Quick Bite

Bellisimo Ristorante

Bellisimo Ristorante
378 South Branch Rd
Kings Bridge Center, Hillsborough
908-369-0032, bellisimonj.com

Hours: Tues–Fri, 12–2:30 pm and 5-9 pm; Sat, 5-10 pm; Sun, 4:30-9 pm

Price: $$

Style: Home-style Italian BYO with a friendly, accommodating staff. Vibrant orange walls set an upbeat tone in the roomy main dining room. The fourteen-plus tables are set with white tablecloths and spaciously placed for comfort and privacy. There is also a separate area for small parties.

Don’t Miss:
If the seafood salad ($9.95) is available—it’s a regularly offered special—definitely try it. A refreshing treat, it is chock-full of shrimp, scallops, calamari, crab meat, diced peppers, red onions, tomato, and celery and is topped with lemon juice and extra-virgin olive oil. The melanzane rolatini ($7.95) is another good starter selection. It features lightly breaded eggplant stuffed with ricotta and Parmesan cheeses in a house-made tomato sauce. The pasta-and-bean and fresh spinach-and-egg drop soups ($5.95 each) are also good options. The vitello alla saltimbocca—medallions of veal scallopini topped with prosciutto di Parma and mozzarella—is a generous portion of very tender veal served with spinach sautéed with garlic, olive oil, and a hint of oregano. The rack of Berkshire pork ($17.95) is complemented by raisins, cherries, cranberries, apples, and walnuts served in a mosto cotto (reduced grape juice) sauce for an excellent play of savory and sweet. Fresh sea fare includes spicy gamberi fra diavolo ($17.95), and salmone alla pomodoro ($18.95)—pan-seared Alaskan salmon with fresh tomato and peas in white-wine sauce. Tuesday, pasta night, features three-course pasta meals for $14.95. On seafood night (Wednesday) a three-course meal from a select menu is $18.95. Dessert options—fresh made in house—include rich, creamy tiramisù, gelato, and lemon sorbet.

Heads up: Reservations are not required but highly recommended on weekends. Seafood night gets very busy after 7 pm. Plenty of parking.

The Scoop: Set in an off-street office park across from the Hillsborough municipal complex, this family-owned gem, which opened in 2007, is a well-kept local secret.

What are Quick Bites? Short takes on casual, affordable dining.