Good and Plenty

Fried lobster tail, and other supersized suburban secrets

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f seafood is good for you, but fried food is bad for you, then we’ll just assume the fried lobster tails at the Villa come out even. Like everything at this neighborhood hole-in-the-wall Italian restaurant, they’re huge, and come with hunks of just-greasy-enough garlic bread, all in a setting that looks like it hasn’t changed since the place was opened in the 1920s (it’s rumored to have been a speakeasy), with kitschy wood paneling, plastic tablecloths, and no-nonsense waitresses all but bench-pressing overflowing trays of food. It’s especially odd to find this homey nostalgia in upscale Wayland, whose median household income is comfortably in the six figures. But even the rich have children, and the Villa caters to them especially, with magic tricks and balloon animals on Sunday nights (perhaps a good night for the rest of us not to go). It’s also great for groups, with fast service and low prices, and something that’s as rare in the suburbs as big portions: a bar. Jacobson

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The Villa has been a favorite of athletes including Dennis Eckersley and Doug Flutie. The late Celtics announcer Johnny Most was a regular.