Kim and I tried Viva Italia (Restaurant) in Eagan, MN (right off of 35E at the corner of Diffley and Johnny Cake Ridge Road) tonight. A friend had eaten here twice before and it came highly recommended.
Viva Italia looks very small from the outside but you are welcomed into a warm and fairly open space inside. The waitstaff seems a bit unsure of themselves still but were friendly enough. Where we were seated was in a corner and I honestly felt that we could have been eating with the people at the table next to us. In fact, we could have been eating with the five tables next to us.
We were seated before the couple next to us but our waitress switched (seems common here tonight) and we ended up getting stuck behind them on our orders. Not cool.
We started off with their Antipasto Napolitano which serves two and includes vegetables, cheese, and cold cuts. A nice spinach salad in the center was topped with roasted red peppers that were yummy. Roast beef, turkey, salami, and provolone cheese. Tomatos, red and green sweet peppers, yellow banana peppers, olives, and marinated artichoke hearts. Very reasonably priced for the size of the platter. We ate a lot and had more than enough for lunch tomorrow.
Kim ordered their Fruita di Mare (veggies, scallops, calamari, and shrimp in a marianara with a touch of cream). It was immediately apparent that she wasn’t impressed with the dish. I helped her out a bit and found all the seafood to have the same fishy taste rather than their own distinct flavors. Kim didn’t finish it but did ask for a box to take it home. I’m 100% positive I’ll be throwing it out tomorrow.
I ordered their Veal Saltimbocca (prosciutto, fresh mozzarella, in a marsalla sauce) and had it served over a bed of pasta for an extra $2. A word to the wise, don’t bother with the extra pasta, I really feel that it’s not worth $2. The veal was ok but I was less than impressed with the prosciutto. It was very salty and overpowered the veal. Luckily for me, the fresh melted mozzarella took out some of the salty flavor and almost saved it all. If it hadn’t been for the large chuck of roasted garlic hidden under a piece of veal that I got a mouthful of, I’d have to say the dish was acceptable. Make sure you check out for hidden garlic ;)
For dessert Kim ordered their tiramisu and I went with their cannolis. What better way to save a pretty medicore meal than with a great dessert? The tiramisu was good and draped in a gorgeous white and dark chocolate swirl. My cannolis, however, weren’t filled with cannoli cream and were instead filled with some unknown filling and pieces of fruit. Very disappointing. The filling reminded me of curdled milk. I wonder if the fruit (grapefruit? curdled the cannoli cream)
I really suggest you drive over to Burnsville’s Stefano’s (Cliff Rd and 13) if you want decent Italian food at decent prices while experiencing a warm and cozy atomosphere. Their tiramisu is amazing :) After visiting there on December 1st, 2007 I have altered my opinion and you can read about all of that here . A quick spoiler: it sucks, bad.
See all the pictures from today here.
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January 30th, 2006 at 1:25 pm
My husband I have had similar experiences at Viva Italia. At our first visit the services was so slow that we weren’t sure we wanted to go back. Well, we decided this past weekend to give it a whirl again. We were disappointed. The young lady working the hostess stand did not have a clue. People were backed up outside and did not acknowledge anyone. When asked a question about a reservation or a seating assignment, she got the “deer in the headlights look”, and told everyone to just wait a minute. I was so embarassed for her, but mostly for the management, who were nowhere to be found.
Our appietizer was cold bread with stringy cheese. Our dinners (Halibut and Scampi Lucia) were below average. My husbands halibut was fishy (OK, we lived in Florida for years as well as Minnesota and have NEVER tasted “fishy” halibut, regardless of where it was from). The scampi came without pasta, which had to be added. We took almost all of our food home, but, like you, threw it away.
We will take your suggestion and try the Burnsville resturant as we too, do not recommend Viva Italia.
January 30th, 2006 at 10:24 pm
Kim and I haven’t been to Stefano’s in Burnsville since we lived nearby from 2002 - 2004. Hopefully their wonderful little location hasn’t changed in the two years since we were last there. Let us know what you think, we’re always happy to hear from and post what the locals have to say.
