Nuvolari’s

For starters we had a freshly baked bread with a regular butter and some type of herb/​garlic butter the bread was good but was not too crazy about the garlic/​herb butter. My minestrone soup was warmno Bueno my husbands tomato basil soup was hot and it tasted really good. When our entrees arrived both my husband’s cannelloni and my chicken florentine and my pasta side had the exact same sweet warm (not hot) sauce. It was a turn off not once, twice but a third time.
Prior to coming here we had done some shopping at Sam’s Club and we shared a slice of pizza and a hot dog there. At the time we did not realize that would be the culinary high point of our day. We’ve tried the place at least a dozen times over the years and we remain sadly disappointed. The only thing more consistent with this mediocre place was our poor decision making in choosing to dine here. We won’t repeat it.

Come on guys… you have the worst beer selection in Mandeville. The food is just ok. It’s nothing I would brag about though. Honestly I would not come here but my wife was given a gift certificate. My waitress was very polite. nothing against her.

I’m not sure how this place got any bad reviews??? The atmosphere seems to be a bit uppity when you first enter but once you get seated and start absorbing the surroundings you get a comfortable feeling all will be well. From the cool pictures of vintage cars on the walls, green painted copper ceilings and a beautiful solid wood bar made me hope the kitchen lives up to the atmosphere???
I was one of a party of 6, we ordered a round of drinks. The 3 men ordered bourbon and the women wine. If I were to have one complaint it would be that the Bourbon selection is a bit limited, they have all the standards but nothing special. The wine list is nice and the women had no problems finding something to complement their meal. The waitress was knowledgeable of the full menu.
The food was well seasoned but not overly spicy. Out of the 6 people we ordered 5 different items. From Quail to veal and shrimp and oysters each plate was complemented with a plethora of flavors. The pasta seemed fresh and not over cooked. The sauces were not from a can and all the veal, shrimp and game were fresh.
Cool idea of Italian/​Creole hybrid. We will be back

Wonderful eggplant & shrimp, tomato soup, grilled salmon, carrot cake and lemon zest sponge cake with pine nut ice cream. Each item is unique, homemade and fresh. Nice location and ambiance.

Food is good but no good beer! If the best you have is Fat Tire, call Chafunkta, Nola or Tin Roof!

Spotty service and lack of local fish on the menu prevents me from going any higher than three stars here. For the price and the reputation, I’d expect fish other than arctic char and mahi-​mahi in an upscale Louisiana restaurant. The mahi-​mahi was well prepared. My shrimp and crab pasta was good too. Wine service was slow. Overall, a decent experience, but this place needs to kick up the seafood selections substantially before earning higher marks in the upscale Louisiana market.

If you’re looking for an Italian/​Creole hybrid that is a bit more upscale, this is the place for you!
Zan at the bar is second to none, and is extremely knowledgeable about all of the alcohol options available to you.
All of the waiters are extremely courteous and embrace the tradition of southern hospitality. My favorite part about this place is that their menu is always changing whenever I visit; I can always try something new that I just can’t find anywhere back home.

I went back to Nuvolari a few nights after my disappointing experience with a friend who wanted to eat there. I had a much better meal. I avoided anything with the over sweet red sauce and went for the pan broiled fish, grouper. It was excellent. it was perfectly cooked, flavorful, not too salty or peppered. it was served with potatoes and zuchinni, bother were very good.
It was not so much italian than good old Louisiana seafood dish.
My friends had the duck, over wild rice which looked really good and my other friend had the veal. Everybody enjoyed the meal
so at this point I can recommend Nuvolari. Good on them. I bumped my ratings to 3 stars. I may go back for the duck, if its good they get another star

I’m new to the Northshore and I love this place. Had been there a couple a times without my hubby, and then went back for his critique. The bread is delicious, the wine is divine, and the hubby found the veal piccata wonderful. I had the Oyster/​Brie/​Spinach app with Shrimp in lieu of the Oysters. Delish! I love the old bar, and chuckle every time I hear someone say they «summer» in Louisiana. .…who does that? oh, oh, and don’t dismiss the roasted garlic bathed in olive oil and punctuated with cracked pepper.. .. YUM. Oh, and then there’s Wally. .. .. where can I begin.. .. attractive and indifferent, but always spot on. He’s a delight to watch. And if you stop talking about yourself long enough, he will delight you with his pearls of wisdom and observations on the evolution from restraint/​elegance to these days of excess.. .. . (my words, not his). Check this place out. Deviate from the norm. Sit at the bar, shut up, spend an evening listing and observing, instead of talking about you awesomeness (only to lament your shortcomings later in the privacy of your own home).

