Meet Bella Chow, the Pasta Pop-Up Slinging Spaghetti and Thai Chili Meatballs

Welcome to Eater Twin Cities’ new Pop-Up Watch series. Pop-ups are as integral a part of Minneapolis and St. Paul’s dining world as restaurants and bars are: They’ve brought us hand-rolled bagels and cardamon-laced chai and scallion pancake burritos, to name just a few; and they shape the baked goods scene especially, offering everything from from whimsical cakes to impeccably gooey S’mores cookies to passionfruit pop-tarts. In short, Twin Cities pop-ups are movers and shakers, ushering the next generation of talent onto the scene. Over the next seven weeks, we’re highlighting seven pop-ups that are on the up-and-up — most are very new; a few have been around for a bit, flying somewhat under the radar, but are gaining steam as they reach new audiences. Here’s the first installment.

Bella Chow

Bella Chow

Chef June De is the name behind Bella Chow, a pasta pop-up bringing fresh, scratch-made bucatini, rigatoni, spaghetti, and more to the scene. De is an alum of Portland, Oregon’s restaurant world, where they served as executive chef of Mama Dút, a vegan, Vietnamese pop-up-turned-cafe with a big following and a James Beard semifinalist nod. They moved to Minneapolis with plans to eventually open their own restaurant, and launched Bella Chow.

In De’s words, Bella Chow is a “love letter to the industry” with a deliberate focus on affordable prices. “The current trend in pasta bothers me,” they told Eater in an email. “It shouldn’t be so hard to go to a local joint and get pasta for under $24. I want pasta to be accessible to anyone who wants a good comforting meal.” The menu emphasizes Italian classics, adding Asian culinary flair to some dishes: Think rigatoni amatriciana made with organic tomatoes and laced with tangy gochujang; or spaghetti with Thai chile-studded meatballs, served on a bed of whipped lemon ricotta and finished with shaved fennel and parm. One of Bella Chow’s signature dishes is extra-thick, springy bucatini, served alternately in a simple carbonara or a garlicky composition of olives, tomatoes, fried capers, and fresh basil.

De did their first Bella Chow pop-up at Wrecktangle Pizza this June, offering baked asparagus rotolo and a “pizza pasta” of pepperoni and ricotta-stuffed agnolotti, to name a few highlights. More events are in the works, they say. In the meantime, they’re hoping to expand and “offer more pasta to the masses,” and are on the hunt for a residency or space where they can do regular pop-ups two or three times a month. Stay tuned on Bella Chow’s Instagram for updates.