Bella's Pizza- where old Pietros used to be
Hey friends! I haven't been on here in a while! I hope everyone is doing well:) I felt the need to come on and write about Bella's Pizza after going there with my parents. Bella's is owned by the same gentleman who owns Benito's in Chester and is located across from Target where Pietros used to be. Benito's is my parents FAVORITE restaurant so when we heard Bella's was opening we had to try it. Well... It's AMAZING. The food is so fresh and the pasta I got (which was rigatoni sautéed in a light marinara sauce with onions and prosciutto) was AMAZING. We also got a pizza to share as an appetizer. Their pizzas are all gourmet thin crust. We tried plain pizza and eggplant, tomato, and ricotta. Their pizza, in my opinion, is THE BEST in town.
This place is such an addition to the town. PLEASE check it out! I would love for the gentleman to do well there as he is so nice and welcoming and the food is out of this world. Give a new place a try:)
Anom Thanks, Anom. I kept meaning to post asking if anyone had tried Bella's. We're in Peachtree and while Pietro's was not my favorite, it did in a pinch. We'll have to try the new place. If it's good we'll be there often.
Aquarius I like this place too. I would goto Bella's in Chester to get pizza as I love the thin crust pie, but I'm very happy that we now have one in htown.
sack
Coralie It doesnt seem to be in the best location. Especially with no Blockbuster around.
Good luck to them but IMHO they should have picked a better spot. At least on the corner where Blockbuster was so there would be a possibility of seeing the place from 46.
TM
Troublemaker This past week I had Bella's thin crust pizza twice! I am not a thin crust pizza type of gal, but I did enjoy Bella's. It may just be that I am sick of all the pizza around town and it was nice to try a new place. They will be getting my business again.
aaeadena 
Erik B. Anderson 
icicle We were in there a few weeks ago....beyond our expectations and very reasonably priced. This is NO way compares to a pizza joint like Pietros was...not that Pietros isn't missed when you want a decent pizza.
Casual, but genuine, dining. Definitely authentic northern Italian cuisine--- not the goopy, gross red sauces and sticky cheeses. Actual veal and not pounded pork cutlets...Excellent food and service.
Gen3Townie I'm so happy to hear that there is a GOOD pizza joint in town!! I will be going soon to try out the pizza.
Iris Gen3Townie, are you suggesting that there are restaurants out there disguising pork as veal? I find that highly disturbing.
Tracy We ate there late Saturday afternoon and the food was delicious. I had the veal parm dinner and the wifey had the grilled chicken salad. The veal parm was the best I've had in this area. The Caprese appetizer we had was also good. They didn't make any changes to the interior of the place from what I remember of the old Pietros.
kb2755 
Calico696 
alpha1beta Tracy and Calico, that is true. I was once told by the owner of a restaurant (not in this area) that MOST restaurants do use pork cutlets pounded very thin and pass them off as veal. He said it is so much cheaper and with the sauce and cheese, no one can tell the difference. I was needless to say, shocked. I have asked if it is actually veal when I've ordered veal parm in other restaurants and have always been told it was veal. But to be perfectly honest, I wasn't sure. It tasted like veal, but it could have been pork too.
Tanya Tanya - That is just wrong! Some people do not/cannot eat pork due to religious reasons. I would think that something like that would be illegal to do. It's false advertising at the very least. SMH
Antimony Agreed Calico. I can't believe this is done. I was told this by my friend about 20 years ago. Perhaps it isn't done anymore. So many people have food allergies and I would hope things have changed. But it is apparently true, at least was in the past.
I asked my son about the pork substituted for veal and he said its never been done where he has worked. He has worked in many high end restaurants in NYC and many low end places.
Christine I know somebody who gets violently sick on pork and, of course, they never eat Pork. So, I hope, this substitution never happens at any restaurant.
MrsPipes I asked my husband and he answered the same as Christine's son. Never where he worked. But he said, he has heard of it. He also said it's something that smaller, less busy restaurants would do to save money.
I don't doubt the substitution has been done at some restaurants but to state that "most" do it, I find that hard to believe. You can definitely taste and see the difference between veal and pork.
emaxxman Ageed, emaxxman. It would take an awful lot of cheese and sauce to pass pork off as veal.
It would also take a lot of Rocky Mountain Oysters....
