food - DiBella's Italian - Galveston, Texas

DiBella’s Italian
1902 31st Street
Galveston, Texas 77550
(409) 763-9036
no website
 

DiBellas Seafood Special

 
October 20, 2012
 
DiBella’s is a locally owned and operated Italian restaurant located in one of the older neighborhoods of Galveston, Texas. Situated on the corner of 31st Street and Bernardo de Galvez Ave in what appears from the outside to be a renovated home DiBella’s caters to local residents seeking out basic, affordable fare in a homey, friendly environment.
 
We arrived right on time for our 7PM reservation on a Saturday evening. We were obviously immediately greeted by the hostess whose hostess stand is perched right at the front door. Pausing momentarily from sipping her glass of wine she immediately summed up we were probably the two patrons that actually made one of two reservations that evening that I managed to spy from her reservation log. When you’re packed full of locals you know by name it is pretty easy to spot the two out of town guests that made a reservation. Anyway, we were immediately shown to an aging booth right in the center of the restaurant where our waiter seemed to be already waiting to take our drink orders.
 
The focus here is simple Italian fare. Dominated by pastas with your choice of five(?) sauces to pair them with the menu is scattered with basic entrees ranging from chicken to veal to seafood. Most entrees are served with two orders of bread (extra bread is charged), an antipasta course and a choice of soup or salad course. I found all of the accoutrements prior to the entree to be basic, hole in the wall offerings that could easily be passed upon. That however took a quick 180 once my entree was served.
 
My Entree selection was the Seafood Special ($23.95) which consisted of fresh catch Gulf of Mexico Redfish topped with fresh gulf crab served over a linguine pasta in alfredo sauce accompanied by fresh grilled gulf shrimp. I must say the Redfish was some of the freshest, moist, flavorful and perfectly prepared pieces of fish I’ve had in almost a year. This absolutely huge portion of fish was succulent with every bite. I found it nearly impossible to stop eating it even well after I was full. The grilled shrimp were excellent as well with a good char flavor from the grill. Top that all with a perfectly prepared al dente pasta that is tossed in a creamy, decadent alfredo sauce and you have yourself a rich, filling meal that beckons you to return as soon as you can to DiBella’s. This entree is definitely recommended.
 
DiBella’s has beer and wine available for purchase. Their list is extremely compact and a bit uninspiring. Call ahead to check if they allow corkage (BYOB). If they do then bring our own special bottle of wine to accompany your meal. Stemware is fairly poor so if you are allowed to BYOB bring your own stemware as well.
 
DiBella’s is open Tuesday through Friday for lunch, Tuesday through Sunday for dinner. Closed Mondays. They do take reservations but it seems that most people since they are locals just pop in last minute. Attire is island casual but you’ll fit in better with the locals if you wear either jeans or slacks with a polo or button down shirt. Parking is free street parking in the surrounding neighborhood. Major credit cards accepted.
 
DiBella’s: recommended for a casual, no frills dinner with a bit of local ambiance.
 

 

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