Have Lunch in an Italian Square

The salty aroma of baking pizza filled the air. From my seat I could see a squirrel perched on a red shingled rooftop and children's clothes hanging from a line to dry. Italian music filled the air, but I wasn't in Italy-- I was in Villa Bella Italian Restaurant.

The décor of Villa Bella gives visitors the impression of being outside in a piazza, or town square. To further the sense of authenticity, the restaurant offers a wide selection of Italian wines and sells the Italian beer Peroni on draft.

My waitress came to take my order and my Italian experience began. Soon she returned with a basket of bread and a dish of herbs and olive oil for dipping. The bread had a thick, crunchy crust with an almost nutty, buttery flavor. The inside was soft and chewy in a way that is unique to bread that is fresh from the oven. It was delectable.

My Villa Bella Sampler ($11.50) arrived shortly. It consisted of a generous portion of calamari, marinara sauce, two mozzarella sticks, and two thick pieces of bread piled high with tomato basil bruschetta. 

I began with the calamari. I could tell just by looking at it that the batter was crunchy and had not been over seasoned, but as I ate my first piece I found it was overcooked and incredibly chewy as a result. I ate a few more pieces with the hope that they would be better, but that proved not to be the case. 

Moving on to the mozzarella sticks, I soon discovered that frying food too long was a trend in the Villa Bella kitchen. The outside was burnt, giving it an unpleasant taste.  Aside from that it was prepared well. The breading was very thin and the cheese inside was warm, mildly salty, and wonderfully stringy. The marinara sauce alongside it was tangy, sweet, and warm. 

The tomato bruschetta proved to be the saving grace of the Sampler. Garlic, chopped herbs, and extra virgin olive oil made the fresh and aromatic qualities of the diced tomatoes. The dense homemade bread held up to the wet topping very well without getting overly soggy. 

Despite its faults I enjoyed my Sampler, but with the disappearance of my food came the disappearance of my waitress. My remaining courses were brought out by another woman and I never saw the first girl again.

The smell of sliced strawberries indicated that my Insalata Fragole ($8.75) had arrived. The strawberries lay on a crisp bed of mixed greens, among candied walnuts that were scattered across the salad. A light honey raspberry dressing coated them all. 

Contrasting flavors ran wild. Bitter lettuce and dry walnuts accented the sweetness of the berries, the dressing, and the sugar coating on the walnuts.

When a new, buttery aroma filled the air, I knew my new waitress had arrived with my Ravioli con Aragosta ($15.75). Before me she set a plate of 5 large raviolis swimming in a rich, cheesy sauce. Among them were diced asparagus and thin slices of tomato. I cut into the first ravioli with my fork, revealing chunks of lobster that had been mixed into the filling. I soon found the pasta to be tender and the filling to be plentiful, but the heavy sauce masked most of the lobster flavor. The vegetables were tender but their flavors didn't quite match the rest of the dish. To their credit, they did serve to reset the pallet a little between bites of ravioli. 

At the end of the night my waitress boxed my leftover food for me at my table, instead of making me do it myself. I paid my bill and reflected on my experience as I walked out into the cold night air. The food at Villa Bella was good enough that I would return there for a casual lunch, but probably not for a nice dinner. 

Villa Bella
6050 Burke Commons Road
Burke, Virginia 22015