 Nonni’s Italian Eatery 17 West Main St., Hillsborough 464-6766 nonnisitalianeatery.com Price guide: $ Inexpensive - up to $15/person; $$ Moderate - $16 to $30; $$$ Expensive - $31 and up Ratings guide: * acceptable * * good * * * worth a detour * * * * worth a journey Visit the Dining section of NewHampshire.com to read previous Our Gourmet reviews listed by town. |
Happily, between those bookend garlic experiences was a whole dinner of delicious dishes.
When I first walked into Nonni’s, on Hillsborough’s main drag, I worried it was closed because I saw no one in the front dining area. I was greeted warmly and shown to the back dining room near the kitchen where it seemed like the whole town had gathered, creating a lively, warm atmosphere. Although the restaurant was busy, the very professional wait staff handled it all extremely well throughout, with a sincere smile and top efficiency while retaining a “one of the family” attitude.
There’s a full bar with one of those gargantuan martini lists we see nowadays as well as some good Italian wines by the glass. That’s a good start, along with some terrific, chewy, herbed bread and garlic-infused olive oil that staves off the hunger as aromatic dishes pass by to other tables.
We started with an order of Involtini di melanzane ($7.95), two breaded slices of eggplant rolled around goat cheese, fresh bell peppers , basil and garlic and baked in a wood-fired oven. While the breading on the eggplant was a little gummy, the flavors were absolutely vibrant, the peppers firm and tasty, the goat cheese mild and creamy and the shredded basil tasting like it just came out of the garden. A touch of spicy tomato sauce added more intensity.
The stromboli appetizer ($7.95) is a hand-rolled bread stuffed with sweet sausage, three cheeses, roasted peppers and onions and topped with the house-made marinara sauce. The sausage adds a great spice in the gooey center, surrounded by a crisp crust, and the sauce tastes like fresh tomatoes.
They serve a Caesar salad family style and the pastas also can be ordered in a family-size portion for sharing. There’s a choice of a Balsamic vinegar dressing or the house-made Caesar. Get the Caesar—it comes on the side so you can add as much as you want and I couldn’t stop eating it — it’s creamy, garlicky, rich and addictive. The salad itself is also very good, with bites of romaine lettuce as well as mixed baby greens.
There are seasonal specials along with the regular menu of entrees and pastas and a creative selection of wood-oven baked pizzas, including the Hawaii 5-0, with black forest ham, grilled pineapple and cheese and the Chow Bella, with oven roasted portabella mushrooms and caramelized onions with rosemary.
We tried the veal lemon ($19.95), listed on the menu as thin scaloppini of veal with a lemon cream reduction. The two tender scallops of veal were egg-battered and perfectly cooked and placed in nothing like a reduction, but instead a delicious and decadent lemon cream sauce.
There was far too much of the sauce, but the veal was topped with slivers of candied lemon peel, which added a wonderful, bold, citrus flavor with a touch of sweet. A side of penne with marinara didn’t really go with the dish, but the marinara here is superb with a “from the garden” flavor.
The ravioli of the day was a pea and mascarpone with a pea puree alfredo sauce ($13.95). While they don’t make the pasta “in house,” the ravioli were very good, with bits of green pea and sweet cheese. The homemade sauce was creamy, laced with the fresh flavors of spring peas.
Spaghetti with a marinara sauce and Nonni’s meatballs ($10.95) had the same great red sauce but the meatballs were too dense and a bit dry. They did have a good mix of herbs and garlic).
There are plenty of other familiar items to choose from, including a linguine with mussels and clams and a chicken marsala. After trying the stellar dishes we tried, they seemed even more enticing.
Desserts are few, simple, homemade and also very good. The Grand Marnier chocolate mousse ($4.95), while it didn’t have much orange liquor flavor, had the fluffy yet rich consistency it should. The New York cheesecake ($4.95) also is made on premises and is creamy, with just the right touch of sour from the cheese.
There are many Italian restaurants that say their cuisine is homemade or “just like Mama used to make,” as Nonni’s does, and sure, I suppose for the most part it’s all made in the kitchen at those places, but at Nonni’s I believe it, with simple dishes in which you can taste every bright, fresh ingredient, including that mellow garlic.
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