Bella Piatti

Molly Abraham, Detroit News Restaurant Critic: Not cntent with just one Birmingham restaurant (Tallulah Bistro & Winebar), proprietor Mindy VanHellemont has created a second, devoted to an Italian menu that is both sophisticated and rustic at the same time. It includes an antipasti bar where chefs slice salumi and toss salads in view, a communal table to promote a neighborhood feeling, and a cocktail bar as well as conventional seating. It's stylish and creative. No Italian cliches here.