Nick's knack

>> Nick and Mario bring honest Italian cooking to Westmount

by IVY TOLCHINSKY

For some people it's a certain smell, for others it's a particular song. For this quirky restophile, certain restaurants give me that special feeling.

Nick and Mario just happens to be one of those restaurants. But what is now an Italian establishment of neo-minimalist decor was once one of the Last Vestiges of the Blue-Haired Ladies, better-known as Murray's coffee shop. When I was a student, it was a warm refuge to sip on bottomless cups of coffee and indulge in steamed fruit pudding and toasted cinnamon buns. So when I walked into the new premises the other night, I felt out of sorts.

But I was quickly jarred off memory lane as we were greeted by Nick Patulli, co-owner with partner is Mario Moletierri. His open arms and million-dollar smile made us feel like his long-lost family.

Nick and Mario offers an ambitious selection of traditional Italian fare: antipasti, soups, salads, a healthy list of pasta, a tempting grill section and even a variety of thin-crust pizza. There is certainly something to please everyone. And being such a large party to celebrate my daughter's birthday that evening, I had the opportunity to hit resto critic pay dirt.

To start, we were brought plates of micro-thin crust pizza, one with a simple tomato sauce and herbs and the other a white pizza with herbs. Both were warm and crunchy appetite-stimulators. Drinks arrived with little paper umbrellas--a nice touch that appealed to my inner lounge lizard.

For appetizers, I recommend the arugala salad ($7.50) for those who enjoy the distinctly nutty flavour of this salad green. It was well-paired with radicchio and a lively balsamic and olive oil vinaigrette. Unfortunately, the Caesar salad ($4.25) was only average--ho-hum dressing, sad little croutons and, my pet peeve, artificial bacon bits.

On the other hand, the subtly garlic escargots topped with shallots and melted cheese, featured on the table d'hote ($17.95-23.95), were an appreciated change of pace.

We also sampled a generous plate of mini meat-stuffed ravioli in a rose sauce. If you prefer a rich, tomato, cream-based sauce this will definitely do the trick.

The wait for our main courses was a bit long, but worth it. The birthday girl went for the rack of lamb ($19.95). They came "de-racked," not over-spiced and accompanied by crisp roast potatoes and grilled eggplant. The plate, however, could have been a bit larger to accommodate the substantial half dozen or so perfectly pink chops.

I opted for the fegato alla Veneziana (from the table d'hote), a surprisingly tender and delicate dish of thin slices of veal liver with red wine and demi-glace, and smothered with onions.

The more complex veal Gamberi (also table d'hote), stuffed with shrimp in a cream sauce flavoured with a hint of brandy, was equally appealing to our taste buds.

Pasta dishes were rich and bursting with flavour. Anyone attempting to widen their waist should try the pasta stuffed with smoked salmon, spinach and mascarpone cheese in a rose sauce or the linguine with peas, mushrooms and prosciutto in cream sauce.

For dessert, the wait staff sang happy birthday, much to the embarrassment of my crimson-faced teenager.

To round out our evening, Nick, the consummate host, saw us to the door, urging us to come back soon. And with breakfast on the menu, you might just find me there one morning, sipping on a steaming cup of coffee--for old time's sake. :