Nonno Pino's

Nice neighborhood place we can walk to.Service is friendly. Busboys are a little to quick to take your plates and you feel like they are starring at you while you are eating.
As for the food. Penne Broccoli was fairly good but not like it use to be. The dish I had was Bowtie Chicken Pasta. Absolulely Horrible. Chicken had no flavor and was complete fatty and every bite seemed to be a bite of gristle. I had to pick it all out. We were glad to leave.The area has so many good places to eat and with competition from the wonderful Italian restaurant down and across the street you would think they would strive for excellence.

I've been passing by this Italian restaurant in Edison Park for years and I finally got in there when I attended a baptism party. From the outside, Nonno Pino seems so small, but once you step through the door, you see it runs deep, many booths and tables all the way to the back wall where their kitchen is located. The walls are bare brick and the place has that old building charm to it.

We had a reserved section near the middle of the restaurant. Within minutes of beaing seated, loaves of warm, fresh-baked, hard-crusted Italian bread appeared on the table. Served with olive oil and parmesian cheese, we could keep going with just the bread. My kids gobbled up their bread and even got a second loaf brought to the table.

Then came the appetizers. Now I like calamari but this was the best calamari I ever tried. It was tender, not chewy. Much like the bread, I found myself unable to stop eating the calamari as well. Then came the bruschetta, equally delightful. At some point, I realized I wouldn't have much lunch getting filled up on these with the best yet to come.

They delivered the goods with beef and chicken platters . I stuck with the chicken - legs and wings. Additionally, there were platters of pasta. I loved the bowtie pasta in a somewhat creamy tomato sauce. For the kids, they brought personal pizzas. Each one was probably 2 meals' worth, so they had some to pack up and take home for leftovers too. As if I wasn't full enough, the desserts came out. I had a piece of tiramisu, one of my favorite Italian desserts.

Service was attentive and the overall dining experience excellent. Excellent place for a lunch, dinner or reception.

The food is very good. However, if you are looking for a night out with your friends  where you can eat and have  pleasant conversation, forget it!

It's so noisy and loud, you can't hear anything.   We will not return here.