While Fresno is very influenced by the Hispanic culture, many other cultures are prominent in New York City; one of the most prominent being Italian, hosted primarily in Little Italy.

[media-credit id=119 align=”alignright” width=”280″][/media-credit]Out of the over one thousand Italian restaurants available to eat at in the city, we had the pleasure of dining at La Nonna. This little hole-in-the-wall is conveniently located right in the center of Little Italy on the corner of Mulberry and Grand.

The journalism team kind of stumbled upon La Nonna by accident. The original plan was to make a reservation at one of our advisor Greg Stobbe’s routine spots, Il Palazzo, but we were forced to compromise due to unavailability. We looked directly across the street and decided to make the reservation at La Nonna.

I was very impressed to discover that after arriving at the restaurant 30 minutes earlier than when our reservation was made, they had already prepared our tables.

Upon entering, we were greeted by the host. We were guided through the main dining area into a back room, whose purpose is for private parties.

Like most other sit-down restaurants, we were given complimentary bread prior to the meal. A specialty menu was given to us containing the choice between seven different meals. We were given this special menu due to the size of our group, but it was not the normal menu, which contains many more selections.

Out of the options, I chose the Penne Alla Vodka. This dish contained penne pasta covered in a vodka tomato cream sauce and then topped off with chickpeas.

The food was delivered to our table within 20 minutes. Although that may be a long wait for food in a normal dining situation, but considering the size of our party, it was understandable.

When I took the first bite, I was surprised by how creamy the sauce was. Due to the tomato base, I was expecting a more chunky texture. The meal was delicious, so I believe that the creaminess worked in favor of this particular dish.

If I had to change anything about this dish, I would add meat to the sauce. I like my protein so adding some Italian sausage would have been a nice touch. I also would have taken out the chickpeas. Personally, chickpeas rub me the wrong way, but if you enjoy them, then there would be no issue.

Many of The Feather staffers were impressed by the service provided. Junior, Sara Peterson was very pleased by the service and the plates. She also dined with a different meal: the manicotti, which she also enjoyed.

The prices of the food is on the higher end, one meal costing around $18. If you are looking for a sit-down meal in New York, you better expect to pay at least that price. Considering the portions served, the price is very reasonable.

If you ever find yourself hungry after a long day of shopping in the nearby Soho district, I would definitely recommend making the three block walk to La Nonna for dinner.

This author can be reached via Twitter: @NhojNanood. Follow The Feather via Twitter: @thefeather.

For more reviews, read the March 3 article, ‘Son of God’ lacks originality, saved by Christ story.