nonna emilia ristorante

i do not make it over this way often, but when i do, i always stop by nonna emilia for some of their veal parmigiana ($24.95 - breaded milk-fed veal cutlets baked with marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese), but on this occasion i decided to try their veal manzo ($25.95 - milk-fed veal medallions in a rich gravy with fresh mushrooms and white wine) instead. good chow,greatdecision! the veal was tender and the sauce wonderful, coming with a plethora of fresh mushrooms ... hooah!

my wife had portabella mushroom ravioli (in a marsala cream sauce - $18.95) although the cream in the sauce was not very evident. the ravioli were cooked perfectly and the sauce was tasty although there could have been a little more of it because they were a little dry by the time they reached our table.

my son got the ravioli al formaggio ($18.95), a four cheese blend of ravioli in a parmesan cream sauce topped with a dab of marinara. he had hoped for a bit more marinara on top, but was very happy with the dish overall.

my son's lady friend ordered the veggie calzone ($17.95 fresh mushrooms, olives, green peppers, onions, blend of cheeses, and marinara sauce) minus the cheeses because she is vegan. however, when it arrived at the table, it had melted cheese sprinkled on top. the server caught the error right away, taking it back for the vegan version which took another 20 minutes. our server was kind enough to remove the calzone from the bill due to the faux pas.

as usual, the massive meals come with a small antipasto, soup or salad, and garlic bread, so we all ended up taking half of our meals home with us for lunch the next day. hey, two meals for the price of one brought the value of the $104 bill, including tip, down to just $52 ($12.50 per meal) ... ka-ching!

combat critic gives nonna emilia 8 bombs out of 10 ... more bombs are better!

i wanted to really give nonna emilia a higher rating.  the 3.5 rating, and the crowd when i got there, made me think this would be agreatplace for italian food; but, not quite as good as i hoped.  

don't get me wrong, the meal was good, but - believe it or not - pastini's is still my favorite place.  i used to work in an italian restaurant, as a kid in san diego, and i have always used the place as the standard for all others.  (yes, it was that good!)   pastini's actually meets that standard when it comes to the sauces and how well the cook up the pasta.

at nonna emiilia's they cook up a very meaty red sauce, but it is missing something - a sweetness of some sort.  still, the food was good, not great.  thus a 3.   the place was packed and the service suffered as a result and there were periods of delays for more bread or to refresh the drinks, but our server did her best, thus, a 3.  the ambiance was okay - quite loud though - but on the week-end night there was an entertainer who placed the accordion and the piano and would sing out on requests being made and, in many respects, he made the night fun. thus, a 4.

it adds up to a 3.3 but i won't round up, so a 3 overall.

nonna emilia.greatfood!

never again. from the initial first contact for reservations we received bad service. once we arrived it continued along that theme. the waitress walked past our group for over a half-hour and never even made eye contact or stopped in to introduce herself. it took almost an hour to even get our first drinks. yes, it was a busy evening but weekends are busy at most restaurants. being busy is a good thing in the restaurant biz, not a reason to be rude. when we were finally able to get our orders in and eventually receive the food, it was definitely not worth the wait. this used to be the happening,greatspot for good italian food but no more. we will not be returning for bland food and rude waitstaff.

simply the best!.greatfood,greatatmosphere. the staff was very friendly even though every table in the restaurant was full. the garlic bread was delicious, our salad dressing was very delicious, and our entrees were even better. huge portions! there was a man playing the accordion while we were there which was great! he played songs like "thats amore" and "happy birthday" for all the birthday people. he even played a song called "la lasagna" to the tune of la labamba. overall it was agreatexperience and i will be back. authentic and delicious!

what the ?. the reviews of howgreatthis place is really call into question how cultured or traveled some of the reviewers are.
i went here and was appalled at the attitude and service, let alone the food. po-dunk italian done cheaply and without craft or care. sorry could have done better at pizza-hut.

quality and value.greatfood. large portions. locally owned.

our favorite italian restaurant. if i had an old italian grandmother, i imagine that this is the kind of food i would have grown up enjoying. when people suggest going out to other italian restaurants, i always compare them to nonna's and still end up going to nonna's! of course huge portions andgreatservice. i love their their lasagna!

great place to eat, a real gem.greatatmosphere, perfect place for a romantic date. portions are huge, so you will always have some to take home.

wow...fantastic!. ok, i love my italian food, and this is the best place to go. worth the drive to it! wonderful design,greatstaff, and from start to finish the meal will leave you full and happy! i have tried about the whole menu now, and everything is the best!

best itialian in beaverton! monday-friday lunch buffet is agreatdeal. thursday buffet has yummy itialian ribs. go for the bread if for no other reason.

great food!. my family and i have been going to nonna emilia's for years, and it's just as good as ever! i even introduced my hubby and his family to the place. nice atmosphere, esp. on the weekends when the strolling accoridan player is there. it can get busy so don't be surprised if you have to wait. the portions are huge and everything is delicious! don't miss out on thisgreatplace!