We were seated in the room thats only open on saturdays for overflow. Even though there were only a handful of tables in the entire restaurant. The room is ok, I much rather the main dining room if I could choose next time. The atmosphere is less make shift. We ordered the pasta with scallops, shrimp and crabmeat pasta in a sherry cream sauce. It was amazing!!! For dessert we tried the lemon cake, it was ok-​a little dense. Service was impeccable.

20 years ago my husband and I celebrated our anniversaries here. We had to move to another state for a while to secure employment in this harsh economy, but we came back recently. We were so pleases to see the restaurant was still open. Although it’s grown tremendously from the quaint place I recall, the service and exquisite cuisine could not have been better!
If you want a real Northshore of Louisiana experience you need to make your reservation and go! This restaurant us one of the finest around this area. The chef is incredible!
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED close to home and minutes from the lakeshore makes this a perfect dining experience for any special occasion!

Went to Nuvolari’s on a Monday night and had to wait 30 minutes for a table for 2, which was really surprising! It seemed like they had plenty of open tables, but not enough servers. Nice atmosphere though, definitely more on the «dressy» side.
When we were finally seated, our server greeted us warmly and was really helpful by offering suggestions when we ordered. He also had a good sense of humor.
We had the Shrimp & Watermelon Salad appetizer to start (warm shrimp, cold salad + watermelon) which was tastier than I was expecting! After we were done with that, we had tomato basil soup. It was nice that they actually served us the appetizer first, soup second and then brought out the entrée after we finished (the Pesto Salmon dish w/​shrimp risotto).
For dessert, they weren’t kidding when they named their 7 layer cake «death by chocolate cake!» but it was delicious!
All dishes were great, service was great, no real complaints :)

had drinks and an order of red fish at the bar, waiter was nice and congenial, place pleasant, drinks good but the fish… criminally overcooked. how can you do that nuvolari?

Terrible! Just absolutely terrible!
Was here with a very large group from work so we had a limited selection to choose from. Tomato Basil soup was ok. For the entrée, I ordered the seafood risotto. Other choices were a Filet and Chicken Piccata.
The risotto was delayed from the kitchen and when it was finally delivered, it was not even close to being ready to serve. The rice was still hard and chalky. Not even close to being al dente. It also severely lacked any seasoning. Everyone at my table that had it sent it back. Others in the party did report theirs turned out ok. Since our meals were already delayed, we asked what would be quickest to get out. The wait staff said the chicken piccata would be the fastest. I should have been worried when the plates came out in about 20 seconds (no joke, dead serious). The chicken was cold and the sauce was more like mayonnaise than the light sauce it should have been.
For dessert we all had crème brûlée. It was one of the worst I have ever had. The sugar on the top was so thick that it either took a lot of time under the torch or they put it under a broiler and left it there. By the time it was ready, the custard below was hot and melting. It was also way too sweet.
I hope others who go in small parties have better luck because this was an absolute disaster of a meal.

Last weekend Todd and I thought we’d venture out and try a new restaurant. We always see a billboard on the highway for a place called Nuvolari’s Ristorante in Mandeville and thought we’d try it out. The billboard says it’s a Creole Italian restaurant… hmmm…what’s that?
We went and checked it out. First off, the décor… it did seem kind of dingy with it’s old, dirty looking carpeting and dark heavily wooded décor. This is the only reason I gave it a 4 ½ out of 5 stars. I just don’t understand why a restaurant would put carpeting in their dining room. Anyways, upon entering the restaurant we were greeted immediately by the hostess. There was a chalkboard on an easel that showed what the featured wine of the day was. One was a Malbec and one a Chardonnay. We proceeded to our table. The dining room was pretty much empty (we got there around 6pm). The waiter approached us, introduced himself and told us about the specials. We got an appetizer, Brie and Shrimp and I got Pesto coated Salmon with sun dried tomato risotto and asparagus. Todd got Shrimp Penne. Entrees come with either soup or salad and we both chose the soup (Tomato Basil soup). It was really good, but Todd said mine was better (good answer, Todd… LOL). I also ordered the featured Chardonnay and it was great! I am by no means a white wine drinker, but this one was so crisp and clean with no weird, bitter aftertaste! I should have checked to see what it was but I forgot. BOOOOO…
Anyways, out entrees came out and were cooked to perfection! Also, by this time the restaurant was now filled! Glad we got there when we did. Our total order came to about $ 72 and that included and appetizer, 2 entrees, and 2 drinks (one wine, one beer). In the end, I would recommend this place and would definitely go back. I tried to take some pictures, but the room was too dark. I didn’t want to use the flash and let everyone know I was taking pics… LOL. Check out the website and the menu though and maybe we’ll hit it up together one day!
Nuvolari’s Ristorantie: 4 ½ out of 5 stars

