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Nonna Lina Pizzeria Café

Nonna Lina Pizzeria Café

Korsegata 4, Alesund, Norway

Fish • Pizza • Coffee • Italian


"We started with the Antipasto appetizer, which featured two slices of pizza bread, an assortment of sliced meats, one tuna bruschetta, one tomato bruschetta, a half-baked tomato, a slice of stuffed squash, and a date filled with cheese and topped with pine nuts, olives, and some baked pesto pasta. Everything was delicious, except for the baked pasta, which was a bit undercooked. Then came the pizza. We shared the Calabrese, topped with tomato sauce, mozzarella, Gorgonzola, pepperoni, and a sprinkle of greens. Oh my goodness, that pizza was incredible! The crust had the perfect crunch and chewiness, just like a classic New York pizza. They use a wood-fired oven, and I can't help but wonder if the Norwegian water contributes to the deliciousness. The cheese was just the right amount, and the pepperoni was sliced thin and long, a bit different from what you'd find in the US. We devoured every last piece! The owner informed us that the pizza chef is Italian and that they source all their ingredients from Italy as well. For drinks, my husband chose a locally brewed beer that came in a bottle labeled Nona Lina. It was quite decent, though we couldn't pin down the exact style—my husband thought it tasted like a pale ale, while I found it to be more malty than hoppy. I opted for an apple juice that arrived in a charming bottle and tasted more like apple cider than regular juice. For dessert, you absolutely must try the vanilla panna cotta with strawberry sauce! We headed to the bar area to settle our bill but got sidetracked by the dessert display. There were several tempting options, but we decided to keep it simple with the vanilla panna cotta, which was out of this world! It was creamy, silky, not overly sweet, and paired beautifully with the strawberry sauce. Overall, we had a wonderful dining experience! The food was excellent, the decor was cozy and inviting, and the service was great. Our meal totaled 610 NOK, around $76 at current exchange rates. While it is a bit pricey, dining in Norway is generally expensive, so I'd say this meal is mid-range. If you're looking to save some money, they offer a lunch special from Tuesday to Friday, where selected pizzas are priced lower starting at 104 NOK."

Mirabel

Mirabel

Storgata 6, 2050 Jessheim, Norway

Cafés • European • Fast Food • Ice cream


"We kind of knew the moment we walked in that we were in for a treat. The place was bustling, almost every table was full of happy folk eating, chatting and generally enjoying the place. I was worried that it was a reservations-only kind of place as Jessheim is a small town, but we were greeted and ushered-in in no time. The server seated us with a smile and came with water and provided us with English menus. I usually prefer the local menu (translation is easy with Google! but we had just arrived at the airport and the English menu looked adequately comprehensive. A bit of a debate, but we ended up with 2 dishes to share between 2 very jet-lagged diners. The Monk Fish was fabulous but small. A small fillet of monk fish was on a bed of an unctuous, umami sauce of something I couldn 't adequately identify. May be crab and lobster? Garnished with chunks of zucchini and mushrooms and a small sprinkling of little shrimp. A wedge of juicy lemon and a scoop of rice. I first tried a bite of the fish naked, and it tasted just-caught fresh and perfectly cooked. The source and a little lemon elevated it to perfection. Encountering a new restaurant, I will go for the fish as one of my 'acid tests ' and the chef at Mirabel sailed through with flying colors! Even the rice was perfection. Not the way Chinese rice would have been cooked, but the perfect texture to soak in the source and combine as an accompaniment to all the elements of the dish. The second dish we shared was the Bianchi Quattro Formaggii pizza. It looked perfect when it arrived, and I would say was the best pizza I 've eaten in the past year (and I 've eaten a lot of pizza! The cheeses were perfectly² blended and a drizzle of honey over the top before serving turned it into perfection. The salty, pungent cheese complemented by the sweet tang of honey. With pizza, the crust matters, and there was barely enough crust left to mop up all the remnants of the monk fish sauce. What a perfect first meal in Norway!!"