If we taste first with our eyes, let’s hope we always have visions like these: There’s a mozzarella cheese stick that looks like it rocketed in from Pluto, topped with eggplant parm mousse, bolstered by robiola cheese, and absolutely perfect for viral food pics. Just look at those red-sauced meatballs, laced with multicolored ribbons of parm and basil cream. Then get ready for more cheese-pull moments with the “sharable” chicken parm, cut into finger-ready, pizza-esque wedges of crisp and gooey goodness. 
And those are just the appetizers – the main menu holds plenty more surprising breaks from the typical Italian-American repertoire. Tight rollups of pork, provolone and broccoli rabe are beautifully charred by the oven heat, then laid on a cream sauce flavored with “long hot” peppers. House-made pastas give solid backbone to such creations as Mezze Paccheri, a rigatoni of sorts that’s joined with braised lamb, onion and pecorino toscano.
Meat and fish entrees finally disprove the notion that Casa Nonna is really all that humble: Few Italian restaurants would dare reach for such next-level dishes as Nonna’s Rabbit (with caramelized onion and green olives), Pork Osso Bucco, or roast fish with pistachio-herb gremolata.
It’s enough to make us wonder what else Bardea’s evil wizards have up their sleeves, especially since they’ve already opened another Wilmington outpost, Roost Pub & Kitchen (at the former Stitch House). They say it will be American-style comfort food, but glimpses at the menu hint that we’re all in for another Bardea moment that exceeds everyone’s expectations.
