 CUCINA TOSCANA 427 Amherst St., Nashua 821-7356
|
The restaurant is unassuming and located in a strip mall on Nashua’s busy Route 101A across from Building 19. When you’re whizzing by on 101A at 45 mph, you might miss it, but to do so would be a mistake.
There’s nothing fancy about Cucina Toscana when you first walk in. There are ordinary tables scattered throughout and the walls are adorned with the kind of paintings you associate with a hundred other Italian eateries. We noticed that several tables had folding chairs in front of them, and we commented on how oddly unattractive that seemed.
When we arrived on a recent Saturday, it was 5 p.m. and they had just opened for dinner. The restaurant was completely empty and, while it was early, we were afraid that was a bad sign. It wasn’t. We soon had an inkling as to why the folding chairs were there: Within an hour, the place was nearly full and we suspect those tables may have been set up to handle the volume on a Saturday night. To see a restaurant three-quarters-full at 6 p.m. speaks volumes for its reputation.
Cucina Toscana has an extensive menu as well as nightly special offerings. We chose from the latter for our appetizers — escargot ($9.95) and lobster ravioli ($10.95). I ordered the escargot and found them to be delicious — they weren’t huge, but they were tasty and served on toast that absorbed the wonderful garlic sauce. They were definitely a portent of things to come.
One of my dining companions declined appetizers, but the other ordered the lobster ravioli. The large, succulent pieces of lobster were a nice departure from the usual lobster ravioli in which the meat can hardly be found. We both agreed we would order it again with no hesitation.
For the main course, my vegetarian dining companion ordered the penne primavera ($9.95), a nice-tasting blend of penne with a variety of vegetables sautéed in a marinara sauce. He was enthusiastic about his choice, declaring it excellent and as proof, finished everything on his plate, which had been a very healthy portion.
My other dining companion ordered the seafood Toscano over linguini ($22.95). The linguini was chock-full of seafood, topped with whole clams, chopped clams, lobster, shrimp, scallops and calamari. The seafood in general was outstanding and well cooked: Specifically, the mussels were very sweet and succulent. The marinara was light, but full of flavor — robust, the way a good marinara should be. He had absolutely no complaints.
 The Antipasto alla Toscana, a specialty of Cucina Toscana in Nashua. (KATE HARPER photos) |
I can easily say all three were dishes we would order again, although with the number of intriguing choices on the menu, we would have no problem finding something else if we so desired.
Despite the fact it was all very satisfying and filling, we ordered dessert — with cappuccino and espresso, of course. One of my dining companions ordered the lemon gelato ($6). It was nothing outstanding; basically the same gelato-stuffed lemon we’ve found at countless other Italian shops and restaurants. My other dining companion ordered a tiramisu ($5). It was fresh and light, unlike many of the — to put it politely — long-lived tiramisu we’ve had had in some Italian restaurants. My dessert choice was the cannoli ($5). What I got was a cannoli shell stuffed with an interesting and unusually creamy filling that was different and quite good.
To top everything off, our server Bella was efficient, friendly and attentive.
We didn’t expect a lot when we first went in to Cucina Toscana, but we were very, very pleasantly surprised by the time we left. Good food, good service and reasonable prices make it a good bet for a casual dinner or to celebrate a special occasion. I think my dining companion put it best when he declared it one of the two best Italian restaurants we’ve been to in recent memory. I’d have to agree.
Is there a restaurant you’d like Our Gourmet to review? E-mail gourmet@unionleader.com.
