The Village Belle, 757 S. Front St., has a lot more going for it than its stylish facade.
The Mediterranean and Italian-influenced restaurant forges a visually appealing space both inside and out with large widows giving diners a view of the parks along Front Street. The location lends a relaxed vibe, attracting just enough local foot traffic while shielding diners from the busier section of Front and South.
Since the restaurant opened in October, chef-owner Joey Campanaro has been shifting the menu regularly, upgrading specials to permanent additions and tweaking recipes to coincide with the seasons. Given the results, let’s hope he never stops tinkering.
On the particularly hot and sticky evening we dined there, The Village Belle served up dishes that were appropriately clean and light, while at the same time very flavorful.
The seafood salad ($13) was lightly dressed and overflowing with perfectly cooked and chilled shrimp, scallops and calamari. And it was easy to see why the gravy meatball sliders ($9) are a house favorite. The meatballs taste like they came fresh from somebody’s grandmother’s kitchen: meaty comfort-food goodness with marinara on housemade bread.
Things get really impressive on the pasta menu. The ricotta crespelle ($17) has amazing flavor and texture, with the thin crepe-like pastry encasing a delicate blend of cheese, pine nuts and caramelized onions, all surrounded by a tasty sea of marinara. The spaghetti ($13/$25) was also addictive, with an outstanding crab marinara sauce and a generous helping of crabmeat.
For entrées, The Village Belle runs a $15 special Mondays through Thursdays. The special on our evening was the pork chop (normally $19) and, special or not, it is worth every penny. The chop on its own was enough to make us happy but the herbed potatoes, grain-mustard sauce and vinegar peppers added layers of texture and flavor that sent our tastebuds over the top.
The heartiness of the pork chop was in stark contrast to the light touch that was the shrimp spiedini ($21), a pleasant presentation of grilled shrimp over a bed of asparagus and tomato-basil salsa.
Once again we tried to leave without dessert, but the attentive waitstaff insisted. We’re glad we listened (again!). The dessert menu had some of the usual suspects, some with interesting twists (all $7 each): chocolate cake, goat-cheese panna cotta, etc. But it was the peaches and cream that caught our eye. It certainly isn’t something we see frequently on a menu. Lesser chefs would have ramped up the sweetness in such a dish but here it was surprisingly natural, with chunks of fresh peaches bathing in a smoothly whipped ricotta cream, all punctuated by the slightly sugary crunch of a shortbread cookie.
By all means, flood The Village Belle with your patronage — but remember to save us a table by a window.