfect. We shared the Citrus Salad. And by the way, when we asked to share the salad we did not get a dumbfounded stare like we did at Manny's one time when we asked to share a salad there. The salad was light and delicious! My wife was exited they had ""Small Plates"" since she is not a big eater. The Scallops were to die for she said. I had the filet which was actually better than the one I had at Manny's the week before! For dessert, we had the Panna Cotta which was so light it almost floated off the plate! A perfect ending until Mark came by with two glasses of Amarretto to enjoy saying that he appreciated us trying Biella out for the first time. And while enjoying our Amarretto I noticed Mark working his way around the room thanking the other guests for coming in. I also noticed the Chef talking to the table next to ours and answering questions about some of the dishes. This is truely a special place where your patronage is thoroughly appreciated!
Pros: Pride of Ownership, Great Customer Service, Unique Supurb Food
Cons: A little noisy at 7PM. Go a little later in the evening!
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