Another Italian restaurant has appeared on the Rochester pasta scene, this time across from Ridgemont Plaza in Greece. When it comes to me and Italian food, the secret is in the sauce. And while the sauce was mild for my taste at Bella Pasta Café, those who fondly remember the dishes and sauces at The Portico Restaurant will be pleased. Bella Pasta, which opened last month, is family owned by Bruce, Danny, and Randy Connor. Danny is the chef of the trio, and he used to work at the Portico. With the blessing of former Portico owner Phil Fussilli, most of the recipes and menu is from the former St. Paul Street restaurant.

The Connors have tried to make the strip-mall location homey with green curtains, framed pictures, and plants. The half-wall separating the to-go area from the dining area provides a nice sound barrier. However, it was still quite loud due to the high, exposed ceilings.

The house specialty, the haddock scampi, is stuffed with casino mix over angel hair pasta with scampi sauce. It was tempting, but instead we went with two Italian standbys, lasagna and chicken parmesan. The chicken fared well: it was good and filling, the meat moist and covered with a light batter, served with a sizable portion of pasta. The lasagna was quite a serving, chock full of meat and ricotta. Yet it left me longing for more. Maybe it was the presentation, all tumbled in a bowl and lacking that sky-high layered look. Maybe it was the aforementioned sauce issue.

When explaining my concerns about the sauce with Chef Connor, he immediately suggested that I try the fried chicken-and-shrimp diablo pasta on a return visit. The dish is not currently on the menu, but Connor seems more than willing to accommodate differing taste buds - and anything "diablo" should surely satisfy mine.

Beer and wine should be in the cafe's future, with a license in the works. Bella Pasta Cafe is located at 2846 West Ridge Road, and open Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Sunday 1-9 p.m. For more information call 340-6100.

Picking Peaches

When was the last time that you walked into a restaurant and were greeted with a handshake by the owner himself? That kind of greeting instantly changed a recent visit to the new Peaches Café in Webster Town Center from a strip-mall eatery to a welcoming restaurant that felt like home. Owned by Charlie Scanio, the former owner of Charlie Brown's on Goodman Street, Peaches Cafe opened in early February, and just added dinner hours a few weeks ago. Everybody loves peaches, and Scanio wants everybody to love his same-named new restaurant.

Like many cafes, the menu at Peaches is vast and varied, delving into many different tastes. What I noticed coming out of the kitchen were well plated, attractive dishes, and we experienced the same at our table. Service was efficient and friendly, and what we ordered ran the flavor gamut: Southwest eggrolls to start, a meatloaf sandwich and breakfast country skillet to fill us, and to finish, chocolate cake.

The Southwest eggrolls were surprisingly spicy, something I rarely find in a place that caters to the masses. While the wrappers were a bit mealy and could have been a tad crisper, this was a tasty start to the meal. The accompanying salsa had quite a kick, too.

The meatloaf was excellent, not dry or greasy, and was similarly flavorful. Two thick slices of bread and warm gravy complemented this open-faced sandwich. The only complaint I had was with the potatoes. They were lukewarm, and even the warm gravy didn't help.

Breakfast is available all day, so we also ordered up a country skillet complete with sausage gravy. While the gravy was initially forgotten, that was quickly remedied and brought out to us. There was plenty of meat and cheese, but we found the potato base a bit light. Perhaps it was the time of day, as the request for home fries is probably infrequent at 7 p.m. on a Saturday. Nevertheless, it was delicious.

We finished off our meal with a large slice of chocolate cake. The taste was light, the frosting rich, and it prompted us to want to know where the desserts came from. Scanio attributed them to "a collection of places," so while I may not know where, the good news is that Scanio says the selections will expand with a featured dessert area in the front of the dining room. But I have to cry foul about how the treats are currently stored, as there's something slightly shameful about a beautiful slice of cake bundled in plastic wrap, complete with a toothpick.

Peaches Cafe is located at 1028 Ridge Road, and is open Sunday-Monday 7 a.m.-3 p.m., Tuesday-Saturday 7 a.m.-9 p.m. Visit peachescafe.biz or call 872-1200 for more information.