On a Saturday evening my 6:00 reservation was definitely needed. The place was full and even the…read moretwo open seats at the bar when I arrived soon filled. I was escorted to my table and was soon greeted by my waiter Ethan who brought bread and the menus. Bread was just mini white loafs, exceptional only for its absolute freshness. So many places have done away with table bread so this was very much appreciated, but it was way too much for a single diner.
The mostly Portuguese menu had much to choose from. I got the Pasteis de Bacalhau appetizer (codfish cakes). The 8 small-sized cakes had a subtly crisp golden brown exterior and a filling that was light in both texture and flavor - less salt cod than in some others would be my guess. This was served with banana peppers and black olives over a bit of lettuce. I liked them but felt a sauce of some sort would have elevated them. I used Red Hot from the table.
The entree section was very heavy on the meats, particularly steaks of which there were 8, sirloin, shish ka bob, filet, and t-bone, prepared in a variety of ways. I didn't want a steak and, being in a Portuguese restaurant I wanted something more obviously Portuguese. So I went to the seafood section which was also extensive and found Swordfish Alhinho Style. I asked Ethan about it who replied confidently and correctly that it was a lemony sauce made with a lot of garlic and it is served over the fish which is grilled. Which was exactly correct. He was a great waiter in all respects.
The dish was the swordfish, boiled halved potatoes, and broccoli. The fish was generously covered with the lemony garlicky gravy, the garlic in large chunks making up maybe 1/2 of the volume. There was plenty enough left over for the potatoes, which I liked for being just boiled and sliced, not mashed.
The only flaw was the broccoli. I'm not sure but it tasted frozen, not fresh. That's a shame because there was a lot of it but it wasn't worth eating.
So both the appetizer and entree were very good, and representative of Portuguese cuisine. Not innovative or special in any way but this isn't that kind of restaurant. It's upscale but not "fine dining". You can see that in the table settings too: the napkins are white cloth but the placemats are the paper kind with advertisements on them. But it was a nice atmosphere in spite of the Keno machine and many televisions, and the noise level was moderate.
The cocktails used mostly standard brands like Bacardi and Stoli, with a few unusual liqueurs added in. I had a Portuguese Cha Frio (Iced Tea) made with Stoli Citron, Licor Beirao (a Portuguese liqueur), unsweetened tea, and lemon. I liked it and it seemed strong enough. The wine list included a few Portuguese ones by the glass. I didn't think my wine very good but I wanted to stick to the Portuguese theme as much as possible. I liked that it was brought in a carafe that still had some left over after Ethan poured my first glass.
The espresso was perfect. No disagreeable sour notes, just pleasantly and slightly bitter, an aroma slightly fruity.
As for desserts, I don't think they are made in house, and they aren't particularly Portuguese. My cheesecake (was it Crème Brûlée flavor?) was good, with a semi-dry texture, a layer of caramel on top, and a drizzle of something underneath.
So overall I was pretty satisfied with Nuno's. 4.5 stars really. To get that 5th star from me they'd only have to improve the broccoli and add ethnic desserts made in house.