An Italian Mainstay in Waiting

The wonderful two-story space inhabited by La Nonna Bella, a year old newcomer in Garden City, cries out to be a mainstay hangout on the Garden City scene.

Airy, with big French doors that open to the street in warm weather and a skylight up front that supplies more natural light, the dining rooms revolve around the big bar. Up a flight on the balcony are a half dozen tables for two, cozy and romantic.

That's where my wife and I ended up on another stormy Friday night, along with two other couples. We didn't mind being seated next to the unused service bar, now employed as storage space. But with only a handful of tables filled downstairs and no view of the main rooms from our perch, we wondered why we were exiled up here off the main floor. We felt bad for the wait crew who were schlepping drinks and trays up and down. Did we look like we wanted to be romantic?

Owner Anna Maola, whose father owns Cara Mia in Queens Village, honors her grandmother (La Nonna Bella means "beautiful grandma") with an Italian menu that incorporates some old family recipes, proving Nonna was handy in the kitchen as well as being beautiful.

The meal quickly starts off with a bang with two of Nonna's "famous" meatballs, (which I was planning to order) instantly appearing as a gift from the kitchen. And what meatballs these are. Dense and flavorful, infused with rich tomato sauce with all the taste of meat and seasonings nicely balanced.

A big basket of rolls and focaccia are fine for soaking up the sauce. But the rolls could have been heated a little and oddly, a long tray holding three preparations, garlic infused olive oil and hummus, has three pats of packaged butter looking out of place.

There are nightly wine specials that augment an impressive list of mostly Italian wines, priced mostly over $30, but some well priced choices by the glass.

After our success with the meatballs I resolve to order everything "nonna."

But Nonna's Lentil Soup ($7) which sounds promising isn't. Besides the addition of sliced Italian bread covered with mozzarella the soup was nothing but lentils, no other vegetables and no discernible extra seasoning to set it apart. The bowl was enough for four. Better but just as bland was a special soup of Butternut Squash ($7).

Fried Calamari ($10) is lightly done, the rings tasting fresh and crunchy. Caesar Salad (augmented with strips of chicken ($12) has large shards of parmesan and a sharp dressing tasting of anchovies.

Flounder Oreganata ($17) is lightly breaded and perfectly done, but I crave that particular flavor you get with Clams Oreganata. The sautéed vegetables that came with it had more zing. A side of pasta with a choice of sauce comes with all entrees making the menu a great bargain if you choose correctly.

Fresca Salad ($8) with more of that good shaved parmesan and cannelloni beans on a bed of arugula is deceptively simple but very good. They bring bottles of olive oil and balsamic and a lemon half and you dress it yourself. Chicken Marsala ($16) is a generous portion covered with plenty of mushrooms and a wine sauce that 's a little too sweet.

Nutella Crème Brulee ($7) is warm and wonderful and don't miss the house-made Cannoli ($5), just filled in the kitchen, overflowing with sweet ricotta.

With prices low enough to compete with nearby pizzerias and an attentive staff, this Italian contender, with a few minor adjustments, could be something special.