Tutta Bella Trattoria
754 White Plains Road, Scarsdale, NY 10583
914-725-0566

By Karen Talbot

Aug. 17, 2016:  This Northern Italian spot opened eight years ago and has evolved into a bustling restaurant with superlative food, great service, and a friendly and attentive staff.

Tutta Bella is family owned and well managed by experienced restaurateurs. Owner Sergio Gashi (who also owns Sergio's in Pelham) works closely with Leo Shala, his partner, and chef Fernando San Martin, who does a world-class job. The place tends to be most busy on weekends, but the Tutta Bella staff handles its popularity well.

There are plenty of seating choices, including the bar, an adjoining main dining room with arched windows, two smaller dining areas, and an outdoor patio all on the main floor, as well as a room upstairs and a patio, plus a wine room downstairs that can be booked for parties of twenty people.

The Italian theme is carried out in the décor, which consists of white stucco walls adorned with large black-and-white photographs depicting different scenes from Italy. The main dining room also has large semicircular windows, which make for a very attractive ambience.

Upon sitting down, you are served crispy bread that has been grilled and brushed with rosemary olive oil. We finished our entire basket in a very short time. 

To start, I can recommend the clams casino, baked Little Neck clams with bacon, roasted peppers, and capers. If you like Bluepoint oysters, they are served on a bed of cold ice, and it's easy to savor their great flavor. Something a little different was the zucchini flowers, zucchini and ricotta cheese lightly breaded and served with a tasty tomato sauce. Other suggestions are antipasto Milanese, mixed grilled vegetables, prosciutto, tomato, and mozzarella; and hot antipasto, consisting of shrimp, clams, mushrooms, and eggplant rollatini in a light marinara sauce. 

There are specials every day, and the evening I was there we had an "oh-so-good" dish of lobster, shrimp, and baby clams in a light tomato sauce, mixed with al dente linguine. Also that night, there was a special of two perfectly cooked pork chops with roasted potato, peppers, onion, and cherry peppers. This entrée satisfies those who like things a little hot and spicy. 

Tutta Bella has seven chicken dishes, all priced at $19.00, six veal choices, priced at $25.00, four seafood offerings at around $28, four steaks to choose from for around $32, and numerous pastas, which run from $18 to $32.

A special lunch is served Monday to Friday from noon to 3:00pm for $23.00. You can choose from three salads, soup of the day, or a half order of pasta, along with entrées of chicken or veal martini, parmigiana, Marsala, or capricciosa, and salmon or snapper.

I didn't mention dessert yet, but definitely have the crème brûlée--creamy, flavorful, melt-in-your-mouth custard with an equally delicious crispy top.

Portions are very generous, and you can easily share at this restaurant. All in all, the restaurant has well-priced food that is prepared expertly by Chef Fernando.