Villa Roma Restaurant

In between making jolly, shopping and decorating the house, my husband and I decided to sneak in a little romance with a date night.

Villa Roma in West Harwich provided the perfect setting to unwind from holiday stress. Dim lighting, Venetian stucco walls and cozy table arrangements create a comfortable atmosphere that was matched beautifully by the unhurried pace of the meal.

The menu is simple and consists of traditional Italian fare with capellini and meatballs, Bolognese sauce, lasagna, chicken or veal piccata or Marsala and the usual three Parmesan choices. Daily specials offer diversity. The night we visited, specials included a veal tip cacciatore and turkey dinner (both sold out) and linguini with white or red clam sauce. Best of all, the meals I mentioned are all under $20, with several offerings under $15.

Besides authentic-tasting food, one of the things I liked most about Villa Roma was the extra touches that make a meal an experience. Upon being seated, we were given a bowl of black and green olives with marinated baby bella mushrooms and a little pot of spicy cheese spread and Torino bread sticks to snack on while we decided what to order.

After we placed our order, our server brought more snacks – a loaf of crusty Italian bread that was topped with melted garlic butter with bits of freshly sautéed minced garlic.

All entrees come with a choice of soup or house salad with a $2 upgrade for a Caesar salad, which we decided to try. It consisted of a crisp plate of romaine lettuce with plenty of fresh shaved Parmesan and croutons that were quite garlicky. The salad was topped with anchovy fillets and tossed with a creamy Caesar dressing that tasted homemade. It was a classic version and very tasty.

The soup of the day was Italian wedding, another classic recipe that was executed well. Made with homemade chicken stock, the soup was thick with pearly acine de pepe pasta, chopped spinach and tiny meatballs. It was piping hot and very satisfying.

For the main courses, we tried the Chicken Marsala ($17) and the Linguini with White Clam Sauce ($19). The portions were quite generous, and the food was as good as anything we have tried in Boston’s North End.

The Marsala came with three planks of tender chicken, pounded and sautéed golden, resting on a mound of capellini. There were plenty of quartered mushrooms and bits of garlic in the velvety and slightly sweet sauce made with Marsala wine and a rich brown demi-glace.

Served in a giant bowl, the Linguini with White Clam Sauce was swimming in a buttery, briny broth with plenty of garlic. Thirteen littlenecks in their shells rested on top; halved grape tomatoes and a garnish of steamed broccoli added color to the tasty dish.

The meal ended on a sweet note with two Andes mint candies and a check that was wonderfully affordable considering the experience we had.