Chef Features
Chef Andrew’s features at Bellini’s deserve a menu of their own.
By Jan Walsh
Before you order dinner at Bellini’s Ristorante, look over tonight’s food and drink features. In addition to the featured, seasonal hand-crafted cocktails, Bellini’s cocktail list is segmented by spirit. For example, if you are a bourbon drinker it is easy to find your pleasure, and mine. I also do not often see a restaurant print out their features on a separate menu, in addition to the server describing them at the table. But with a long list it is helpful to see the features and their descriptions. Nice touch.
Tonight’s features include Carpaccio, Seafood Salad, Prime Rib, Clams and Mussels, Crab Dip, and Seafood Pasta. Before I order our server notes my food allergy and dietary restrictions, from my reservations. And Chef Andrew Hatcher graciously accommodates. We start with the salad. Gulf shrimp crown the spring mix salad, with crispy onion straws on the side, an appetizing start. The bowl of mollusks includes two of our favorite things… Kev loves Little Neck Clams, and I love mussels. Outside the shells gleam in a beautiful white wine, lemon broth accented with shallots and leeks. Inside each fragile, succulent clam is a beauty, boasting a briny minerality. The mussels are mild and sweet, with hints of brininess. Both are bursting with freshness and are cooked to perfection. Catch this dish if you can!
For entrees Kev selects the prime rib and I opt for the seafood pasta. His epic cut marbled with fat arrives on a cutting board. Prime rib is difficult to find in restaurants and a side I never see anymore: Twice Baked Potato. This Italian infused steakhouse is known for their hand cut steaks and top-quality beef. And Bellini’s prime rib is a stellar example: tender, juicy, and flavorful. But I must admit… I would come here just for this potato! It is fluffy, cheesy, and comforting. House made horseradish and house made steak sauce are the cherry on top of this divine dish. Highly recommended! The seafood pasta has a wide net. Ribbons of linguini encircle delicate diver scallops, and the pasta is crested with Gulf grouper and lobster tail, all in a white wine and lemon broth. A synthesis of the sea.
For dessert, we share Cannoli. Filled with ricotta, cream cheese, and pistachio, the cannoli are crunchy on the outside, creamy on the inside, and dreamy all over. We pair the dessert with Sancerre from Bellini’s extensive, award-winning wine list.
Download Birmingham Restaurants App
Copyright ©2025 Birmingham Restaurants