NVM Review

By Warren Rojas

For those constantly torn between ordering sandwiches or pizza, behold the schiacciata salsiccia ($10.99)-a double-decker pie stuffed with ground sausage, tangy marinara, molten mozzarella, diced peppers and onions, and double the crust for easy handling.

By Warren Rojas

The name Villa Bella translates to beautiful villa, and this cozy family restaurant certainly fits the bill. The interior is decorated like a rustic homestead, complete with clay tile roofs, a faux laundry line and painted windows displaying views of the mythical Italian landscape just beyond the dining room walls. Inside, a real brick oven completes the illusion, even as scents of oregano, olive oil and hearty tomato sauces fill your head.

Most entrees are under $15, while many pasta dishes hover below the $12 mark. More importantly, each dish has a distinctly home-cooked feel to it-that certain something that suggests your meal hasn't been sitting around under a heat lamp, but actually came into existence only after you ordered it.

One standout includes vongole casino ($7.25), which bears a half dozen clams covered in a fragrant mass of crumbled bacon, garlic, breadcrumbs, herbs and lemon juice, all served with an herb-infused garlic butter.

The ziti alla Paesana ($10.50) is another monument to freshness, delivering forkful after forkful of melted mozzarella (the cheese clings right to your fork), clumps of savory ground beef and plenty of al dente noodles.

Brick oven favorites include the double-sided schiacciata pies, jumbo pizza sandwiches bearing a baked crust on the top and bottom with selected fillings wedged between the piping-hot layers. The wonderful schiacciata salsiccia (so deliciously filling) comes loaded with spicy Italian sausage, sweet peppers and lots of onions. Or try any of over a dozen specialty pizzas, like the decadent Carciofi pie (Alfredo sauce, artichoke hears, spinach and mozzarella cheese) or the namesake pizza Villa Bella (sausage, prosciutto, mozzarella and spinach swimming in a rich tomato base).