31. December 2012: Restaurant La Villa
When walking around in Little Italy, I passed several restaurants and La Villa just persuaded me from the outside – and well, it was also quite persuasive on the plates. I had a “Niman Ranch Pork Belly” (USD 10.00 on the menu; USD 11.00 on the bill; with spiced apple purée and lemon chili aioli). The prok belly was nicely crunchy and great in taste. The lemon chili aioli was extremly smooth and subtle – perfect start to lunch.
As a main dish, I had the “Grilled Octopus Salad” (USD 14.00 – wilted broccolini leaves, pickled romanesca, marble potatoes, spicy calabrese dressing). The octopus was extremly tender and the combination with the other ingredients made it a very tasty meal.
For desert, I had a trio of sorbet (USD 9.00; vanilla, carrot and basil-lime). While the vanilla was good and rich in taste, the carrot was definitely not too persuading. I mean, the carrot icecream definitely tasted like carrot which was nice but somehow it is not what you expect of a desert. The basil-lime on the other hand had the refreshing effect of sorbet and was, therefore, quite good for desert.
The second desert was a “Pomegranat-Citrus Tres Leches Cake” (USD 9.00; with blood orange sauce, citrus, pomegranate). Although I am not a big fan of cake and the like the desert was delicious! It was creamy, refreshing, and with the citrus and pomegranate combination it did not feel as heavy as it looked.
The food at the Restaurant La Villa is definitely above average and all for very fair prices – including beverages (single espresso USD 2.00; large Hildon sparkling water USD 6.00; a glass of wine Pandiani, Nero d’Avola USD 8.00, Peroni 12oz USD 6.00).
But the place is not only recommendable for its food in Little Italy but also for its decoration, for its location, and for the nice patio they have. The service is good, dedicated, and friendly. Overall, I can recommend the Restaurant La Villa – in my opinion definitely one of the better ones around here.
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Contact Details:
Restaurant La Villa
1646 India Street
92101 San Diego (USA)
Tel.: +1 619 255 52 21
E-Mail: derryv64@gmail.com
Homepage: http://la-villa.co
About the Author: Sven
I started the blog in October 2009, while living in Milan which I definitely consider to be one of the food capitals of the world. I was in touch with food since my early childhood (as my father is a former chef). Whenever I can, I travel the world to discover new places, to meet people but mostly to try local dishes and to find hidden gems! If you know a place worth going, please drop a line to: info@thediningexperience.org.
Currently, I am a member of the following food-related associations: Chevalier @Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Zurich-Ville; Membre Gourmet Dégustateur @Ordre Mondial des Gourmets Dégustateurs [OMGD]; Gesellschafter @Goldener Fisch and Member @Slowfood Convivium Zurich City. 
