Bella Monica (www.bellamonica.com) was barely a year old when I first reviewed it in 2001. The Raleigh restaurant was little more than a neighborhood pizza joint at the time, but already showed potential to become something more. For one thing, it was obvious that owner/chef Corbett Monica and his wife, Julie, weren't going for a traditional pizzeria look but more of a contemporary bistro style -- or at least as far as their startup budget would allow. For another, Corbett Monica's pizzas -- crisp-crusted, blister-edged Neapolitan style, lightly topped with an exquisitely simple tomato sauce made from a recipe he learned from his grandmother -- were among the best around. Monica also offered a handful of entrees and pasta dishes, most of which were likewise handed down by his Nana. He said he hoped to expand the offering over time.

And did he ever. Bella Monica's menu now offers 17 choices under the antipasti heading alone, with options ranging from garlic soup to pear and Gorgonzola salad to marinated chicken spiedino with fig compote. You'll find a similarly varied selection of main course options under the heading of "Favorites from Nana's Kitchen": spaghetti with family-recipe meatballs and "gravy," eggplant Parmesan, pork piccata, shrimp scampi, chicken balsamico. There's an eight-layer meat lasagna and a vegetarian version made with portobellos, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach and fresh mozzarella that's every bit as hearty.

And that's not counting the chef's specials menu, where Monica gets a little more adventurous with the likes of tomato fennel soup with smoked mozzarella crostini; a salad of roasted beets, watercress and ricotta salata in pistachio vinaigrette; mussels sautéed with mushroom leek crema. Nightly meat specials include osso buco-filled ravioli, chicken cacciatore and the nutmeg-tinged veal Bolognese I recently enjoyed. On Friday and Saturday nights, the offering expands further still to include seafood dishes such as lobster ravioli and prosciutto-wrapped diver scallops.

Fortunately, desserts -- including a selection of gelati and sorbetti whose flavors range from tiramisu to blood orange (the ultimate Dreamsicle) -- are available every night. So is the all-Italian wine list, which has grown to include about 110 wines (25 by the glass) and last year won Wine Spectator's Award of Excellence.

Meanwhile, Julie Monica has softened the look of the dining room considerably with touches such as fresh flowers and votives on the tables, colorful artwork on Tuscan yellow walls, and pendant lights whose shaved wood shades give the room a warm, convivial glow.

In short, Bella Monica has fully lived up to its early promise, and now rates 3 stars. Oh, and the pizzas are as good as ever.