Is New Bedford’s Candela Cucina Worth the Price and the Hype?

My wife and I had the chance to check out New Bedford's newest restaurant this week with a visit to Candela Cucina (which translates to "Kitchen Candle").

The Atmosphere

Located in the second-oldest building in New Bedford, in the former Carmine's at Candleworks space, Candela Cucina has a distinctly unique feel. To put it simply, it didn’t feel like we were sitting in a revamped version of Carmine's.

The lighting, the music, and the ambiance are all noticeably different. The restaurant features interesting pieces of artwork throughout, and the new tables and seating are a definite departure from the previous restaurant.

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We visited on Tuesday, expecting it to be a slower night. We couldn't have been more wrong. Candela Cucina was so busy on a Tuesday night that we had to park in the Union Street lot across from Moby Dick Brewing Co.

Talk about first-world problems. Every seat in the building was taken by diners. The Tuesday night crowd rivaled Saturday night crowds from other restaurants.

Appetizers

We started with the whipped ricotta and the shrimp arancini. The ricotta was served with pistachio pesto, poached pears, honey and rosemary focaccia bread ($12). My wife couldn't stop raving about it and even wrapped it up for a snack the next day.

The shrimp arancini reminded me of risotto balls. It was made with black rice, stracciatella and citrus mascarpone ($15).

Entrées

My wife ordered the chicken parmigiana ($24). What I liked most about it was that Candela Cucina served the dish with vodka sauce on the accompanying rigatoni, and tomato sauce on the other side of the plate for the chicken.

It's the best of both worlds.

I ordered the 12-ounce Brandt farms New York strip steak ($38). I asked for the steak to be cooked medium, and it was cooked to perfection and topped off with gorgonzola butter.

The broccolini was fresh and delicious, and I couldn't resist substituting the roasted potatoes for some of the mashed potatoes I had seen on another guest's dish.

Dessert

We were so full after our meals that we struggled to order dessert, but we finally gave in and ordered the delicious homemade pistachio ice cream, generously topped with fresh pistachios. There was enough for the two of us to share.

The Candela Cucina Waitstaff

Service from the waitstaff was first class and over the top attentive.

Our overall impression of Candela Cucina was very positive. We found the prices to be very reasonable for the quality of food and service offered. We'll definitely be back.