Bella’s pizzas are made with fresh ingredients, including the dough. Photo: Katy Haupt
So it’s 10:00 Thursday night and you are hit by the dreaded “late- night munchies disease.” You have only ten dollars in your wallet and you have already scarfed down your last bowl of Raman and your stomach is growling something fierce. No need to fear my fellow college student, there’s a cure for your illness. Bella’s Pizzeria, located on lee Highway (approximately 3 minutes from VI) has great quality food and service with reasonable prices. When I say reasonable, I mean college student reasonable. Ten dollars will take you a long way at Bellas, which is what they take pride in. Yes, you can go to Little Caesar’s and pick up a pizza for five bucks, but you are not getting the great taste that Bellas cooks into every slice of pizza.
Everything at Bellas is handmade, from their dough all the way to the sauce; every process is done by hand. They hand roll the dough and throw it in the air to give it its shape. They make thin crust pizza which gives the pie’s crust a great golden crispiness. Bellas toppings are fresh which adds to the genuine taste of their pizzas. If you like cheese, Bellas is also your place to be! They use slices of mozzarella instead of sprinkling shredded cheese, this covers the pizza better and makes the cheese topping thicker. Overall you are getting more bang for your buck! Bellas most famous dish is their pizza muffins. Pizza muffins are exactly what you think they are; pizza on a muffin. They take the pizza dough and spread it in a muffin pan while topping it with sauce, mozzarella cheese, and whatever topping you desire. Bellas takes pride in every dish they make and have received great praise by the Bristol community. Their salads and subs are of great acclaim and draw crowds from all around the Virginia area.
Bellas opened its doors in 1974 and was later bought by Derek Spencer in 2008. Spencer remodeled the restaurant to fit today’s standard and has established a very relaxed and welcoming eating area. Bellas since then has become a mainstay in the Bristol area and has been lending a helping hand to the city that has helped it become successful. Bellas serves pizza and drinks to local high school football games and takes part in the March of Dimes. Recently, Bellas has contributed to the VI Crier’s advertisement, allowing us hungry students to cut coupons for specials at their restaurant.
Bellas sets up a great atmosphere to eat and they welcome all types of sports fans as well. Spencer hopes to make Bellas relationship with VI stronger and is always happy to see hungry student’s enter his restaurant. When asked what makes Bellas the best pizza place in town, Spencer says, “We have high quality food with good prices.” So when you get struck with the hunger bug and it seems like your wallet is much thinner than usual, allow Bellas to remedy your illness and your bank account.
