Reviews

Weekly Planet March 16, 2005

Exceptional Italian

Villa Gallace feeds the stomach and nourishes the soul. By Diana Peterfreund

Villa Gallace Italian Restaurant ***** 109 Gulf Boulevard Indian Rocks Beach (727)596-0200

The other day, I learned a very serious lesson about complacency. I was driving down a road not

20 minutes from my house, a road that I probably driven down a hundred times before and I

passed a restaurant that I’ve never seen. An Italian restaurant. Sure, Villa Gallace is located on an

awkward triangular lot with an entrance that faces away from the street, but that’s hardly an excuse. It’s

my my job at the Planet to hunt these places down, and Italian is the favorite cuisine of everyone

in my family. I decided the place must be new. I called my family (marinara buffs, all) and invited

them them to dinner at this promising new Italian restaurant. An hour later, as we were flipping

through the thick, pleather-bound menu emblazoned with the Gallace family crest ( a busy

conglomerate of grape leaves, armor helms, crowns and a crowing cock), I casually asked the

waiter when the restaurant had opened. “Ten years ago.” Oops. For the next 10 minutes or

so, our conversation centered around two topics: the rich, slightly currant-tinged flavor of our ’99

Chianti Classico, and why in the world we’d never dined at Villa Gallace before. Was it because

there are Italian restaurants we adored that were closer to our house? Were we blind to any local

place we hadn’t been visiting since the ‘80’s? An Indian Rocks Beach restaurant doesn’t reach

double-digits years without some sort of reputation for quality. As we mused over our orders we

watched patrons finish their meals and leave, always with a hearty salute to co-owner

Luigi Gallace, and nearly as often with a promise to “see [him] again soon.

The décor is kept simple: a bit of greenery, many framed snapshots of Italy taken by

Alice Gallace, and a few dozens signed celebrity portraits in the corridor leading to the restrooms.

My favorite touch was the mantle clustered with framed photographs of the Gallace family.

( If you ask about them, Luigi will happily identify every single one, from the 62-year

black-and-white of his dad as a toddler, balanced on grandpa’s knee, to the recent snapshot of

his infant niece, presiding in a space of honor near the center of the shelf.)

We ordered like Italians. A plate of classic antipasto misto ($8.95) featured wafer-thin

slices of sopressata, prosciutto, along with spicy pickled veggies, roasted red peppers, a few

types of cheese, a spattering of olives, fresh tomatoes and spinach leaves. At some restaurants,

mixed antipasto plates are drowned in olive oil or salad dressing, but the drizzle on this version

highlighted the variety of flavors on the plate without overwhelming them.

Passed around the table for everyone to sample, the dish started the meal off in the correct sharing

spirit. Another appetizer, gnocchi gorgonzola ($8.95) were potato perfection, sautéed in a

gorgonzola cream sauce. My mother told me that her last-minute order of pasta e fagiola

($4.95) was one of the best she’d ever had, a pronouncement I fear might hurt a few feelings

among her saucier friends. For entrees I couldn’t resist trying out the filetto Diane

(8 ounces,$21.95), which was grilled to a gorgeous, deep red rare (as per my instructions) and

served in a creamy mushroom sauce with a hint of Dijon mustard. Though I was surprised by the

amount of sauce, I thought the steak was delicious. A traditional, caper-studded veal piccata

($16.95) was similarly well-endowed in the sauce department, and in this case, the light,

lemony, white wine sauce set the thin veal filets off flawlessly. We ordered several pasta dishes,

and were pleased with everyone, from the giant square of cheesy lasagna ($13.95) to rigatoni in

a thick, slow-cooked meat sauce ($13.95). My favorite pasta-based dish was the shrimp

alla Villa Gallace ($16.95), which featured several jumbo Gulf shrimp tossed in a spicy, garlicky

tomato sauce (another restaurant might call it fra’ diavolo) and served on a bed of linguini. Each

of these dishes were served on enormous platters. Afterward, we sampled several options

from Villa Gallace’s dessert menu. The clear standout of the lot was a frozen, tangerine sorbet

served in the citrus fruit’s own skin. Imported from Italy, the sweet, delicate confection proved

an ideal finish to such a filling meal.Throughout the meal, the Villa Gallace staff treated us to

un uniformly exquisite service, from the waiter who gave us an impromptu lesson on

bootlegging lemon liqueur to another waiter who wouldn’t rest until everyone at my table was

served to his or her heart’s content. One of my more finicky companions asked the owner if

he could order the evening special and substitute half the ingredients, and Luigi made it happen

without batting an eye. I can’t get enough of restaurants like this, or restaurateurs like

