As North 27th Street continues to develop, more family-operated restaurants are popping up.
The latest is Villa Amore, the Italian restaurant which opened at the beginning of this month at 5353 N. 27th St. It’s connected to the Country Inn & Suites and takes the place of JB’s Burger Kitchen & Bar. Prior to JB’s, the site operated as Beacon Hills, a longtime Lincoln favorite.
Villa Amore has the right combination -- menu, service and atmosphere -- to become as popular as Beacon Hills was.
The new Italian restaurant is operated by Florim Ramadani, a past owner of Florio’s and South 48th Street Bistro. Villa Amore is now his one and only endeavor.
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He said he looked at the Beacon Hills site when it closed three years ago, but chose not to pursue it at that time. He had a change of heart when it became available again this summer.
“There are a lot of restaurants over here, but Italian ones … not so much,†he said. “We’ve found that people in the area are excited we’ve opened.â€
What Villa Amore gives the neighborhood is another Beacon Hills, a casual restaurant that borders on formal, but with an Italian flair. The menu features traditional pasta dishes (lasagna, chicken Parmesan, fettuccini Alfredo, ravioli), house specialties with marinara or cream sauces and 12-inch, thin-crust pizzas.
Prices range from $14.95 to $19.95. Villa Amore also has a lunch menu, which runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday, with dishes running from $8.95 to $10.95.
Food
For entrees, I went with the chicken and sausage dish ($18.95) from the nine house specialties, and my wife chose the salmon uno ($19.95) from the nine seafood options.
I was drawn to mine because of the creamy brandy sauce, which was mild, but flavorful. It was the semi-spicy sausage, though, that made the penne pasta dish. Next time, I would ditch the chicken and order just the sausage ($15.95).
My wife’s entree was heavenly. The salmon was cooked to the right tenderness. The dish also featured sauteed broccoli, tomato and spinach in a not-overpowering scampi lemon sauce over angel hair pasta. Not only pleasing to eat, it was pleasing to the eye as well, with the pink salmon, green broccoli and spinach and red tomato.
Villa Amore plated each dish in heavy, white bowls rimmed with parsley flakes for color. Entrees are served with choice of salad or homemade soup of the day and freshly baked rolls, served with oil or butter.
The portions are large. We both ate half our entrees, saving room for dessert. The restaurant has a split plate/sharing charge of $4.75 that includes an extra soup or salad.
We finished with a homemade tiramisu ($6.95) -- a must-try that pairs well with red wine or a strong cup of coffee. It’s quite rich, loaded with creamy mascarpone cheese.
The wine list features, as you would guess, a large selection of Italian wines sold by the glass or bottle, with most bottle prices in the $30 range. The list also includes choices from South Africa, France, California, New Zealand and Argentina. I had a glass of Cavaliere Chianti (Italy, $7) -- quite fruity on the pallet. My wife enjoyed a Cape Original Cabernet (South Africa, $7), very bold and jam-like. Grade: A
Service
Kudos to Ashley, our server. We enjoyed one of our better dining experiences thanks to her. She greeted us promptly after we were seated, gave us time to peruse the wine list, offered recommendations from the menu -- she’s a fan of the Tour of Italy entree because of its variety (chicken Parm, cheese manicotti and cheese ravioli), checked on us periodically and took our payment when we were ready.
The kitchen was spot-on, too. Our salads and fresh bread arrived shortly after we placed our orders. Our entrees came out not long after that. Granted, it was 7:30 p.m. on a Thursday, when it wasn’t crazy busy, but we were impressed.
Villa Amore also had a host, which I think is necessary at a restaurant connected to a hotel. A host juggles guests with regular patrons, making sure there is an uninterrupted flow. Both the host and our server were nicely dressed. The servers wear all black -- a nice touch. Grade: A
Atmosphere
Villa Amore reminds me (and, possibly, other longtime Lincoln diners) a little bit of Jax Shack, the steakhouse that used to operate at 27th Street and Nebraska 2. That’s because, with all its nooks and crannies, Villa Amore is bigger than it seems at first glance. Those nooks and crannies allow for a more intimate dining experience.
Ramadani didn’t change the layout from JB’s, or Beacon Hills, before that. But he gave the restaurant a facelift, adding framed prints above the tables, changing the booths from cloth to faux leather and adding some color to the walls.
The restaurant features a bar with a handful of tall tables walled off from the main dining room, which is filled with a mix of booths and tables. Each table is covered in a white tablecloth. Grade: B+
Specialty diets
Eight of the specialty dishes can be ordered without meat, but one -- tortellini primavera ($15.95) -- is specifically designated vegetarian. It features broccoli, mushrooms, zucchini, onion, bell peppers and cheese tortellini in a creamy marinara sauce.
The traditional portion of the menu includes a house-made ravioli ($13.95) stuffed with spinach and ricotta and sauteed with onions in a marinara sauce. Appetizers include a bruschetta ($8.95) and antipasti ($9.95). There’s also a Caesar salad ($10.95) and a veggie lover’s pizza (mushrooms, onions, green peppers, black olives; $11.95).
Gluten-free pasta is available upon request. Grade: A