This New Year’s Eve, hungry and looking for a place to get out of the cold, I turned to Bella Luna for sustenance. Bella Luna is a new restaurant located in historic downtown Harrisonburg which specializes in wood fired pizza and other Italian delicacies. Although its huge wooden doors were still under construction, they cut an impressive figure when looking at the restaurant from the street view.

We entered through a smaller side door and found ourselves in a sort of anti-room between the restaurant to the left and an unfinished bowling alley on the right both visible through ceiling to floor glass panes. We were quickly greeted by a host and seated at a small though adequate beautiful wooden table. After chatting for a few minutes with my fellow diners, the four of us ordered our dinner. Three of us ordered ten inch personal pizzas and our other friend got a Caesar salad. Additionally we ordered a plate of crostini as an appetizer.

Our orders placed, we took in the atmosphere of the small restaurant. Busy with New Year’s costumers, the buzz of conversation created a warm cozy aura throughout the room. Our conversation began to falter as we waited and waited for our food. Finally our appetizer arrived. It was a small plate, consisting of two pieces of Italian bread toasted with sweet potato puree spread over the top. On the sweet potato was dollops of goat cheese, a sprinkle of bacon bits, and a smattering of chives. A delicious combination of savory and sweet, the crostini was very good if not a little over priced at $8.

We quickly ate the appetizer and then resumed our waiting. Watching steaming pizzas being carried out of the kitchen made our mouths water as we longed for our own. We weren’t forgotten though and eventually our food arrived. The strong flavor of the white cheeses on my Margherita pizza was expertly complemented by the leaves of basil garnishing the surface. A thin flakey crust and a slightly sweet tomato sauce set off these flavors for a truly delectable combination. The other dishes were just as good judging by the speed with which they disappeared from the plates they were served on.

Overall, the size and quality of the plates was well worth the price and the wait. Friendly servers and a delightful atmosphere set off the food beautifully. This is a very good addition to the downtown restaurant community filling a much lacking niche for pizza. You can find Bella Luna on Water St. in downtown Harrisonburg, across from Shank’s Bakery.