Billusa99 Anonymous

Food: 3/5  Vibe: 4/5  Service: 2/5  Value: 4/5  Overall: 3/5

Agent 99 and I ate there last night. We had a lovely table outside, next to a center pillar that partially shielded us from a 4+1 group of Sex and the City wannabee's and a lone boy-toy. It's always been a great patio space and it's very remeniscent of Samba Room in its early hey-day -- all puff, pomp and circumcision.

We shared a caesar salad ($8), which had an excellent, creamy dressing, 2 white anchovies, and it was more then enough for two. The romaine was CUT small, though, so it didn't look as good as good have if it was torn instead. Had a good shaving of P-R on top, too.

99 had the lasagna, which was "okay, not stellar" and again could have been shared. It had a decent marinara (a wee bit sweet, deep red and lots of tooth), and a single fresh basil leaf the size of a playing card along side. To me, it was a bit noodle-soft and the Wagu beef in it added nothing. If anything, it added to the mush. $15 as I recall.

I had a "build you own" plate consisting of penne, marinara w/ basil ($13) and added sausage with green and red bell peppers (plus $4). It was good, not stellar, and notch up from the lasgna. the penne was very good and cooked al dente just right. Same marinara, a spring of basil the size of a quarter (were they running short already?), and a decent amount of sausage cut into 50-cent size pieces. I don't know if they make their own sausage, but it needs some work. It had only the mildest taste of fennel and little to no heat. It was not fatty, but was essentially dense and without life. A pig died in vain for it. Likewise the peppers were limp and tasteless. They were simply something to eat with marinara clinging to them, as that's all one could discern for taste.

We had a nice Tuscan white, a 2006 Tenuta Mormoraia Vernaccia di San Gimignano that had some good acid and zing to it, but was HUGELY overpriced at 48 bucks (it retails for about 12-13, so it was 4X-upped at Villa-O, and a complete rip-off!).

We'd likely go back to people peer and do a couple of appetizers with a glass of wine, then head to Ziziki around the corner for dinner, as we prefer more soul in our food nights out! Compared to the upscale edge that Columbo built into the food at Trece, Villo-O is about as safe and predictable and American as Italian food can get. Which is to say "it's Macaroni Grill with an attitude." It will do well there, but it certainly won't be breaking any new ground in interpreting ethnicities! ;-)

Service was very uneven, but earnest. The first choice of wine was not available and it took till 3/4 of the way thru the Caesar to get our 2nd choice. Oh, and someone needs to inform the wait staff that their "Mediterranean sea bass" is not the same as its Chilean cousin, but with finer flesh, as the Chilean one isn't even a bass. If they called it branzino (or branzini) they be a jump up on their cool factor without even trying.

3 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )