Holy mostaccioli!!

Jim and Nancy do not disclose the fact that they will review a restaurant before they attend, ensuring their reviews are unbiased and uninfluenced by their position with the Sun Day.

Nancy has not been to church in for longer than we care to admit. Our children are all married and most of our relatives have passed, so that takes care of the top two reasons for us going to church. Because I am an ex-altar boy, and survived 12 years of parochial school, I’d like to consider myself an authority on church matters. I informed her that church services are on Sunday, not Tuesday night, and that the spinning cage with the little numbered balls inside is not part of the mass. Yelling “BINGO” is not a substitute for “amen.”

It must have been devine intervention when Jim and I were driving through St. Charles one Sunday afternoon and I spotted Nuova Italia Ristorante. This restaurant is housed in a church built in 1841, and we decided to stop in for the afternoon services. Holy Mostaccioli!!!

Parking can be a challenge. There is a small lot next door, plus street parking. Because the restaurant is an old church, it is not handicap accessible.

When you walk in, the bar/”altar” is right in front of you where the ceremonial “wine” is kept. The bar is surrounded by high top tables. To the left is the hostess/”usher” who escorted us to our table/”pew”. All kidding aside, the dećor was classic with a lot of wood accents, including the original stained glass windows.

Our waiter/”altar boy” brought over a basket of crusty Italian bread. Nancy and I “broke bread” and started constructing our olive oil and cheese mixture for dipping while we perused the menu/”missal.”

We decided to try the Calamari Fritti ($11.95) for our appetizer. This was fried baby squid with marinara sauce on the side. It was good, but frankly, not the best we have ever had.

Nancy must have been “possessed” when she decided to be adventuresome and try an entree that was totally different. She went with the Penne Al Capone ($19.95). This was penne pasta with cubed filet mignon and onions in a spicy tomato sauce, covered in pizza dough, and finished in the oven. When Nancy saw her entree, she blurted out “HOLY S?#%”!!! A hush fell over the “church” while we waited for the lightening bolt to strike her dead! Today was her lucky day, her “Guardian Angel” must have been watching over her. Her entree looked like a ginormous pot pie. The waiter deconstructed it and took the huge bubble of pizza dough off the top, turned it over, and used it as a bowl for the pasta. Ingenius! This dish was more show than substance, due to the filet crumbs contained in the pasta. Of course, she brought home a doggie bag that fed her and I two more meals. Since the filet was pretty non-existent, she grilled two filets and cut them up to put in the leftovers.

Jim selected his favorite Italian dish of all time, the Vitello Saltimbocca ($22.95). This was sauteed veal medallions topped with prociutto and mozzarella in a butter sage sauce. It was delicious and unexpectedly served with two potato wedges instead of the usual pasta. These were to die for.

All entrees come with either soup or salad. Jim chose the Minnestrone and I went with a Caesar salad.

On to dessert. I wanted the Tiramisu ($4.95) and Nancy wanted her own dessert, the Panna Cotta ($4.95). My tiramisu was delicious, but Nancy’s panna cotta was more like a flan, good but not what she expected.

To sum up our Sunday “service”, some of the food was over the top, some wasn’t.

Our church “donation” was $82.30, not suffering eternal damnation for writing this article, priceless…

Jim’s take: Miraculously, this was the best saltimbocca and minnestrone soup I have ever had.

Nancy’s take: Beware of the $3.95 upcharge for a caesar salad. I’m still loooking for the filet and the Bingo Hall!!!

Have comments or restaurant suggestions for the Dining Duo? Send them an email at thediningduo@gmail.com

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