Possibly the best New Orleans restaurant in Mandeville!
Nuvolari’s classifies itself as Italian but it’s really more creole. Most recent visit we started with an appetizer entitled «Snails and Tails» — which consisted of tender escargot and crawfish tails in a Burgundy mushroom sauce. Very good! The house salads are unassuming Caesars which consist of crisp romaine tossed in garlicky classic dressing and topped with a hint of Romano. Simple, fresh, excellent.
I enjoyed an entrée of panned veal on top of an excellent mushroom Alfredo and the whole thing topped with lump crab meat — rich, decadent, delicious. Dining companion selected the shrimp in pesto sauce with penne pasta. Another excellent dish — lots of basil and garlic.
Also, while we are discussing the food, I am going to mention the eggplant Parmesan. It wasn’t on the menu last visit but I will say that it’s probably the best version of the dish that have had. If you happen to visit when its available please try it!
I found the wine list be a bit thin but it’s reasonably priced and there are some good choices. Last visit I selected a Malbec, which was the featured wine of the evening. A bit bold, yes, but still paired well with veal and shrimp dishes. (If, however, you go with eggplant I would suggest a Chianti).
As for the restaurant itself — nice dark wood furnishings, prefect lighting, and one of the most attractive bars in the area — this is a romantic place. Oh, excellent service.
Bottom line: Excellent! This isn’t an inexpensive restaurant but for what you are getting the prices are reasonable. Really, I can’t think of many other North Shore restaurants that are this romantic. Go, enjoy, and take some you love.

Nuvolari’s is a romantic New Orleans style Italian restaurant located in old Mandeville.
I have been here seeral times for dinner, and each experience was wonderful. The staff and servers are first class and work to ensure you have a excellent meal.
Each time I have been here, I ordered the ribeye. It always comes perfectly cooked, and is flavorful and juicy. In addition to the steaks, their calamari appetizer and duck entrée are both excellent.
I suggest you make reservations as this restaurant can get busy.

This restaurant is a great place, from appetizers to desserts. Everything is almost perfect. Specially cause they are not in a hurry. I mean they are not putting the tab right on top your coffeee. It was a perfect choice for me and my wife. Try the Taylor 20 years old Port wine with your Cremme Brulee.

The service was excellent, the food was good (I’m a vegetarian so I could scarcely appreciate the seafood, but my boyfriend said his seafood risotto was good, and my genoa pasta-​without-​shrimp was also good), but the bread was very blah. Very dry and crumbly. I did not appreciate it.
Important point: I ordered a $ 18.75 shrimp pasta without the shrimp, which they happily made vegetarian, and even reduced the price to $ 13.00, which I thought was wonderful. Additionally, we ordered a crawfish gnocchi appetizer with the crawfish on the side, which they happily accommodated, even giving us extra sauce for the crawfish.

Went here for a intimate wedding ceremony and reception lunch. The atmosphere was very romantic with dim lights. The food was absolutely delicious. On the menu we had gumbo, caesar salad, and our choice of pan roasted gulf fish, seafood pasta or char grilled filet.
The gumbo was very flavorful and filling. One of the best gumbo I’ve had. The caesar salad was mediocre. I choose the seafood pasta. It was full of flavor, the sauce was creamy and light. We all dipped the bread in the sauce. I tried the Gulf Fish, it was good and light. I also tasted the filet. It was extremely soft and cooked just right.
Overall: A+