RESTAURANT REVIEW:Old world, vast wine list, experimentation at Villa Nova

Restaurants that promote scenery usually do so at the sacrifice of cuisine, but those who have patronized Villa Nova in Newport Beach know that both are exquisite.

The decor and food have staples of old world family Italian restaurant and new age, exploratory bistro.

Old, red leather booths and simple tables and chairs — with breadsticks in jars on the table — symbolize the corner Italian joint, and there are more than 100 choices on the wine list.

The harbor views are a nice complement to the food, which is superb. The typical Italian menu entrees, such as fettuccine alfredo and pasta primavera, are tucked between more interesting and imaginative dishes.

No matter what Italian restaurant I patronize, if it doesn’t pass the prosciutto-and-melon test, then my opinion is immediately biased.

Prosciutto and melon is one of the simplest appetizers, but there are vital prerequisites, and if they aren’t met, the dish becomes an indicator of the restaurant’s philosophy concerning food.

The melon is usually North American cantaloupe, but sometimes the orange fruit yields to green honeydew. Whichever is employed, it must be fresh. The sweetness is what interacts and mingles with the prosciutto, a spicy, Italian, dry-cured ham. As fresh as the melon must be, the prosciutto must be equally as spicy. If either of those do not meet the criteria, the meat-wrapped-around-fruit concept goes horribly awry. Fortunately, Villa Nova’s dish passed the test easily, and my three friends and I eagerly explored more adventurous dishes.

One friend — a notoriously simple eater — was convinced to go beyond spaghetti and meatballs, though it took a bit of lobbying from the rest of the table. We coerced him into ordering bistecca arrabiata, which is homemade linguine with fresh tomatoes, onions, garlic, white wine and crushed red chilies topped with seasoned strips of New York Steak.

He was happy, which was surprising. It was a culinary leap for him, and none of us touched our food until after his first bite to see whether he was going to continue. When he did, there was a sense of relief. My stolen bite provided a nice texture with the linguine and steak, but I longed for more garlic.

Craving more prosciutto, I selected scallopine castellana. The sliced medallions of veal are dipped in egg, layered with prosciutto and topped with melted mozzarella. Four pieces of meat was a perfect amount, and portions of prosciutto and cheese were ample.

We were ready to hear wine suggestions from our server, but his lack of expertise was apparent. That, sadly, was the only wrinkle in our evening. The waiter was a pleasant enough individual, just suited more to be a car mechanic than a waiter at an upscale restaurant.

There was little attention paid to us, and a simple request for sliced lemons proved to be too much for him to handle, though we did finally get the lemons on the third demand after one friend’s fish was nearly finished.

Service issues aside, it should not detract from a visit to this West Coast Highway icon.

VILLA NOVA

WHERE: 3131 W. Coast Highway, Newport Beach

CUISINE: Italian

COST: Appetizers start at $5.75; entrees range from $11.95 to $56.95.

DRESS: Casual, but many men wear coats.

FAMILY FRIENDLY: Yes, eight-item children’s menu.

RATING: **** 1/2 (of five)

PHONE: (949) 642-7880