John Imperial, owner of Villarina’s Pasta & Fine Foods, helps customer Alison Morledge with her order.[/caption]
Housed in a small pad site at Old Tarlton Center, Villarina's Pasta & Fine Foods offers Westlake shoppers everything they need to quickly put an Italian meal on the table—take-and-bake pasta, bread, sauces and soups.
Owner and New York native John Imperial said the Villarina's style of food is "immigrant Italian." A resident of Austin since 1982, he said he decided to bring this type of food to the area when he realized he was bingeing on it during visits home.
Many of Villarina's customers are Austinites who have moved from other cities—such as Miami, Philadelphia, Boston or Chicago—and are looking for the Old World Italian food they enjoyed back home, Imperial said.
"My commitment to quality and excellence is my [top] priority," he said. "I take care of people."
Imperial said his first-time customers often purchase familiar dishes, including meatballs, lasagna, or chicken Parmesan.
He said he eventually steers them to more adventurous options, such as chicken scarpiello made with fennel sausage, chicken, potatoes, onions, peppers, white wine and lemon; or acorn squash ravioli with red pepper cream sauce.
In addition to pasta and a dozen different sauces, Villarina's sells soups, pizza dough, bread and desserts. Imperial said he plans to add locally made salads and offers gluten-free options as well.
"Everything we sell in the gluten-free category is phenomenal including chicken parmesan, chicken marsala and even vegetable lasagna," he said. "When we run out of [non-gluten-free] meatballs, people order the gluten-free ones and can't tell the difference."
Although Imperial opened his Westlake franchise May 1, 2014, the first Villarina's opened in 1967 in Tuckahoe, New York. Imperial's store is one of 10 individually owned sites, with the others located in Connecticut and New York.
All of Villarina's pastas and sauces are made at a central facility in Danbury, Connecticut, Imperial said. Once cooked, the Austin-bound orders are immediately placed in a blast freezer that eliminates the need for preservatives, he said. A blast freezer is a large, double-door freezer in which racks of food are placed, Imperial said. The freezer takes the food very quickly into a deep freeze, he said.
Prior to opening Villarina's, Imperial said he supplied Italian-made espresso machines to Austin-area restaurants and homeowners. He said he still services the machines for a number of local eateries.
Imperial said he hopes to one day open a second Villarina's franchise featuring a deli, espresso and Italian pastries.
In the meantime he said he is content to grow his Westlake business.
A taste of Villarina's specialties
- Sun-dried tomato ravioli
- Spinach gnocchi
- Chicken cacciatore
- Gluten-free eggplant Parmesan
- Escarole and bean soup
- Pizza dough–white and whole wheat
- New York cheesecake
- Cannolis, plain or chocolate chip
- Imported Italian extra virgin olive oil
Villarina's cannolis
Cannolis are a dessert filled with cannoli cream, either plain or flavored, including chocolate chip, said John Imperial, owner of Villarina's Pasta & Fine Foods.
He said he sends a truck to pick up his cannolis in New York City. The pastries are then driven to a Connecticut business that freezes them in a deep freezer and ships them to Westlake.
This process maintains the integrity of the food for long periods of time, he said.
John Imperial, owner of Villarina’s Pasta & Fine Foods, helps customer Alison Morledge with her order.[/caption]
Housed in a small pad site at Old Tarlton Center, Villarina's Pasta & Fine Foods offers Westlake shoppers everything they need to quickly put an Italian meal on the table—take-and-bake pasta, bread, sauces and soups.
Owner and New York native John Imperial said the Villarina's style of food is "immigrant Italian." A resident of Austin since 1982, he said he decided to bring this type of food to the area when he realized he was bingeing on it during visits home.
Many of Villarina's customers are Austinites who have moved from other cities—such as Miami, Philadelphia, Boston or Chicago—and are looking for the Old World Italian food they enjoyed back home, Imperial said.
"My commitment to quality and excellence is my [top] priority," he said. "I take care of people."
Imperial said his first-time customers often purchase familiar dishes, including meatballs, lasagna, or chicken Parmesan.
He said he eventually steers them to more adventurous options, such as chicken scarpiello made with fennel sausage, chicken, potatoes, onions, peppers, white wine and lemon; or acorn squash ravioli with red pepper cream sauce.
In addition to pasta and a dozen different sauces, Villarina's sells soups, pizza dough, bread and desserts. Imperial said he plans to add locally made salads and offers gluten-free options as well.
"Everything we sell in the gluten-free category is phenomenal including chicken parmesan, chicken marsala and even vegetable lasagna," he said. "When we run out of [non-gluten-free] meatballs, people order the gluten-free ones and can't tell the difference."
Although Imperial opened his Westlake franchise May 1, 2014, the first Villarina's opened in 1967 in Tuckahoe, New York. Imperial's store is one of 10 individually owned sites, with the others located in Connecticut and New York.
All of Villarina's pastas and sauces are made at a central facility in Danbury, Connecticut, Imperial said. Once cooked, the Austin-bound orders are immediately placed in a blast freezer that eliminates the need for preservatives, he said. A blast freezer is a large, double-door freezer in which racks of food are placed, Imperial said. The freezer takes the food very quickly into a deep freeze, he said.
Prior to opening Villarina's, Imperial said he supplied Italian-made espresso machines to Austin-area restaurants and homeowners. He said he still services the machines for a number of local eateries.
Imperial said he hopes to one day open a second Villarina's franchise featuring a deli, espresso and Italian pastries.
In the meantime he said he is content to grow his Westlake business.
