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| - If you want to make Americans happy when they dine out, serve up big portions at moderate prices. The food doesn't have to be great, just decent and a lot of it. If you don't believe me, look at the runaway success of Outback Steakhouse. Las Vegas locals are no exception, which is why Nora's managed to get so many glowing 5-star reviews.
I started with the fried calamari - better than your average calamari, but that's not saying much. The batter was nice & crispy, the dipping sauce was OK (actually better without the sauce, I thought), and the portion was plentiful for the price ($10.95). I also got the fettuccine carbonara and requested it extra al dente. It came out just somewhat al dente, but the quality of the pasta was better than most Italian restaurants. It wasn't true carbonara, just pasta with lots (and LOTS) of ham thrown on top and then drowned in a very generic cream sauce. There was so much ham, must've been almost a pound of it in the dish, that I actually left quite a bit of in the bowl. But for $13.95, you had your protein fix for the week. I couldn't decide between two desserts, so I just ordered both (judge not lest ye be judged). The salted chocolate panna cotta is more like a dark chocolate pudding than a true panna cotta, and yes, it's salty, but the saltiness works. I also got the pistachio cannoli, requested it without chocolate chips, but got the chocolate chips anyway. After picking off the chips, I really enjoyed this dessert - crisp shell, good vanilla ricotta filling, complemented by ground pistachios. The desserts were a notch above the appetizer and main and also the reason I bumped the rating up a star to A-OK.
There is far better Italian food in Las Vegas (Allegro at the Wynn is good, Sinatra at Encore is better, Verandah at the Four Seasons is outstanding), but it's also a lot pricier. I spent half, maybe even less, at Nora's compared to a similar meal at a Strip Italian restaurant. If you want decent Italian at great prices, go to Nora's. If you want great Italian, go elsewhere.
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