The Northeast is known for its fresh, quality and fine Italian food and honestly no one does Italian food better than New Jersey and New York. And you can't deny that it's not a fact! There are so many good places to eat that finding one sometimes makes it impossible. However, if you live, are visiting or passing through the Totowa, New Jersey area, then you're in luck because for my next review, I'm taking you all to is Nicola's Ristorante and I guarantee you'll wanna go if you haven't heard about this establishment.
I've been to Nicola's a couple times before in the past and am quite familiar with this place. I've been here for some graduation parties and family dinner outings and this place has not ever disappointed. I came to Nicola's last week for my dad's birthday and thought it was the perfect opportunity to give a review.
What I really like about Nicola's is that you can pretty much eat anywhere from a one course to a five course meal as the food just can keep coming as per your request. Plus, the table bread and butter is always an added bonus! My family and I also had the crostini with regular bruschetta and what looked like a veggie bruschetta dip, I know the veggie one had eggplant in it and some other vegetable as well in it which was pretty good.
For an appetizer, my family and I ordered one of their specials of the night which was prosciutto and tomato wrapped in burrata and it was delicious to say the least! The burrata was extremely creamy and the saltiness of the prosciutto and sweetness from the tomato hit the spot! For my main meal, I got one of their other specials of the night which was homemade orecchiette with braised short ribs and baby meatballs in marinara sauce. It was absolutely incredible, the pasta tasted completely handmade (which is every Italian person's dream, lol), the sauce was nice and fresh and the meat was tender and cooked to perfection. I didn't think combining short rib and meatball could go so well together, but it did! Now like I said, these are not menu items you can typically order, but this gives you an idea though on what to expect when coming to Nicola's.
To end the night, we ordered the tartufo and chocolate lava cake for dessert which was unbelievable! The tartufo was sweet, chocolatey and even kind of cinnamon-like too. I'm obsessed with chocolate lava cake to begin with and this one exceeded all my expectations. It was an explosion of chocolate and vanilla ice cream which is one of the best dessert combos out there in my opinion!
Nicola's is open to the public everyday except on Monday's, check their website for hours because they open and close at different times everyday. They are also available for indoor and outdoor dining and curbside pickup. This place is BYOB, so make sure you get those bottles of wine because you won't be able to get drinks here. I promise you, there will be no regrets on your end from going to Nicola's, make a visit and get the whole dining experience if you get the chance!
Rate: 10/10