Nicolinos

Nicolinos
4 - 2077 Pembina Hwy
204-269-5004
Pick-up/Delivery:  204-269-5934
http://www.nicolinosrestaurant.com/

Prior to South Pembina becoming the new Chinatown, restaurants were few and far in-between in the area.  Now, eateries dot Pembina like feathers on a chicken.  Serving Italian among a sea of Asian cuisine, Nicolino’s has been standing here for over 20 years and remains one of the etched names in the neighbourhood.

The simple restaurant looks unassuming from the outside, as another face in a long line-up of strip mall tenants.  Inside, the austere dining room looks bright and modern, but not fancy nor opulent.  Servers dart through the dining room and we can hear the chef singing in the kitchen.  Fine opera this is not, as we giggle with the opposing table, but fine food it is.

The meal starts with bread, toasty warm and fresh from the oven.  The beautifully browned crust encases the soft and melty innards.  I’m not much of a bread fan but it’s still difficult for me to resist filling up on these twisty openers.  I’m going to regret this.

On the lighter side, the mussels swim in a deeply rich tomato sauce, wonderfully herbed and just a tad spicy.  Unfortunately, the mussels come slightly overdone and some of the mollusc meats have shrunk to raisins.  Mussels are one of the most challenging foods to cook; if you catch them after their shells just open, the meat should come plump and juicy—an extra 30 seconds of heat and the meat becomes dry.  The wonderful sauce isn’t enough to make up for the overcooking but that doesn’t stop me from drinking it with a spoon.  I wish I would have saved some bread for sopping.

Fresh and colourful greens highlight the house salad.  The wild taste of the vegetables stay prominent among the light but flavourful vinaigrette.  The lightly herbed dressing has a distinct background, highlighted by basil.

Under pastas, the Asiago Fettuccine comes with well cooked, al dente broccoli and just-cooked strips of chicken.  The noodles also come al dente, swimming in the cheesy, basil-backed cream sauce. 

Meat lovers have a fair choice, including a generous bone-in, grilled pork loin.  I love the bed of spicy purple kale and I could easily make a meal of this alone.  The pork comes nicely seared on the outside but a bit overcooked on the inside.  The meat still tastes juicy but today’s pork should come medium, pink on the inside.

No Italian menu would be complete without pizza and Nicolino’s serves a number of interesting and classic combinations.  The special pizza comes with salami, ham, beef, mushrooms, onions and green peppers.  They layer the salami and ham nicely over the sauce and the beef sprinklings complete the scene.  I don’t see a lot of mushrooms here but the other vegetables pile plentifully atop this pie.  I would like to see more cheese here but otherwise, this competent pizza tastes delicious.

Dishes here aren’t perfect, but they’re very good.  Despite the growing competition in the area, I’m sure that Nicolino’s will be here for a long time to come.  As for the singing chef—don’t quit your day job!

**** /5

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