It might have been the case 20 years ago, but today they are so careful with the licenses and permits, you could easily be shutdown. There aren't many that would take that kind of risk. The far easier way to avoid that risk is to just price it so high they don't get orders. Or if they do get the order they can afford the price.
Ground veal is a lot cheaper, and ground veal formed into something like a cutlet isn't so noticeable if it's breaded. That is far more likely to happen then being served pork.
GC 
santos 
JessMphone Is it a paper plate pizza joint?
Benito's is terrific, but I'd never associate them with pizza .
Is it a take out kind of place? strictly eat in? A little of both like mamas for instance? I think I'm going to try it tomorrow but want to know what kind of place it is? Also do they have a website or fb page for it?
Jem Take out/eat in. Tried it the other day and LOVED it. Really good food.
I love the thin crust pizza to begin with and no one in the area does it well until these guys.
My kids are likely the toughest critics and EVERYTHING was eaten.
Definitely a "recommend" in my book.
Mike McG 
LuLu22 We're going to try it tonight. Thanks for all of the recommendations. Pete opened a new place, Blackstone's, on 46 West. We've been there and enjoyed it.
lsricc I've been to Bella's twice now. To sum things up - good flavor, really small portions.
Lunch - Wifey got the chicken parm with pasta. Sauce was good (I sampled her dish), pasta was a nice al dente, chicken was pounded extremely thin and had nice flavorful breading. Chicken was overcooked slightly so it was not fork tender but still good. Pasta filled less than half the plate; chicken, given that it was so thin, should have been at least half the plate but it wasn't either. For $12.95, it should have been a bigger portion especially since it came with pasta OR salad.
I got the "Marie Bella" grilled chicken sandwich with broccoli rabe, roasted red pepper, fresh mozz, and basalmic and olive oil. The bread was a very light but crusty Italian hoagie-style roll with bits of cheese baked on it. The sandwich was really good and I would not hesitate to recommend or buy it again.
Dinner - We ordered the 16" margharita pizza. It had a tomato sauce, fresh mozz, and fresh basil. I was disappointed because, even thought it tasted good, every margharita pizza I've had has fresh chopped tomatoes on it. This was basically a cheese pizza with chopped basil IMO. The crust was a nice thin crust; I just wish it was crispier. Given how thin the crust is, it didn't fill up 4 of us (2 adults, 2 kids). Just be aware of that if you're big eaters.
I also tried the chicken francese. The chicken was thin, fork tender, and very good. The sauce was a little on the thin side but it was still good. Pasta portion was very small IMO. Add 50% more pasta and they would be inline with most restaurants.
Overall, I will probably go back for lunch as the sandwich and flavors of the other dishes were good. I'm probably going to be reluctant to eat there for dinner because I left still hungry (wifey did too so I know it wasn't just my glutenous appetite.)
"Is it a paper plate pizza joint?"
Yes and it perplexes me. The place is a beautiful, sit down restaurant with service on normal plates. When our pizza came out, they gave us paper plates for the pizza.
What's the deal with that? Lots of places do that and I just don't get it. It's not some drive-thru dive. I guess it's a pizzeria thing.
*gluttonous - in the above post; spelled it wrong.
just finished takeout pizza from here and thoroughly enjoyed it! Haven't tried any of the food, but the margherita pizza was DELICIOUS! The pizza is nice and thin and crispy! They have me as a customer. Not the best pizza I've ever had, don't get me wrong, but certainly the best in Hackettstown. Now if it can be consistent, they will have really won me over (some of the places around here seem to have trouble with that it seems!)
We had really terrible service there tonight.
It wasn't overly crowded, but we had to ask REPEATEDLY for:
forks/knives/spoons, wine glasses, grated cheese, to order, for bread (which was about 2/3 the size of a hot dog bun - for 4 people), our salads. They not only never delivered our salads, but they were perplexed when we asked for them - they came with all our meals.
They didn't have wine buckets to keep white wine chilled.
They wear "pizza joint" red golf shirts with their names on the back. The manager was wearing jeans. A server had on shorts so tiny that she should have been at Hooters. This is the atmosphere/ambiance - I find it impossible to believe they're connected to Benito's.
The 2 female servers were clearly anxious and knew there were mess ups left and right - I felt badly for them. They were trying hard, but...
A table behind us sat - and left. They gave up.
