Nino's Ristorante
736 Westport Plaza
St. Louis, MO 63146
314-878-4445
Monday, March 1
Nino's Ristorante
Cuisine:
Italian
"Go west," announced Brian, and so we shall. I have never been to this place, but Brian says it's good, and who am I to doubt such things? It would seem from reviews I've read that many people agree.
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Type of Food:
ReplyDeleteItalian
Atmosphere:
Nino's menu claims it is a place that has been visited by many famous people from across the country. This is likely due to its location within Westport Plaza. Unfortunately, we saw no one of note during our visit. We did have two new members show up though (thank you, David). Nino's was fairly quiet and had a spacious, open feel to it. It's one notch above your basic family style Italian place and they recommend business casual dress. The most interesting features of the place were the large paintings that filled the walls. A sunset, an ocean scene, and a rainbow in the sky were tastefully done and gave the place a relaxed feel.
Value:
All were in agreement that Nino's was a poor value. Those screaming "bad value" the loudest were the orderers of the pasta special. The special was an average sized seafood pasta dish which came with no sides, no salad, and no soup. Cost: $22. On the upside, bread was placed on the table with a unique diced tomato topping.
Service:
Our server treated us well, repeating the specials multiple times as our party grew in size. Unfortunately, service declined toward the end of the meal when our empty water glasses were not refilled.
Reviews:
David: David liked his pasta dish but found it to be a poor value. Emily pointed out that pasta dishes are rarely a good deal at places that specialize in meat and fish. She could have a point there. Regardless, David was obviously pleased with something because as he packed up his to-go box he asked the group if he could take home all the extra bread. "That bread was REALLY good."
Jonathan and Bryan P.: In a dinner club first, Jonathan and Bryan P. shared their meals. They were both pleased with the results. They split the pasta special described above and a veal saltimbocca. Both parties agreed that the meal was tasty and that the pasta was a nice complement to the veal. They did, however, question why the veal didn't automatically come with a side of pasta.
Stef: Stef had a hankering for some melted cheese and was disappointed to find no baked pasta dishes on the menu, not even a lasagna. It seemed like a crime. She went for the tortellini which were mediocre at best.
Dan: The same pasta special that Bryan P. and Jonathan enjoyed, Dan found to be way too dry. The independent observer saw oil dripping off of it. I'll leave the call to the reader whether something can be oily and still dry. At any rate, anyone who has read Dan's profile will know that this was not a good place for him. If you haven't read it, read it now.
Alex: Alex was the rebel at the table. He didn't order an entree. Instead, he got a side salad and a plate of veggies and scalloped potatoes. As our resident potato person, we asked Alex what he thought of the potatoes at Nino's. "I've never met a potato I didn't like. It's excellent."
Brian: Brian picked the place and enjoyed his fettuccine alfredo. He also liked the bread, but was still kind enough to let the latecomers have their share of it before digging in on seconds. Ever the gentleman.