This was my first dining experience at Alma Nove, and my wife and I were very excited to try Chef Paul's new restaurant. After we arrived, we were greeted by a friendly hostess (wearing a mask, as were all the staff) who showed us the QR code we could scan to pull up their menu (no paper menus due to COVID, so this was a smart move on their part).

We were then brought to our table that ran alongside a stone wall and had plexiglass running along the top shelf to serve as a barrier between our table and the other table that was DIRECTLY on the opposite side of us. It was almost like we were sharing a table with the couple next to us, and they even asked us of we thought it was safe (as did the couple that came in after them so clearly not a great set up). Note to management on this, you may want to consider staggering the tables. I'm pretty sure the people who were sitting next to us didn't enjoy us blocking their view of the water, or the fact that we were within arms reach of one another.

I must say the view was quite nice, and our waitress was very polite and welcoming. We ordered our drinks, which were fine. For our meals, we started with the Seasonal Caprese ($14), which had a nice presentation and flavor, but was lacking in portion size. I had the Orecchiette ($26), and my wife ordered the Moroccan Spiced Lamb ($30), and just to try it, we also got the Truffle Mac and Cheese ($9).

The food came out in a timely manner, and we were given some bread with oil to hold us over while we waited (which was nice). Starting with the Orecchiette, I was stunned at what was put in front of me. I was expecting whole pieces of Italian sausage, but mine looked like it swallowed a hand grenade and exploded in the plate. The pasta was cooked nicely, but the grease from the sausage made the dish a little too slippery for my taste. The lamb was a far cry from any lamb shank dish I'd ever seen, and came out looking like sliced roast beef. My wife took one bite and immediately felt sickened by the taste. The lamb had strong order (which it shouldn't), and the taste was non-existent even after salting. Thankfully we had the mac and cheese as a backup which turned out to be ok, but again the presentation and ingredients were lacking.

At this point, we decided to get our deserts to go, as it had started raining and we had a long drive ahead. We went with the Creme brulee ($10) and Chocolate layer mousse cake ($10). The Creme brulee was the worst I'd ever tasted, and the cake tasted like raw batter. Overall, the food was very, very disappointing. For the money, and for how nice looking this restaurant is, I expected way more from Chef Paul and company.

I am giving one star for the fantastic view, and another for our waitress who was wonderful. But when I think Italian and Mediterranean dining, I imagine large portion sizes, served with the freshest ingredients and wonderful flavors...sadly this place missed the mark big time...