Another table had pizza delivered, it "flopped" when they picked up a slice. Thin slice but floppy. They asked for salt/pepper/cheese. The manager took the 3 off a table that *had not yet been cleaned off* and gave it to them. They looked appalled, rightfully so. And yes, this was a manager/owner. If he did this, there's no hope for training the staff.
The food was decent, as were the prices. Small to average portions - and that doesn't bother me. I actually prefer smaller portions and smaller prices. However, the chicken parm and chicken francese came with veggies and no pasta on the side.
And whoever thinks this is Northern Italian has not a clue on God's green earth what Northern Italian food is. Just because they have a few non-tomato dishes does NOT make it a "northern" restaurant, which I hear is what they are advertising themselves as. The vast majority of their dishes have tomato sauce - and there is nothing wrong with tomato sauce. But for anyone who knows northern Italian - THIS IS ***NOT***. It's a typical eat in pizza place with the requisite chicken parm, veal marsala, eggplant rolitini, etc. menu. Just like about a 6 -12 other places in H'town/Mansfield.
And they inherited the exhaust issue from Pietro's. Our clothes stunk when we left.
#1 issue - service and a manager who takes things from a dirty table to give to a clean table.
#2 - it's nothing remotely close to Northern Italian
#3 - massive disappointment given what Benito's is like; this is the polar opposite
#4 - decent food and prices will not overcome everything else
janedoe1# Liked the thin crust but could have been crisper; it was very floppy. Often a problem when shops get a little busy, they seem to hurry the pie. And they forgot the hot peppers on the pie after we talked n talked n talked about it and the fact they only have jalapenos, no spicy Italian peppers (no coke, pepsi....:>)
Still love the thin crust concept.
mistergoogle We were there and NOT impressed.
The servers tried their best but were obviously inexperienced. I agree that short shorts being worn by a waitress in a place other than Hooter's is inappropriate. That is something that should be dictated by the owner/manager.
We ordered the antipasto telling the waitress that we were going to share it but had to ask for plates in order to take our own portions. This was the tiniest antipasto I have ever been served!! We never got plates when bread was served. Paper plates are alright (I guess) if you are just ordering a plain pizza but we got one with veggies which made it a bit heavier and had to cut it in order to not make a mess. The waitress brought us double paper plates saying that one might not be sufficient. Well she was definitely correct, as I was cutting my slice I was going right through these plates. It would be nice to eat the pizza and not the paper.
The thin crust pizza was OK but definitely not enough of a reason to return to this new establishment.
I don't think the floppy pie was due to being busy. There were only two other tables when we were there. I think you'll just have ask for the crust to be cooked longer if you want it really crispy.
I'm confused. 4of4 is talking about salads that were supposed to come with their meals, and the fact that their meals came with veggies but no pasta. Didn't I read somewhere above that the meals come with either/or? A salad OR pasta? If that's the case 4of4 caused their own disappointment by not reading the menu properly. The rest do seem like restaurant issues though :(
Lori...since '73 I have the menu in front of me. Chicken entrees come with salad OR pasta. Other entrees, it's not mentioned what it comes with (and some state that you get soup or salad plus pasta.) I could see how someone would get confused.
Our experience was similar to 4of4's. I doubt we'll be going back. Not horrible food but the portions are too small and one thin crust pizza feeds maybe three not terribly hungry people. Although, my son felt he could eat the whole pie himself.
Authentic Northern Italy? No way
Did someone really complain about taking salt/pepper/cheese from a "dirty" table and giving it to them? Would they have miraculously been cleaner if someone had taken them in the back and set them on the counter for 5 seconds before bringing them out to you?
iPhone-imal Each table should have it's own salt, pepper, etc. Period. Let go of the "dirty" part... see if you get this point of how a table should be properly set up at a restaurant.
Lori...since '73 ... jump to conclusions much?
Silly me for bothering to come to this cesspool of a board and posting a review. Mostly, shame on me for deciding to try this "restaurant" based on the reviews here. I should have known better. These are mistakes I won't repeat.
Remember where you are. They have been open one month. Where else can you eat for $25-30 and get a salad or pasta main course and veg. I was also there Sat night and got what I paid for. Our food was great and our service was actually great. It was a little warm in the place but I will definitely go back!!
hf456 4of4,
Since when is asking questions jumping to conclusions? I asked questions and they looked like this; "Didn't I read somewhere above that the meals come with either/or? A salad OR pasta?"
emaxxman answered my questions, no need for yo to come back all defensive, sheesh...
