Coming from a family that can and does make homemade pasta, sauces, and bread, which is by the way always referred to as Macaroni and Gravy no matter the style of pasta or the ingredients in the sauces! I do set high standards when going to a restaurant that claims to be “authentic Italian food”. Also, being a born and bred Florida girl I set high standards on the preparation and taste of seafood of any and all kinds.
So, always on the lookout for an authentic Italian Restaurant I found The Villa in Little Rock, AR. My husband received some good personal reviews from some of his co-workers about the place so we set out on our Anniversary to have a romantic dinner for two. And boy were we both sorely disappointed…
We arrived at this quaint little place in The Rock Creek Square and from the outside I found it somewhat cozy. There is a little patio surrounded by a wrought iron fence with lots plants, table and chairs, and Tuscan whatnots. Inside it has a Homey Tuscan theme with yellowish walls with original artwork that makes you feel relaxed and comfortable. I was however a bit put off with exactly where the polite young door greeter had seated us. It was a bit chilly outside that night and we were seated beside the double doors leading to the little patio on the front of the building. I know that we could have asked for better seating, but as to not ruffle anyone’s feathers we took our recommended table. The waiter that arrived very shortly after provided wonderful service but was useless as to any information about the menu. I asked several questions as to what type of bread was in the basket that is apparently a standard table staple for every customer and his answer was “regular bread”. A few more questions were answered with “I don’t know”. So I therefore temporarily gave up. After giving our orders of Seafood Bake for my husband and Seafood Pasta for myself that are served with soup and salads. We settled in to wait. Very shortly after our soup and salads arrived. I was charmed with the serving technique of the soup and salads. The salad bowl was stacked neatly atop the soup bowl to make it look like a small pedestal arrangement. I figured out pretty quickly that this was not the best of decisions on the parts of the kitchen staff. Whilst being transported from the kitchen to our table the soup sloshed up onto the underside of the salad bowl and then transferred onto the table cloth once removed, thus leaving an oily ring right in front of me. Very unattractive!
The soup, that they claimed was Minestrone was not like any Minestrone that I have ever had in my lifetime. It was however beef broth with “pasta” and a few very small veggies. It did have a good flavor and I enjoyed it, but I was looking forward to “authentic minestrone”. The salad was a wonderful Caesar Salad. A short time later our main courses were served. And this where it got worse! My husband’s Seafood bake had so much basil that the smell of it assaulted my senses from across the table. I took a nibble and couldn’t taste any of the pasta, seafood, or tomato sauce for the overabundance of basil added to the dish. He commented on it once but didn’t complain any further. I however took a couple of bites of my Seafood Pasta that did smell wonderful and froze! The Crab meat was not fresh; the Shrimp was over cooked to the point that it was more like a rubber band, and there wasn’t a clam in sight. All of this was sautéed and nestled over a bed of plain spaghetti noodles. It was in short….AWEFULL!
I told the waiter that I did not like the dish and he promptly and politely took it from the table and I ordered Shrimp Scampi instead. I thought, “really, who could mess that up”! I was about to find out. The Shrimp Scampi, I kid you not, was sautéed with mushrooms and served over a bed of lettuce. And as a nice addition I received a side dish of Spaghetti Noodles and Red Sauce. Again the Scampi dish smelled incredible and the shrimp themselves tasted really good, but again were over cooked. The mushrooms added to the dish only took away from the wonderful flavor the shrimp, garlic, butter, and herbs offered. The side dish of noodles and sauce were almost unpalatable and did not suit the dish that they were served with. I would have personally served the Scampi over a bed of Rotini with bread sticks. It only take a minute or two to think these pairings up. Maybe I should have suggested it to them. I don’t know!
I did find their Cannoli’s wonderful and after asking found that they were ordered in from another state and not made on the premises. Go Figure!
So I will now cross The Villa off of my list and continue my search for the “Prefect Authentic Italian Restaurant” hopefully I will find it in the great US of A and not have to travel to Italy to find it.
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