And beneath this odd plant was a mother deer and her fawn nibbling the shrubbery. For those of you who haven't been to The Villa recently, there's a new tiled, wood-fired oven in the main dining room, which is just one of several rooms in this expansive place. There's a large full bar as well, and outside seating on a covered deck. We took our seats in one of the plush, diamond-tufted leather booths that share the room with freestanding tables. As soon as we sat down, a squadron of waiters and waitresses brought ice water, and a basket of warm Italian breads, includ ing focaccia, plus butter and olive oil.
Service is snappy, even when the room is full.
Our waiter was a jokey sort of fellow, but pleasant to deal with and ready to accommodate our wishes. Not only is the food hitting a new standard now, but the portions are unusually big. Whatever changes have been made in the kitchen, they've worked. It's always a great pleasure to see a place turn up the quality, and my compliments to the chef. As it was, the lightly breaded calamari, both rings and whole little squids, were fried to the perfect crunch.