Villagio Grille creates Italian fusion in Orange Beach, AL

The food in this post were provided by Villagio Grille but the opinions expressed here are my own.

Day 4 of our road trip to the 2018 World Food Championships was a stressful day: from my pastry dough exploding in our cooler, stopping by Whole Foods Market in Mobile to find pastry dough just in case I could not find the dough in Orange Beach, and then nervously waiting for my dad’s plane to arrive in Pensacola (a long delay in Hilo meant that he would miss his connections in Los Angeles and Houston).

Day 5 started out great. We met my friend, Lynn, downstairs for breakfast to go over our game plan for the World Chicken Championship. My dad was just so happy to be in Orange Beach since he had never been to Alabama before and that they had biscuits and gravy for breakfast. Southern and Hawaiian cuisines are very similar in that we love gravy, rice, and fried foods.

I found out that Villagio Grille’s Chef Fletch Miller was competing in the World Chef Championship. I wanted to chat with her to see how she did and what she made for the opening round. Since this was our third year in Orange Beach, I really wanted to see what Villagio Grille was all about. Check out the YouTube video above as Chef Fletch talks about her experience and about Villagio Grille.

Beef Carpaccio is thinly sliced rare beef tenderloin topped with arugula, capers, red onions, and horseradish. This was the first time I had ever had beef carpaccio seared on the outside. It is surprisingly great as it gives the beef additional texture and flavor from the sear. The paper-thin slices just melted in my mouth with that natural beef flavor. I love the briny pop of the capers and the bitter green flavor from the arugula. So fancy yet approachable!

Scallops & Arugula Salad is St. Georges Bank Scallops atop arugula, Granny Smith apples, bacon, orange segments, and parmesan cheese with a balsamic citrus vinaigrette. Being so close to the beachy shores of Alabama, this is the perfect salad for lunch. It is light with the sweet, meaty, and perfectly seared scallops. The arugula lends a nice bitter note which balances out with the tart, crisp granny smith apples. The oranges add acidity and sweetness along with the vinaigrette.

Shrimp Sacchetti is pasta stuffed with truffle infused ricotta topped with shrimp, roasted tomatoes, peas, prosciutto, and chardonnay cream sauce. The first thing I notice is the intoxicating aroma of truffle. I could smell it before it arrived to the table. Ever since my business trip to Milan during truffle season, I am almost hypnotized whenever the aroma is in the air and time stops so I can take it all in. This dish has the same effect on me. I went in for the first bite and I was in love. The pasta is cooked and stuffed perfectly with ricotta packed with truffle flavor. Nothing beats gulf shrimp and its sweetness paired well with the dish. The chardonnay cream sauce is light yet ties the whole dish together. That sauce would be great on anything!

This was such a great treat to visit with Chef Fletch and try some amazing Italian fusion dishes at Villagio Grille! It’s time to go back to the hotel and get ready for the World Food Championship Welcome Reception. This is where we get to see all our food competitor friends, judges, sponsors, and wonderful WFC staff and break bread before the games begin!

For more information:

Villagio Grille

4790 Main St. Ste. F108B

Orange Beach, AL 36561

+1-251-224-6510

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