Michele Corrado owner of the Villa Capri brings to Englewood the taste of Italy. Michele came to America from Salerno and the Isle of Capri in 1963 and opened up his famous Italian restaurant, La Vita e Bella, in Miami. After his retirement from the restaurant business, he knew that one time he would be back and own another one. That is when he found the old Trattoria 13 restaurant in Placida and
decided to give it a makeover. Here was a chance to bring his Italian cooking skills to the west coast of Florida. As the newspaper The Breeze said, "Michele demands 'magnificent food to be served." When you go to Villa Capri you will see that the skills that made him famous in Miami are on display right here. Before I tell you a little about the menu, I have to tell you just a few famous people who have visited and eaten the food at the restaurant in Miami. He has signed pictures from a few of the stars who visited him, including Sophia Loren, Pele, Woody Harrelson, Michael Jordan, Connie Mack, Brit Hume, Dean Martin, James Caan, and Oscar de la Hoya. The restaurant was also written up in Cosmopolitan magazine. That is just a small collection of the famous who have eaten and some of them have even come to Englewood to sample the food. The first thing you notice when entering is the cloth tablecloths all in white and the appointed way the table is set waiting for you to order. You know right away you have entered the old-world Italian style of serving and eating. The dining room is to the right and the well-stocked bar is to the left. The menu is all done in Italian with Italian spelling and Italian flair. Antipasti is appetizer, insalate is salad and secondi is part of the main menu. A few of the entrees are written in way you can understand, like lobster ravioli, N.Y. strip and filet mignon steaks, but the rest, if you are like anyone else here in Florida, you will have to read the subheadings to know what you are ordering. The owner comes straight from Italy, so you can expect the very best in Italian cooking. Just a few of the items featured are Scaloppini di Vitello (veal), Pollo alla Parmigiana (chicken), Pesce del Giorno (fish of the day), and Scampi all' Aglio (jumbo shrimp). The pasta dishes are a little easier to understand without help. There is Fettucine alla Bolognese, Spaghettini Pomodore e Bascilico and Linguine alle Vongole. All the lasagna, tortellini and fettucine are handmade everyday. There is a daily Early Bird Special for the early eaters. The menu gives you a choice of soup or Caesar salad and one of the following entrees: Filet of Sole, Chicken Marsala, Eggplant Parmigian, Spaghetti alla Bolognese and a 10-inch Margherita Pizza. With the meals, tiramisu and coffee are offered. FROM 3PM TO 6PM EVERYDAY THERE IS A HAPPY HOUR ON HOUSE WINES, WELL DRINKS AND DRAFT BEER.
