| rev:text
| - Italian food is tough to get wrong, but also tough to get right. Nora's gets it almost right, but I don't find it to be the local legend people make it out to be.
The complimentary (well, uh, the first basket at least, which is pretty miserly!) bread is pretty good - flavorful and crisp, and buttery on top. Just a little burned on the edges too, which helps. The appetizers and entrees, while tasty, just aren't rich and robust enough to be legendary. The pasta has never seemed particularly fresh to me, and the portions are pretty tiny. Still, it's good, hearty Italian food - just a bit generic.
Last time, I was daring and tried the Chicken Mount Etna.
Don't repeat my mistake. Its flavor is more Chinese than Italian.
Lastly, a couple of non-food-related critiques:
1. Service can be inattentive at times, but they get pretty insanely busy so it's excusable.
2. Try and avoid the obnoxious band. If I want live music, I'll go to a concert.
2a. It's loud as hell in there, even when there isn't a band.
3. They partake in possibly my most-hated restaurant ritual - having empty wine glasses on the table upon arrival. Prepare for an awkward moment and a subtly disappointed waiter when you don't order wine.
When you're in the mood for no-nonsense Italian, Nora's can certainly hit the spot. I just didn't find that it lives up to its reputation.
|