Bella Aquila: The Eagle Has Landed

Bella Aquila’s take on Italian cuisine is, from a regional perspective, what Bill describes as “pretty much universal”, and is based not only on recipes he introduced in California but on travels in Italy from Lake Como in the north down to Sorrento in the south. Bella Aquila benefits as well from the presence of head chef Mark Wilkerson, formerly with Asiago’s, whose culinary specialty has long been Italian.

We all know the old adage about the three things it takes for a restaurant to be successful, right? Location, location, location. The reality, of course, is just a bit more complicated than that. There are those pesky little details such as culinary vision, quality food, a great wait staff, and more than a dollop of plain old business savvy. And, of course, there’s that intangible known as the “customer experience” that is the culmination of all of the above.

Reality aside, Bella Aquila certainly didn’t draw the short straw when it came to location. Even on a winter’s day in Eagle, Idaho, it’s not hard to conjure up the perfect late spring/early summer dining experience with that special someone. In fact, you might want to just close your eyes and indulge me in a little visualization exercise.

It’s early evening in late May, and you’re sitting on the patio of Bella Aquila Ristorante Romantico. Just repeat the name to yourself and it might as well be the setting sun in Tuscany warming your face. As it is, the fragrance of cottonwood trees and the sonorous voice of a nearby river remind you that where you are is every bit as romantic as any fantasy you could entertain. The tenor of a waterfall forms an audio canvas for Old Blue Eyes’ rendition of “I’ve Got You Under My Skin”.

Your waiter arrives with your salad: formaggio di capra, a mix of spring greens, pecans, herbed chevre, and apple chutney with in a delicate vinaigrette. You’ve just ordered the halibut puttanesca and your date has decided on a house favorite, the smoked salmon ravioli. You have plenty of time to savor those martinis and peruse the wine list one more time before ordering the Granee DOCG “Gavi” that the wine steward has recommended. For some reason, Frank Sinatra has never sounded so good. There’s nothing more to do now than drink it all in. Soon enough you’ll have to make that stressful dessert decision between the tiramisu and the cannoli.

Bella Aquila’s menu leaves no doubt of the debt it owes to sunny Italy, but there is a continental influence at work as well, which shows up in dishes such as the Black & Blue, a blackened ribeye with gorgonzola, or the Porco, a grilled chop with a fine herb glace over polenta and served with fried spinach.

If this sounds like the ultimate date night experience, whether the love of your life arrived 30 days or 30 years ago, then congratulations: you’ve just stumbled onto a key component of the culinary mission behind Bill Cooper’s latest restaurant venture.

Bella Aquila’s owner began his culinary career at a restaurant down the street from the auction house where he worked during the summer while in high school. Born in Louisiana, Bill grew up in Roseburg, Oregon and attended the University of Portland, where he rose to the vaunted position of assistant potato peeler. From there the sky was the limit, and Bill eventually put down his peeler and became a student manager for the school’s catering service. It was this role that launched his professional career in the food service industry.

At the tender and impressionable age of 50, Bill decided to put his industry insight to personal practice and open his own restaurant in the tony South San Francisco Bay community of Saratoga, which he named (appropriately enough) Bella Saratoga. Bill ran the restaurant, which emphasized Italian cuisine, for twelve years before deciding to sell it and work his culinary magic in Idaho. It didn’t require a highly paid marketing consultant to convince him that while he wanted some continuity between the menus of his old and new establishments, “Bella Eagle” was simply not going to conjure up the magic he wanted to inspire as a name for his new venture. The solution was to use the Italian name for eagle, and Bella Aquila was born.

Bella Aquila’s take on Italian cuisine is, from a regional perspective, what Bill describes as “pretty much universal”, and is based not only on recipes he introduced in California but on travels in Italy from Lake Como in the north down to Sorrento in the south. Bella Aquila benefits as well from the presence of head chef Mark Wilkerson, formerly with Asiago’s, whose culinary specialty has long been Italian. “Our menu is a blend of some things I brought with me from Bella Saratoga and some things Mark wanted to do. We wanted a nice, rounded experience, and I think that what we’ve ended up with is something for everyone.”

For the Bella Aquila dinner experience, Bill is especially hard pressed to play favorites. For an appetizer, check out the Suppli, fontina-stuffed risotto cakes served with marinara and basil oil. For the main course, consider the Trout Rolade, fresh Idaho trout stuffed with spinach and bay shrimp and served atop a potato crab cake with lemon dill.

Bella Aquila’s menu leaves no doubt of the debt it owes to sunny Italy, but there is a continental influence at work as well, which shows up in dishes such as the Black & Blue, a blackened ribeye with gorgonzola, or the Porco, a grilled chop with a fine herb glace over polenta and served with fried spinach. “Our menu also features a lot of seafood, both as stand alone entrees and incorporated into pasta dishes or our shellfish salad,” says Bill.

For the lunch introduction to Bella Aquila, Bill recommends the sandwich version of his Black & Bleu, made with smoked sirloin of beef and served on homemade foccacia bread with a blend of blue cheese and caramelized onions and a side of sweet potato fries. If you’re really feeling peckish, you might want to start off with an appetizer of Calamari Fritti. “I’ve always been a ‘tubes and tentacles’ guy,” Bill confesses, “but we use breaded calamari steak strips with a red pepper aioli for this dish, and the result is just outstanding.”

For the Bella Aquila dinner experience, Bill is especially hard pressed to play favorites. For an appetizer, check out the Suppli, fontina-stuffed risotto cakes served with marinara and basil oil. For the main course, consider the Trout Rolade, fresh Idaho trout stuffed with spinach and bay shrimp and served atop a potato crab cake with lemon dill. Then, of course, there’s the Melanzane, chicken breast stuffed with feta, eggplant and tomatoes. On the turf side of the menu there’s the Lamb Shank, which is slow braised and served over white beans with root vegetables and gremolata. Or you can kick it old school with a New York steak with Bernaise sauce and garlic mashed potatoes.

To truly commune with the ghosts of the Rat Pack, let Bill’s son Chad, who recently moved to Idaho from California’s Napa Valley, suggest a wine from an inventory that is about 30 percent Italian. But whatever you do, just be sure to pace yourself – the dessert menu includes tiramisu, chocolate decadence, cheesecake, and cannoli. Bella Aquila also makes it’s own gelato, which it uses to top another of its dessert offerings, a warm berry sundae. And while we are on the subject of homemade, I would be remiss in not pointing out that the restaurant bakes its own bread, which it serves fresh every few minutes, accompanied by a spicy cheese.

If the setting and menu of Bella Aquila has so far failed to top your romance threshold, consider counseling. But in the meantime, Bill Cooper is taking no chances. His plans for the future include roving opera singers and even an opera night for those of you who are passionate about a thinking persons soap opera set to music. Which begs the question, what dish goes best with La Boheme? In short, while dinner at Bella Aquila may not be reason enough to fall in love, I suspect that dining there alone will make you want to. Just be sure to invite Bill Cooper to your wedding.

Bella Aquila Ristorante Romantico is located at 775 S. Riverside Lane in Eagle.  For reservations call (208) 938-1900.