Bella Faccia Pizzeria is nestled into a row of storefronts on NE Alberta amidst art galleries, wine stores, and other great restaurants.
I have to admit, my first visit to Bella Faccia didn’t live up to the hype I’d heard from friends or read on the Internet. Nevertheless, I went in again with an open mind and I was not disappointed. The interior of Bella Faccia is slick. They have a nice patio, which is a haven for smokers. There is some real nice glass artwork up for sale too; I highly advise everyone to check that out as well.
Having had garlic knots at Faccia’s little sister store, Pizza Fino– which is also owned by Linda Zumoff, I was eager to try them again. They were as good as I remembered. These things are like crack, delicious, buttery, slathered in oil, garlic, and dipped in marinara. I could eat 50 of them. Luckily, the very nice folks there gave us a half-dozen order of eight… though there is some dispute as to how many there actually were. Like I said, they’re narcotic. The only criticism here is that the marinara was cold, rather than warm.
Bella Faccia has pizzas premade, if you want a by-the-slice deal, or you can also have 12 or 18-inch pies made. There are a lot of vegetarian options, and plenty of meat too. We’ve tried several, but the Schmo2 is our favorite. It has just the right mix of meat and veggies.
The service here is friendly and amiable. The slices come out fast, but the pies don’t. That’s not a criticism. That’s a fact of life, bub. Pizza takes time, especially the kind of gourmet pizza you get here.
It’s clear from spending time in Bella Faccia that it is a haunt for a lot of locals. That’s always a very positive sign. They also serve Staccato gelato, have some beers on tap, and a limited supply of bottled soft-drinks on hand. We strongly recommend people check it out.
2934 Northeast Alberta Street
Portland, OR 97211-7034
(503) 282-0600
