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Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Italian Villa opens in Dallas, completely unrelated to most of the other Italian Villas

By Teresa Gubbins

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DALLAS — A new restaurant called Italian Villa has opened on Preston Road in Dallas near Campbell, completely unrelated to the Italian Villa in Allen, the Italian Villa in Arlington, nor to Ferrari's Italian Villa and its Grapevine cousin, Ferrari's Italian Villa/Flight.

This latest Italian Villa IS related to the Italian Villa in Lewisville: They are both owned by one Gentijan "Joe" Ajro, who previously owned the Italian Villa in Carrollton, until he sold it last year. "I like to change my areas," he says.

Perhaps not coincidentally, most of these places have nearly identical menus of old-school red-sauce Italian food -- lasagna, manicotti, veal Marsala, etcetera. And most of them eschew a liquor license, instead encouraging BYOB.

This whole Italian Villa deal seems suspiciously similar to the Joe's Pizza & Pasta situation, in which a bunch of independent restaurateurs, most from Albania, have winkingly all opened the same kind of C+ level Italian places. Ajro is -- gasp -- Albanian.

I guess it's harder to come up with an original restaurant name than it looks.

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Comments

Johnny_Stecchino Anonymous

you'd think they'd just call it Albanian Villa and be done with it.

show a little pride in their heritage.

8 months, 4 weeks ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

John McClelland

John McClelland Verified

We may have to give it a shot. We've tried Joe's Italian Cafe in Addison (which I think are actual Italians), not to be confused with Joe's Pizza.

This new Italian Villa location used to be a Burger King, which gave way to a good Mexican place which didn't pay their rent (maybe because they had $5 lunch specials). Italian is a good new choice.

Speaking of Albanians, did everyone hear about the attempted robbery of Besa's? The owner was pistol whipped. Very scary.

8 months, 4 weeks ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

Donna Chen

Donna Chen Verified

Italian Villa in Carrollton is passable at best. The lunch specials are cheap, but your taste buds aren't exactly going to dance.

8 months, 4 weeks ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

bobdon000

bobdon000 Anonymous

According to my world map, Albania is 271 miles west of Napoli the birthplace of pizza. That's about the equivalent of Dallas to San Antonio. So if San Antonio is the birthplace of tex-mex, then is Dallas the Albania of tex-mex food in Texas?

Enquiring minds want to know

8 months, 4 weeks ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

FoodCzar Anonymous

We need a really good, really cheap Italian place north of George Bush and west of Preston. Anybody know of one, please let me know!!! Thanks! (PS: Not just pizza, we have several great pizza places!)

8 months, 4 weeks ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

Billusa99

Billusa99 Anonymous

You forgot to mention that their big orange "grand opening" banner makes for nice drapes, that also blocks the west sun.

8 months, 4 weeks ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

lakewooder

lakewooder Anonymous

And not related to the old Italian Village on Oak Lawn?-

8 months, 4 weeks ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

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