The recently-opened Bella Fresca Bistro, located at 609 Absinthe Court in Shreveport (just off of E. Flournoy Lucas Road), is a smaller, more casual offshoot of the original Bella Fresca location. The menu ranges from salads and wraps to seared tuna tacos and steak frites.
One of the more eye-catching aspects of the menu is the list of toppings that Bella Fresca Bistro will put on their Bella Burgers ($12). The list of uncommon burger toppings available here includes: salami, fresh jalapenos, macaroni and cheese, olive mix, smoked ham, sauerkraut, kalamata olives and fresh avocado slices. Purely in the interest of research, I topped my burger with macaroni and cheese. The resulting burger, open-faced and covered by an entree-sized serving of pasta, drew horrified stares from several South Beach Dieters at surrounding tables. It was scary, but it was also delicious.

If you’re not the macaroni and cheeseburger type, my dining partner had a fantastic seared tuna appetizer served with cilantro-wasabi vinaigrette, cucumber and avocado, mixed greens and crisped wonton strips. Half-way through my burger, as I entered a carbohydrate-induced trance, I began to envy her delicious, healthy-looking and reasonably portion-sized dinner. But there was also a part of me that couldn’t help wondering: wasabi burger?