Had a chance to stop by & had a chicken Caesar salad take out for lunch, it was really small & for what I got I thought expensive still hungry when I was done, not only did it have a little bit of chicken was light on lettuce as well Wendy's salad has more & that is sad. Pizza well... it is more like gravy & cheese on a cracker, my coworkers ordered a large pie to split among 3 women & there were 3 hungry girls..Pizza light I guess. If you can usually eat 2 slices & fill up you need 4. The gravy had no flavor from what my coworkers
comments were...OMG so miss DiMaio's..... :(
Wish them luck but I don't know if they will last. We will try it one more time hoping they get a grip on things. Maybe the Chester location does things differently, I am not familiar with that location. Wish them luck.
lablover I just don't get it. You mean the thin crust is less filling than the fat crust?
Go figure.
Now flavor opinions, that's something completely different and to each, their own.
And 4x4 --- ty, cya, hagd, gl2u, ta ta and bm.
I've been to a lot of pizza joints in my day and it has been a rare occasion where every table has its own garlic powder, oregano, crushed red pepper and parmesan cheese. Usually there are about 4 or 5 of each on a counter near the register and people take them as they need them. If you want something and there aren't any on the counter, (gasp) you might need to go to another table and ask if they are done with the one they have. I would expect each table to have its own salt and pepper shaker, but that's about it as far as expectations go.
Don't condemn the condiments. Be sure to serve them safely fully covered by a condiment condom for cleanliness. Customers will complement the condiment that's covered by a cleanliness condom.
"I just don't get it. You mean the thin crust is less filling than the fat crust? "
Well, when you're charging fat crust prices for thin crust, there will be some groans. Personally, I could see myself eating an entire large pie with ease after a day of working in the yard...and I might still be hungry.
With that said, if thin crust is their specialty, then that is fine. People can decide if they want thin crust or fat crust. What is of concern is that the non-pizza dishes are small too. $12.95 may not be expensive for an entree but it IS expensive if you get a really small portion compared to the competition.
Regarding the $25-$30 comment, I could easily go to La Strada and get a better meal that fills you up for that price.
To reiterate, Bella's food isn't bad. It's certainly better than 90% of the joints in town. The portion size is what's going to be a sticking point for some.
emaxx --- yeah I though about that and then decided it was more costly to make thin crust for ingredients and talent........ sure...you can rationalize almost anything :>)
I have always liked a thinner crust, like Mamma's crust for that. But taste, IMHO, the Bella white pie was great, the others just OK. Think I will actually like the taste better when I get it crisper and stop the flop.
Like VVenice's Margharita better.
When I said 25-30 that is for 2 people. Average entree was $12-13. I'd rather have better taste than excessive quantities of below average food
Ordered a pizza from Bella last week for take out and it was GOOD ! Crust was thin and crispy, plenty of toppings. Very tasty, we'll go again.
hktownie Haven't tried the pizza but we did stop in for a quick dinner the other night. The quality is not even remotely close to Benito's in Chester (which we like) so I'm not sure how they can be associated. Comments were generally that portions were very skimpy and the sauce had an odd taste. It is not as good as Bensi or Macaroni Grill if you're looking for quick halfway decent Italian food. If you want real Italian, stick with Cafe Navona in Rockaway, LaStrada in Randolph is also good, but for real quality, Il Capriccio in Whippany is the best.
Picked up a thin crust pizza and chef salad, it was VERY fresh tasting and delicious, we were very happy!
Didn't have food but tried the pizza.. Not impressed. Still can't find good pizza in this area :(
Lala1313 Have you tried Pezzo Pizza in Long Valley?
https://www.facebook.com/Pezzopizza62
If you like Brooklyn pizza, plus they have other Italian dishes.
JeffersonRepub Just checked back to see how the reviews were going. For those of you who can't believe that they are associated with Benito's... Believe it. I know that I eat damn near anything and say it was good but I really enjoy Bella's...ESPECIALLY the pizza. We usually get the eggplant pizza and have them add tomato to it...so delicious. To everyone whose being incredibly hard on this NEW establishment... Lighten up. Remember that they are just that...new. Opening a new place, you have to iron out some kinks. Also, feel free to give the owner, who is very friendly, your honest opinion and suggestions, I'm sure he would appreciate it. I hope that some of you who went when they first opened would give it a second chance to see if some kinks were ironed out.
