Ruscello is the restaurant in the new Nordstrom Ala Moana location. I would describe their cuisine as nouveau American cuisine, does that make sense? A mix of different cuisines all on one menu, maybe the pictures will help me in explaining!

Fried Calamari • $11.95
sweet and spicy peppers, jalapeño basil aïoli

This dish was okay, a bit over-fried for my taste. I wouldn’t order it again.

Complimentary Bread with Olive Oil infused with…more olives.

Basil Cucumber Cooler • $11.00
junipero gin, muddled cucumber and basil, fresh lime juice, soda splash

This wasn’t my drink but boy did it look refreshing! My friend enjoyed it quite a bit.

Lanai Cooler • $11.00
chopin vodka, passion fruit, pineapple and fresh lemon juices, vanilla syrup, angostura bitters

My drink! It was delicious and refreshing! Did I question how clean the pineapple leaf was? Yes. Did I still drink it? Yes.

Penne Bolognese • $14.25
spicy italian sausage, roasted red pepper and tomato cream sauce, parmesan cheese

Ginger Crusted Ahi Tuna • $17.95
organic baby greens, cabbage, blistered green beans, red pepper, seasoned wontons, candied ginger, soy glaze, spicy thai basil vinaigrette

I don’t usually order salads but I felt like a salad this day. It was delicious, I loved the freshness of the ahi and how well they seared it. Great dressing too, I would recommend this!

Creme Brulee • $5.75
vanilla bean, caramelized sugar crust, fresh raspberries

Pineapple Brown Butter Cake • $8.25
sweet brown butter glaze, roasted pineapple, buttermilk vanilla sauce, fresh basil

This was my dessert and doesn’t the name and description sounds absolutely delicious? It was awful. This was one of my least favorite desserts in my life, the cake was incredibly dry and dense. The sauce did nothing to help the cake and I left most of it uneaten. It’s such a shame, I would not recommend this dish.