Vivi, ama, mangia (live, love, eat) at Bella Monica.
The best Italian restaurants don’t just churn out rich gravy and fresh, homemade noodles. The real magic is the feeling they evoke: like a dinner at Nonna’s house, where you’re treated less like a patron and more like someone they’ve been expecting—someone they adore. And that’s exactly what you walk into at Bella Monica.
Since 2000, the family-owned and -operated neighborhood trattoria has served as a living reminder that food, at its best, is as much an act of love as it is a craft. On any given visit to the beloved West Raleigh mainstay, you’ll often find chef Corbett Monica pouring himself into that day’s specials—and wife Julie Monica serving up orders with a smile. On birthdays, she’ll embellish your table with confetti and bring out a candle-dotted slice of flourless chocolate cake, presented with a swirl of raspberry sauce—exactly the sort of fussing-over you’d expect at Nonna’s house.
Whether cozied up in a booth, bellied up to the bar or lounging on the covered, heated patio, there’s a lived-in warmth to the experience—made all the more comforting with a bowl of pasta or perfectly charred pie.
Like the restaurant itself, the menu runs deep with time-tested family recipes. The eight-layer meat lasagna feels like a warm hug, the fan-fave gravy-topped baked ziti—which also comes gluten-free—is the kind of dish people order by muscle memory, and those pies and flatbreads are worth the trip alone. Bruschetta, soup, salad and traditional antipasti keep things classic, while sandwiches on sesame baguettes channel the kind of neighborhood lunch spot Raleigh doesn’t build much anymore.
Vino, dessert and coffee seal the deal, encouraging one more round of conversation—proof that while gathering around great food is the main event, it’s the time spent eating together that really matters most. So it’s no wonder the Olde Raleigh Village staple has become a second home for so many. bellamonica.com
The Bear’s Feast of the Seven Fishes episode was, to put it mildly, chaos (raise your hand if you’re still scarred). But Vivace’s own renowned annual feast promises zero yelling or drama—just seven courses of flawless fresh seafood dishes.
Now in its 15th year, the dinner began after a group of Catholic priests approached Vivace owner Kevin Jennings with a unique request to put together a special Christmas Eve menu for them. Nee-2005 and quickly establishing itself as a go-to, the Italian destination has become a regular for priests and plebeians alike, with the Feast of the Seven Fishes solidifying it as a go-to for the holidays.
Many Catholics ditch meat on Christmas Eve (and Fridays for that matter… anyone remember fish stick Fridays in the school cafeteria?). And, so, during this one night, nary a meatball or duck breast from Vivace’s usual fare will be found on the feast menu.
The culinary mastermind since the first pastoral plea, executive chef Ian Sullivan took designing a fish-forward menu in stride, adding the challenge of executing some unique and lesser-known Italian seafood specialities. With guests making the pilgrimage each year for seven fresh fishy dishes, he’s deigned never to (gasp!) repeat a dish, putting his heart and, ahem, sole (sometimes literally) into curating the annual feast.
And it’s not just any old seafood dish. “I really enjoy dishes with peasant-style fishes,” says Sullivan. One such dish on the menu this year is Sullivan’s brandade cakes with puttanesca sauce, where humble salted cod is elevated into sinfully delicious delicately fried croquettes.
Other delicacies like a tuna crudo and smoked swordfish salad also appear on this year’s menu—not to mention pasta, natch, in the form of spaghetti with crab and Calabrian chile. So, consider this your divine intervention to make a rez for the pre-holiday feast. $125, $30 for wine pairings, Dec. 24
