Nicola's Ristorante
Published May 29, 2023
I don’t often visit Italian restaurants, so on a rainy Saturday evening I was excited to try a new location in Totowa, New Jersey called Nicola’s Ristorante.
Nicola’s was surrounded by boutique salons, fine jewelry stores, a fitness center, wine lounge, and nail salon. With a 5:30 reservation, we pulled into the crowded parking lot. We snagged the last spot closest to the building and made our way inside.
The sidewalk near the entrance had metal tables for outdoor dining with buckets of hydrangeas and dwarf trees. I enjoyed the attention to detail, it reminded me of the manicured exterior of Tavern 5. I took this as a good sign for what was to come for our dining experience.
Nicola’s Interior
We gave the hostess the name for our reservation and were seated immediately. As we crossed to the back corner of the room, I noted the high dining room ceilings with dark wooden beams.
Three archways with decorative glass doors separated the two dining rooms. Large booths for groups lined the left-hand wall, while circular and 4-top tables lined the center of the room.
We sat at the last four-top table in the back, which allowed us to look out onto the room. Besides the huge party in the other dining room, we were the third customers for the evening, including the couple at the four-top table diagonal from us.
Nicola’s Menu
The laminated cream menu was organized by section — appetizers, salad, pasta, chicken, veal, and seafood, plus a printed black and white menu for specials.
I found many appetizers I would want to try. In the end, we ordered some appetizers from the standard menu and some from the specials menu.
While we waited, the waiter placed a complimentary plate of bruschetta and eggplant with small toasts. A warmed basket of bread with butter joined the table as well. The bruschetta was garlicky and fresh. My favorite was the eggplant spread.
A group of elderly couples took the large booth that was diagonal to us — the women stayed on one side of the table and the men on the other as they socialized. The couple across the aisle from us received their entrees and spoke to the waitstaff who frequently stopped by their table to talk; they must’ve been regulars.
Appetizers
Clams Combination | $20.00
I love any appetizer that allows you to try multiple flavors, so the clams combination appetizer was the perfect selection. The combination offered clams casino, oreganata, and stuffed with crabmeat.
I enjoyed the smaller-sized clams, as they are usually more tender. I was surprised to see the number of clams in this order.
The lemon-wine sauce that was on the bottom of the plate was nice over the oreganata and crab meat.
The oreganata clams had a breadcrumb based topping, while the casino had a tomato-based filling draped with a piece of bacon. I surprisingly enjoyed the crab meat clam the best — it was light and lemony.
Grilled Octopus Salad | $19.00
The octopus salad had 3 big chunks of octopus and a few smaller tentacles over a bed of arugula and cherry tomatoes, dressed with olive oil and lemon.
The octopus was charred perfectly and sliced easily into tender disks. I love arugula, so the peppery flavor added some additional dimension to the salad, while still being light and fresh.
Burrata | $19.00
The last appetizer we ordered was the burrata with prosciutto. As you can see, three long slices of prosciutto cloaked the burrata. Three slices of fresh tomato stabilized the burrata, which we split down the middle.
The prosciutto cut like butter and the burrata added creaminess to the fresh tomato.
Overall, I would get all of these appetizers again, and it was a good amount for two people — but could likely be split among 3-4 people.
Entrees
We had a good break in between our appetizers and entrees. While we dined, various waitstaff stopped by the table to fill up our drinks, clear our empty plates, and ask if we needed anything.
The large party, which was celebrating a Communion, exited from the other dining room. Children in puffy dresses and little suits held balloons and followed their parents outside. Once the room was cleaned, the doors were opened and two and four-top tables filled in through the first set of glass doors.
Couples claimed in the tables around us. Most shared an appetizer and went right into dinner. The elderly table diagonal us was already onto their entrees. The wives handed over their unfinished portions to their husbands to finish as they continued to socialize.
Veal Barese | $32.00
My dad ordered the Veal Barese, and after trying a bite (it was divine), I wished the menu description was more detailed, as I would’ve ordered it myself.
Two tender, crispy veal cutlets were stacked with a large portion of garlicky broccoli rabe. It cut easily and was tossed with disks of garlic and oil. My dad added fresh cracked pepper and grated cheese for extra flavor. It was a fantastic entree and I would order it the next time I go to Nicola’s.
Homemade Orecchiette Ragu | $30.00
Surprisingly, I was in the mood for pasta. I wanted something with red-sauce, so when I saw the protein listed in the homemade ragu, I knew that was what I wanted to try.
My entree had mini meatballs, short ribs, and pork braciola. I was most excited to try the braciola (which I hadn’t had in years).
The homemade orecchiette was cooked well, and the perfect shape to eat with the mini meatballs. There were so many meatballs in the dish that I could easily eat them in every bite. The short ribs were shredded in chunks and I had two good sized chunks of the braciola.
The entree portion was more than enough for dinner. I wrapped a large potion to take home, which I had for lunch the following day.
Seafood Salad | $20.00
Typically served as an appetizer, we also ordered the seafood salad to try alongside our entrees.
The seafood salad had chilled octopus, scungilli, and shrimp, with arugula, tomatoes, red onions, and celery in a refreshing vinaigrette.
All of the seafood was well prepared and perfectly cooked. The portion was great and had a good ratio of seafood to vegetables.
I never would’ve considered putting celery with seafood, but it provided a nice crunch and flavor to the overall light dish.
Dessert
By now the restaurant was packed and a line of people waited in the foyer. The full spread of patrons took over the dining room — parents with babies, couples dressed up on dates, sisters with bottles of wine to share for a girl’s night, large parties of families, and more.
My leftover pasta was packed and replaced with a dessert menu. The waitstaff was efficient, but didn’t rush us as we reviewed the menu and placed our order.
Regular Coffee | $7.00
I skipped the cappuccino and ordered a regular coffee. It came with a metal pitcher of milk and in a cute mug.
I’m not normally impressed with coffee, but Nicola’s coffee was tasty. It was burning hot and the perfect strength for me (and not bitter).
Amaretto Cake | $12.00
I was tempted to order the tiramisu, but I opted to try Nicola’s amaretto cake instead.
The amaretto cake was similar to a tiramisu texture. It had layers of cream and moist layers of cake with the subtle almond-taste. A drizzle of caramel added extra richness to the plate.
I loved this dessert and I would 100% order it again, even over the tiramisu.
Pistachio Tartufo | $12.00
My dad ordered the tartufo, which was pistachio ice cream in a chocolate shell. The plate was zigzagged with raspberry and chocolate syrup.
My Recommendations
I give Nicola’s Ristorante a 10/10 for the following:
Decor and Design
The restaurant is tastefully decorated with beautiful artwork, plants, sculpture, and design. The space is welcoming for all types of diners — including fancier dates, celebrations, and casual evening dinners.
Service
The service is team-based, with the main waiter taking the dinner and drink order and several staff assisting to deliver and wrap food, clear the table, provide fresh drinks and sides, and more. We hardly asked for anything during our meal and were always provided prompt service.
Food
From the seafood appetizers to the fresh entrees, every dish we had at Nicola’s was prepared fresh, presented well, and delicious. I loved the veal dish that my dad ordered and would happily return just for that. My amaretto cake did not disappoint for dessert and my entree portion was so generous I had it the next few days for lunch. I’d return to Nicola’s in the future and would recommend visiting this restaurant for any New Jersey foodie looking for a new Italian restaurant.
Have you tried Nicola’s Ristorante before?
Leave a comment below with your dish! I’d love to hear your thoughts.
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