Nick's Restaurant livens trips to Danbury

By Donna Christopher

Program your GPR before going to Danbury.

Starr and Triangle Streets converge where you’ll find Nick’s Restaurant & Catering, my reason for gushing again about Italian food.

Owned by brothers Victor and Frank DeGirolamo  it's been a city mainstay for decades, though recently the space has been freshly remodeled. It is conveniently located with parking in front. That's a treat for downtown so take note.

I've had the takeout pizza and a co-worker mentioned it a few times during a number of years working on Main Street. Still I hadn't dined in until Saturday. A friend invited me and we went for dinner.

I urge the rest of you to try it. Nick's is open daily for lunch and dinner.

We arrived at 6 and after meeting a couple of staffers including Tina our hostess we watched the place fill up quickly with plenty of regulars, many whom she greeted by first name. Our table was in the main dining room by the windows. 

Our waitress, also Tina, was helpful and friendly. The earthy setting has new banquette seating with natural wooden tables paired nicely with espresso chairs. Art on walls feature stills of Italian architecture.

But the food makes Nick's memorable. 

If you order the priciest meals on the menu from a host of specials you will pay around $50 for two, a considerable savings when you compare it to other restaurants.

Families and anyone interested in tasty and imaginative pizza and pasta will consider dining here an affordable treat.

Among special services is the flexibility of the menu. Chefs staffers assured us will accommodate a particular taste or diet and tailor dishes. 

There are gluten free and whole wheat pastas, gluten free dough for pizza as well.

Thankfully the heat is cozy at Nick's and you can feel the warmth from the pizzeria with the added bonus of pleasing aromas.

Nick’s has a second dining room mainly for catered events. Still patrons can be seated there if there's no party going on for a quieter experience. Otherwise the cacophony of chatter is somewhat loud but infectious and punctuates the experience like a large family gathering. On Saturday the private room was occupied by a gathering to celebrate  a baby "gender reveal" someone said.

Our meals, nicely sized portions of quality Italian-American dishes, and the welcoming atmosphere make Nick’s a pleasurable choice.

Here’s why.

Firstly, though we didn’t have wine there are plenty of choices including Josh Cabernet Sauvignon, a California red and Las Rocas Grenache out of Spain among labels that were hand picked by a local wine enthusiast.

And the tomato sauce, a fiery red, thick and savory marinara, with a hint of sweetness to temper the acidity of the tomatoes is a standout.

My friend ordered salmon stuffed with crabmeat that our server made sure would not contain bread crumbs because of her gluten free diet.  She paired the fish served on a variety of vegetables with ziti. 

My filet of sole could have also been stuffed but I had it plain. Three exceedingly fresh fillets that were sautéed and browned lightly came in the dish that contains a buttery, lemon sauce and sweet potatoes. My side dish was angel hair, al dente and devoured. 

Earlier we'd shared an appetizer of clams posillipo, a dish that could include mussels, and cooked in wine sauce then smothered in Nick’s outstanding marinara.

Entrees include veal, chicken and seafood, and filet mignon and NY steak are among specials. Wise choices I would try in future are titled “a la Nick’s” and include chicken breast with asparagus and sun dried tomatoes, shrimp paired with spinach in a dish containing mozzarella and marinara and the eggplant stuffed with similar ingredients.

Incredibly, we added dessert and as promised were each served a homemade cannoli. Shells were crispy and contained a heaping portion of the sweetened ricotta cream prompting my remark that ‘Why even go to Little Italy for pastries like some do if you can get this in Danbury?' Tiramisu and tartufo are among desserts, no stingy portions here. 

Nick’s Restaurant & Catering is at 4 Starr St. in Danbury.

For more information, call 203-748-2400 or visit http://www.nicksdanbury.com/ and get a 10 percent off coupon. 

Going to NYC? See what I consider the city counterpart to Nicks at http://donnachristopher.tumblr.com/