Italians have a gift for making art out of life, and eating in Italy is essentially a family art, practiced for and by the family. The greatest accomplishments of the Italian cook are not reserved for special occasions or for impressing guests, but are offered daily for the pleasure and happiness of the family members. The finest restaurants in Italy are not the five-star establishments listed in travel mags, but the very small, family-run trattorie of a dozen tables where menus are unnecessary and sometimes non-existent. Customers know exactly what they want and order a meal as if their nonna were preparing it.
At Betta’s in Mount Lookout you are dining with familia. The cozy 14-table restaurant, tucked between a tailor and fitness center on the square, is packed on a Saturday night with local families and a few young lovers (cue orchestra and film of Lady and the Tramp sharing a single strand of spaghetti), the pungent aromas summoning a feeling of being in the right place. An aproned Betta de Luca stands over the stove in the kitchen with spoon in hand and nose to a large pot, her children, Lucy and Rafello, delivering plates of pasta to diners. A deli case displays antipasti and salads available by the pound as well as Betta’s Tiramisu and Amaretto desserts.
Our table of four orders Chianti and Bruschetta (pronounced “broo sketta”), toasted Italian bread topped with fresh Mozzarella, fresh basil, tomatoes, garlic and olive oil (four pieces for $5.95). The bread is a generous piece of crusty, chewy, slightly oily, warm piece of kitchen heaven, and it is only perfected by washing the last bite down with the earthy wine. Rafello delivers a sampler plate of marinated vegetable salads ($5.99-$7.99 per lb.): Whole Button Mushrooms, Roasted Red Peppers, Artichoke Hearts and “Summer Salad” — a mixture of tomatoes, zucchini, celery and red onion.
The marinade for all the salads is a similar blend of olive oil, vinegar and herbs, but each has unique qualities and is oh-so-good piled onto bread.
More Chianti accompanied Vegetarian Lasagna ($8.95), Eggplant Parmigiano ($9.95), Linguini with Red Clam and Shrimp Sauce ($10.50) and Meat Canneloni with Cheese and Spinach ($8.75). These four dinners circled the table as we ummmmed and ahhhhhed with each bite. It’s Betta’s red sauce that made each one so delicious. A native of Naples, where the sun bakes the land, inflames the temper of the inhabitants and ignites the sauces, Betta admits that her sauce is so simple and delicious that customers order it by the quart to go. Forget Barilla and other grocery store varieties: From now on I’m making a weekly stop for Betta’s marinara.
We were satisfied and full, but that wasn’t going to stop us from ordering a piece of Betta’s Tiramisu. I’ve enjoyed her Tiramisu for years and think it’s one of the best in this town and any town. Served family-style, cut from a large pan, it is a blissful marriage of ladyfingers, mascarpone custard, espresso and brandy — not too sweet, great textural contrast and just the right amount of “pick-me-up” (a literal translation of “tiramisu”). She makes a similar version without espresso (using Amaretto instead of brandy) that might even be more popular than the Tiramisu. We lingered for quite a while over coffee, dessert and conversation.
It’s been said that Italians come to their family table with the same open heart with which a child falls into his mother’s arms, the same easy feeling of being in the right place. This cuisine is not a challenge to be won. It’s simply there to be enjoyed, a harmonious relationship of man’s skills and nature’s gifts. Betta’s exemplifies that, even in our whirlwind lives, it’s possible to invite in the life-enhancing magic of the Italian art of eating.
Go: 1026 Delta Ave., Mt. Lookout Square
Call: 513-871-2233
Hours: Lunch: Monday-Friday 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Dinner: Monday-Thursday 5-9 p.m.; Friday 5-11 p.m.; Saturday 4:30-10 p.m.
Prices: Cash, MasterCard, Visa.
Payment: Reasonable
Red Meat Alternatives: Many choices, including stuffed eggplant, vegetarian lasagna, cod Italiano, linguine with clam or shrimp sauce.
This article appears in Oct 17-23, 2001.