Photos and story by Eamon Handzel
Last year, we saw restaurant after restaurant closed to public dining due to the pandemic. Some never reopened, and many of us assumed that Francis and Kati Pezzolanella’s Ocean Blue would be no exception. But not only did OB reopen, the Pezzolanellas opened a new fast-food diner called Rick’s Famous Burgers.
I had the delicious duty of reviewing Rick’s for the Utica Phoenix in April. So it’s almost hard to believe that now they’ve opened a new restaurant in Downtown Utica called Nostro and in every way it looks to be a big hit for the duo and Downtown Utica.
Simply put, it’s a unique dining experience. From the menu to the general vibe, everything about Nostro Restobar and Lounge stands out in the best way possible. Francis and Kati have found a way to create a restaurant that gives that “get together” environment without being your run of the mill Olive Garden pasta palace.
Hearing that they have a very talented DJ perform every Friday and Saturday, I had the pleasure to start this past Friday what I am sure will be the first of many experiences there.
The first impression I got was that this place is a sort of cool updated Miami Vice meets John Wick club. This is the place you go to when you’re feeling on top of the world. I purposefully asked for a table on the perimeter so that I could get good view of everyone, and as I looked around, I saw two things: smiles and swag. The tables of customers were a variable sea of the sports car and yacht crowd. The only thing missing was for one of the Gucci family members to walk in. In truth, I wouldn’t be surprised to see this place become the new hangout for the highest (sharpest) of Utica’s entrepreneurs.
I confess, it was somewhat intimidating to a simple country boy like me who’s more accustomed to your basic diner experience. However, any feelings of intimidation were put away by the very friendly staff. The waiters’ friendliness was matched only by their professionalism. You get the feeling that they truly love working at Nostro and really know the menu inside and out.
The menu itself is centered around the sharing experience. Rather than just ordering one basic plate of meat with a side, you instead order each item individually. This is great for a large family or friends who want to try a multitude of things and not just be confined to their own plate. The waitress who served me, Danniell, told me that the owner wanted the menu this way to give everyone that old familiar experience of going to your Italian Grandmother’s house where everybody’s getting a little something of everything.
I waited briefly for my chow to arrive, and gazed upon the décor of the place, where I saw the sorta 21st century Mediterranean vibe mix with the brass images of the Chiefs of the Six Nations (the Haudenosaunee) upon the bas relief map wall. (For those in the know, the location is the previous home of the Oneida National Bank.)
Unfortunately, I have to say that the interior décor of the place was the only thing that distracted me. While I get that softer lighting is preferred in fine restaurants, Nostro is a little too dark. Then again, it’s better for the lights to be too dark than to be blindingly bright.
Anyway. On to the food. Wow. It’s your old, familiar, authentic Italian foods to be sure, but done in a way that would even impress Gordon Ramsey. I heard a comparison to Nostro to as Grimaldi’s on steroids. Grimaldi’s was a once incredibly popular Italian restaurant in downtown.
I ordered the Chicken Parmigiana alla Nostro. It was a perfectly cooked, and I mean perfectly, thin slice of chicken topped with sauce and mozzarella. It had this deliciously subtle suggestion of added salt from the topping of prosciutto.
The mozzarella was stringy as it should be and evenly covered the chicken. Regretfully, I didn’t sample the wine, which definitely would’ve gone great with the chicken.
However, I did save room for dessert, and that indeed was the night’s winner. Whoever baked that piece of endlessly rich Vanilla Meringue Cake should be given the key to the city. I’m’ not even the greatest fan of vanilla, but it was everything you look for in a cake, both in flavor and texture.
Now, my review is lacking as this place is really more for the group than the individual diner, but if the rest of the menu is a fraction as delicious as what I had then, single or with friends, you will have a good time. Going with others carries the added benefit of taking advantage of the dance floor too.
By around 11, everyone started dancing and for an evening it seemed like the Pandemic never happened. The world seemed as if it were returning to normal, and with the help of new restaurants like Nostro, I am sure that soon it will.
Stay hungry, guys.