Side note...Lori, I hope your throat has recovered since 4 of 4 jumped down it a month ago...phew!!
I'm a little confused. There is both a Bella Pizza & Restaurant in Chester and there is a Benito's in Chester. Everyone is saying it is the same owners as Benito's. Is that correct? After reading some of the food everyone has eaten there is sounds like the same menu that Bella has in Chester.
Tweety Went there with family to pick up food and it took over 30 minutes for a regular pizza, a pizza for my son without cheese. Personal pie with olive oil, broccoli, chicken. A order of chicken tenders for my 6 year old. Well the pizza was nothing to write home about and my son said Enzo's by walmart makes it a lot better. The chicken tenders were nasty and when a 6 year old won't eat them you know they are not good. After waiting over 30 minutes and paying $32.00 for the items above. I think its not that great and it makes me sad that I will have to drive to Watchung or Pompton lakes for decent pizza or just get Dominos. Good luck to them though, they seem very nice.
Sergio Bella's in Hackettstown is the same management as Chester's Bella and Benito's.
The manager in Hackettstown is awful. Someone I know applied for a job there and was told by the manager, he keeps all the tips. Employees are paid a flat rate. He collects all the tips for himself. NONE of the employees receive any portion of the tips. Not the wait staff, kitchen help, busboy, dishwasher no one. I have never of something so terrible. For that reason, I will send my money elsewhere. I don't condone his greedy business practices. A big thumbs down for Bella's in Hackettstown. The management should ashamed of themselves.
valleygirl 
Greg Greg-It is not hearsay, sadly it's the truth. Don't take my word for it, the next time you are in Bella's ask one the employees how they divide their tips. I am sure you will be as shocked as I was. The staff in food service industry rely on their tips. It's also an incentive for servers to provide quality service to customers. Therefore the manager is not only GREEDY, he is not very bright either.
I asked my waitress about the tips, the only tips they get are from the little tip cup on the counter, if you leave it on the table its the owners.
I really hope this isn't true. If it is, then it's a terrible practice. If I go there again, I'll make sure to hand the server my tip. I hope they're not forced to give it to the owner then.
If it's true the owner takes the server's tips, I won't be going there EVER.
I don't agree with the owner's practices, BUT... we do not know what the wait staff is being paid. They may be payed more than most wait staff, thus the 'no tip' policy. If they are making typical wait staff pay then I can't imagine why they continue to work there for so little.
TRUE. I asked. She was afraid to say but did. I will not be going to the establishment.
I was thinking the same as Lori. If they are paid more than regular wait staff, I can understand it. Otherwise, I can't imagine how or why anyone would work for them.
There is a big difference between a no tip policy and the owner taking the tips. The reality is that it is a well known and common practice to tip servers,not the owners, for good service.
A tip (also called a gratuity) is a sum of money customarily tendered to certain service sector workers for a service performed or anticipated. Dictionary.com
Tipping the servers themselves may not even work. There are a number of restaurant owners who are taking a percentage of the sales from the servers, whether the servers were tipped or not. Apparently it's illegal and there have been some successful lawsuits, but many owners figure the employees won't pursue the legal route.
The solution to this is customers need to choose to not patronize any establishment that does this practice. When they are losing money, they will hopefully change their ways.
I, for one, won't be going there until it's confirmed that the practice has stopped.
Rich Maybe the owner of Bella's could post here to clarify. This would help the immediate solution and employees understand what is going on. In addition, it would give him credit and business to stand up and not lose business in such a tough economy. I am sure rents in that space are expensive so he does not need to lose our money. To his credit, many seem to enjoy the food, so why ruin it all by taking tips.? Turn the tide and have the employees feel valued-market a bit differently to bring in a crowd, send flyers for small get-together specials! The community works best if everyone is on the up and up. It is only good business to have employees get what the consumer gives to them, otherwise it seems deceiving even if it not meant to be. H'lifers how did I handle that one- pretty nicely huh?
IF this is true and the wait staff still choose to work there, what sense does it make for anyone to stop eating there? Hey everyone let's boycott...
then when they fire the wait staff bc they can't afford to keep them the tips won't be an issue anymore and the kids won't have to put up with the crazy practice of getting a steady paycheck every week. Stellar plan I'd say.
