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Gambardella's Pasta Bella

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ssullivan
ssullivan
First Reviewer
4 out of 5
Avg. Member Rating
3
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5
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Editor Pick

Pasta Bella

Pasta Bella is an "orange" building that is visible from the Visitor Center in downtown Fairbanks. It was recommended to us by the driver of our shuttle bus.

You enter into a small lobby/bar area and see tables situated in small rooms located off this one. You can choose to dine inside or "on the patio" (which is really on the roof of the building and has a nice view of the river). There are several small rooms inside and we were seated next to the stairs that lead to the "patio".

The plates we ordered came quickly. I ordered the spinach fettuccine (creamy sauce with fresh spinach over very broad noodles). It was a little peppery for my taste, but that did not prevent me from eating most of a very large portion. Hubby ordered the meatball sub. The meatballs were large and filled the roll well, but the marinara sauce was a little skimpy for his taste. He said that the roll was very tasty, just a little too much of it to finish. His sub came with pasta salad and that was too spicy for him to finish. The iced tea was some of the best we had on our trip.

If we ever get to Fairbanks again, we will definitely go to Pasta Bella for a meal. It is conveniently located on the Walking Tour and the meals were very filling.

From journal South of the Arctic Circle

Editor Pick

Gambardella Pasta Bella Restaurant

  • March 20, 2007
  • Rated 4 of 5 by MilwVon from Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Gambardella Pasta Bella Restaurant

In preparing for my trip to Fairbanks, I did quite a bit of research on the restaurant options available during the winter months. Unfortunately, many of the places popular with tourists and locals alike are closed in the "off" season. One restaurant that consistently came up with high marks was Gambardella Pasta Bella. Celebrating their 20th anniversary in Fairbanks, the Gambardella Family has been bringing fine Italian dining to Alaska’s Interior.

I arrived for an early dinner, so early that they were actually still serving lunch. Heck it was 3:45pm, but it was nice to eat a lunch prices! I started with a nice cup of hot tea and a salad. For dinner, I went simple with the spaghetti with marinara sauce and meatballs. Served with fresh home-baked bread, it was a very filling meal at around $15. I was very tempted on the homemade cheesecakes but did pass. My server told me that when the owner "Matt" died last fall, his wife moved to Seattle. Even though she is no longer in Fairbanks, she is still very involved in the restaurant. She bakes all of the cheesecakes daily down in Seattle and sends them overnight to Fairbanks for dinner the next day! Pretty amazing, don’t you think?

My server was very nice, telling me she had been employed there for around six years. She also told me of the fire about three years ago that destroyed the back side of the restaurant, much of the kitchen area and the offices. When that happened, they moved much of the premises to an adjacent building until the damage could be repaired and the restaurant rebuilt. From the outside it is difficult to imagine just how large the place is. There is a lot of dining space downstairs, and another seating area upstairs for about 75 plus another 30 or so on the patio.

Perhaps one of the best things about Gambardella’s is that if you don’t want to go out or you’re just looking to pick-up something on the way back to your hotel or B&B, they have you covered. Yes, they offer delivery service to locations in Fairbanks and have carry-out available as well.

If you are in Fairbanks for business or pleasure, I would recommend a dining experience at Gambardella’s!

Additional information may be found on their website: www.nvo.com/gambardellas/door

From journal Indoors in Fairbanks

Editor Pick

Gambardella's Pasta Bella

  • August 11, 2004
  • Rated 5 of 5 by ssullivan from Atlanta, Georgia
Gambardella's Pasta Bella

Gambardella's has become something of a Fairbanks institution, and I could see why. This ranks up there as one of the best Italian restaurants I have visited in any city. The restaurant is family owned and operated and has a lot of the charm of similar places in larger cities, and none of the manufactured "plastic" atmosphere of the national chains. Over the years as the restaurant has expanded, they have added dining rooms in buildings adjoining the original space. This has resulted in each of the dining rooms being somewhat unique in appearance, and all of them having a small, quaint feeling. Even when the restaurant is quite busy (as it was on the Friday night I dined there), you never lose the feeling of being in a small Italian cafe. The decor and lighting creates a nice atmosphere, appropriate for a family dinner out, romantic date, or just a relaxing vacation evening as I was enjoying. The menu features of wide variety of traditional Italian favorites, including pastas, chicken and veal entrees, and pizzas.

For my entree I ordered the lasagna, arguably the restaurant's signature dish. Several years ago the Seattle Times named this the "mother of all lasagnas," and when it arrived, I quickly realized why. Ten layers of delicious, tender homemade pasta layered with Italian cheeses and meats, seasoned with a blend of herbs, and all topped with a delicious sauce. Entrees are generally served with a soup or salad with your choice of dressings and a loaf of the restaurant's yummy homemade Italian bread. The salad was one of the better ones I had on the trip (salad greens and tomatoes at their peak of freshness are somewhat hard to come by in Alaska). For dessert, I selected the delicious bourbon pecan pie, which I was too full to eat, but the tray filled with homemade desserts looked too good to pass up. My waitress gladly obliged when I asked for my pie to be served in a to-go box, to be consumed later in the evening as I relaxed with a pay-per-view movie at the hotel. The pie was quite good, and the other dessert selections (including carrot cake, cheesecake, tiramisu, peanut butter pie, and Snickers pie) also looked excellent. Service was very prompt and friendly.

Overall, Gambardella's is an excellent dining choice in Fairbanks for its fabulous food, service, and atmosphere, not to mention its convenient location to the downtown hotels.

Other Details:

  • Website: www.nvo.com/gambardellas - Be sure to look for the coupon on the site
  • Delivery available.
  • Outdoor dining patio available.
  • Credit cards accepted.

From journal Fun In Fairbanks, AK

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