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Deer Park Villa Italian Cuisine
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Deer Park Villa is nestled amid a lush, four-acre garden with flowering plants, ferns, redwoods and plenty of room to move around. Inside are various rooms, including a bar and lounge and a few different dining areas. Outside is a large patio and a deck with outside tables. It’s known for hosting weddings and other special events, and was voted “Best Place for a Party” by the Pacific Sun.
The menu is largely based on original owners Joe and Antionette Ghiringhelli’s vision of bringing the flavors of San Francisco’s North Beach to Marin County (the Ghiringhelli family still owns the place). There are traditional pastas, veal and chicken dishes, all served in hearty portions. It’s definitely a place you won’t leave from feeling hungry.
While my friend Amy and I were there, we immediately noticed many of the patrons knew each other—there were lots of hugs and hellos going around, and people of all ages were there. It was nice to be surrounded by that feeling of camaraderie. Naturally, we took the cue and ordered martinis.
Following that, we went for the mini Dungeness crab cakes (we know what’s good for us). There were eight bite-sized cakes, each with its exterior pan fried hot and crisp. They came with lemon and a mild red bell pepper aioli.
The wine we chose to accompany our next courses was the Kunde Estate Zinfandel (2001). It was easily drinkable with ripe berry and pepper flavors and aromas.
On to the salads. The spring mix came with fresh sliced apples, a handful of crumbled feta cheese and a few dried cranberries, all tossed in a sweet and light raspberry vinaigrette. The spinach salad was along more traditional lines—it came with baby spinach leaves, crumbled bacon, fresh sliced mushrooms and a tangy, citrus-herb vinaigrette.
For an entrée, I chose the lobster fettucine with Rosa (tomato/cream/cheese) sauce, which was an absolutely delicious dish, rich with chunks of lobster and bay shrimp topped with shaved Parmesan cheese. Amy went for the lamb chops, which were served medium well and came with mashed potatoes, green beans and carrots. The moist, flavorful lamb was lightly spiced to let its natural characteristics come through.
Our desserts were fresh berries and cream and classic tiramisu. The berries came in a stemmed glass and had strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and whipped cream—all topped with Gran Marnier. The tiramisu’s coffee and marsala-soaked layers of cake alternated with layers of marscapone cheese and shaved chocolate. Somehow, we had room to finish them both.
