I had to squeeze in one more post about a dinner in 2021. With the present state of COVID, I probably won’t be adding any new stories about dining indoors at restaurants for a while. This one was pretty special, though. My wife and I have been doing a Christmas dinner with another couple every December for many years. This December it was at Villa Barone in Collingswood. It’s a great BYOB Italian restaurant. Villa Barone is consistently good and, surprisingly, very reasonable (especially in the present inflationary environment).
The Restaurant
Villa Barone Ristorante Italiano is located on Haddon Avenue in Collingswood. In a town with a dozen or more good Italian restaurants, Villa Barone is one of our favorites.
The Appetizers
My wife and I ordered their Sausage and Broccoli Rabe (pictured below). I still wasn’t sure what I would order for my entree, but I wanted to choose something that would pair well with the Turdo Nebbiolo I brought. It was a marriage made in heaven.
House Salad
A nice house salad was included with our meals. It consisted of mixed greens, shaved carrots, onions, and tomatoes, topped with a balsamic vinaigrette dressing and a little parmesan cheese.
Entrees
For my entree I chose the Saltimbocca Vitello (Veal Saltimbocca). It was a delicious version with the traditional prosciutto and a bit of mozzarella cheese topping the veal and served over a bed of spinach in a sage wine sauce. It came with a generous portion of penne pasta on the side.
My wife chose their San Angelo Pollo-chicken and portobello mushrooms sautéed in a marsala wine glaze. It was also wonderful.
We both enjoyed our entrees and went back and forth with the wines (ultimately compromising and agreeing that when the red and white wines are both amazing, the decision about which to enjoy with these dishes becomes an easy one-both)!
Speaking of the wines…
The Wines
We did not order a dessert, but continued to enjoy our wines while chatting, long after our plates were taken and our doggie bags were packed for home. Our wines for this occasion were:
- Turdo Vineyards Turis Etichetta D’Oro Nebbiolo-One of my all-time faves! You would be hard-pressed to find a smoother Nebbiolo, that is full-bodied and just bursting with flavors of cherries and raspberries, and a finish that is smooth and seems to last forever.
- Hawk Haven Vineyards 2019 Reserve Chardonnay Two Wire-Probably my favorite Chardonnay they produce. It conveys apple, pear, and vanilla on the palate, with medium acidity and medium plus body.
Speaking of great New Jersey wines…
You can still get $4.00 off my ebook, New Jersey Uncorked: A Snob-Free Taste of NJ Wine at Apple’s iBook app. Just be sure to use the coupon code Winter21.
Coming Attractions
With the latest scourge of COVID, it may be a while before we dine in or spend an afternoon or evening at a winery. But there is always curbside, deliveries, and take-out until the pandemic recedes or it is warm enough to enjoy wine, food, and music outside.
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