Nonna's

[zuluwarrior0760]

[category=]Restaurants[/category]
[category=]Brictown[/category]
[category=]Current[/category]

[toc]no[/toc]

Address: 1 Mickey Mantel Dr. Phone: (405) 235-4410 Hours: Tue-Thu 11 am - 10 pm Fri-Sat 11 am - 12 am Status: Opened 2005 Links: Official Website Menu Facebook Page Yelp Urban Spoon

Information & Latest News

Gallery

[Patrick]

Excellent! We should all try to make a trip down there, even if not this weekend! If anyone goes, please give us a report! I know it will be nice!

[floater]

I'm looking forward to dining there too. Hopefully, there'll be some cool gift to buy there as well.

[Patrick]

We definitely need more restaurants like Nonna's in Bricktown. It's not just a restuarant, it's a destination, and it's unique to our city......not a typical chain restaurant. I think it will do well in Bricktown. The location is definitely right.

[Luke]

I poked my head in last week as they were still putting some finishing touches in. All I can say is "wow." This place is first class all the way. I look forward to eating there.

[Patrick]

Luke, can you give us any specifics on what you saw?

[Patrick]

In case anyone missed it, this fabulous restaurant opened this past weekend. If someone makes a trip down there, I'd love to hear a report. Looks like a pretty first class place.

----------------

"New Bricktown restaurant opens after three years in the process


By Tricia Pemberton
The Oklahoman

For more than three years, she's worked on Nonna's Euro-American Ristorante & Bar in Bricktown, pushing back opening dates numerous times because of construction and other delays.

Finally, her grand opening was five minutes away, and Avis Scaramucci had her heart in her throat.

Just three days earlier, Scaramucci wasn't sure whether she was going to be open for lunch. A problem with the heating and air-conditioning system at a preopening party left her concerned. The satellite music system was flaking out, the waitstaff still was negotiating the timing of delivering entrees and several new staff members had quit at the last minute.

With those problems resolved, Scaramucci now was worried about whether she had given people enough notice about opening day.

"For all I know, I may only have one customer sitting out there," she said, with a nervous laugh.

For the past week, Scaramucci had put her staff through several significant training drills. Super Bowl Sunday, they served lunch to other restaurant industry insiders. Tuesday night Scaramucci's closest friends and family were treated to dinner. The staff served civic leaders Wednesday night, and Thursday they waited on people who had either served with Scaramucci on various civic boards or who took part in roundtable discussions about the new restaurant.

Many restaurants use such pre- openings to work out any kinks before opening to the general public.

By Friday morning, Scaramucci's staff was prepped and ready.

General manager Trent Alcott briefed the servers on a final run-through, while the kitchen staff kicked into full swing. Executive chef Ray Wilson spun from pot to pan, furiously adding ingredients, while others dished up butter, cut fresh bread, poured water or checked silverware.

Then came the moment for Scaramucci to step into the dining room to see what the day would bring.

She discovered quickly filling tables.

"Oh, my gosh, I've got customers," she said, nervousness turning quickly to pleasure.

Many customers stopped for a hug or a quick greeting, telling her the place looked great. Servers began taking orders and bringing drinks.

Customer Heather Pfenninger of Oklahoma City came with relatives to celebrate her engagement.

"I had to come for the grand opening. Plus, my aunt was in town from Omaha (Neb.), and she wanted to make sure she came before flying out," said Pfenninger, who is a regular customer at Nonna's in south Oklahoma City.

Scaramucci has had the benefit of building a clientele at her S Western Avenue restaurant for more than 10 years.

The 58-year-old also has served on many civic boards and acquainted with people across the city.

Many of these friends and acquaintances showed up Friday morning for the Bricktown restaurant's first official day of business.

Scaramucci stooped to ask a little girl how she liked her lunch, then turned to direct a group of men up to The Purple Bar on the second floor.

"This is fabulous; better than I expected, and I had high expectations," said one customer leaving after lunch.

One man simply showed a thumbs up sign as he walked out the door.

