Little Bella’s Pizza & Wine Bar is a new spot for Italian-inspired brick oven pizzas, charcuterie and sharables, paired with craft cocktails, house-made limoncello and wines. It’s set to open Thursday, March 26, in downtown Royal Oak.
At 100 S. Main St., Little Bella’s Pizza & Wine Bar is from restaurateur Adam Merkel, founder of Adam Merkel Restaurants. Little Bella’s takes up the space of Merkel’s former Pearl’s Deep Dive space.
On the main floor of the building, which sits in the heart of Royal Oak at the corner of South Main Street and West Eleven Mile Road, Little Bella’s is beneath Merkel’s upstairs and rooftop Bella Limone, which opened last August in the former Pinky’s Rooftop space.
Little Bella’s Pizza menu features classics like pizza margherita, pepperoni, Prosciutto di Parma, garlic lovers and shrimp scampi, among others. On the menu are scratch-made shareables and plates, including charcuterie boards, truffle fries, pastas and burgers.
Inside, the design features gold-framed vintage artwork amid blue-hued walls that Merkel calls “elevated and effortlessly cool.”
A highlight of the space is its chandelier above the bar that is surrounded by a wine glass rack.
“Little Bella’s was designed to feel fun, inviting, and a little unexpected,” said Merkel in a news release. “We wanted to create a space with real soul and personality — great pizza, a thoughtfully curated wine and cocktail program, and an atmosphere that feels stylish, comfortable, and full of energy.”
Leading Little Bella’s beverage program is Sean May, as mixologist and beverage director. Previously, May was with Adachi in Birmingham. May’s craft cocktails include a trio of martinis, including its espresso martini soufflé and other cocktails, like the lemon drop Italiano, plus a curated wine program.
Little Bella is part of Merkel’s revamp of the space that also includes an adjacent event space for private and corporate events that seats up to 200 guests. Howell restaurants Diamonds Steak & Seafood, The Silver Pig and Cello Italian Restaurant are also under the Merkel’s restaurant group portfolio of restaurants. Merkel is also an investor and partner in Big Rock Italian Chophouse in Birmingham, which opened last July, and Prime Social Reserve in downtown Naples, Florida. Both are part of the Cameron Mitchell Restaurants, with restaurants nationwide founded by Cameron Mitchell – a friend and mentor of Merkel.
“Adam has a real instinct for what makes a restaurant special, and Little Bella’s brings that to life in a big way,” said Cameron Mitchell, in a press release. “The pizza, the cocktails, and the atmosphere all come together in a way that feels vibrant, polished, and unforgettable. Downtown Royal Oak is in for a real treat with this one.”
Little Bella’s hours are 4-10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, noon to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday and noon to 9 p.m. Sunday. Its happy hour is 4-5:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, with spritz cocktails, cocktails, wines by the glass, shareables, and brick oven pizzas, at special prices including $5 off shareables and pizzas.
Contact Detroit Free Press food and restaurant writer Susan Selasky and send food and restaurant news and tips to: sselasky@freepress.com. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @SusanMariecooks. Subscribe to the Eat Drink Freep newsletter for insider scoops on food and dining in metro Detroit.
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