Review: Italian bakery and restaurant serves food and desserts like grandma made

Lucie Regensdorf
·3 min read

With hungry appetites and noon approaching, we decided to have lunch at "grandmother’s" house. Based on our collective experience with our own grandmothers’ cooking, our expectations were high for Nonna’s Bistro in Port St. Lucie. (Nonna is the Italian word for grandmother.)

In a world of boring shopping center facades, the architecture where Nonna’s Bistro is located has a homey feel.  The exterior is light gray and the roof is topped with faux dormers. A covered area outside the restaurant beckons for a couple of wicker rocking chairs, and the windows on either side of the front door would be happy to have window boxes full of colorful flowers. Unfortunately, it is way too hot outside for any of that.

Inside Nonna’s, the walls are painted light colors and there's seating for about 16 people. On the right side is the bakery, where white pendant lights hang overhead. We took a seat and Nonna came over to tease us with samples of her homebaked goods.

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At Nonna's Bistro in Port St. Lucie, a giant bakery case is usually filled with goodies. But sweet-toothed patrons had all but emptied the bins the day we were there.
At Nonna's Bistro in Port St. Lucie, a giant bakery case is usually filled with goodies. But sweet-toothed patrons had all but emptied the bins the day we were there.

“But won’t we ruin our lunch?” we asked. She assured us it was fine, and we didn’t have to tell our parents. Or eat our vegetables. In fact, we could skip lunch and just eat one of her gigantic chocolate muffins. Thus, we knew we were in the right place. Nonna was in charge.

Nonna’s Bistro serves a hot breakfast that includes French toast casserole, Sicilian potato frittata, pancakes, Belgian waffles, egg sandwiches, and platters. Lunch includes paninis, such as Nonna’s Delight, which is chicken, roasted pepper, spinach, mozzarella and balsamic glaze. There are heroes, such as Chicken Vodka Parm, and a variety of tossed salads and tempting fried Sicilian chickpea fritters.

We got our drinks from the cooler and waited for our lunch. My lunch companion ordered Gee’s Special Panini ($13.99), with turkey, bacon, avocado, Swiss cheese and mayonnaise on an Italian roll that was grilled and pressed. We didn’t know who Gee was — must be one of our cousins — but we liked Gee’s sandwich. The crispy bacon and creamy avocado were fantastic alongside the turkey, and tangy cheese covered the inside of the toasted roll.

It was accompanied by French fries and a deli salad. My lunch companion loved the cucumber salad. Thinly sliced cucumbers and onions were marinated in a sweet vinegar dressing, which reminded me of the flavorful salad my grandmother made for my father all throughout the summer.

At Nonna's Bistro in Port St. Lucie, the chicken bruschetta hero was delicious grilled chicken, fresh mozzarella, tomato, red onion, garlic, basil, and balsamic glaze on a hoagie roll.
At Nonna's Bistro in Port St. Lucie, the chicken bruschetta hero was delicious grilled chicken, fresh mozzarella, tomato, red onion, garlic, basil, and balsamic glaze on a hoagie roll.

My chicken bruschetta hero ($12.99) was delicious. I chose grilled chicken, which came with fresh mozzarella, tomato, red onion, garlic, basil, and balsamic glaze on a hoagie roll. It too was served with fries, but I added a side of macaroni salad because my grandmother made the best. I love most pasta salads, but a traditional, creamy and crunchy elbow macaroni salad is reminiscent of my childhood and what I loved.

On the day we were there, the well-stocked bakery had been emptied by sweet-toothed patrons. Nonna bakes thumbprint cookies, scones, apple caramel crumbcake, biscotti, red velvet, triple chocolate muffins, and so on.

We did locate, and appropriate, one lonely tiramisu ($4.99). Incredibly moist and creamy, with a light coffee flavor and cocoa topping, this heavenly dessert may have been baked by angels — or a grandmother.

Nonna’s Bistro is a small, family-owned and run restaurant and bakery where you can eat dessert first if you want. Nonna is the grandmother who will spoil you and make you feel at home. Just don’t forget to call her every Sunday.

Nonna’s Bistro

  • Cuisine: Italian and American breakfast and lunch

  • Address: 1352 S.W. Bayshore Blvd., Port St. Lucie

  • Phone: 772-877-3879

  • Hours: 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday; 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday; closed Sunday

  • Alcohol: None

  • Online: facebook.com/nonnas.bistro.psl

Lucie Regensdorf dines anonymously at the expense of TCPalm. Contact her at Lucie@theloveofcooking.com.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Restaurant review: Nonna's Bistro Italian bakery in Port St. Lucie