Maybe I can convince Kim to take me there soon :) We already have Valentine’s reservations so we’ll have to find another excuse :)
April 28th, 2006 at 3:02 pm
You need to re-visit Viva. It’s under new management and is quite good. The gnoccis are too rich for me, but the lasagna rocks. The chocolate cake tastes like it’s out of a box, but the cheesecake is definitely fresh. Service is adequate but the server could not pronounce the wine I ordered. The other restaurant to try is Perrin’s in Prior Lake. Very small but very good.
May 24th, 2006 at 6:11 pm
The food is quite good…….but the service is just Horrible. It’s too bad because the ambiance and food, especially the pizza is really good. Regardless of how good the food and ambiance is, we have had too many bad experiences at Viva that we can’t justify going there anymore. If you want really good pizza, go to Briannos.
December 24th, 2006 at 5:31 pm
of go-to restaurants.
The food is good but the service has been lacking the past few months. Everytime we show up for lunch, there is only one person waiting the table and the wait times seems like he may be the chef too.
Just thought I’d mention that.
December 27th, 2006 at 9:22 am
Bummer. I haven’t been there in quite some time (we used to live next door) and I haven’t ever been there for lunch.
I should really go back and see if it’s still as good for dinner as it used to be.
October 19th, 2008 at 12:10 am
Viva Italia is a great place if you are looking for fine dining and have time to soak up the atmosphere and the real italian food. I have been many times and I am impressed everytime with the service and food quality. Expect to wait around 20 min. for the main entree. If you are looking for a quick dining experience go to burger king and pick up a hamburger because the experience at Viva is one of a kind and should not be rushed. Due to its location, Viva Italia is overlooked because it is connected to a small shopping strip but once inside it is a whole different experience. There are a wide variety of dished to choose from catering to a range of tastes. I will be returning to Viva Italia again in the near future and recommend it to anyone looking for the packaged deal of fine dining experience.
October 19th, 2008 at 6:19 am
Jasmine, thanks for the updated review. I haven’t been there since 2005 when it was operating under different ownership.
October 19th, 2008 at 8:15 pm
So Jasmine, you like the place?
October 20th, 2008 at 5:14 pm
wow viva is a great place all around. I had a wounderful time, excellent food and wine, great service. I highly recommend Viva for a great night out with friends or family.
October 31st, 2008 at 5:44 pm
We live near Viva. We’ve gone there since it opened, became under new ownership & reopened. It’s always been GREAT! We’ve never had bad service or bad food. In fact, I once ordered something they make as a dish & a similiar pizza incorrectly. They were happy to go make me the dish & gave me the pizza for free. They totally didn’t have to do that since it was my mistake. It’s also been a very busy place. We’ve always needed reservations. I have to imagine if it’s been so consistantly busy that all those customers are having bad service or food. Anyhoo, these are just our visits there & observations.
November 1st, 2008 at 6:35 pm
Has anyone who regularly posts on here eaten at this place recently? I just dont remember it being anything special at all. Its either gotten alot better or?
December 17th, 2008 at 10:25 am
Viva Italia is now closed for business.
December 17th, 2008 at 10:31 am
jenn, thanks. Updated.
Please note: I called Viva’s phone number and got a recorded message that mentioned nothing of the closing. I am going solely on jennjenn’s comment. I probably won’t be able to verify for a few days. Anyone else give confirmation?
December 18th, 2008 at 7:20 am
That is so odd. I was just there about a week ago and nothing gave any clue that they might be closing.
December 18th, 2008 at 8:18 am
Yeah, you would think that they would at least stay open through the holidays/New Year as that would probably be their best time of the year…
December 18th, 2008 at 4:04 pm
There is a sign on the door that says “Viva Closed New Italian Restaurant opening in Februrary”. I just feel bad for anyone who has purchased gift certificates recently, they were having a promotion.
December 18th, 2008 at 4:06 pm
Thanks Jenn for the heads up.