2010 Best of Sacramento Winner - Best Restaurant in Natomas

If the word “coffee” pops into your head when you hear “Bella Bru,” you may need to expand your thinking a bit. While Bella Bru does whip up a terrific cup of coffee, its skills have gone far beyond java and cinnamon roll production. Bella Bru’s bustling location in Natomas is a full-fledged restaurant, with a very interesting and ambitious menu that transcends the coffee house vibe with which it has been associated. The interior of the restaurant is lovely, with marble tables, warm latte and cream-colored walls, and swooping arched ceilings that evoke a Mediterranean ambience. Booths are comfy and the room is punctuated by unusual copper room dividers that add an extra dose of class to the space. You’ll find it difficult to avoid staring at the pastry cases as you order your food—the temptation is strong to eschew a square meal for a big slab of carrot cake or a slice of apple pie. But if you’re judicious, you can have it all. Breakfasts include the restaurant’s popular chorizo scramble (topped with roasted tomato salsa) and the indulgent Dungeness crab and avocado omelette; and of course there’s the sweet selections, like the intriguing cranberry walnut French toast and banana-stuffed cinnamon brioche to up that calorie count for the day. The sizeable lunch menu offers sandwiches, entrees, pizzas and salads – and ranges from a veal and mushroom meatloaf (over a Gruyère potato gratin) and a blackened mahi mahi sandwich to a Greek-inspired “Mezza plate,” piled with tzatziki, tabouleh, and hummus. Variety is the name of the game at Bella Bru, and customers like it—the place is packed at lunch. Dinner items are no less international in flavor – sample the “Exotic mushroom risotto” with sweet peas; or the Pacific Island chicken breast with pineapple-ginger soy glaze. It’s not all fancy-pants cuisine, however, you can always order up a big Bella Bru burger or plate o’ ribs (though they do come smeared with plum, lavender and whiskey barbecue sauce). If your tummy is rumbling in Natomas, Bella Bru is definitely the spot you need to visit. — Kira O'Donnell

Insider tip: Grilled pizza is one specialty at Bella Bru—vegetarians shouldn’t miss the vegetable pizza, covered with spinach pesto and piled thickly with artichoke hearts, roasted peppers, caramelized onions and kalamata olives.

Reservations: Recommended for parties of 5 or more

Payment methods: AmEx, Discover, MasterCard, Visa

Alcohol: Full Bar

Corkage fee: $10

Hours: Monday–Thursday: Breakfast 8–11 a.m.; Lunch 11 a.m.–5 p.m.; Dinner 5–9 p.m.
Friday: Breakfast 8–11 a.m.; Lunch 11 a.m.–5 p.m.; Dinner 5–10 p.m.
Saturday: Breakfast 8 a.m.–2 p.m.; Lunch 11 a.m.–5 p.m.; Dinner 5–10 p.m. (breakfast and lunch overlap)
Sunday: Breakfast 8 a.m.–2 p.m.; Lunch 11 a.m.–5 p.m.; Dinner 5–9 p.m. (breakfast and lunch overlap)