Bella Dolci ~ Pullman, WA

Bella Dolci aka "How long do you think it'll take..."

I really hate to pan a place based on one visit. I'm less hesitant to do it on two visits. If I go back for more than two, I'm just desperate... Desperate to see if the place is still making the same mistakes, or if it's improved.

Sad to say. Oh, so sad to say- Bella Dolci is that kid who just doesn't get it. It started out as a sandwich shop (albeit a d@mn good, mediterranean inspired sandwich shop) in the Old Post Office (wine bar) space. Limited in its menu to items that required little or no cooking (due to some regulations in Pullman concerning the OPO space), Bella Dolci seemed to do a good business and provide good food at a reasonable price. I LOVED their sandwiches. I didn't like the glares I got in there, but I can deal with staring at my soup to avoid them...

Enter a renovated space on Main Street. I looked at it, but because of our situation in this town (wishfully transient), I stopped dreaming. Then I see Bella Dolci is moving, expanding their menu and yadda yadda. I'm excited. If they can do sandwiches and tapas there like they've been doing, I'm all over it.

My wife and I visit shortly after opening in September. Oooh, moroccan... OOooH kebabs! Could it be? More than one good place to eat in Pullman? Nope.

The food, service, etc was so disappointing as to go down as one of the worst meals I've ever paid for. I'm not saying it was the worst, just close.

Caprese with unripe tomatoes & wilted greens. Okay, this isn't that hard. Tomatoes, mozarella, basil, olive oil, and salt. Oh, wait... where's the salt?

My wife's sandwich was fabulous, as expected. My dish was the moroccan something-or-other. The pasta was clumped, sticky, rubbery, unflavorful, (should I stop now?). The chicken was rubber. I swear. I swear there was a comedian screwing around in the kitchen and chopped up their rubber chicken as a gag on a slow night and served it to me. When the waitress finally stopped by asking how everything is, I said, "not so good." "oh."

Thanks.

So before we leave, the waitress asks again and I just told her straight. "Salt - seriously. Salt your food as you cook it. It really creates flavors that just aren't here." I really wanted to like the dish, I really did. I even apologized for hating it. The waitress was good about listening, and I know that she couldn't have done anything to fix the meal, but perhaps telling the owner, who always gives me evil looks, would have helped! The owner couldn't be bothered to find out why a customer wasn't happy. I don't understand...

So fast forward a couple of months. Let's just say that it was opening month kinks in the kitchen, with the staff, etc. We decide to give it another try.

Bad move.

How hard is this folks?
I order beef skewers. Essentially beef on a stick. It's listed as being spiced, or at least give the impression that it mimics some sort of tasty quasi-mediterranean or asian shepherd's dinner. In any case, I was excited. I wanted to love this. I wanted to love Bella Dolci. I couldn't even finish my meal. BLAND. oh, please, someone please go to the store and get them some Morton's salt, or seasonings, or flavor in a jar. I don't know.

I'm left with the feeling that deep down, Pullman is a wasteland of bad food. There's one reliable place in town for good eats, and Bella Dolci is far from it (though not physically). There's really only a couple of things that are needed to fix BD's. Unfortunately, they are basic skills of cooking.

Good Luck.