Nuvolari's — Restaurant in Mandeville

I have been going to Nuvolari's for many years. I would not call myself a regular as I live in New Orleans but venture to the Northshore JUST for Nuvolari's about 4 or 5 times a year. What brings me in is the food. It is absolutely delicious. However, the SERVICE I received last night was deplorable. I was seated at the bar with my cousin who was visiting from Florida. (I decided to trek to the Northshore so I could introduce her to Nuvolari's) When we arrived at 5:30, Wally was very quick to offer us a drink. After that though, it was as if we were not even there. After a bit we told him we would like a menu. After we had some time to look it over we had to let Wally know that we were ready to order. By now our glasses were empty so instead of asking us if we wanted another drink, again we had to ask for one. When Dave brought out our food, we had to ask if we could have bread. He seemed surprised that we never received it and literally pointed to Wally and said that it was on him. He appeared to go to the kitchen and we thought he was getting the bread but he returned and never said a word..for instance, "The bread is in the oven and will be out shortly." He just continued past us to the obvious regulars that were now seated at the crowded bar and help them. Since he never made eye contact with me, I started waving...which I have never done because it is kind of obnoxious...but considering we had been virtually ignored since first arriving when the regulars had yet to arrive, it was the only way to get his attention. I asked him if the bread was coming and he said, "It's in the oven....like I would just let it be sitting back there getting cold and hard." After we finished our food, we sat for at least 15 minutes with all of our dirty plates in front of us. Dave happened to be chatting with the "regular" seated next to my cousin and I asked him if we needed to ask Wally to get our dirty dishes from in front of us and he proceeded to tell me that they were very busy and it's like that at the bar and on and on and on...........I told him I watched him provide excellent service to everyone at the bar except us. I told him that I felt as if we had been ignored all evening (Wally came upon this at this time and he did apologize) I told Dave that we had waited with dirty dishes for way too long and he just continued to have attitude and simply didn't care. The final straw was when Dave literally made fun of me, in front of me, with one his "regulars" (the one seated next to my cousin) by telling the regular that he would have to wait 45 minutes to order. Dave's attitude towards me was arrogant, rude, and unacceptable. I work extremely hard for my money and there are many wonderful restaurants within steps of my Warehouse District home yet I chose to bring my out of town guest to Nuvolari's only to be embarrassed and extremely disrespected. While I love the food, I will not be back as long as Dave is working there which will be a very long time since I understand he has been...

Honest opinion & critiques: First timer at Nuvolari's, reserved for our 33rd Anniversary dinner, Wasn't sure what to expect after reading some reviews as well as reading " under new mgmt" or new owner. We had ceaser salads, the pork chop & the NY steak as well as the bread pudding. First, the food is delicious & was cooked to perfection. The little potatoes that came with the steak was a tad heavy on the salt or sauce but that's just my pallet. The salads were not drowning in heavy dressing thank God, the pork chop almost tasted like the steak kinda strange but still very delicious. The bread pudding was excellent. Concerns...or critiques.... Obviously " tis the season" so it was very busy & loud atmosphere the wait staff did there best to keep up & they had alot of staff but fell a bit short imo, I guess this why we saw the Gm busting tables. He did make his way around tables to the patrons but sorry to say he comes off awkward in his demeanor as well non interested why we are here but just to here the food is good & to scury off to help bust a table. GM 101 not his wheel house. When we received the bread which it was fine not sure what the rave is about in someone's previous post but ( it ain't homemade yall) we did not have a bread plate to eat on nor did my wife have a knife. Had to ask a staff turning over a new table for those items. I remembered reading a post about romantic atmosphere, I guess due to light being dim ( which we almost pulled out cells for light to read the menu) but our candle was not lit, it's electric & unfortunately I broke the votive glass wear accidentally when placing fake candle back in glass when I couldn't get it to turn on, I warned our waiter about broken glass, when he finally brought some more water ( 15 min) but he just left glass shards there. Although our waiter was young & nice enough, I'll say this.. No matter how busy it is or how many tables you have there is never a good excuse to bring dessert without the coffee ordered at same time. After eating the bread pudding ( excellent) ready for the check! Then came the coffee. Overall Yes the food is great, price is what's expected for fine dining but the dis organization or disfunctionality of it all leaves room for more improvement. I'd also say folks in jeans or non button shirts that are coming should be told " proper attire " If I this was done buy a food critic I'm sure he/she would have a similar review to add. Recommend but with...

Last night, my wife and I chose Nuvolari’s in Mandeville for a special date night—and what an unforgettable experience it was! This place is truly the hidden gem in the Northshore, delivering divine food, impeccable service, and an atmosphere that feels both elegant and inviting.

We began with three incredible appetizers: • The Crispy Gulf Oysters with Nueske bacon, fontina, and calabrian chili vinaigrette were perfectly crisp with a touch of smokiness and heat. • The Crab Cake—honestly, the best we’ve ever had—was packed with flavor and freshness, beautifully paired with piquillo remoulade and giardiniera. • The Grilled & Pickled Beets with burrata, sherry, and pistachio offered a perfect balance of earthiness, creaminess, and a hint of sweetness.

For our entrées, I had the Pork Tomahawk Chop, which was juicy, tender, and cooked to absolute perfection, served with rapini and a bold salsa verde. My wife ordered the Stuffed Agnolotti Pasta with wild mushroom and lump crab meat, and it was rich, delicate, and absolutely unforgettable.

We ended our evening with a slice of homemade Tiramisu that was creamy, dreamy, and the perfect sweet note to finish a perfect meal.

A very special shoutout to our server, Brooke, who made the entire evening feel warm, personal, and seamless. Her service was as exceptional as the food.

Nuvolari’s gave us the kind of dining experience that stays with you. For anyone looking to elevate their evening—whether it’s a romantic night out or just a love for fine food—this is the spot. Five stars all the way. We’ll...