Novella Ristorante

I know most of my posts include suggestions for “ideal first dates” but this lovely restaurant in Little Italy is def the place for a perfect date. Period.

Call me a hopeless romantic but sometimes I just find places and think “awe couples would love this place here” but I guess I just love food. This place would be considered a splurge but I can guarantee its worth it.

The decor of this Novella is just beautiful and so simple yet complex. Giving it such an elegant and relaxed vibe, it makes you just want to sit back, relax, talk and enjoy. And of course wine and dine.

Unfortunately though I wasn’t very hungry so my choices were limited but like every other place I’ve tried, a sample is just enough to have me coming back.

Sangria: I don’t know exactly when my love for this amazing drink began but its a must have when having a delicious meal. Ordering a pitcher is a just a must. Even though it tastes like juice it gets it job down and just allows it to go down smoother.

Calamari: You can never go wrong with fried calamari. Especially when they’re large chunks of calamari and you can actually get some meat and not just the crispy skin.

Pizza quattro formaggi: I went through a phase where I didn’t eat any type of pizza unless it was neopolitan, then I got to college and realized I was “broke” college student. Unfortunately however this pizza didn’t live up to the name. I say it was the basil, my friend says it was the cheese.

The bread of the pizza however was very delicious. and so was the sauce. So I guess it was just the cheese or the basil. Maybe I should’ve asked or actually read what type of cheeses were on the pizza. I love cheese but sometimes not everything goes.

So minus my bad pizza experience, I will be returning. There’s no way I cannot. It was just too cute and adorable to let one bad choice turn you around.

Besides the service was great. The staff all very friendly and attentive. And it seems as if they offer a really good lunch special, I say a must go.

Acquista Trattoria

The pros and cons of going to school at St. John’s is that the beautiful city of New York is your backyard but sometimes that ride into the city can seem like too far, and if you don’t have your car then you can’t even go to Long Island or Astoria for good food without having to hop on the train.

Union Turnpike located just outside of St. John’s gates attempts to provide students with many options for food but still lacks what school’s like University of Maryland and Georgetown have to offer.

Still though there are some treasures offered here. Acquista Trattoria is one of those. I’ve passed this place so many times and never looked at the menu, until finally I decided to pay it a visit.

Compared to the other spots on Union, the design of the restaurant really makes visitors want to stay and dine in opposed to just ordering and leaving.

The fun part: The menu.

Acquista has a VERY extensive menu. I would probably say over fifty meal options plus three specials that vary from night to night, this is both a positive and a negative.

Positive because you’re not just limited to a few number or meals but negative because there is just so much you want to try everything.

I was torn between the Prosciutto Di Parma and the Cheese Ravioli.

Even though there were many other great options I would’ve loved to have had, it was late and I wasn’t try to eat a lot. But of course my indesicive self ended up choosing something completely different, and I’m happy I did.

I order the special of the night. Chicken breast sauteed in wine sauce with corn, eggplant and cherry potatoes served over mashed potatoes. 

The Yums. I was very pleased with my choice because the wine sauce was delicious especially with the mashed potatoes. There were so many different flavors going in on one bite that it made the meal quite enjoyable.

The sweetness of the eggplant, the chicken, the wine sauce, buttery mashed potatoes, sour tomatoes and sweet corn kernels. Again The Yums.

The proportions were very generous that I ended up eating a good majority of it because it was so delicious and was still able to bring some home.

Another dish I know was very good was the Lobster Ravioli. 

Stuffed with lobster meat and served with pink sauce, for only $14.95, the plate quickly disappeared once one bite was taken. But then again I was also very intrigued in my own plate.

Unfortunately we got there just a little before the closed and didn’t really get to try their desert but apperently their Tiramisu is very delicious.

With that being said I know during my next visit I will be trying their Prosciutto and Tiramisu. With so many different options and so far two seeming to be very promising I don’t see why I can’t.

So now you know, if you’re a St. John’s students looking for some delicious pasta and a cute sit down place perhaps for a date, just walk outside of gate four and head onto Union for your italian needs!