STEPHEN SANTACROCE -- Dining review

My East Coast friends constantly criticize Southern California for

having no history to speak of. Pointing to 300-year-old churches and the

historical plaques that seem to be on every building in New England, they

question my desire to live in a place that considers the first Bob’s Big

Boy as fit for the National Historic Registry.

I constantly defend my residence of choice and confidently point out

that there’s plenty of history here. You just have to know where to look

for it.

Villa Nova Restaurant in Newport Beach, albeit no musty old church, is

a great example of the local history that can be found if one digs a bit.

Villa Nova opened as a small Trattoria near Hollywood and Vine in

1933. Owner Allen Dale was a less than successful actor who emigrated

from the Abruzzi region of Italy to seek fame and fortune in Hollywood.

After a short career as an actor and stuntman, the former Alfredo di

Lisio (Dale was his stage name) opened his restaurant, which he moved to

the Sunset Strip two years later.

The restaurant was an immediate success, and soon all his acting

cronies were hanging out there on a regular basis. John Wayne, Dean

Martin and Henry Fonda all frequented the spot.

According to the current owners, Andy and Charlene Crean, Joe DiMaggio

took Marilyn Monroe there on a blind date, and it’s also the spot where

Vincent Minelli proposed to Judy Garland.

In 1967, as the Sunset Strip was losing its glamour and gaining strip

clubs, Dale moved the restaurant to its present location on West Coast

Highway overlooking Newport Bay.

The restaurant could just as easily have been plucked from the Abruzzi

coast, with its great view of the harbor and decor that invokes Old World

romance.

The dark interior and wood-panel ceilings create instant warmth

enhanced by the plush, red-leather booths and rich, burgundy table

linens. Large watercolor murals by Stefano Falk depict picturesque

Italian scenes.

The cozy cocktail lounge features entertainment most nights and is

always crowded late into the evening with an enthusiastic and

appreciative clientele.

An upstairs lounge features an open-air “cigar” room, perfect for

enjoying a fine cigar and snifter of brandy on a balmy evening.

Villa Nova’s food has about as much historic significance as the rest

of the building. Phrases like “a favorite since we opened” dot the menu

of chef Sonny Merganthaler.

He has been with the restaurant for 25 years and has held the

responsibility for the kitchen since 1983, when the original chef, Wally

Gentile, died.

The classic Italian menu offers a variety of traditional appetizers,

including an antipasto misto ($6.95) that features a variety of cold

meats, cheeses, olives and vegetables. It’s a good choice to warm up the

palette while sipping a Campari and soda or martini.

Other favorites include thinly sliced prosciutto draped over sweet

melon ($7.95), and bruschetta ($3.95), which are toasted baguette slices

topped with fresh-chopped tomatoes, garlic, basil and a drizzle of

extra-virgin olive oil.

I was disappointed with the fried calamari ($5.95). The slices of

calamari steak (as opposed to the baby ringlets often seen) were cooked

just right, but the bread-crumb coating was soggy, soaking up too much

oil. Try instead the Melanzane Villa Nova ($4.95), thin slices of

perfectly fried eggplant served with a tangy marinara sauce.

Pasta dishes are served in entree-sized portions and include most of

the old standbys, such as spaghetti served with a choice of meat sauce

(Bolognese), marinara or fresh tomatoes and basil ($9.50). An extra buck

will get you two of the tasty meatballs made with ground beef and ground

veal.

Ravioli ($9.95) is stuffed with a combination of spinach, veal and

sausage, and also can be topped with any of the above-mentioned sauces.

I judge an Italian restaurant by its fried calamari and veal dishes.

Villa Nova may have missed the mark with its squid appetizer, but the

veal erases any doubts that most of the food is classic Italian at its

best.

o7 Scallopine piccante f7 ($19.95) demonstrates both the quality of

the meats that Merganthaler buys and his deft hand at preparing them.

The scallopini are sliced paper-thin and cooked just enough to keep

them from getting tough and stringy. Capers and mushrooms in a sauce of

garlic, white wine, lemon and butter accent the mild-flavored meat with a

pungent flair.

A more robust, but just as good, preparation is the Piatto Villa Nova

($22.95), which tops veal with thin eggplant slices, mushrooms and zesty

tomato sauce.

Seafood lovers should try the calamari steak ($16.95), which, unlike

it’s appetizer cousin, is cooked to perfection.

The steak is dipped in egg batter and quickly sauteed. If not done

right, this preparation can turn the squid into shoe leather; here I was

able to cut mine with a fork. The perfectly cooked squid is served with

the same piccante sauce that’s served on the veal.

Wine lovers will have no problem selecting the perfect bottle to

accompany their meal. The extensive list includes a cellar collection

featuring vertical flights (same wine, consecutive years) of several

excellent cabernets and chardonnays, as well as a superb, if not

expensive, offering of older French bordeauxes and burgundies.

Desserts include several traditional Italian dishes like the now

standard o7 tiramisuf7 ($4.95). I’d skip it. The ladyfingers were dry,

and the filling had a granular consistency.

Try instead the excellent o7 zabionef7 ($4.95), a light, rich

custard made with egg yolks and sweet marsala wine, served warm over

fresh berries.

Villa Nova came close to becoming past history when the restaurant was

burnt to the ground in 1995. Luckily for its loyal Newport following, the

Creans painstakingly reconstructed the restaurant at considerable cost.

Villa Nova sits once again, regally perched next to the luxurious

pleasure craft that dot Newport Harbor, serving traditional Italian

cuisine in a luxurious, romantic setting.

* STEPHEN SANTACROCE’S restaurant reviews appear every other Thursday.

He may be reached by e-mail at o7 food_critic@hotmail.com .f7

FYI

* What: Villa Nova Restaurant

* Where: 3131 W. Coast Highway, Newport Beach

* Hours: 5 p.m. to midnight Mondays through Thursdays, 5 p.m. to 1

a.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 4 p.m. to midnight Sundays

* How much: Expensive

* Phone: (949) 642-7880