Bring Nonna Home

The Pitch

The subject of tonight's review is widely considered one of the best Italian restaurants in town; a scouring of the web places Nora Gray in the top three.  Founded by a trio of Liverpool House alumni exactly a decade ago – and situated on a retail-scarce stretch of Saint-Jacques road – this ristorante caught the Griffintown restaurant wave early on.

A dinner here circa 2015 put Nora in the "gray" area for me – no pun intended; the food was good, but not top-three material.  I am a bigger fan of the trio's second operation: Saint-Henri's stellar pizzeria Elena – reviewed last spring.  As such, I figured I would revisit the beloved Nora Gray for some takeout on this Thursday night.

The Food

Named after two of the owners' grandmothers, Nora Gray appropriately proposes a homey, rural yet soigné version of Italian cuisine.  Under the current COVID-19 climate, the restaurant was redone as a cantina, open for takeout from Thursday through to Sunday evenings.

Food orders can be supplemented with a selection of jarred pantry items or a bottle from the restaurant's celebrated wine collection, which leans natural and European.  So how did the food fare tonight?  Starters were not without fault: a winter salad played nicely with textures but came with a boring dressing, while a minestrone traveled poorly with the veggies absorbing all the broth.

As for our mains, two homemade pasta dishes; those were terrific.  A garganelli with braised rabbit and turnips was particularly rich and decadent.  Unfortunately, portions are small given the price; individual dishes are not that pricey, but your total will add up if you're worried about satiety.

$10

$10

Winter Salad

$13

$13

Tortellini in Brodo

$11

$11

Minestrone

$13

$13

Smoked Mackerel

$34

$34

Pappardelle Bolognese

$25

$25

Garganelli

The Verdict

One of the draws at both Nora Gray and Elena is a fun and hip yet casual atmosphere like no other.  There is a palpable coolness and exuberance shared among owner, staff member and patron alike – which almost makes me wish I worked there!

Alas, none of that applies to takeout; which is not the restaurant's fault obviously, but it still takes away from the whole experience.  In the end, this modern Italian eatery pushes comforting, grandma-worthy classics; but given the reputation and price point, I was expecting perfection.

tagged:  PLAN B.

Price per person:  $41.25