Someone first told us about the Northside in the mid seventies. The restaurant didn't take reservations so we would hang around the crowded bar for an hour or so before being seated and always found it worth the wait. We found other Italian spots closer to our home and hadn't been back there in years.

We went last Saturday at about 8PM and there was no wait but it was still crowded. It looked all different. The entrance was not near the bar anymore so we were disoriented. There was a new section with booths and the bar was hard to get to. Maybe they had a fire or something. The place is huge with four dining areas.

The owners must be grandparents now because there was this goofy Easter display near the pay phone. They have always had a golf motif going and that is still in place. We sat under a a photo of Jack Nicholas. Someone named "No Nox" started this business1949 and they call their place the "Home of Traditional Italian Cuisine". It is not fussy. The "Specials" menu had a big grease spot on it and the regular, plastic encased menu looked like someone had left a burning cigarette on it. We asked the waitress if the chicken escarole soup was good and she said, "Everything here is good." We ordered it and a green salad for starters. The soup had pastina (tiny pasta) in it and it was delicious. The house Italian dressing was very tasty. The bread was so so.

We ordered a carafe of Chianti and decided to split an order of Fettuccini Alfredo and the Chicken Fresca. Both dishes were fantastic and there was plenty for the next days meal.