"Believe it or not, this is the fun part," Scaramucci said. "All the training in the world is still not like the real McCoy. Now you get to see your staff really step up to the plate and do things, perhaps you didn't think they were capable of doing, and some things they didn't know they were capable of doing."

Scaramucci said she's watched the staff carefully in the past week, observing who could rise to the occasion and the ones that wilt under conflict.

"Sometimes in this business, time seems to stand still. That's when you take a deep breath and just tell yourself you're going to get through this," she said.

There are still issues to resolve.

Scaramucci has hired a valet parking staff and is wondering whether they will be needed during lunch.

Work continues on her other venture in the building -- The Painted Door Gallery gift shop -- which is scheduled to open in three weeks. The third-story entertainment suite and some of the meeting rooms on the second floor still need some work.

The bakery in Bricktown will be serving the south location, and it's still unclear how that will work out.

It's been a long road to this point.

The restaurant was supposed to open in September. It took more than three years in the planning and more than $3 million to complete. The exact cost wasn't disclosed.

And of course there's the long road ahead.

"Now the real work begins to make this the place to be," Scaramucci said.

She's aware that many restaurants don't survive past their first anniversary. An Ohio State University study says 57 percent fail in the first year.

But Friday, Scaramucci couldn't worry about the the long-haul.

"I'm just so pleased with how this is turning out," she said before turning to greet more customers. "

[Patrick]

"Editor's note

This the final installment in a series that chronicled the various stages of Nonna's Euro Ristarante & Bar -- from inception to opening day. Nine months after the construction started, the project ended Friday with the restaurant's official opening.
Developing the menu

Avis Scaramucci, executive chef Ray Wilson and general manager Trent Alcott, spent more than two years developing the menu for Nonna's Euro-American Ristorante & Bar in Bricktown.

First, Wilson and Scaramucci created a list of selections.

They then asked a core group of friends and business associates to taste test each segment of the menu -- appetizers, salads, pastas and entrees. The group gave specific opinions about taste, temperature, texture, presentation and cost.

Scaramucci tested final selections at her restaurant on S Western Avenue.

Alcott preferred that the menu not duplicate any other restaurant, but conceded it is too difficult to have a restaurant in Oklahoma without steak on the menu. Cedar-plank salmon was another concession.

The dinner menu also was kept to one page. While the dishes themselves are not simplistic, Alcott wanted the menu to be easy to read.

Cost was a huge factor. Scaramucci said she tried to include something from every price range. Dinner pastas start at $16.50 and a veal entree costs $42. Lunch ranges from $3.50 for a cup of soup to $14.95 for the chef's daily special.

The final dinner menu includes appetizers, soups, salads, pastas, steak, lamb, veal, duck and other items.

Scaramucci kept desserts close to the choices she now offers at the south Oklahoma City restaurant. The lunch menu also will be the same as at Nonna's on S Western, which includes daily soup, salad and sandwich specials, as well as other selections.

Additions include a build-your-own pasta bar and appetizers. "

[metro]

I was fortunate enough to eat there opening weekend, Valentine's weekend. Reservations were booked weeks in advance for the first week or so of the restaurant opening as well as the restaurant was accepting no walk-ins. After leaving the Blazers game early dressed in dress clothes and sport coat, my date and I pulled up to the Valet and had them secure a table for us despite the demand. We were immediately seated in the most private booth on the lower level. I was very impressed upon arrival, the service of the valet, hostess, and the overall elegant atmosphere unparalleled in OKC. A very upscale, vibrant crowd was present and live music was playing.

