Bella Monica Cucina & Vino

Bella Monica Cucina & Vino

A Neighborhood Trattoria Built on Nana’s Table

Tucked into the Olde Raleigh Village Shoppes off Edwards Mill Road, Bella Monica Cucina & Vino has spent more than two decades doing one thing exceptionally well: making guests feel like family. The restaurant takes its inspiration from the long Sunday afternoons that owner Corbett Monica spent at his grandmother’s table, where a big Italian-American family gathered after church around loads and loads of food. That spirit — generous, unhurried and deeply personal — still defines the place today. Bella Monica isn’t chasing trends. It is recreating a memory, one plate of red-sauce comfort at a time.

Corbett and his wife, Julie, opened the doors in 2000, a year after relocating to Raleigh from New York and New Jersey. What began as a modest takeout pizza spot grew into a full-service trattoria with a bar, cozy booths, a seasonal patio and a private dining room. Local artwork lines the walls, and the mood is warm and familiar rather than fussy — the kind of room where regulars are greeted by name and a glass of wine is never far away.

Twenty-Five Years in West Raleigh

In 2025 Bella Monica marked its 25th anniversary, a rare milestone for an independent, family-owned restaurant. Over that quarter century it has become a genuine neighborhood institution, collecting Best of the Triangle honors from the News & Observer and building a loyal following that spans generations. The restaurant is woven into the community, regularly hosting fundraisers and supporting local nonprofits. Its longevity is no accident: executive chef Alex Martinez has worked in the kitchen for more than 16 years, lending a consistency that keeps longtime guests coming back and Nana’s recipes tasting the way they should.

What to Order

The heart of the menu is the "Nana’s Cucina" section, where family recipes take center stage. The baked ziti was the first dish Corbett learned from his grandmother, and it remains a signature — bubbling, cheesy and comforting. Mom’s meatballs, made with local beef and pan-fried the way Corbett’s mother did before they meet the gravy, are another house favorite. From there the kitchen ranges across Italian-American classics and regional specialties: stuffed shells, hearty lasagnas, a Caesar salad brightened with roasted red peppers, and warm house-made focaccia. More adventurous diners will find plates like shrimp and calamari over squid-ink linguini with Calabrian sausage, proof that the kitchen can step confidently beyond the expected.

Pizza, Wine and the Italian Way

Bella Monica has never forgotten its roots as a pizza shop. Hand-tossed Neapolitan-style pizzas and flatbreads still emerge from the kitchen, from a straightforward Margherita to more layered combinations, and there are thoughtful gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan options for the table. Pair whatever you order with a pour from the all-Italian wine list, a point of pride that gives the "Vino" in the restaurant’s name real meaning. Throughout the year the team hosts wine dinners that match regional bottles with multi-course menus — a lovely way to dig deeper into the cellar and the country it comes from.

Visiting Bella Monica

Bella Monica serves lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday and is closed on Sundays, so plan accordingly. The dining room fills up on weekend evenings, and reservations are recommended; you can book easily through OpenTable. Takeout and catering are available too, whether you are feeding a crowd or simply craving Nana’s ziti at home. With free parking in the shopping-center lot, an easy location near I-440 and PNC Arena, and a welcome that feels like coming home, it is a natural choice for a relaxed dinner in West Raleigh. Come hungry, linger over a glass of wine, and let this family-run trattoria treat you like one of their own.