Speaking of tips; it always frosts my cake that when you tip a dealer at the casino the tip goes into a "general fund." Fracking communists. I didn't tip the staff, I didn't tip a shift, I tipped a specific dealer.
Boycott.
No wait, I can't, I have a compulsion...... :>)
Seriously, I don't think the owner owes anyone an explanation for how he runs his business. If the servers feel they are being cheated, they could work elsewhere.
Like Lori already stated, the owner could be collecting the tips in order to pay all the servers a better salary.
Working for tips is not enough in an establishment that probably has more business in take out items than sit down lunches and dinners.
Okay by law if the owner is paying them waitress minimum wage (somewhere around $2.50), then it needs to be made it up to the employee in tips from the customer and/or wages from the employer to bring them up to the current minimum wage --- If they're making minimum and don't care about the tips, then it's all good. But, if they are any good at their job, they're losing money.
trekster3 I think the customer is under the impression that tips go to servers and all who prepare, serve and clean up after we are done eating. I am not leaving a tip for the owner of the restaurant who has figured into his cost of the meal, a profit of some sort. A tip, I always thought, was for the service I receive and not because I walked into and ate at someone's restaurant. If that is the policy at this restaurant then the customer should be made aware of this and let them decide for themselves whether to tip or not. I won't. I haven't been to this place yet and until I find out the answer to this policy, I won't.
justwondering stopped by for some slices tonight to bring home.........YUM! Very thin crust just the way I like it!
optimistic It is sad to hear, taking tips from their hard working staff and misleading their customers. SHAME ON YOU!!!
The majority of the comments in this thread are pathetic. You all honestly have nothing better to do than sit around and trash a new business? If you had a negative experience then do not go again, simple as that. I doubt that people need to be warned about a restaurant... it is after all a pizza place. Plain and simple.
I have been there several times since the opening and found the food to be good and the wait staff were helpful and respectful. I'm not sure what else I would ask for.
ValleyChild Seriously.......everyone is assuming the gossip by valley girl from "someone I know" is accurate? Why not go into the new business in town, welcome them and try for yourself? Why are so many on here so negetive before even tasting the food?
"everyone is assuming the gossip by valley girl from "someone I know" is accurate?"
It's been confirmed by at least two other people in this thread that the owner is pocketing the tips that customers believe they are leaving for the servers. I don't care how good the food is... shady is shady.
We went to order pizza at Bella’s last week after reading comments on this forum. My daughter likes thin crust and it was the place to get such a pizza. She really liked the pizza we got and she can distinct “good vs not good” as she is “eating out - take out” person who traveled to Europe, lived in a few big cities and now is living in NYC. By the way my husband prefers thick crust, like the one on frozen self-rising pizzas, so he was complaining about thin crust. Next time we will get him some bread. While we were waiting (about 15 minutes on work day, early afternoon), 2 families came to eat-in, 2 came to pick their pizza orders, 1 family was already in restaurant. I will be back for more pizza - really liked eggplant topping (no ricotta), it was fast, fresh, tasty, and clean – and I want to try their other dishes.
Lena As an FYI I spoke to a friend of the owners and the servers ARE being paid a higher hourly rate. They were given a choice of making a higher flat hourly rate or the usual 2.00 plus tips, due to the fact this is NOT a typical restaurant where you would have a large turnover of tables they opted for the higher flat rate. Most of the business comes from takeout so this makes perfect sense to me..
Hackkie Hackkie, Thanks for sharing. That's what I suspected. Any time I've heard of servers NOT receiving tips this was the case. I guess a lot of people need to adjust their panties now...
Lori, there's still the issue of the owner pocketing the tips that people left for the servers. If I had gone there and fell for that, I'd be pissed. The owner is making enough money; he doesn't need tips from his customers.
Well, I guess that all really depends on what the average tip take is per night. For Friday through Sunday, I don't think 2 tables each tipping $5 per hour is unreasonable (that's only a $25 bill tipped at 20%). Unless the owner is paying at $10/hr, I don't see how it could work out.
If the servers were given a choice, then it's on them. It's still lame because the custom practice is that everyone expects the tips to go to the servers (or at the very least split fairly with bus and kitchen staff.) If the owners want to take a piece of that, than that it is OK. To take all of it is lame as I've stated.
I do understand the confusion but I believe the tips go into paying the servers a higher rate vs 2.00 an hour plus tips..
