(November 30, 2007)

One of the things you always worry about with a restaurant of the caliber of Bellagio is a major change of chefs. Steven Loiacono's recent departure could have been unsettling: he was after all, the founder and his imprimatur was unmistakable. But new exec chef Ryan Bouillet has quickly settled in and the transition, as we found in two recent dinners there, has been virtually seamless. Bellagio is still an excellent restaurant worthy of its place in our Top 20.

Bellagio

The appetizers are thoughtful and beautifully executed. They are typically light to set the stage for the more ample courses to come I love the Arancini.This features fontina cheese wrapped with risotto, battered and fried. This dish requires a deft touch and Bouillet delivers.I love the flavors here. Another light and delightfully refreshing dish is the Gamberetti Caponata. Large, poached shrimp are served chilled with a zesty tamponade of eggplant, tomatoes, black and green olives, onions, capers and olive oil. The tamponade has more bite than a ratatouille and nicely offsets the shrimp. And the Pasta Fagiolo is a hearty soup of fresh vegetables, pasta, and kidney beans that's just perfect for these colder evenings we're finally starting to get in Austin.

I've never written before about Bellagio's Pizza Rustica. But I highly recommend the Cipolla and Salciccia.. The crust, always citical, is crispy and retains its texture. The sausage and roasted red peppers mingle with the onions and mozzarella with a killer red sauce.This is a pizza worth shouting about.

The entrees range from engaging pasta dishes to soaring selections of meats and seafoods. You have to try the Pesto Tagliatelle..This is a pesto with zesto! (Did I make that up?) that mixes basil, garlic, pine nuts, parmesan cheese and tomatoes into a lovely puree. Add a dash of EVOO and you have a singularly tasty pasta dish. You should also try the Eggplant Pompeii. Really neat dish. Start with three breaded eggplant medallions blended with ricotta, parmesan and mozzarella cheeses and served with radiatore pasta and classic tomato sauce. And never let a dining experience at Bellagio pass without at least one member of your party ordering the veal Oso Bucco.The braised veal shank,in an achingingly lovely burgundy reduction , falls off the bone into a bed of tagliatele pasta. Any time this dish is available, ask for it. It's literally that good.

And if you love clams as I do, try the Vongole Alfredo.Your dish arrives with the clams open and ready to be plucked out and added to the sauce. A labor of love I say. And then the parmesan cream sauce with garlic, butter and parsley embraces what ever pasta you choose to anchor the dish. Absolutely flawless.

Ryan Bouillet may hvae a last name that suggests French. But his talent at Bellagio screams out Italian. He has, like all great Italian chefs, a light touch that acknowleges that axiom in Italian cooking that less is always more. Bellagio is as good as ever. All that's missing is you.

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