Dave M.
Yelp
Visiting Nino's completed our visits of the quintet of finest Italian restaurants on the West Side, the others being Bruno's, Aldo's, Corleone's and JJ Carloni's.
Nino's was recommended to me years ago, but I live much closer to the other 3. Motorcycle season finally making an appearance, I decided I needed a longer trip to get to dinner. I wish I hadn't waited so long to make the trip!
The interior of the restaurant may not look all that impressive - but who cares when you're eating some of the best Italian in Northeast Ohio (yes, I've been to Little Italy numerous times)!! Portions were huge - my wife and I may have needed help to finish one dish, let alone the two we ordered.
Meals came with either soup or salad, we chose salad. This too, was far beyond the little side salad you normally get with a meal. Giant bowl of iceberg and field greens with pasta and peperoni's on top. Practically a meal in itself. Fresh bread would have been better warm, and was served with garlic butter. Not sure if the bread was house made, but it was very dense. We didn't risk eating more than a slice to try, for fear of filling up.
The wife's favorite Italian dish is traditional Lasagna. She received a giant block covered in meat sauce that she rated as "very good". She barely finished 1/2.
I ordered the Meat Lover's Pasta, a massive plate of the biggest pork neck bones (twice the size I get from the butcher for my sauce, at least), I've ever seen, an Italian sausage at least 6" long, and a meatball about as big around as a billiard ball. All of this was next to a pile of fresh spaghetti that was perfectly al dente and the entire plate covered in meat sauce. Again, enough to feed 3, in my estimation.
Pasta was perfect, the sauce also great - not sweet but not bitter, the density of both the sausage and meatball were a little surprising, a bit firm but excellent flavor.
All in all a great meal, fair priced with excellent service. Nino's is now in the rotation of the best Italian around, and we will be back!