Luigi Gallace. When an establishment treats eating out like a celebratory occasion, and is more than

happy to celebrate alongside their customers, it reaches into the very heart of what makes the idea

of dinner with others such an invigorating experience. The people at Villa Gallace understand that

you don’t navigate the awkward parking lot for a plate of boiled noodles

(even if they are some damn fine boiled noodles)- you come for the experience,

from the first dip of crusty bread in seasoned olive oil to the final sip of sparkling dessert

wine. At Villa Gallace, they give you food for the stomach and nourishment for the soul.

Belleaire Bee by Wayne Ayers

INDIAN ROCKS BEACH – Villa Gallace, or “house of the Gallaces,” has been the beach home of home-style Italian dining for more than a decade now.

Pompeo and Alice Gallace are joined by son, Luigi, in bringing the authentic tastes of Italy to their classy, intimate establishment located on the Intracoastal Waterway in Indian Rocks Beach.

The Gallaces radiate an exuberant friendliness and openness that is reflected in the restaurant’s neighborly and unpretentious style.

“We want to make everybody feel at home, like you’re coming to your own living room,” Pompeo Gallace said.

Every winter, Pompeo and Alice take their customers on ski and winery tours of Italy, set up by Alice, who is also a licensed tour operator. The trips are like family gatherings, Alice said, adding that the only qualification is to “be able to laugh and enjoy a good time.”

The family’s devotion to the ways of the mother country is evident in a look at Villa Gallace’s extensive menu of Italian specialties, which Pompeo describes as “embracing the many cuisines of Italy.” The preparations mirror the skills of the restaurant’s chefs, three Italians and one “excellent” American.

“Many places call themselves Italian and serve up spaghetti and sausage,” Alice said. “Our chefs have lived in Italy, they know the food and how to prepare it.”

That intimacy makes the difference.

“We try very hard to offer the best real Italian, in both ingredients and style,” said Pompeo.

Veal dishes and seafood creations are Villa Gallace house specialties. The Zuppa Di Pesce, mixed seafood in a light tomato sauce, is very popular, Pompeo said. Grouper Florentine is one of Alice’s favorites. Offered on occasion as a special, the item became so popular that it was added to the menu.

“For one dish, we redid the whole menu,” Alice said.

The Gallaces also bring back new recipes each year from their annual fall Italian vacation. All Villa Gallace entrees are reasonably priced, most under $20.

The Gallaces also take pride in the extensive wine selection offered, with an emphasis on the vintages of Italy. The couple’s frequent Italian journeys offer ample opportunity to sample local products and augment the Villa Gallace’s wine cellar. The restaurant’s selection of wines by the glass is one of the largest around, Pompeo said.

Villa Gallace is both a special place where newlyweds come after a wedding on the beach, and an anytime restaurant where locals and tourists drop in for a delicious dinner while enjoying the scenic setting overlooking the Intracoastal. Dining on the tree-shaded patio while watching the boats glide by is a real treat.

Customer loyalty brings regulars to Villa Gallace from as far as Tarpon Springs. Seasonal customers from New York, Chicago, Ohio and all over return year after year, Alice said. The mementos of famed celebrity diners, many from the world of sports, line the wall at the back of the restaurant.

Villa Gallace is at 109 Gulf Blvd., at the tip of the triangle at the south end of Indian Rocks Beach. It is open Monday through Saturday 5 to 10:30 p.m. and Sunday 4 to 10 p.m.