It had been a while since I last visited Nuovo Restaurant, but upon I was reminded about the trendy atmosphere combined with a rustic nostalgia of exposed brick that made it very comfortable. Before the first course was served, we were brought bread with a garlic yogurt sauce and oil and seasonings. Both of these items were delicious and a nice start to the meal. The garlic yogurt dish was similar to a Labne and was piped onto a small plate through a pastry bag for a nice presentation.
As a first course I ordered Arancini—fried rice balls with ham peas, buffalo mozzarella, and marinara sauce. The large Arancini balls were well prepared with a crispy fried texture and hot, moist center.
I choose the Lasagna Brodetto— described as a seafood lasagna served in a bed of lobster bisque with scallops, baby shrimp. Lasagna, seafood, and lobster bisque all winners in my book, so I had high expectations for the main course. Upon being served my meal, I eagerly dove into my main course. While it was exactly what it claimed to be, the dish fell short in presentation and failed to unite the seafood, lasagna and lobster bisque into one cohesive dish. The lasagna was mostly noodles with minimal cheese and seafood. Without a strong presence of seafood, the dish lacked substance. The unpalatable presentation, combined with the minimal ingredients and seasoning made me lose interest in the meal.
Although the meal started on a strong note, but fell flat on the final stretch, some of the other meals looked more appealing. When I return to enjoy the atmosphere, I will be certain to try another dish. -DO