Dining Out: The Nocciola Experience 2016!!!

Welcome to THEJNSREPORT’S: Dining Out: The Nocciola Experience 2016!!!

In our last food experience we talked about eating at home and saving some green. This time around we visit East Harlem’s Nocciola Restaurant for a dining experience out. Located between 2nd and 3rd Ave on E 116th Street. Nocciola gives the neighborhood a much needed upgrade to the stereotypical barrio restaurant experience. The food and service at Nocciola is also a significant upgrade versus restaurants past. Nocciola Black Board B+W Upon entering Nocciola you see this blackboard above Nocciola Menu The concept of housemade pastas and only wines for consumption with no hard liquor is a good alternative to most of the food options in East Harlem’s restaurant scene. We started our dinner off with complimentary bread and olive oil with pesto for dipping our bread in. Nocciola Bread The Bread is very very good here. Olive oil and pesto You just want to soak up all that delicious olive oil based dip into the bread and slowly savor the flavor.

Dinner @ Nocciola

To get things started for an appetizer after the bread I opted to share a side of creamy polenta with mushrooms & shaved parmesan cheese. This was so delicious. I’ve had polenta numerous times at various places but this was the creamiest polenta I’ve ever had. The contrast in textures to the meaty mushrooms on top really livened things up. Creamy Polenta & Mushrooms w Shaved Parmesan 2 A closeup on that creamy polenta & mushrooms. Pappardelle @ Nocciola For our main course we chose whole Branzino and Pappardelle pasta. Pappardelle @ Nocciola Close Up This is yet another great pasta I’ve never tried before now. It’s a meatsauce with broad long strips of pasta. Pappardelle on fork I thoroughly enjoyed fork full after fork full of this dish. I recommend going with the full portion plate. Branzino @ Nocciola The Branzino was cooked to perfection. There were grilled potatoes, asparagus, & a grilled lemon wedge adorning the plate. A nice bottle of Pinot Grigio helped us wash down our meal before desert. Wine & Food Nocciola has quite an extensive list of wines. If your not sure of what you’d like the servers can definitely point you in the right direction and allow you to taste a wine before deciding whether or not you will have a glass or the full bottle. Pannacotta @ Nocciola The pannacotta is rich and pairs well with the fruit and powdered sugar & chocolate sauce. It’s not a heavy desert which is perfect after everything we ate. On a scale of 1 – 5 dinner plates. Nocciola gets 4 1/2 out of 5 dinner plates. We recommend Nocciola to anyone interested in changing from the “usual” dining experience and give your palate something different. The menu boasts more than what you have seen here and I’m sure will not fail to please.