Upon our seating, however was another experience. The number of work staff was well more than sufficient. After sitting down, a good 10-15 minutes passed before the waitress bothered to even introduce herself. After practically waiving her back to the table she brought our menus. Another few minutes passed before she took our drink order. Another 10 minutes passed before our glasses of water arrived. After about another 10 minutes she finally took our orders. Granted our waitress was working two tables, one larger one (about 10 people) directly adjacent from us. Of course we knew the larger table would get more attention however her walking by at least 10 times during this period was unacceptable. After 35+ mins, a free appetizer, a bruschetta type bread with red pepper hummus (excellent) arrived, our Caesar salad was prepared before our table about ten minutes later. Granted the presentation and atmosphere is very nice, the salad was clearly not worth the $8.50 a piece price. Quality was just decent, but definetely not any better than Olive Garden or something much less classier. After this, we waited another 20 mins or so for our main course. It never arrived. After this I had had enough. I had approached what appeared to be a manager who was talking with the owner Avis Scaramucci and her husband who seemed to almost care less. All he did was come take the menu's quickly from our table the waitress never picked back up but never bothered to ask what I got up and approached him about. I again flagged down another waitress and had them bring another manager out. She was very courteous and addressed our concerns. I advised her of the lack of addressing the issue beforehand in front of the owners, etc. Avis, then came and sat with us for a good 30 mins just talking about our experience and life in general. Once she found out who I was she made sure to make sure the situation was rectified. She was reasonable and sincere and I will not further elaborate into detail.

Although I we had quite an unexpected experience, I will probably give it another shot because I love the atmosphere and is a unique niche in downtown OKC. I recommend everyone give it a try once. The upstairs Purple Bar is also very upscale and unique. Price wise expect to spend a good $16 on up per person.

[Patrick]

At least Avis came over to you and tried to rectify the situation. That shows class. Since it was the first weekend, I'd give them some leeway. Hopefully they'll get the problems worked out before too long. One thing you have to remember, Avis had to hire several new people just days before the opening. Many unexpectedly quit on her during training...guess they couldn't take the pressure.

Thanks for sharing your experience with us. Glad to hear the atmosphere is superb.

[Patrick]

Here's a comment that was made on downtownguy's blog by "bitstop". It provides a little different twist on Nona's. It can also be found at www.downtownguy.blogspot.com.

Here's another opinion...

"I ate at Nona's on Valentine's night. I had reservations at 8:30 p.m., but was delayed until 8:45 p.m. They held my reservation and seated us immediately. The hostess moved our dishes when we decided that we both wanted to sit on the same side of our booth.

Our server greeted us within a minute or two, left a menu and took our drink orders. She returned within a few minutes, answered our questions about some food items (Including telling us about the dishes that she had tried, and admitting to those she had not).

We got our free appetizer and bread in short order. But (and this is about the only complaint I had) I never received my soup. I told the waitress that I hadn't received any soup when she showed up with our entrees. She apologized, and put it off on the mysterious "they" (as in "I thought 'they' had brought it). I cancelled the soup order.

The food was great. In fact, it was one of the best meals I've had locally. My salmon was hot, moist, perfectly cooked with a wonderful sweet glaze and was presented with delicious and interestingly displayed veggies.

Not to dwell on the front-page review, but to say that anything served at Nona's is comparable to Olive Garden cuisine is ridiculous.

My wife's Roman chicken was great. I nabbed a bite and it tasted almost like steak. She enjoyed it immensely.

We ordered bread pudding for dessert. It also was very good -- warm, fresh and tasty.

Our tab was a bit more than $50. (We could easily have spent twice as much with pricier entrees and wine; Lunch is cheaper) After we finished, we went upstairs to the Purple Bar and wandered around the executive suites to check out the eclectic decorating. An impressive place to take out-of-town visitors who appreciate fine dining.

All in all, a good experience. The glitches with service were unfortunate, but should be expected with a new staff trying to learn the menu, the clientele and the kitchen after a handful of soft openings. "

[okcpulse]

Ate at Nonna's on Wednesday night. My wife and I sat right next to a table full of state senators and representatives. Frank Shurden was one of them.

[Patrick]

Hey okcpulse, can you give us your review of the place?

[okcpulse]

I expected Nonna's to be another decent but casual dining establishment in Bricktown. However, upon entering, the hostess asked if we had reservations. I knew right then this was definitely going to be an upscale experience. And it was.