There are alot of little pizza shops in strip malls around the area with some seats/tables to eat at..I notice the girls/guys behind the counter usually do the phone orders and also wait on the tables that come in..Now I wonder if these counter folks/servers get paid a 2.35 an hour plus tips from the little counter jar and their tables or do they get like $10.00+ an hour? I'm going to have to ask the next time I pick up a pizza somewhere else..so curious now..lol!!
I agree that the customer should know where the tip is going, but we shouldn't feel bad about a server not getting it if they're receiving higher pay than is the norm for their position. That's all :)
I think if the owner is going to go with the alternate business model, he should adjust his prices accordingly and put up "no tipping" signs.
Emaxxman, with all due respect, I don't understand why you are so passionate about this; however, you are naive of how the business runs. With the recent opening of the business, business itself isn't as busy as anticipated. All of the front end employees (ie. the waiters and waitresses if you didn't understand what that meant) are paid above minimum wage. If empolyees depended solely on tips for pay, they wouldn't make enough money to even put gas in their cars. Tips are divided equally amongst all employees. Unfortunately, your accusations are accompanied by lack of knowledge, in this particular situation. If you need further clarification, you can call Bella and ask to speak to John and he will be happy to answer any questions you may have. Thank you.
Joe Smith All I said was I think it's lame; a few other people think so too. To be fair, I even said since it was given as a choice to the servers, it's on them and not the owner.
Passionate? Hardly. None of this would stop me from eating there. If anything, the small portions would (which I've also stated.)
My husband and I have eaten at Bella's two times. All four dinners were delicious! Going back tonight to pick up thin crust pizza. Expecting it to be just as good!
Inderes This is sad this is a website of complete rumors. It is nice to see that there are nice ppl out there that are enjoying bellas in hackettstown. But what is the matter w ppl asking someone how the get paid or how much isn't that wrong...yes u dnt go ask a banker what they make y ask a server what they get n where the $ is coming from. Everything ppl have said about the way they get paid is wrong entirely. Its a casuel dining restaurant u can stay for dinner lunch or just eat a slice. Doesn't matter whatever u want they try to do to please u but yet so many ppl were to scared to properly explain things n go home mad instead. Very sad.
Had takeout...plain cheese pie.
Crust was thin bottom crust, and outer edge crust was crispy and thin.
Not Burned....( Burnt flour is not very tasty) And the texture was equally baked.
The pie wedge center did not flop down and drop off the cheese / sauce. That's a good thing.
Didn't taste like a commercial pizza dough with that tough rubbery outer crust that most people trash. "Very Good dough recipe"!
The sauce was a little scarce ( could use a tad more on the outer edge portion.
The cheese was OK but a little dry. ( No Stretchy strings ) Maybe a cheese blend would be the way to go?
I guess overall...if it's a thin crust pizza place...they passed the test with that.
Great for the people watching the carbs and intake and not feeling guilty eating a couple slices.
For me, I would do the whole pie, and still look for more.
Remember....there are no guarantees that the same pizza recipe is going to be exactly the same every time it is made. A lot of it has a lot to do with the pizza builder too! Watch when a pizza chef / cook assembles a pie. If nothing is "measured" when it is placed on the pizza, then it will be a hit or miss!
embryodad We've tried this place twice in the past few weeks. The first time with my parents, we tried the pizza. We had a plain and a chicken with vodka sauce. They were both very tasty and everyone enjoyed them. We actually preferred that the thin crust wasn't so crisp and crackery.
My husband and I went again last Friday. He had a sausage calzone and I had the cavatelli and broccoli rabe with grilled chicken added. Mine came with a nice salad of mixed greens, roasted red peppers, black olives, tomato and homemade croutons. The food was delicious and we both had enough leftovers to take home and have for dinner the next night.
On both nights, the dining room was moderately full and the service was perfectly fine, polite and prompt.
Anyone been here lately? Can't find an online menu. Do they have a good selection of pasta entrees?
I was there over the weekend ,they have the same menu from when they opened ,lots of pasta made in all kinds of ways ! I like the place.....
Dam I'll try it again. Havent been there in almost a year I'll bet.Last time I was happy. I think I had the chicken parm And was very satisfied.
just the facts maam ianimal - Referring to the stracciatella gelato. The best I have ever had was from Capogiro in Philly. They will ship it to your house in dry ice too. The shipping is a little pricey though. I sent the "Italian Classics" to my dad last year for Christmas. When it was all gone, he told me to send more. LOL
http://www.capogirogelato.com
CraftBeerBob Just got back from Bella's. Dinner was excellent!!.
