From the South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Trattoria Bella Cibo / Margate

June 12 2009

5801 Margate Blvd., Margate

954-969-1100

trattoriabellacibo.com

Cuisine: Italian

Cost: inexpensive-moderate

Hours: lunch and dinner daily, Sunday brunch

Reservations: for parties of 8 or more

Credit cards: AE, D, MC, V

Bar: full service

Sound level: noisy

Outside smoking: yes

For kids: boosters, high chairs, menu

Wheelchair accessible: yes

First impression: Take a hard left at the hostess stand at this off-the-beaten-path spot and you'll wind up in the small busy bar that segues into the main dining room. The noise overtakes you from the get-go. So if it's relaxing you want, opt for a table on the patio.

Ambience: Casual but elegant. An energetic crowd, clattering dishes and recorded music piped in a few decibels too high make conversation a struggle. On nights when there's live entertainment, it's a ton of fun, but even louder.

Starters: Arborio rice balls filled with romano, mozzarella, pancetta and basil (3 for $8), with crisp crumb-coated outsides and creamy insides, pair with the pleasing house ragu and a sidecar of scrumptious garlic aioli. Three jumbo shrimp are wrapped in Applewood bacon ($10) and served with roasted tomatoes in a chianti balsamic glaze. Another treat are char-broiled chicken wings ($9), with a just-right char, tossed with Italian herbs and caramelized onions

Entree excellence: Chef/owner Thomas Valdes' menu is surprising. He not only serves good-sized portions without substituting bulk for quality, but he also does it with imagination and a passion for his craft. If you think all chicken marsala tastes the same, Valdes' will change your mind. He calls it Chicken Portabello ($13), using the namesake mushrooms to lend richness and flavor to a beautifully balanced sauce with the unmistakable smoothness of marsala wine. A scoop of crumb-topped zucchini casserole partners the chicken for a welcome change of pace. Most entrees include a refreshing salad (mesclun, vine ripe tomatoes, ripe olives and marinated onions) dressed in Italian vinaigrette and served family style. Herb-infused boursin cheese lifts penne ala vodka ($12) to a higher realm, while the Margate steak salad ($12) is a goodie bag of crisp greens topped with hunks of grilled filet mignon, grilled eggplant, marinated artichokes, vine ripened tomatoes, sweet onion crisps, roasted red peppers and portabellos.

Service: Surly around the edges and we got the dreaded rush job from beginning to end.

Sweet!: Pass on the mile high 5-layer chocolate cake tower ($8) that looks better than it tastes (ours was dry) and go straight for bread pudding soaked in espresso vodka with caramel swirls and cinnamony pecan halves ($8). Too bad the vanilla bean gelato promised alongside was missing.

Dining deal: Sunset dinners 4-6 p.m. Monday-Thursday and Sunday for diners 55 and older.

— Judith Stocks