Nanni Ristorante

[tommy]

it might be a silly question, but has anyone been to this temple of old-school italian? website

my MIL has been talking for years about going. i'm considering it for the hell of it.

[beachcove]

I've never been there, but wow! That menu is like a time warp leading directly to the 1970's. I bet you'll have a fabulous time.

(Is this one one of those scary-looking places right by Route 17?)

[lrn376]

Nanni is a very nice Italian Restaurant. Linens on the tables and waiters in tuxedos. Very crowded on Saturday nites. They usually do not hold to a reservation. They send you over to the bar to wait for your table. Nanni's is a little on the pricey side, but the food is good. Enjoy!!

[Rosie]

Was there once years ago and just remember that I had a stuffed artichoke which I liked. Never ran back. Do let us know what you think.

[menton1]

I pass this place every day. A combo of "blue hairs" and "black shiny suits" are the frequent patrons. Parking lot filled with Lincolns and Caddys. Never have been, but I also heard that it's a place that's changed little from the 70s, no surprises, basically a "red sauce" with tablecloths.

[Anonymouze]

Jeff, myself and my MIL,FIL went to Nanni's today, I really wanted to go to Devi and try their tasting menu in NY but I felt that this would be too much for them pricewise and foodwise since they like more "americana" food.

Our appetizers I felt were tasty Jeff got the hot appetizer for one and I got my favorite Mozzarella en Carozza and my inlaws got salads. Jeff got the Lamb on Shank with pepperedelle noodles or something like that, I got the Chicken with Mushrooms in a wine sauce, my FIL got a veal pizzaola type dish and my MIL got a chicken with a butter/wine sauce and red pepper dish. We each got 1 "potato dujour" (type puff thingy) they could have spared more as they were pretty tasty. They didn't have my favorite wine by the glass so I had 1 glass of Zinfandel which wasn't bad Jeff had a glass of some Blanc... my MIL had a virgin daquiri... we opted to have dessert and coffee at my home afterwards. Nobody was really impressed by their food, the service was very good and I felt the appetizers were prepared nicely, I sampled a bite from Jeff and he from mine I thought his tasted nice. It was a bit more "bland" then I prefer but it's "old-style" Italian/American so it wasn't bad considering. We had gotten there 15 minutes early and were promptly seated they kept the breadbasket warm and full as well as their glasses, the waiters were very kind and helpful.

(Ours was a bit amusing as well... when my inlaws asked what kind of dressing he said "Italian of course, this IS an Italian restaurant, if you want French dressing go to a French restaurant.. ugh who wants to go there, the French aren't that popular anyhow!") Amusing old gent. Well that is where we ended up, though I did make a reservation for Devi in NY in case and also Morton's but maybe I'll get to one or the other another day.

[DrNuke]

Jeff, myself and my MIL,FIL went to Nanni's today, I really wanted to go to Devi and try their tasting menu in NY but I felt that this would be too much for them pricewise and foodwise since they like more "americana" food. 

Our appetizers I felt were tasty Jeff got the hot appetizer for one and I got my favorite Mozzarella en Carozza and my inlaws got salads.  Jeff got the Lamb on Shank with pepperedelle noodles or something like that, I got the Chicken with Mushrooms in a wine sauce, my FIL got a veal pizzaola type dish and my MIL got a chicken with a butter/wine sauce and red pepper dish.  We each got 1 "potato dujour" (type puff thingy) they could have spared more as they were pretty tasty.  They didn't have my favorite wine by the glass so I had 1 glass of Zinfandel which wasn't bad Jeff had a glass of some Blanc... my MIL had a virgin daquiri... we opted to have dessert and coffee at my home afterwards.  Nobody was really impressed by their food, the service was very good and I felt the appetizers were prepared nicely, I sampled a bite from Jeff and he from mine I thought his tasted nice.  It was a bit more "bland" then I prefer but it's "old-style" Italian/American so it wasn't bad considering.  We had gotten there 15 minutes early and were promptly seated they kept the breadbasket warm and full as well as their glasses, the waiters were very kind and helpful.

(Ours was a bit amusing as well... when my inlaws asked what kind of dressing he said "Italian of course, this IS an Italian restaurant, if you want French dressing go to a French restaurant.. ugh who wants to go there, the French aren't that popular anyhow!")  Amusing old gent.  Well that is where we ended up, though I did make a reservation for Devi in NY in case and also Morton's but maybe I'll get to one or the other another day.

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Getting the last word in - I just wanted to add to this experience that this is a stereotypical neighborhood-style Italian restaurant one sees in the outer boroughs of NYC with a mix of northern and Sicilian-style dishes. Outside of the apparent over-saltiness of the food, I don't appreciate having to chew down on pieces of bay leaf. There's a reason why most chefs leave them in whole so they can be extracted prior to service. The wait staff were efficient and polite. And, we all got a chuckle out of seeing the older ciafones arriving in their Lincolns and Caddies, dressed in mid-70s polyester plaid. It reminded me of home. That said, it's a bit pricey for what they serve.

[menton1]

There seems to be quite a proliferation of these "throwback" places in many of the working class towns in Northern NJ-- There are literally a couple of dozen of them that I can think of.

To me, they are basically a pizza parlor with tablecloths and big prices. I was forced to go to one of them a few months ago with some friends who "love the place". The waiter was actually Eastern European, pretending to be Italian, When I asked him something in my basic Italian, he did a double take and responded with a Sid Caesar-like jibberish, and quickly disappeared into the kitchen.

I have enough difficulty enjoying a modern "Italian" resto here, they are so common and so ordinary. But these throwback places, hopefully never again.

[RSSILVER]

it might be a silly question, but has anyone been to this temple of old-school italian?  website

my MIL has been talking for years about going.  i'm considering it for the hell of it.

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I 've been there and wasn't impressed. Other people rave about it but it was nothing special.