Old Meets New at Bella Coast Italian Kitchen

Italian cuisine is near and dear to Delawareans’ hearts, and Bella Coast Italian Kitchen & Market (2530 Concord Pike, Wilmington, 479-5683, www.bellacoast.com) is the latest in a surge of upscale-casual Italian options to open in northern New Castle County. Part of Norman and Eric Sugrue’s Big Fish Restaurant Group, Bella Coast revels in house-made breads, pastries and pastas, which give rise to signature menu items like antipasti, ricotta gnocchi and rigatoni Bolognese. Chef Andrew Cini, formerly of Salt Air in Rehoboth, is crafting a menu that blends traditional, comforting flavors with a modern flair. “We try to incorporate family-style dining into the experience,” says general manager Janine L’Italien. “We want guests to feel like they’re sitting in their dining room.” An attached Italian market sells Bella Coast pastries, salads and grab and go meals.