Featured Restaurant: Villa Barolo
Perfect for a romantic rendezvous or a family dinner, this new Italian restaurant is not o be missed.
By Donna Dvorak
Lifestyle Magazine, March 2006
An infusion of Italian food has arrived in Bucks County, via Hong Kong, Europe, and Philly. With global influences, proprietor Chef Lo emits a passion for pasta that’s uniquely inspired. He’s captured creative cuisine through classic and authentic dishes, and paired them with organic, healthy, exotic, and wild fare. The wine list includes affordable, quality wines that will please any sommelier. Add a décor that boasts a separate bar, animal print ceiling lights with soft glows, Italian arias and songs wafting softly through the room, and you’ve prepared a recipe for success. Chef Lo treated my significant other, a true wine connoisseur and Italian food extraordinaire, and I, to dinner in his upscale ristorante where, on this Monday night, people poured in, creating a lively atmosphere. Chef Lo’s incredible reputation had preceded him, and he didn’t disappoint. However, we weren’t prepared for the spectacular specialties he personally whipped up for us. His cuisine is exceeded only by his charm.
“Mangi,” he instructs, bringing assorted delicacies to our table along with a six-page menu. “Our raw bar is open every night, and we serve quick lunches with high quality meats like pastrami, turkey, and others. Our busy business patrons are in and out within twenty-five minutes, and we offer good quality wines.”
We scanned the wine list and were impressed with the glasses of Sangiovese, Santa Cristina wine from Italy, ($8) the Shiraz, Jacob’s Creek, from Australia, ($7) the Chianti, Renzo Mazi, from Italy ($8), and the featured wine—Marchesi di Barolo Piedmont Italy ($18). “See?” asks Chef Lo. “Barolo is one of the finest wines and so is Villa Barolo Ristorante.”
Antipastos and appetizers included delicious Mozzarella Frittas ($4.95), Bruschetta ($4.95), and Vongole Vessuvio ($7.95), among others. The Zuppa Del Giorno, (Italian for soup of the day) was Capellini or Tortellini in Brodo (both $3.95), but dinner choices proved difficult, since each one sounded more delicious than the next. I ordered the Pollo Alla Parmigiana ($14.95), a scrumptious chicken cutlet topped with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese, and my significant other ordered the Linquine Alla Pescatore ($18.95), a sinfully delicious dish of Linguine with clams, mussels, shrimp, crabmeat, and calamari in a red garlic wine sauce. Chef Lo personally brought out some delicacies, including potato dumplings, ostrich, caribou, and duck.
“We go through fifty pounds of ostrich a week,” says Chef Lo. “It’s low in cholesterol, tender, mild, and sweet, and a healthy alternative to other meats.”
One would think that all of the above food was enough for one meal, but not Chef Lo. Just reading the ingredients in his inclusive dessert menu will add ten pounds to your hips, but we indulged in sampling a bite from every dessert. Our diets begin tomorrow!
Villa Barolo is located at the corner of Rte. 611 and Bristol Rd. in Warrington. For more information, call (215) 491-9370 or visit www.villa-barolo.com. Rooms are available for private affairs or meetings. |
