Restaurant Review:

It is not often I am surprised when I eat out. I usually know what I am going to get. While there is comfort in knowledge, I do enjoy the occasional joy in being amazed at the food I am eating.

Bella Roma managed to accomplish this. When I went with a guest recently, I was expecting another family-run Italian restaurant serving the same spaghetti and meat sauce and doughy pizza.

But this restaurant blew me away. When I arrived at Bella Roma, I looked at the outside of the small restaurant and thought this was primarily a carryout place. There is little to suggest otherwise. The location is in a shopping mall, and its size looks like that is all it could cater to.

It was a little bigger when I walked inside. There are six tables, but two were occupied by people waiting for carryout pizzas.

As soon as I opened the menu, I was taken aback by its depth. There are 12 salads, 14 appetizers, 12 specialty pizzas and 35 pasta dishes.

What really floored me was the uniqueness of some of the items. There was sautéed spinach and baked bacon-wrapped prune as appetizers, a Greek pizza with marinated artichoke hearts and a grilled salmon salad.

The pasta dishes showed the most imagination.

Next to the predictable spaghetti and meatballs and linguine and clams was Thai chicken linguine and sea scallops and lemon pasta.

I was not expecting those dishes, and sad to say, I became instantly suspicious as to how they would taste. I ordered the linguine garlic shrimp as my entrée and rolled the dice.

The dish was a delicate offering with a really nice white wine cream sauce. It was not intrusive at all, and the pasta was not swimming in the sauce.

There were seven shrimp — more than enough for the serving — and they were cooked firm but were not chewy.

The basil and tomatoes tasted pretty fresh. The only thing I would have wished for is more garlic.

While I waited for my entrée, I ordered a slice of pizza. I realize that with slices, they aren’t going to be right out of the oven, and I was willing to let them slide a bit in my judgment.

But I was extremely surprised. The crust was a very soft and mellow flavor. There wasn’t a lot of sauce, which I like, and the amount of cheese and pepperoni were sufficient. I can only imagine how good it would taste fresh out of the oven.

The biggest stunner of the meal was the meat lasagna. It was a Thursday special for $5.99, and my guest was excited that it was $3 cheaper than on any other night. After one bite, she was ready to pay double for it.

After I tried it, I could see why she was so impressed.

It was outstanding. The lasagna noodles were well cooked, and the sauce was all tomatoes and nicely spiced. I didn’t find a piece of gristle in any of the ground beef I tasted, and I liked the spices that were added to it.

Garlic bread was served with the lasagna, and it was adequately basted with garlic butter. I liked that the bread was a little thinner than some of the bulkier French bread that is used.

I can safely declare that this was the best $6 lasagna I have ever had. I can also say this is one of the best surprises I have ever had dining out. For me, the surprise is gone for Bella Roma, but it waits for others. It is a surprise worth experiencing.

Bella Roma

Address: 9101 Atlanta Ave., Huntington Beach

Phone: (714) 378-5122

Website: www.bella-roma.com

Cuisine: Italian

Specialty Dish: Pizza

Alcohol Served: None

Entrée Price Range: $8.15 to $18.95

Family Friendly: Yes, separate children’s menu

Credit Cards Accepted: American Express, Discover, MasterCard and Visa

Rating: *** 1/2

JOHN REGER reviews local restaurants and may be contacted at Nolimepublishing@aol.com or P.O. Box 2984, Seal Beach, CA 90740.