My wife and I were seated, and both our coats were checked. We were then given dinner menus, a specialty menu, and a wine list. A rather extensive wine list. The waitress was at our table just a few minutes after we were seated. She took our drink orders. The restaurant did not have its beer menu prepared. I asked for Labatt Blue, but the beer was not available so I had a Shiner Bock. I considered having a glass of wine, but the cheapest glass was $6.25.

We ordered a Ceasar salad, which was prepared at our table. This was after we were served a large cracker with hummus (very good), and bread with the best tasting butter.

The staff was prepared, but there were a few dishes broken and a drink was spilled on someone's table by a staff member.

The dinner menu was extensive. My wife had a 5 oz. tenderloin with roasted vegetables and mash potatoes. I had the salmon, glazed and with a side of roasted vegetables and mash potatoes. The food was excellent, and the experience and atmosphere was well worth it. Our waitress was friendly, and checked on us often. It earned her a good tip.

I didn't get upstairs to see the Purple Bar, but I hope to return. It was obvious $3 million was spent on the establishment. Nonna's Euro-American Ristorante is exactly what downtown Oklahoma City needed. The sophistication of the restaurant is the type a patron would see in Dallas, New York or San Fransisco. The restaurant is also a great addition to Oklahoma City's growing food culture. Check please!

Nonna's score...

Atmosphere- 10/10
Food- 10/10
Price- 9/10
Staff- 10/10
Preparation- 9/10

Overall- 9.6/10

[zuluwarrior0760]

We ate at Nonna's during a pre-opening serving...
I had the pot roast but was envying the wonderful
chicken pot pie, both from the lunch menu......
all I can say is "wait"! This restaurant WILL
get it right......and will have staying power that others have lacked.....
As far as atmosphere.......it is very apparent that no expense was
spared......from the beautiful faux finishes on the walls to the out of this
world lighting throughout......one of the most unique things I saw
was the wallpaper by the restrooms that was actually
made from the architectural blueprints used on the project! Very cool!
also......check out the beautiful color changing
chandeliers over the bar upstairs......
I especially loved the art upstairs that is actually for sale.....by local
galleries....all the wonderful decor, lighting and interior elements make
for a very high end feel not found in Oklahoma City before....but all that
would be wasted if the food wasn't up to par.....rest assured that it really is.....

[Patrick]

It sounds like most everyone here had a decent first impression of Nona's, and no one is opposed to going back! That's a good sign. I think they'll get it right after a month or so of being open. It just takes time to get the proper employees in place. Sounds like a great addition to Bricktown.

[metro]

I think a few of you miscontrued what I originally stated. First off, I did not compare ALL the cuisine to Olive Garden (which I despise). I stated the Ceaser salads that were prepared in front of us were not worth the money and the quality was sub-par of the salads only. I also mentioned the bruschetta [not toast (Okies) ] with the red pepper hummus was excellent. Our soup, like yours, never came. There was no excuse for delays as staffing was way more than sufficient. Only after asking for a manager in front of Avis, 3 times did she finally come over and talk. I have also had others since then tell me they have had similar problems and mentioned several of the same managers names not addressing the situations. There is never excuse for poor service, especially when staffing is more than sufficient and management and ownership is in presence. There were several soft-openings despite a small number of last minute help that were probably not on the front lines that much. Overall, like I said the atmosphere is unparalleled in OKC. I actually gave it another shot, I had a leadership meeting the other night in the Purple Bar, although it was more of a meeting and not a dinner, the service was somewhat better although each of us had to remind the waitstaff on multiple locations to bring the tab out after waiting a while. Like you mentioned, some of the kinks will be worked on in time, like I told Avis and she admitted, the staffing is not an excuse, its the attitude, as attitude reflects leadership and I believe its to blame on poor managers.

[SoundMind]

It seems like Avis would've responded quicker to your complaints. Did it seem like she just didn't care? Or was she just clueless?

