Hannah's Bella Bistro: Lunch

When friends arrive from out of town, and express a wish to discuss varied matters over lunch, we are more than willing to accommodate them. When they indicate their desire to meet at their favourite local eaterie, we agree without reservation. When their favourite eaterie is one that we had heard of often but, for unspecific reasons, had never visited, we agree with all enthusiasm. And when said eaterie is sadly disappointing in execution -- well, we find ourselves at Hannah's Bella Bistro.

In selecting the day's lunch special, we must admit to having, along with a certain military gentleman of some repute, an affinity for the smaller chicken limbs. Thus when the server offered chicken wings with creamy cole slaw, we agreed wholeheartedly, and with every hope of satisfaction.

The meal arrived with an air of promise. The wings were large, and had an attractive (though rather dark) breading. The first bite was quite pleasant, with the wings being exceedingly hot inside and cooked perfectly.

However, as we progressed through the handful of wings on the plate, we noted a certain slowing in our pace. We soon realised that the problem was the coating; it was far too thick, and quite heavily salted and seasoned (with dried herbs and granulated garlic, as far as we could discern). We were, in the end, glad to be done with the wings -- vaguely victorious, though, rather than satiated.

Whatever positive feelings towards the wings that remained, we could not muster the same gusto for the cole slaw. The dressing was mucilagenous, rather than creamy; the vegetables were thick and chewy, rather than bright and crisp; we declined to finish the salad after a first, hopeful bite and a second, less enthusiastic forkful for confirmation.

A companion, it surprises us to say, fared yet worse in the meal. Our friend reported a shrimp risotto that was sadly lacking in the seafood (with only two shrimp adorning the rice, and those shrimp not exceptional in dimensions) and, worse, in flavour (with neither salt nor waiter available to improve it). Upon asked to sample it, we complied, as we rarely pass up risotto at all; we found, though, that our string of luck continued, that luck, of course being ill. The risotto was undercooked.

Let us say, as a sidenote, that our experience with risotto is extensive. We stirred our nona's pot in our days in short pants. We know intricately the arborio grain. When we say al dente, it is with great reverence. And we know, first and foremost, that al dente refers to a pleasant firmness; it does not refer to a gruesome, chalky texture of half-cooked starch. We do not accept it. We resolve, hereafter, to either avoid risotto in restaurants, or to angrily sling it back kitchenwards with some pepper'd words of our own.

Thus it was. The service was cheerful, though amateurish; the environs were energetic and pleasant, though a little loud. But we cannot with any confidence recommend Hannah's from this visit. Still, we are nothing if not optimistic, and may yet visit again.