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| - The food here was good, but to be honest, I expected more. After drinking yardlongs all day (it was spring break, don't judge!) I didn't have a huge appetite so I just ordered two small plates instead of an entree. I started with the crudo--a fresh selection of sashimi, generously cut, with lemon and olive oil. Simple, it made a good beginning for the meal. I then had the raviolo, which combined a couple of my favorite ingredients: raw egg yolk, pancetta, and truffles. Sadly, it fell flat of my expectations. Don't get me wrong, it was delicious, but I really couldn't taste the truffles at all. A little bit of a tragedy. It was also a tad oversalted and the slightest bit undercooked (and I always prefer my pasta very al dente, so this is a rare criticism from me).
I might give Nove Italiano four stars based solely on the food. Unfortunately, the ambiance and the service left a lot to be desired here. With the intimate space and the amazing view, there's so much potential here...but some genius thought that a pleasant accompaniment to a romantic evening at an upscale italian restaurant would be club music pumping through the speakers. Alright, I'll probably be heading up to Moon later, but I'm not trying to get my dance on while I chew my pasta. I'm not saying i need a violin serenading me at the table, but perhaps something a little more lowkey would be more appropriate.
I also felt that our waiter, while not unpleasant, didn't seem to have any grasp of the menu whatsoever. And at a restaurant where I'm likely paying $60+ for my meal? You should probably get more than 1/3 of the fishes in the crudo correct ("white tuna" and "tuna" are hardly interchangeable). You should probably know that the appropriate response when I ask if you would recommend the raviolo is not, "It's basically bacon and eggs." You should probably, at the very least, be able to give a rough estimate of the portion sizes. Our waiter couldn't handle any of this. Maybe he was new, or having a bad day, or there was some other explanation for his ill-preparedness. It still rubbed me the total wrong way. I would consider coming back here again for the food, but if I don't, I don't think I'll be too upset.
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