The former owner of Café D’Auria is back with a new Italian restaurant opening this summer at 4445 E. Broadway Blvd.
Bella D’Auria will serve “Naples-style Italian food,” according to Chef Lorenzo D’Auria, who will be heading up kitchen operations. A trained sommelier and cigar expert, he will also oversee those aspects of the business when it opens this June.
“The food at this restaurant will be about flavor infusions. When you taste one entrée, you will taste seven different flavors,” said Chef D’Auria, before delving into a mouth-watering description of mussels-and-clams done D’Auria-style.
The restaurant will take extra steps to accommodate diners with dietary restrictions. Diners will be able to leave a description of their specific needs—gluten-intolerant, vegan, specific needs related to other health conditions, etc.—and the chefs will come up with dishes that meet those restrictions.
The restaurant is expected to have an upscale “Las Vegas” feel, with a lengthy glass bar and LED lights. Projectors will light up the walls with images of Italy. There will be college nights, classical-music nights and other entertainment throughout the week.
Coffee and ultra-affordable breakfasts will available by morning, and the full menu will be available even into late-night.
“I just want Tucson to know that there is a restaurant coming that cares about them, and that it makes real Italian food, too,” said Chef D’Auria.
This article appears in May 5-11, 2011.
Trying to picture where this restaurant will be along Broadway. Clues? Hints?
In the old Yokohama Rice Bowl space on the northside of the road between Swan and Columbus, I believe.
Wow, almost a year to the day. The restaurant’s website has a decent locater map.
Finally Italian and not Mexican……now if they don’t go under…….
I had the worst experience ever in any restaurant i have ever been in. We ordered the calamari and it came so over cooked it shattered like a cracker, plus we asked for some spicy cream sauce on the side it was chunky with 1/2 cut baby plum tomato and the sauce was broken. When the salad arrived it came with bread that was supposedly from Viro’s(despite the fact the menu stated homeade bread) it was day-old-no-slam on Viro he makes the finest bread in Tucson. After complaining to the owner and saying to bill us for what was consumed(drinks)the so-called immature unprofessional chef-bully came out and said I don’t need this S@!T you guys get the hell out in front of my 3yr. old son. I wouldn’t even attempt to eat there you will be disappointed.
Walked in to try it for lunch – first of all, the place is very sterile, no atmosphere whatsoever. Did not meet my expectations after listening to his ads on the radio. Stood at the bar to try and get a menu to look at – after looking at the menu, i waited and waited for someone to seat me – finally just walked out. Based on the chefq review, I don’t think I’ll be back to try the food.
I really, REALLY like to help out local businesses, and I went there with two co-workers for lunch. The place, as stated above, was very “sterile” like and I couldn’t tell if music was playing. I was really surprised the menu being so different from a traditional italian restaurant–the lasagna was the only pasta dish on the menu. Anyway, it took my co-workers and I 45 minutes to get our food, and was informed the chicken parm. was made from scratch and hence was took so long. When we finally got our food, the chicken was dry, the bread was tasty, and hardly any sauce was on the sandwich. My co-worker paid $2.95 for an iced tea, which to me is outrageous. There was only one server and there were probably 6 tables in the restaurant. I was also frustrated that a table of four who came in after us received their lunch and finished before we got ours.
The waitress was nice and was probably overwhelmed, but I think there’s a few tweaks that need to be worked out. I think that they need better staffing and a more “welcoming” atmosphere. I don’t want to see any small business go under, so I hope they see this and take my advice: more welcoming atmosphere, more staff, and quicker food. People on their lunch break (such as myself) only get an hour for lunch and I won’t want to go somewhere that takes that long. And before you say, ‘then order a salad’, keep in mind it shouldn’t have to result to that.
This place is GREAT!! The LED lit bar is AMAZING!!! The food is delicious the waitress DONNA was very nice and prompt oh and the fucets in the bathrooms are cool. Ill be going back soon
There is nothing upscale about this restaurand except the prices(too expensive for quality of food). Mediocre food,stale bread and stingy wine portions(my glass was only a quarter full).Wait staff was very friendly,atmosphere was ok but not as advertised. I hope they will improve with time!