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My friend Chris does not like poorly executed Italian-American fare like veal Parmesan made with chopped veal frozen from a box topped with way too much gummy cheese, big bowls of over sauced pasta with dreadful meatballs or anything done “Française.”
Dinner at Village Belle changed his mind. Located at the former site of Frederick’s, this new restaurant is owned by Joey Campanaro and his brother Louis, the chef and a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America.
The original bar remains intact, but the dining rooms underwent a major interior face-lift. If Frederick’s was Italian kitsch, Village Belle is open and relaxing. There’s an exposed brick wall, red leather circular banquettes, red leather chairs and red napkins on polished wooden tables.
The cucina is the star here. The food was so flavorful and authentic, I could dine at Village Belle twice a month.
Chris and I like to share. We began dinner with country salad ($9), chicken liver mousse ($10) and seafood salad ($13). Our server brought us some house-made warm focaccia-like bread and olive oil.
The country salad was prepared with fresh frisée that was topped with lardoons (put bacon in anything and I will gobble it), bits of slightly salty blue cheese, roasted garlic and topped in a light vinaigrette.
The chicken liver mousse was superb. The consistency was so smooth I wondered how Campanaro achieved it.
“He put it through a tammi,” Chris said. “It’s like a screen.”
A bit of cream was added to the mousse, which was served with warm just a bit crunchy crostini, chopped egg and tomato. This was the finest chicken liver mousse I’ve ever tasted in a restaurant. We licked the plate clean.
Seafood salads can be tricky. We detest overcooked fish and shellfish. Our server advised us the seafood salad is served cool. The platter contained perfectly cooked shrimp, without their tail shells, baby calamari and scallops, which were so fresh they tasted as if they were just plucked from the sea and onto our plates. Each fish was a taste sensation. The salad included a handful of fresh, nicely dressed and slightly spicy watercress.
With the antipasti, I sipped a glass of 2009 Verdejo Bodegas Para Vevi, Rueda Spain ($8). This was a light, crisp white wine that paired well with all three dishes.
After having the seafood as an antipasto, we desired a heavier entrée. We shared four lamb chops ($26), which arrived medium-rare. They were beautifully grilled on the outside and a red-pink inside.
After I ate the eye, I felt no guilt and picked the lamb chop up and gnawed the meat completely from the bone. Campanaro added sweet black mission figs and in-season butternut squash to finish the dish. The balance of tastes and textures was sublime. The meat was so tender, you could cut it with a butter knife.
With the lamb, I sipped a 2008 Garnacha & Petit Verdot blend, Sa Ra Da, Castilla-La Mancha, Spain ($8). A gentleman helped me make my selection and hit the wine right on the mark.
The spirit of fall was evident in the pumpkin panna cotta ($7) which was outrageously delicious. It was not too sweet with a hint of spice and served with maple pecan brittle, which added crunch and a little salt. The ricotta cheese cake ($7) was dry but enhanced by lemon honey, frosted orange and chopped pistachio nuts.
The freshly brewed coffee was strong and my Earl Gray tea warmed me up.
Chris and I are very picky when it comes to Italian cucina. We wanted to meet the man who prepared our superb meal. Louis Companaro sat down for a moment and we discussed the meal.
The only flaw was the darkness. Servers carry small flashlights in their aprons which help a little. The votive candles on the table are pretty, but do not add light.
Three extraordinary tips of the toque to Village Belle. SPR
Village Belle
757 S. Front St. (at Fitzwater)
215-551-2200
www.thevillagebelle.com
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