Dedham Small Business Q&A: Isabella

Patch stopped in Isabella on High Street in Dedham recently to talk with Day Manager Jeannie Stapleton about what makes their downtown restaurant a success and see how they've been faring with the construction going on.

Isabella offers American bistro cuisine with separate menus for lunch and dinner. The restaurant is open from 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. for lunch and then opens back up from 5-10 p.m.

How long has the restaurant been in business and what makes it so successful?

“Isabella’s has been here 16 years. The food is so good. Everything is fresh, everything is hand made. We have our own pastry chef. So I think that’s what keeps bringing people back. We have an extensive wine list and we have a nice wine pour.”

What is something people may not know about Isabella’s?

“That we’re open for lunch. We have a very nice lunch menu and it’s not as expensive as people think. It’s pretty reasonable. We get a lot of people from the courthouse, we get a lot of wives or homemakers that know we’re open but we’d really like the general public to know that we are definitely open and to come in.”

What do you like about being in Dedham?

“It’s convenient. We have good parking. The parking lot is all done now. It’s right off the highway and if you don’t want to deal with all the [Legacy Place] craziness we get a big draw because the food is so good.”

What is your most popular menu item?

“The mussels. The mussels are a big appetizer as far as the seafood.”

Do you do any spring or summer menu items or drinks?

“Every weekend they do different drink specials, martinis and things like that. Every night we have dinner specials. At lunchtime we have lunch specials. But yes, they switch up the menu every season, they’ll put things on and take things off.”

How has the construction in Dedham Square affected business? 

“I think lunches can be a little tough if they’re closing streets and stuff like that. We’re hanging in there. I think we’re still doing OK because the food is so good but once the construction is gone we’ll be happy.”