A Taste of Italy in Clifton Virginia: Trattoria Villagio

Having been to Italy five times in the last 6 years, my perspective on Italian food is a bit skewed. Frankly, I’m a snob. Although I’ve always loved American iterations of Italian food, I now find myself comparing my meals at home to those I’ve had in some of the great Italian culinary capitals like Rome, Tuscany, Umbria, Liguria, and the Amalfi Coast.

I was extremely excited to visit Trattoria Villagio (TV) after reading their menu online as they’ve got a wide variety of dishes that would appeal to any number of people. And driving through the tiny town of Clifton to get to TV, I was immediately enchanted by the quaint and festive restaurant still lit up and decked out with Christmas décor.

For the appetizer, I shared arancini with my friends and got a plate of their shrimp bada-bing (SBB)! The whole table agreed that the arancini were spot on. The crispy outer shells of the risotto balls hid a scrumptious combination of Bolognese sauce and taleggio/mozzarella blend that transported you to Italy. The SBB did not resemble anything I’ve had in Italy to be honest but I didn’t really care. The crispy shrimp tossed in a tangy sauce was a fine starter for the meal.

For my main course, I decided to get the carbonara. It’s my favorite Italian dish and the one by which I compare Italian restaurants. At TV, their carbonara is made with a thin spaghetti. I prefer the pastas that most restaurants in Italy use for their carbonara, namely penne, rigatoni, and bucatini. Had I never been to Italy, I would have absolutely loved this dish. And to be sure, I liked it a lot and would absolutely get it again without hesitation. But if I were to be a little critical, I think the sauce needed to be a little thicker. The pasta just didn’t hold the sauce like it normally would a thicker sauce. Also, the pancetta was a little too small, almost like big bacon bits. I think if the pancetta was cut a bit larger and crisped up, it would have elevated the dish even more.

For dessert, I went with the tiramisu, yet another dish I love to use to compare restaurants. Again, I liked it but I think the espresso could have been a little bit stronger. I know some people hate the coffee flavor but I really love a bold espresso flavor coming through in tiramisu.

Overall, I loved TV. The service was excellent. The vibe was jovial and comfortable, yet classy. I can’t wait to go back to TV and hope you give them a chance as well. I already know what I want. I’m going to have the baked meatballs, lobster ravioli (or chicken parmesan!), and bomboloni.