Restaurant review: Arvada Villa Italian Restaurant
By Stan Dyer
As long as I have been a resident of Arvada, I have enjoyed the food and service of Arvada Villa. In the past few years, however, so many new restaurants featuring such a variety of cuisines have opened in the area that I almost forgot about this quiet, little gem tucked away in a shopette at 57 th and Independence. Well, I made it back and discovered a nice surprise. The restaurant has taken on a new, fresher look, but kept the same time honored recipes that have made it an area favorite since 1960.
The distinctive sign remains the same, but wall murals by Kathie Musso of 1rst Impression Salon and Divino Décor now grace both the outside and inside of the restaurant. The artwork gives the sense of sitting on a patio in an Italian villa overlooking the Mediterranean. With improved lighting, guests can also still enjoy some of the huge collection of special decanters the restaurant owners have collected and displayed over the years. Mixed in with all this are display cases of various sports trophies and memorabilia, a number of sports posters and artwork, and photographs of friends, family and celebrities. It may sound like a bit much, but it is balanced nicely and helps to give the restaurant a more "hometown" feel while still sticking to the roots of its Italian cuisine.
We enjoyed lunch on this visit and, as you might expect, we tried the Eggplant Parmigiano. We also sampled the homemade, Cheese Ravioli. Owner, Jim Gibson, (who is also a former Arvada West athlete), takes a lot of pride in the restaurant, his family's recipes, and the tradition of Arvada Villa. He comes in early every morning to make all of the restaurant's marinara, pasta, pizza dough, meatballs and sausage by hand. He and his girlfriend also dabble in their own creations and dessert. Right now, they are perfecting a strawberry cheesecake that has good potential.
Anyone who reads my reviews knows I love Eggplant Parmigiano and where I find my favorite. The one Jim cooked up on our visit was as good as any I have ever tried and better than most. I loved that it came with homemade spaghetti and homemade marinara. I will definitely be back for more. The Cheese Ravioli was just as tasty. There is just something special about homemade pasta and homemade marinara. The raviolis were stuffed with a perfect amount of seasoned ricotta and tasted wonderful. The presentation on both was very nice. Meals still come with a small salad, bread and breadsticks. The prices were good at $13 for the Eggplant and $11 for the Ravioli, but you can expect those prices to go up. Restaurants are feeling the pinch of rising prices for flour and everyone knows about the price of fuel.
On this visit, Arvada Villa rates an "A". It was a great lunch, a great experience and great service. They also have take-out service and feature "Take and Bake" pizzas. If you want to enjoy the product of 48 years of passion and experience at Arvada's oldest restaurant, then Arvada Villa Italian Restaurant is the place to go.
Arvada Villa Italian Restaurant
9609 W. 57 th Place
303-422-2385
Open 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. daily, and are closed on Mondays.
(The restaurant is located one block south of the intersection of Ralston Road and Independence on the west side of the road. Turn in at the cleaners and drive two doors down to the huge sign and the beautiful new mural)