By Andrew Berlanstein
The eclectic spirit of Jamaica Plain is captured brilliantly in the paintings of Sasha Kirillov. Vivid strokes with bright colors form lengthy shapes and bodies that jump off the canvas and at the customers of Bella Luna, where his art is on the walls.
Diners not only feast their eyes on his art, but they also enjoy his food in their stomachs.
Kirillov is a chef in the Bella Luna kitchen, and he prepares some of the most tantalizing comfort food money can buy. Located upstairs from the well-known Milky Way Lounge at 403 Centre St., Bella Luna has been satisfying stomachs for 15 years.
Founded by a couple of local activists, the restaurant still flaunts its hippie-esque vibe with warm tones decorating the cozy dining room. Plates line every table, each featuring an original drawing done in marker by staff or friends. Pizza dough is tossed continuously in the front of the exposed kitchen. Patrons watch as fresh cheeses and toppings are spread on the crust, then thrown into the oven to rise into that doughy yet crispy crust that is piping hot when it arrives at your table – or at your doorstep, by delivery. The dinnerware and ambience compliment the friendly vibe that radiates from the staff.
And the menu is no exception. To start out, Bella Luna offers stick-to-your-stomach appetizers, many with an original twist, like the World’s Best Calamari. Sure, the title seems pretentious, but the calamari is sure to please. It’s squishy inside, but the outside is fried crisp in soybean oil, after being covered in New England-style batter, and it’s served with a mild, creamy chipotle pepper aioli. Keeping with the theme, the Chipotle Crab Cakes also excite the taste buds in an unorthodox way: big pieces of jumbo crab served on house-made coleslaw.
Bella Luna’s Curry Fries are, hands down, the best. They are hand-cut, crunchy and served with a smooth curry sauce.
For lunch, try the Better Than Your Mama’s Meatball Sandwich. Imagine a messy mixture of sliced meatballs, homemade tomato sauce and melted cheese between two toasted slices of Iggy’s ciabatta bread. Add to the mix a cup of Creamy Roasted Tomato soup and brace yourself for a true tomato orgasm. And for vegetarians, there’s more than just meatless pizza. The Vegetarian Nut Loaf is a meatloaf-style serving of brown rice, sunflower seeds and walnuts topped with mushroom gravy and served with perfectly prepared red bliss mashed potatoes and big florets of broccoli.
On a recent visit to Bella Luna, the service was stellar, but it was early in the evening on a weeknight. Some students have reported long waits for tables and food when the crowds pick up, most likely due to the small staff, which sometimes consists of only one server for more than 10 tables.
Downstairs from Bella Luna is the Milky Way Lounge and Lanes, a long-standing favorite in the Jamaica Plain bar scene. Milky Way boasts a hip d’eacute;cor with an extensive cocktail menu and old fashioned candle pin bowling daily after 6 p.m.
On Wednesdays, between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m., Bella Luna hosts “Boston’s only” Taco Happy Hour. Four different kinds of tacos, including Head Chef Omar Ramirez’s lobster tacos, are all $3 or cheaper, making the Taco Happy Hour a deal worth traveling for. Take a modern, artsy bar/bowling alley and pair it up with fresh comfort cuisine, and you have yourself a winning combination.
Jamaica Plain is an ever-changing environment and Bella Luna and the Milky Way have proved themselves to be a staple of this Boston neighborhood.
It’s no surprise that Bella Luna is nominated for Best Pizza in the Boston Phoenix’s 2008 “The Best” issue.
Take the 39 Bus to Centre Street at Hyde Square and get a delicious taste of diverse Jamaica Plain.
