Above the harbor

Blaine eatery scores high marks

Stacee Sledge

Jul 3, 2003 — Who knew that for authentic Sicilian cuisine, you should make a run for the border?

Opened in May 2002 by longtime-restaurateurs Nick and Gillian Scianna, owners of Nicky's Diner, Blaine's Bella Marina perches above the harbor, enjoying a striking water view that encompasses the marina and the Resort Semiahmoo.

The interior of the unpretentious eatery is warm and inviting. Buttery yellow walls are offset by touches of dark green and red and punctuated by whimsical purple blinds.

Striped green and white awnings decorate the pass-throughs to the kitchen, also flanked by two enormous Italian flags. As we entered and waited to be greeted by the host, I spied owner Nick Scianna, a native of Sicily, helping the cooks in the kitchen. I knew that many of the recipes used at Bella Marina were handed down from Scianna's parents and uncle, so hoped we were in for a traditional Italian treat.

We were quickly seated at one of several booths lined up along the windows and their gorgeous water view. Our server was friendly and helpful, neither rushing us nor waiting too long to take our order.

Ordering wine is a casual affair at Bella Marina. You can select Chianti, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, white zinfandel or chardonnay; no bothering with labels and such. My husband went with a generous pour of Chianti.

Bella Marina

Location:  825 Marine Drive, Blaine Phone: 332-2505 Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Wednesday and Thursday. 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday. 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sunday. Serving: Traditional Sicilian cuisine accompanied by a dazzling waterfront view. Menu items sampled:  Calamari $4.99  Roasted garlic basil linguini $9.59  Steak Siciliano $16.99  Tiramisu $5.95

A basket of bread sticks arrived at our table first, flat, slender pieces of warm bread topped with olive oil or butter and a sprinkle of cheese. They closely resembled the cheese sticks you see at any pizza place and were just a bit too greasy for our taste. But we weren't deterred. The menu looked tantalizing, and I felt confident that the entrées would impress.

We started with an appetizer of calamari, only because we weren't hungry enough for the heartier sampler, which included breaded zucchini and mozzarella sticks as well as the squid.

Served in a wide-rimmed, shallow bowl, the rounds of calamari were lightly battered and fried to a slight crispiness, then garnished with flavorful minced red onion atop romaine lettuce pieces. The marinara, served warm in the middle of the springy rounds, was the highlight, its robust flavor heightening the calamari's taste. The only downside to the dish was that we ran out of marinara before we ate all the squid.

My husband chose the soup of the day, Italian wedding soup, for his next course and raved about its subtle flavor. Simple chicken broth mixed with herbs, dark leafy greens and small spheres of pasta, but the dazzler was the finish of dainty, marble-sized meatballs.

My salad was brought at the same time, abundant enough to be served with not one but two chilled bowls, one to hold the greens and another for the salad. Crisp romaine lettuce mingled with slices of radish, red onion, julienned carrots, black olives, pepperoncini and tomato, all topped with a zingy Italian vinaigrette. It was so large, I couldn't finish it.

As the restaurant began to fill with patrons, our entrées arrived.

My husband's steak Siciliano was the star of the meal, a fresh-cut, 8-ounce New York steak served in a shallow enamel baking dish, completely hidden by sautéed onions, green peppers, red peppers and mushrooms and resting in a sumptuous bath of olive oil, garlic and wine.

Prepared just as he'd requested, the medium-rare steak was outstanding. Steamed broccoli and a generous portion of spaghetti shared the plate.

Although a bite of his entrée had me wishing we'd ordered doubles, my choice was in no way a disappointment.

It had taken me a long time to decide among the pasta offerings; I'd almost gone with Pasta e'Salsiccia, spaghetti tossed with slices of Sicilian sausage mixed with that lovely red sauce that had accompanied the calamari. But in the end, I gave in to the lure of roasted garlic basil linguine.

A tangle of fresh linguine noodles was tossed with a thick, creamy garlic basil Parmesan sauce topped with a layer of freshly grated cheese and garnished with a plume of fresh mint and a dusting of fresh basil.

My husband's description of his soup was fitting for my pasta entrée as well: powerful in its subtlety.

For dessert, we split an order of tiramisu, presented stunningly on a clear glass plate that had been drizzled in chocolate sauce. The tiramisu itself was more decorative than any I've had, the outside "crust" rimmed with vertical ladyfinger's lined side by side, creating a scalloped edge that peeked over the top of the confection. We're tiramisu fans and found Bella Marina's easily worthy of our all-time top 10 list.

Bella Marina also serves lunch, rounding out its dinner menu of pasta, steaks, and seafood with pizza and panini sandwiches.