The Little Village on Airline – Hot Lunch

While it might be best known to younger diners for a bread steeped in lipid-rich luxuriousness, many older eaters recall a time when The Village on Airline Highway was the apex of dining sophistication in the Capital City. During a recent lunch at their newest location on the other end of Airline near Old Perkins Road, my mother recalled a time when she and a sorority sister would dress up to eat there on Sundays. The white tablecloths and waiters in tuxedos left a deep impression. The restyled Little Village has changed with the times.

Formality has given way to casual fine dining, but the traditional Italian dishes are largely unchanged.

You won’t find Seafood Arancine on many other menus in town. So, be sure to sample this fried ball of rich shrimp and crab in a creamy tomato sauce. Aside from the much-ballyhooed bread, this new Little Village location has another signature dish. The house dressing is a delicious Gorgonzola vinaigrette that is both delicate and piquant. When applied to their House Salad with Char-Grilled Chicken the results are very fine. The dishes here are not nostalgic, but sophisticated in the way Dean Martin was after his first martini. The Little Village does elegant dishes from another time. Fortunately, you don’t have throw on your best suit to appreciate it.

For more by Frank McMains, including blogs from his trip to China, click here.