Dining review: L'Osteria in Naples Village Walk passes on flash, prefers friendly prices

Looking for decor, a place where the noise level says "Happening!" and the decor is eye-catching, a place you wouldn't dream of going to without reservations because you'd be waiting at the bar for a half hour? This isn't it.

L'Osteria isn't after the night bloomers who flock to the cafe downtown with a similar name. It's the restaurant inside the Village Walk in North Naples, but unlike at most gated communities, this one opens its doors to the public. 

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The cons: Community club dining spots all have that spare decor: the obligatory room divider with vining plants; little if any art, subtle colors such as a rose terracotta and cream. Hours are similarly sparse: Tuesdays through Fridays for lunch and dinner and Saturday dinner. And the bar serves only beer and wine.

It's so laid-back there's not even a sign over the door; if you look for the awnings after you reach the clubhouse, you'll know where to park.

The pros: At least half the restaurant looks out through the palm trees on a placid lake, a calming backdrop for a casual lunch. Although the name suggests Italian, the restaurant now also augments its American favorites with Greek dishes, a nice change of option in the city's Italian-centric cuisine.  

And because it's a spot fairly unknown to the public, lunch can be a real respite; you can get some business done or share a long story in peace. And, finally, Osteria's prices are restaurant relief for the worn-out wallet. 

We opted for a lunch there, and immediately wished we could stay for dinner. L'Osteria posts its sunset specials after the lunch hour, and the $39.99 special for two this particular night (available 4:30-6:30 p.m.) included souvlaki plate, a coconut shrimp dinner, sole aux ananas or — well, no one's perfect — liver. Those come with sides, salads and a bottle of wine. 

Lunch is an international affair, with offerings from gyros to quesadillas to an Italian sausage sandwich, all in the range of $8.95 to $12.95. There are wraps — tuna salad or chipotle mayo-slathered chicken, burgers and a Philly cheese steak in the same price range.

None of which, alas, my friend could enjoy because she is gluten-intolerant. We tried to spare her from the Hobson's choice she gets in nearly every restaurant: Mediterranean salad with chicken. Even the chef came out to consult with us: He offered to check on the ingredients of the Italian sausage to see if he could make a sausage plate, skip the bread and simply mound grilled peppers and onions around the meat.

But he came back unable to confirm that the sausage was gluten-free and would prefer not to risk her health by serving it to her. It relegated her to salads, but the judgment call was right. 

L'Osteria offers three: a Caesar, Mediterranean and the one I would try in a flash: the berries and blue cheese, with assorted greens, dried cranberries, fresh blueberries, candied walnuts and blue cheese crumble, with raspberry vinaigrette. There are add-ons such as chicken for $4.

Her praise: The chicken was sliced into strips for easier handling, but apparently freshly done, because the slices were still moist. 

If you're in a place that emphasizes Greek roots, it's always  good to go Greek, and I was nearly overwhelmed by the gyro ($12.95) that came out. It was swaddled in warm, puffy pita bread that I'd be happy to eat with every meal. and generous with the tzatziki sauce, tomato cubes and slim crescents of  purple onion .

Our server told me "Not that I think you're messy, but you're going to want these" as she plunked down several extra napkins at my setting. She was right. It's hard to get your mouth around the sandwich, but it was certainly fun to try. My only complaint:The lamb (chicken or beef are also available) was piled toward the center rather than spread through it. 

All the sandwiches come with steak fries, but for $1.95 extra there's tossed salad. Or consider the sweet potato fries.

Dinner has a longer list of entrees in addition to the specials, and you can still see some of the Italian specialties such as Name Your Piccata (a choice of haddock or grouper for $17.95 and $18.95) on the menu. There are chicken parmigiano ($15.95) and ricotta-stuffed ravioli, with your choice of aioli, pesto, marinara or rosé sauce, for an enticingly low $12.95. 

In fact, all the prices are friendly. The sauce-laced pork medallions, which come with sauteed mushrooms and caramelized apples, are $17.95. A grilled New York strip loin is $19.95; we haven't tested that for tenderness, but plan to in a future visit.

There are more fish dishes, with seafood-stuffed stuffed sole at the top for $21.95. Sandwiches are available, and for those who like dinner as a tapas affair, there are seven different dishes, including the lunch quesadilla, coconut shrimp, spinach-artichoke dip and believe it or not, fish and chips, all in the $5.95 (soup) to $10.95 (Prince Edward Island steamed mussels) range. 

We tried the cheesecake for dessert. It's not made in-house and the server wisely suggested we ramp up the rather pedestrian affair by asking for a drizzle of chocolate sauce. For the extremely picky diner with you, there are fruit smoothies ($5), an unusual menu offering, but with alternatives of almond milk or coconut water for the enlightened who don't drink dairy. 

If you're looking for excitement, head somewhere else. But if you want a long, lingering meal with conversation, thoughtful service and prices that won't break the bank, L'Osteria is a find.

If you go

L'Osteria

Where: 3150 Village Walk Circle, Suite 100, North Naples

When: 11 a.m.-2  p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays and 4:30-8 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays

Meals: Lunch and dinner, with prices from soup-and-half-sandwich offerings at $7.95 to  gyros ($12.95); and dinners from chicken tenders ($7.95) to $21.95 (seafood-stuffed sole); sides and appetizers; toppings are an add-on from 75 cents for jalapenos to $1.75 for anchovies

Information: https://www.villagewalkofnaples.com/losteria or 239-597-1356

Forks: 3½ out of 5