Located at 274 South Main Street in the bustling Plaza South shopping center, Nostrano Italian Eatery creates the perfect Italian dining experience that keeps people coming back for more. Between its cozy modern atmosphere, personable service, and range of delicious Italian cuisine, a night out at Nostrano is one worth remembering.

While Nostrano first opened in Monroe back in 2015, the restaurant later found its new home when it moved to Newtown in early 2019.

At the time, Nostrano was owned by Claudio Lia. However, it eventually fell into the ownership of Giovani Luis and his father Jesus Luis, who previously worked with Lia, in March of 2023.

According to Giovani, this achievement was something they were working towards for a long time, as he and his father are no strangers to the food industry. Jesus worked as the head chef of the Italian restaurant Quattro Pazzi Cafe in Fairfield for over 20 years. Jesus also helped open other restaurants in the meantime.

Meanwhile, Giovani said that he started as a busser when he was really young and “pretty much did everything else” beyond that. He washed dishes, served, bussed, ran food, tended the bar, and managed.

Nostrano Italian Eatery welcomes everyone from local residents to people passing by with its comfortable atmosphere. The interior is as charming as it is modern, boasting glossy wooden tables and floors, classy string lights, and a beautiful craft cocktail bar with soft purple light glowing from under the countertop.

“It’s just a place where you can stop by, have a good time, and eat great tasting food,” Giovani said.

Their number one priority, he said, is serving good food. Their menu consists of delicious and authentic Italian cuisine, from classics like spaghetti to their Milanese alla sorrentina, the restaurant’s spin on chicken parmesan and chicken Milanese.

Giovani said this adventurousness also stems from how his father is not scared of trying new things and is constantly experimenting with the menu. Nostrano’s rotating weekend specials, Giovani said, are the perfect example of that.

For example, he said they implement ingredients such as Spanish chorizo, a type of pork sausage, in their pasta dishes to make them stand out compared to other Italian restaurants.

“My father tries hard to make really good specials, whether it’s something not often seen or it’s something authentic and traditional,” Giovani said.

He continued by saying that Nostrano changes specials every three days: Tuesday through Thursday, and then Friday through Sunday. This way, there is always something new and exciting for people to try, even if they’re a regular.

Giovani said that most of their pasta is made in-house, while all their sauces are made in-house. A standout among the sauces, he added, is his father’s special marinara recipe. It’s just one of the many ways Giovani said they blend their experience with restaurants and different parts of the world into the menu.

“Marinara tends to be a little too acidic, but I think from the years my father has worked at Italian restaurants, he’s really nailed it down and made his own recipe,” Giovani said.

Now, Giovani said they are working on making as much as they can on the menu homemade. Nostrano has also added a few gluten-free pasta options to its menu.

“We have obviously the regular penne, but we also have garganelli, cavatelli, and cheese tortellini,” Giovani said. “Those are the kind of gluten free pastas that you don’t really see anywhere else.”

Beyond food, Nostrano also has a craft cocktail bar that offers a mixture of drinks from all over the world. People can enjoy fresh caipirinha, which is a Brazilian mojito, or a pisco sour, which is a Peruvian cocktail. All the syrups are made in-house, and all the juices are freshly squeezed.

Nostrano also has a private dining room, which can comfortably fit 27 people for any special occasion.

On Wednesdays, people can get half-off bottles of wine. Then on Tuesdays through Thursdays from 4-6 pm and on Fridays from 4:30-5:30 pm, people can enjoy a full Happy Hour menu featuring $8 cocktails, $3 off wine, and $2 off beer. Small cicchetti, which are snacks or appetizers, are also available during Happy Hour at the bar only.

Nostrano also offers a Prix-Fixe Lunch menu, where they offer a three-course meal for $21.95 that comes with the choice of one appetizer, entrée, and dessert. This is available from Tuesday through Sunday, 11:30 am to 3 pm; dine-in only.

Sample Of The Menu

Antipasti: The grilled jumbo shrimp is a popular standout, infusing a wide variety of flavors all in one appetizer. It consists of grilled shrimp with sautéed chorizo, fingerling potatoes, garbanzo beans, black olives, and grape tomatoes in garlic and oil.

Insalate: Enjoy traditional classics from Caesar salad, with romaine lettuce, crostini, shaved parmigiano, and Caesar dressing, to Mediterranean salad, with grape tomatoes, red onion, black olives, red peppers, and mixed greens topped with a lemon mustard vinaigrette.

Entrée: The Milanese alla sorrentina is a really popular entrée that’s a spin-off on the dishes chicken parmesan and chicken Milanese, consisting of a crispy cutlet and homemade ricotta gnocchi topped with mozzarella, basil, and San Marzano sauce.

Pasta: The fettuccine is a highlight, with delectable homemade fettuccine pasta paired with scallops, shrimp, and crab meat coated in a creamy pink sauce. Pappardelle and short rib is another popular choice and features pappardelle pasta alongside short rib, sweet peas, portobello mushroom, and fresh burrata in a cognac cream sauce. Also enjoy some of the restaurant’s gluten-free pasta options, such as garganelli, cavatelli, and cheese tortellini.

Sides: Enjoy the popular broccoli di rabe, a flavorful veggie dish that makes the perfect complement to any meal.

Dessert: Anyone can satisfy their sweet tooth with homemade tiramisu with coffee, cocoa, and mascarpone cheese, or fried dough, which has warm fried dough topped with powdered sugar and cannoli cream. Chocolate lava cake is another staple, which features a warm and gooey molten lava cake with whipped cream drizzled in raspberry sauce.

Drinks: The craft cocktail bar features drinks from all over the world, such as caipirinha, a Brazilian mojito, or a pisco sour, a Peruvian cocktail. Nostrano also serves classic cocktails such as cosmos, Manhattans, and old fashioneds. There is also a really good wine selection featuring different types of red wine and white wine.

Nostrano Italian Eatery, 274 South Main Street, is open Tuesday through Thursday from 11:30 am to 9 pm; Friday and Saturday 11:30 am to 10 pm; and Sunday 11:30 am to 9 pm.

For more information on Nostrano Italian Eatery, including reservations and catering, visit nostranoeatery.com, call 203-880-5456, or follow the restaurant on Facebook @Nostrano Italian Eatery and Instagram @nostranoeats. Order online at order.toasttab.com/online/nostrano-italian-eatery.