Villa Borghese III — Restaurant in Jersey City

I enjoyed my meal at VB2. The restaurant has a modern vibe that isn't too noisy but is upbeat. Sit at the bar or tables. I prefer tables although I sank into the cushion s bit too much for my liking. The menu is more than a few notches above standard Italian and includes dishes some would consider good peasant staples (chef might disagree with this) and adds steaks, burgers and pizza. While not in the menu I asked for grilled calamari rather than fried. It was done perfectly and simply. All it really needed was the lemon wedge for flavor. Chef might consider grilling calamari whole or cut lengthwise rather than the more common rings and tentacles. For the main I elected the Orecchiette as a healthy option. It did not disappoint. The pasta was al dante as promised with a nice mix of broccoli and flavorful spicy sausage in a garlic olive oil. Very flavorful. At first I thought about some Parmesan but decided not to ask for it. It wasn't offered anyway. I wonder if they make their own pasta. What was nice, but which I had to ask for, was some bread. It came with an olive oil drizzle and had been toasted under a broiler. A little too burned as opposed to toasted. But the bread texture was great with a slightly crispy crust and worked great to soak up every drop of the dishes olive oil. I considered desert but was too full. I selected a glass of Rocca Chianti which paired nicely. Overall a very good dining experience except as noted. A definite return. This was a meal my Italian mother in law...

Came for lunch on July 4th because my boyfriend and I were looking for a spot to eat lunch at after watching Finding Dory at the Newport Mall (no shame).

VB3 was pretty much completely empty except for one table dining inside. It was probably because everyone was at the beach or away for the weekend, so I'm not sure how busy it normally gets.

To start, we ordered some meatballs as an appetizer. Whenever we go Italian, we usually order the meatballs and subconciously (or maybe conciously) compare it to the Roman Nose's meatballs because those are one of our faves. I think I may have found a new fave. I really like the ricotta it came with. Maybe ricotta just makes everything better.

For my entree, I went with Joe's special pizza (Fresh Mozzarella, Ground Sausage, Sautéed Onions, Crushed Red Pepper). The center was a little soggy but the ingredients were really good. They don't skimp on them, and the fresh mozzarella was great. My boyfriend had some bacon burger which was actually pretty good for an Italian place. He thought it was just okay though.

I read on their site that they have happy hour drinks/appetizers M-F 5-8 so I definitely do no mind coming back for that!

Tip - check in for $2 off a...

By far one of the best Italian restaurants I have been to in quite a while. Stepping in the door, while viewing a beautifully modernized restaurant, the aroma of all the fresh herbs and ingredients place you at the kitchen table of an home made Italian dinner. The staff were extremely attentive and welcoming and made a point to make every guest feel like they were receiving undivided attention and service which was quite special. My mother and I went here for her birthday after a show. The selection of wine was quite good and our server was very knowledgeable of the best pairings for what we were interested in having. My mother and me shared an antipasti of Vegetarian Eggplant Meatballs that melted in our mouths. For our entrees, she ordered the half roasted chicken while I enjoyed the Swordfish - both cooked to perfection. Also, once they found out it was her birthday, the server brought out a slice of Marscapone Cheesecake made with a shortbread crust and a strawberry sorbet...it falls nothing short of heavenly. We have to make the trip back to this place soon. VB3 truly left a lasting experience in our memories and on our palettes....