BELLO Reinvents Italian Lunch with ‘Lento o Veloce’

Since opening in November, BELLO by Sandro Nardone in Newport Beach has become known for its blend of traditional authentic and modern Italian food. And today, Bello is debuting its lunch menu.

“While our dinner menu is meant to present an experience that you would find at a top restaurant in Italy, we’re doing something a bit more casual during lunch,” said Bello Chef/Owner Sandro Nardone. “It’s called Lento o Veloce because we want guests to be able to come in and eat lunch in forty-five minutes or less, which we know is important if they have limited time to grab a bite.”

BELLO’s Lento o Veloce menu will also be available for take-away, with options that will travel well and maintain the integrity of the dish.

“Of course, if you want to enjoy a longer, relaxing lunch, have a meeting, or a social gathering, you can stay as long as you like – the option is there for the guest,” added Nardone, who is Italian born and trained.

BELLO’s lunch menu is divided into four sections: salads, sandwiches, pizza and pasta. In addition to the pizza, which is only available at lunch, BELLO Chef de Cuisine Frank DeLoach has added a few other whimsical lunch-only dishes to speak to the current lunchtime dining trends, including a Fried Chicken Sandwich with sweet and spicy Calabrian peppers and house-made pickles.

“We’re definitely approaching the lunch menu with the same love and care that we do at dinner,” explained Nardone. “However, we want our lunch service to have its own identity, and that’s why we’ve taken our time to launch a well thought out menu with care.”

Other creative lunch dishes include a house-made Brandade (pureed salted cod) Salad, Fried Octopus & Nduja, house-made Porchetta Sandwich, and a Chicken Conserva. BELLO’s lunch menu utilizes the season’s finest, freshest and most flavorful ingredients available, whether from land or sea.

“I’m really proud of the Chicken Conserva,” noted DeLoach. “We slow cook the chicken until it’s just done so that it retains its flavor and texture.  We then lightly season it with lemon and really good olive oil. Simply put, it’s incredibly good chicken – I could eat it every day.”

Lunch service will be offered daily from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., More information, including menu and reservations, can be found at bellobysandronardone.com.

BELLO by Sandro Nardone is at 1200 Bison (at MacArthur) in Newport Beach..