The pasta primavera was delicious and loaded with vegetables ..... mushrooms, broccoli, green pepper, onions, zucchini. I requested a marinara with a splash of cream instead of the way they usually make it (oil & garlic) Not a problem --- the kitchen is flexible.
Hubby had baked penne and his was good too. Very large portions so we both have dinner for tomorrow. Salad is included in the price (or soup) and the salad was also large and very fresh --- spring mixed greens with tomato, black olives, roasted red peppers, croutons.
We were headed for Bells Mansion but decided to stay in Hackettstown because of the weather. Glad we did as we discovered a new place to have a great dinner for a very reasonable price, no less! Can't wait to go back and try their eggplant (they have 3 different kinds) ..... or their pizza.
BYOB
Love the pizza..thin, thin crust. Definitely my new favorite pizza place, no one makes a crust that thin anywhere else in town.
Bessie We had take out (Pizza) for the third time since they opened, and every time, the pie is consistent in the thickness, and taste!
If you like a garlic flavor, their pizza has got it covered. They don't over sauce the pizza so that everything slides off, or is too wet.
They seem to use a tomato sauce which is garlic flavored with a garlic puree' mixed in with the sauce. No Yuckies (tomato skins or seeds) and the sauce is not watery.
The end edge crust, is not big and chewy like a commercial pizza crust.
The bottom crust is tight and browned ( Not Burnt ) equally from the center to the edges.
The held slice is thin, but does not droop and allow the toppings to easily slide off.
The plain cheese pie is perfect. The cheese is a perfect blend. Not chewy or bland.
Perfect saltiness.
I could eat a whole pie (large) by myself, and without quilt that I over stuffed or over indulged like a glutton!
The sausage / pepperoni toppings were equally spread onto the crust, and were not missing any coverage over the entire pie! NICE.... We like that! Nothing worse that a sloppily made pizza like the cheese and toppings were thrown from 5 feet away!
Nothing worse that having to fight over getting the slice with more goody toppings, and believe me, I have eaten pizza from thousands of pizza joints in my lifetime.
Other pizza places cannot bake two pizza's and have them come out the same or as consistent as the Bella's Pizza place. The pies are very consistent.....
We will have to try some of the other items on the menu in the future.
We went again and had two eggplant dishes --- Eggplant Parmesian was good and came with a generous side of pasta. Eggplant Rollantini was Very good .... and if you opt for salad with it rather than pasta, you also get a vegetable.
"and if you opt for salad with it rather than pasta, you also get a vegetable."
Usually, when I opt for the salad, I'm just hoping for more meat on the plate. :-)
SAAK 
Dodgeball Yes, and new owners took over 2 weeks ago. Great food and service. Give the new owners a try.
BEVBIGHEAD New owners again and only 2 weeks ago. Is that good info? Because I thought new owners took over months ago.
Yes, new owners as of 2 weeks ago. Alex and Wally, call for your self. The guy from Prickley Pear sold it. Sorry your confused.
rleaf CraftBeerBob, did you have pizza? Do you know if it was a new menu? I only went to it after it was Bella's but would try it again if it's new owners.
Kids had pizza. They liked it. Said it was the same...I had chicken parmesan dinner and garlic bread. Menu looked the same to me as Taste of Italy from 4 weeks ago the last time we were there. Even the staff like some of the same folks. Food good, service good, atmosphere good and reasonable. Will be back.
Yep. Everything was identical. The only thing that looked different was the takeout menu that I grabbed on the way out.
Well that's good, glad that they appear to be open still - guess they were either not answering the phone for over an hour or had closed early for some reason - or the wrong number is on their website.....
Honestly, I can't keep up with the turnover of restaurants around here. We've gotten take-out from Taste of Italy three times since it's been there, and now I have no idea if it was the old or new owners. I think the most recent time might have been the new, because they gave us a new menu (with new higher prices). That was Labor Day weekend. The previous time was mid-August. The food seemed the same, though the only thing we got in all three occasions was the pizza; everything else was different food each time. Now I wonder if the quality will change. Sad that we can never count on something to be consistent anymore.
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