The Bello Blog
When Things Are Bad – Innovate More
It is normal that when revenues are down, businesses cut back on research and development. And it is no secret that things in the restaurant industry are about as bad as they’ve ever been. I’ve done the opposite of the normal thinking. I’ve been trying to use my time...
We Live in a Global Village – My New Hamachi Crudo
The Italian cuisine is a very old one. And while there are very traditional dishes, Italians have always tried new ingredients as they came available. Tomatoes, for example, were brought to Italy in the 1500s from America. We didn’t turn our noses at them for...
Sometimes You Have to Abandon Tradition
As an Italian, I am a huge believer in tradition. We have recipes that date back over a thousand years. There is a reason that all of them entered our tradition in the first place. Bresaola is a traditional cured meat that is very useful because it takes a less...
When A Great Idea Fails – Our Spectacular Failure: The Polenta Dessert
At Bello, we believe in taking chances and trying new things. Sometimes they work and sometimes they don’t. Most people post about things that work. I decided to post today about a spectacular failure. We made an amazing dessert whose base was polenta. We added...
The Ultimate Crudo Insanity
In business, it doesn’t make sense to do insane things … unless it does. But when one of your best friends is Mimmo Bruno, the guy who introduced burrata to the United States, sometimes the nonsensical makes perfect sense. And Mimmo said he wanted a Crudo dinner so...
Aqua Pazza as an Example of Six Sigma
As we all know, six sigma is a set of tools and techniques to improve processes with the goal of reducing defects. This is very important in restaurants where food is made under conditions of high pressure. My development of our award winning Aqua Pazza (Fish in...
The Entrepreneur’s Dilemma: Consistency Versus Innovation
In every business, entrepreneurs struggle to keep things consistent for customers vs trying to innovate and improve. It’s the same in the restaurant business. People want to know what to expect when they order a dish. Of course, they also want to be in a...
Our Italian Burger Voted Orange County’s Best Hamburger!
How do you make an Italian Hamburger? 1) pork not beef - beef is mostly a French thing except for Piedmont, which is next to France. 2) Tuna mayonnaise (we use this in Vitello Tonnato). 3) Salsa verde. 4) Roasted tomatoes. It's the best burger you'll ever eat! It...
A Special Evening with Mimmo Bruno of Di Stefano & Sandro
August 4 6:30 Dinner and Cheese Making Demonstration with Master Cheese maker Mimmo Bruno, the maestro of mozzarella. Limited Seats - please call 949-520-7191 to reserve. 1st Focaccia Di Recco Scarmorza & ‘Nduja 2nd Burrata Uni, Sea Salt, Lemon Zest & Extra...
Grazie LA Times for Covering Our Takeout!
Bello by Sandro Nardone Sandro Nardone, whose first Orange County venture was Angelina’s Pizzeria in Dana Point, opened his Newport Beach location only in November. He began by serving ambitious dishes like poached lobster with passion fruit and pickled onion or...