DINING FEATURE
BY KAREN CHANEY
Chicken Murphy ($18)
TOP SELLERS A creamy chicken dish and a chef’s special highlight Bella Italia’s menu.
Tour of Italy ( $21 ) is a plate of lasagna, fettuccine Alfredo and chicken parmigiana.
Chicken breast sauteed with garlic, onions, mushrooms and jalapenos. Served in a pink vodka sauce.
Lasagna
Fettuccine Alfredo
Chicken parmigiana
Chicken Florentine ($19)
A breaded chicken dish with fresh spinach, creamy Alfredo and served with ziti pasta.
Bella Italia Bistro o ers a range of classic Italian fare. (Photos by Karen Chaney/Community Impact)
Bella Italia Bistro Fraternal restaurateurs in Northlake follow in their father’s footsteps A lban “Al” Berisha said he and his brother, Adrian Berisha, grew up watching their dad, John Berisha, own and operate Italian restaurants in Prior to opening Bella Italia Bistro in 2021, Al and Adrian opened Giovanni’s Pizza in Argyle in 2015. Al describes Giovanni’s as a casual pizzeria, while their newest eatery is more elegant. “It’s a ‘date night’ and family
touch than I do.” The menu consists of traditional Italian fare, such as lasagna, fet- tuccine, pizza and more. There is, however, a recipe John created that strays from the expected options. “One of our customer favorites is Chicken Murphy,” Al said. “That one is chicken breast sauteed with garlic, onions, mushrooms and jalapenos in a pink vodka sauce. It’s unusual in an Italian restaurant to have a dish with jalapenos in it. People love it.” The family atmosphere is appar- ent, as there is always a family member working at the restaurant, including Al and Adrian’s wives. “We know what customers want when they come in,” he said.
Al Berisha, a Northlake resident, opened Bella Italia Bistro with his brother Adrian Berisha in 2021.
Bella Italia Bistro 101 Plaza Place, Ste. 500, Northlake 940-271-0405 www.bellaitalianorthlake.com Hours: Tue.-Sat. 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m.-9 p.m., closed Mon.
Texas and Arkansas. Eventually, they started lending a hand at the family business, and when they were 18 years old, they each ran their own location. The Berisha family moved to America from Kosovo, Al said. “All of my family moved here in 1999 as refugees during the war,” Al said. “[My dad] worked in an Italian restaurant for a few years until he got the experience, then he got the opportunity to get his own Italian restaurant.”
place,” he said. “It’s a bit of every- thing, which works well for special events and for everyday outings.” The decision on how to divide restaurant ownership responsibili- ties between the two brothers came naturally, Al said. “His specialty has been more of the back, and I’ve always been more front of the house,” Al said. “He’s a people person as well, but when it comes to cooking, he has a better
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