He’s cooked for the Queen of England and Paul McCartney. He’s traveled all over the world participating in cooking competitions. And now Chef Walter Bandt has opened his own restaurant, Bella Maca, to cook for the people of North DFW.
If you’ve never had the privilege of tasting some of Chef Walter’s food, trust us on this one. You’ll be able to feel all of his love, passion, and experience in each and every bite.
When it came to deciding the concept for Bella Maca, Chef Walter took inspiration from his own family and upbringing (“Maca” was his grandmother’s nickname) and decided to create an Argentinian-Italian fusion restaurant that also incorporates other cooking techniques and ingredients that he’s learned about in his world travels.
Since Foodie Friday is about the food, let’s talk about what Chef Walter made for us.
To start our meal off, we sampled the Empanadas and Steamed Mussels. The empanadas start off with the perfect pastry exterior and are filled with seasoned ground beef, olives, and egg, then served with a side of their iconic chimichurri. And the mussels come straight from Maine each week and are served in a spicy tomato broth.
Bella Maca has a beautiful wood-fired oven which allows them to cook incredible homestyle Italian items like their pizzas. Their signature pizza is the Don Emilio named after Walter’s father, which is topped with Canadian bacon, mushrooms, and crispy artichokes.
Then we come to the amazing selection of entrees with options like their Wild Mushroom Risotto, Poor Man’s Steak, and the Braised Short Ribs. Everything we tried was delicious, but those Short Ribs were “oh-my-gosh” amazing. The meat was so tender it came clean off the bone and was covered in a delicious red wine reduction sauce served over creamy polenta.
And we can’t talk about Bella Maca without talking about their extensive collection of wines, whiskeys, and more, including some selections straight from South America like their Argentinian Malbec.
The best way to sample their wine selection is to reserve a spot at one of their paired wine dinners. Each dinner has its own theme (Peruvian cuisine, Spanish tapas, etc.) and has a number of wines perfectly paired with each course. Check their Facebook page for upcoming events and you can reserve your spot by calling the restaurant or visiting in person.
Chef Walter believes that when you visit his restaurant, it’s not just about eating good food, but having a great experience. And we definitely felt that when we visited Bella Maca. We can’t wait for you to give them a try!
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