BY BRANDAN BLOM // MARCH 20, 2013 //

Villa Rosa in Quincy is an upscale restaurant where you probably wouldn’t expect to find college students.

When you think of Italian food, you might think of classic dishes like spaghetti and meatballs and chicken parmigiana. But the truth is that a lot of Italian cuisine comes from the ocean and sea. Villa Rosa offers a good variety of the classic dishes, but also a quality selection of seafood.

The shrimp cacciatore is a favorite at Villa Rosa in Quincy.

Some of the more popular dishes are shrimp cacciatore, shrimp scampi, shrimp marinara, and the seafood medley (which includes shrimp, scallops and scrod sautéed in white wine, garlic and oil over linguine). They also offer several fried seafood options for those more enamored with New England-style seafood, such as fried shrimp, fried clams and fried scallops.

The wide array of seafood options evokes the sentiment of sitting on the banks of the Mediterranean Sea. However, these dishes are among the more expensive, costing around $17 each.

For college students, or anyone sticking to a tight budget, I would suggest trying some of the more traditional Italian meals. I tried the Villa Rosa’s homestyle baked lasagna, which is a family recipe. It’s no different than any other lasagna structurally speaking, but upon taking your first bite, you’ll taste the difference.

The staff wouldn’t share the family’s secret recipe with me, but I could tell that they add Italian sausage to create a different texture and taste. And the portion was large, so you get a good amount of lasagna for a reasonable price ($10.99).

For those who are less adventurous in trying Italian cuisine, Villa Rosa makes its own pizza and calzones. Small pizzas start at $7, while you can get a large for just $10.

Next time you are out and looking for a place to eat, swing over to Quincy and try Villa Rosa.