Bargain Dinners Bring Pasta Lovers to Villa

When I asked several established restaurateurs to project the leading trend for 1993, they replied that lower prices, rather than innovative cuisine, would likely be the major development.

One owner put it most succinctly when he said: “Cheap, cheap, cheap, cheap, cheap!”

While certain folk in New York, Los Angeles and other glitter capitals formerly took as much pride in the size of the check as in the quality of the cuisine, San Diego County diners never have been eager to throw their money away. These days, billfolds are being guarded even more closely, and many restaurants not only are feeling the pinch, but are responding--in some cases, with sighs of frustration. The more pragmatic are offering specials or general price reductions.

High-line restaurants hate to take either course, but some find facing facts to be rewarding. Among these is Del Mar’s Villa D’Este, one of the few consistently reliable sources in North County for formal Italian fare.

From Monday through Saturday, Villa D’Este now offers a three-course dinner for $14.95 that includes Caesar salad, a choice of any pasta on the menu (except the most luxurious, the linguine with assorted seafood) and a choice of the various pastries baked on the premises. By the time you add tax, tip and a glass or bottle of wine, this doesn’t quite work out to be cheap, of course, but there is a considerable saving over what the same meal would cost if ordered a la carte.

In addition, if you arrive with the special in mind, you may find it hard to keep to the moderate path after reading the listings for the seafood and meat entrees, none of which are available as part of a deal. But the choice of pastas is extensive and the four sampled over the course of two recent visits were quite enjoyable.

Judging by the number of Caesar salads that traveled from the kitchen to tables around the room on both visits, many of Villa D’Este’s patrons are taking advantage of the special. It wouldn’t be quite fair to turn this around by commenting that Villa D’Este is taking advantage of its clients with the Caesar salad, but this is composed with a minimum of effort and rather less dressing than necessary to make the salad taste as zesty as it ought.

There is no lack of effort with the pastas, however, which are prepared with considerable style and portioned every bit as lavishly as reasonably could be desired.

The lasagna is a good case in point. Most restaurants treat this in the Southern Italian style, which can be heavy or good, but too often falls into the former category. Villa D’Este prepares a Northern style that goes easy on the cheese and alternates Bolognese-style meat sauce and becciamella (satin-textured white sauce) between the layers of pasta. The result, served in an immense, oven-gilded rectangle, is much more delicate and enjoyable than many of the versions served around the county.

Among a list of choices that includes linguine in a sauce of fresh little neck clams and Florentine-style cannelloni with a filling of spinach, ricotta and veal, the menu offers several spicy pastas. Prime in this group would be the penne arrabiata , or “raging” macaroni, dressed with a tomato sauce that incorporates plenty of garlic and red pepper. The amount of garlic is notable, but, if you really like garlic, you should be very pleased by this dish.

The fusilli luganega gains a degree of spiciness from a different direction, the chunks of well-seasoned sausage tossed into the noodles along with tomato sauce, peas and mushrooms. This is a rather rustic dish, enjoyable with a stout red wine and aided even better by a hearty appetite.

Villa D’Este obliges special requests when possible, and a guest with a fondness for pasta puttanesca was told “of course” when she asked if the kitchen would make a plate. It wasn’t too much of a strain on the kitchen’s resources, since the dish basically requires adding capers and olives to the arrabiata sauce mentioned above. The result was pungent and delicious.

Other choices include linguine primavera, or pasta with vegetables and cream sauce, and paglia e fieno Margherita, a special version of “straw and hay” (egg and spinach noodles) tossed with tomato, garlic, mozzarella and basil.

Villa D’Este

2282 Carmel Valley Road,Del Mar

Calls: 259-2006

Hours: Dinner Monday through Saturday

Cost: Pasta special $14.95; a la carte pastas and entrees $10.95 to $21. Dinner for two, including a glass of wine each, tax and tip, about $50 to $75.