A meal at "John's House"
taocub and I decided to try a new food source today. We visited the Villa di Giovanni in Fairborn, on Dayton-Yellow Springs Road.
The first impression we got was mixed, in that it could not decide if it wanted to be "common friendly" (Bottles of Bud Light, exposed ceiling and ventilation, sink in a niche near the front door) or high scale (beautiful art, walk-in wine cellar for conversation). The hostess, an older lady, seemed too bored to notice when customers walked in.
Now to the reason anyone goes to a restaurant....the food. I can sum up our experience in this realm with just one word. BLAND. I won't comment on taocub's food much since I did not taste most of it.
Starter (soup or salad): I choose minestrone instead of salad for my starter. Now I am use to minestrone being pasta, beans, herbs and chunks of substance with just enough flavored tomato soup to barely cover, in a good sized bowl. I received a mug of plain thin tomato soup with like 4 thin penne noodles, 3 beans, and a pinch of dead herbs.
Main Course (Chicken Parmigiano): The chicken itself was tender and juicy, if short on herbs/spices. The cheese was barely noticable. The tomato sauce, if you could call it that, was plain tomato juice thickened to a sauce-lite state. Combined with lifeless angel hair pasta.
Dessert (Cannnoli): a flavorless cheese/cream filling in a small waffle tube with raspberry sauce drizzled over it. Delicious in appearance, not so much in taste. I did try taocub's tiramisu. Most of you know my feelings about coffee (i.e. if I can smell it or taste it, I dispise it.) This was tolerable to me.
While mostly tasteless, the food was filling.
Final bill: $35 for 2 people, not counting tip.
Final verdict: If I am spending this much for Italian food, I will go to Olive Garden.
The first impression we got was mixed, in that it could not decide if it wanted to be "common friendly" (Bottles of Bud Light, exposed ceiling and ventilation, sink in a niche near the front door) or high scale (beautiful art, walk-in wine cellar for conversation). The hostess, an older lady, seemed too bored to notice when customers walked in.
Now to the reason anyone goes to a restaurant....the food. I can sum up our experience in this realm with just one word. BLAND. I won't comment on taocub's food much since I did not taste most of it.
Starter (soup or salad): I choose minestrone instead of salad for my starter. Now I am use to minestrone being pasta, beans, herbs and chunks of substance with just enough flavored tomato soup to barely cover, in a good sized bowl. I received a mug of plain thin tomato soup with like 4 thin penne noodles, 3 beans, and a pinch of dead herbs.
Main Course (Chicken Parmigiano): The chicken itself was tender and juicy, if short on herbs/spices. The cheese was barely noticable. The tomato sauce, if you could call it that, was plain tomato juice thickened to a sauce-lite state. Combined with lifeless angel hair pasta.
Dessert (Cannnoli): a flavorless cheese/cream filling in a small waffle tube with raspberry sauce drizzled over it. Delicious in appearance, not so much in taste. I did try taocub's tiramisu. Most of you know my feelings about coffee (i.e. if I can smell it or taste it, I dispise it.) This was tolerable to me.
While mostly tasteless, the food was filling.
Final bill: $35 for 2 people, not counting tip.
Final verdict: If I am spending this much for Italian food, I will go to Olive Garden.