Nino's

Finally, a night out without the kids. It has been a long time coming. Upon the recommendation of a few friends and co-workers, we decided to try out Nino’s. 

Nino’s is a cute little Italian place located on the corner of the New Seward Highway and 36th.  It is seats just a few handful of people so there is usually a line but table seem to clear fairly quickly (with the help of super efficient waitstaff) so the wait is not long.  Space is at a premium so if you don’t like crowded places or are claustrophobic, maybe order Nino’s to-go?  However, I rather enjoyed the closeness. It forces you to talk to your neighboring tables. Which my husband did quite naturally.  

We choose the Spaghetti with Sausage based upon a table-mate’s suggestion and the hand-rolled manicotti. All meals come with a basket of “Garlic Knots” as well. We were advised the manicotti would take 20 minutes of bake time but we had all night.  Nino’s is a lively joint, plenty of conversation yet not loud. It felt very comfortable and friendly.  Soon our order arrived, I’m sure it had not been the full 20 minutes but I am not one to complain about fast service! 

The manicotti was served with a generous smothering of marinara sauce and loaded with creamy delicious ricotta cheese. The menu said it was a 3 cheese blend but I cannot tell you what 3 cheeses it might have been. It was very good but the filling was a bit on the cool side inside those hand-rolled manicottis.  On a personal note, I would have preferred it to be baked in the oven with melted cheese on top as well. (which I has falsely assumed it was going to be like given the fact the waitress told me it had a 20 minute bake time) Needless to say, I enjoyed it very much. 

The sausage that came with the Spaghetti was delish! The chef sliced it then grilled it before adorning it with the noodles and sauce. This dish was also served with the marinara sauce, a bright orange red sauce of delightful flavor! Was it homemade? Could have been. :) The noodles were served perfectly al dente and the whole meal was piping hot goodness. We managed to save a few of the garlic knots for dipping and they really just topped of the meal perfectly. 

I was very impressed with the overall atmosphere, taste of the food and quality of service! I saw many impressive and scrumptious looking dishes come through the dinning room and I am eager to return to cozy Nino’s. I’m thinking of trying the Pizza next!