I can understand mistakes being made in the first week or two of service, but the overall attitude of the staff and management sets the agenda for future service. I hope Avis realizes these problems and just doesn't blow them off. It seems to me like Avis just blew you off.

[Patrick]

Hey guys, my fiancee just started a new temporary assignment working at Nona's. She'll be working in their office doing general office work and booking reservations. At first, she was bummed about the job, but I actually think it might be a benefit to us. Hopefully she'll be able to get some inside Bricktown information for us! It is just a temporary assignment (could be as little as 3 weeks or as long as ????). But, still, it will be interesting to see what it's like for her to work down there.

I'll give you any Bricktown or Nona's updates if I here of any.

[workman45]

I didn't realize it was their opening weekend. The decor is superb and the food very good. I thought the price was too high for the mediocre service. If they stay afloat I might have to give them another try. fyi My coat wasn't checked, long wait for service and my coffee stayed cold.

[metro]

Yes, it feels like they just didnt care, it was the snotty type management that seems to be too busy to care about their patrons. I wasnt the only customer who noticed that.

[metro]

Bricktown nabs Painted Door, Nonna's patrons

By Tricia Pemberton
The Oklahoman

After 13 years at 8601 S Western Ave., Painted Door and Nonna's are moving to Bricktown.
Owner Avis Scaramucci opened Nonna's Euro-American Ristorante and Bar and Painted Door in Bricktown in February with every intention of operating both restaurants and gift shops. After months of significantly slower traffic on S Western, however, Scaramucci made the decision to close the original businesses, moving all operations to Bricktown.

Regular southside customers can have their final lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday on S Western. Painted Door will have a progressive moving sale beginning Saturday and lasting through May 28.

Most of the patrons of the southside restaurant are now regulars in Bricktown. That has left the S Western restaurant and store nearly empty, Scaramucci said.

"Good people like to be busy, and the south crew is not busy now," Scaramucci said of her 38 employees on S Western. About 35 of them will make the move to Bricktown. Three people declined her offer of continued employment, she said.

Scaramucci said when she opened her Bricktown location she was prepared for an initial lull at her original restaurant and store.

"I kept thinking it was just people trying it out, but it's obviously not that," she said. "It's a true moving sale. The first thing to move was my customers."

Jack Werner, an executive committee member with the South Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce, said he's saddened to see Nonna's and Painted Door move from South Oklahoma City.

"I've always thought it was such a fabulous place. I'm certainly disappointed, but people have to make business decisions based on finances. I'm just glad she has another location open," Werner said.

Scaramucci said she has gotten all sorts of e-mails from long-time customers at her south location. "Some sad, some mad, some with good reason -- they continue to go there and that's where they like to go. I can understand."

The decision was also a personal emotional one. "That's where I grew up, so I cried," she said.

For now, she's planning to keep her offices, warehouse and shipping and receiving operations in the 14,000-square-foot S Western facility, but prospectors already are calling with interest in the building.

[HKG_Flyer1]

Hopefully, the movement of employees from the old location to Bricktown will result in an improvement in food quality and service.

I have been to the Bricktown Nonna's three times and have found the food mediocre and the service appalling (especially considering the prices). Definitely well below the original location on every score except price.

It is hard to understand what is going on there. They spent an absolute fortune to build out one of the most appealing restaurant spaces in Oklahoma City and then appear to have paid virtually no attention to operations and management.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

[metro]

I agree HKG Flyer1, I've been there probably have a dozen times and will be again on Tuesday and found the food average and the service poor. I'm glad to have this local restaurant/ gift shop as an anchor in Bricktown but I sure hope they work there kinks out ASAP. Avis if your listening, whats the deal? I've talked to you about this several times now.

[zuluwarrior0760]

average food and poor service and you've been there an average of once a week
since they opened?

With that kind of loyalty, Avis needs not change a thing....

I've always gotten good service and the food has been outstanding...

I'm not saying everyone's results must match mine, but this restaurant
certainly is doing something right when even the "unimpressed" keep
coming back over and over again...