Staten Island Restaurants

Da Noi – Fingerboard Rd.

JMac — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 12:48:17 +0000

Excellent!!! What a treat it is to sit down to great Italian fare in a cozy environment. I like the selection and unlike many restaurants that share a common flavor across their entire menu, Da Noi offers a unique experience with every dish.

They also remove the guesswork by providing the best accompaniment to the course centerpiece and only a couple of additional sides (you don’t need any more).

Favorite Salad – Insalata Caprini, baked goat cheese over greens w/ walnuts

Favorite Fish dish - Filet Sole Fiorentina, a nice cut sauted in white wine and lemon served on a bed of spinach

Favorite Pasta dish - Rottolo Montanara, homemade pasta rolled and stuffed with spinach, ricotta and mushrooms, in a pink sauce and shredded parmesan

Favorite Meat dish – Bistecca al Ferri, Grilled Sirloin w/ roasted potatoes (add the broccolli de rabe)

Their wine rack is ample. The bar is always stocked right, so you can make a night of it.

Now I have to get to their other locations (definitely coming soon).

Oriental Plaza

JMac — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 12:32:16 +0000

The verdict is still out on this one. Originally located in the Staten Island Mall outpost (by the Babies “R” Us), you could always count on a decent meal at a fair price. You had 2 choices, standard Chinese fare or Sushi (this always struck me as odd but…). The Sashimi was always good as you could trust the chef to give you a fair selection of cuts.

Their brand new building on Richmond Ave is nice with ample seating upstairs. I must say I’ve only visited twice since they reopened, but am not sold. The quality of their food has dropped. The seasonings are bland (Chinese) and the fish (Sushi) seems to have dropped in quality as has the chef’s selection.

I guess State Islanders don’t care as long as the price is right. The food is cheap, so the place always draws a great crowd.

Oh well. There is always…

Nunzio’s

JMac — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 14:07:46 +0000

The first time I stepped into Nuzio’s Pizza I fell in love. This crappy little take-out pizza shack on Hylan Blvd served a pie with a fresh sweet sauce and fresh mozzarella slices. Yeah baby!

Aesthetically, they have come along way from my first visit in 1986 – the building is new with a seating area in the back and an upgraded take-out counter.

I’m also happy they haven’t messed with their original recipes much. The pizza always comes out hot and their pricing is right on. I like the fact you can sit down and enjoy a slice with a cold beer now, instead of driving home to enjoy both.