NICK’S FAMILY-STYLE RESTAURANT AND PIZZERIA [ 1/2]

1814 SECOND AVE. (AT 94TH STREET) (212) 987-5700

—–

BETTER bring your appetite to Nick’s – you probably haven’t seen platters this size since dinner at Aunt Carmela’s.

The Manhattan outpost of the highly rated Forest Hills pizzeria will take you back in a big way. Family-size portions not only feed two or three, they’re culinary throwbacks such as manicotti and shrimp marinara.

The corner eatery is a welcoming space, with big windows, a tin ceiling and a flaming oven in the rear, where you can watch as the pizza-maker spins the dough one-handed.

That pie is a must here, with its charred, bubbly crust cradling a robust tomato sauce and puddles of molten cheese (small $11, large, $13). A nice touch, for an extra $1 you can request it half-red/half-white (with ricotta, mozzarella or both).

One night, our waiter seemed genuinely intent on counseling us, assuring that salad, pizza and pasta would be plenty, but we ordered more. Live and learn.

Salads are healthy heaps of greens, the “Frankie Portobello” an especially fetching toss of not overly bitter arugula and transluscent sheets of shaved Parmesan mixed with meaty slices of warm mushrooms ($12).

Eggplant Parmesan ($11), an appetizer, is a light and simple construction of slices in chunky marinara crusted with golden-brown cheese.

They call it macaroni here. That can mean super al dente bow ties with hard shrimp, asparagus stalks and plum tomatoes ($18) or spaghetti with meatballs that cry out for moisture in the mix ($13).

Chicken pizzaiola came smothered in a surprisingly bland sauce of mushrooms and peppers ($16), but sole oreganato ($18) proved a lush hit, the delicate filet topped with crispy crumbs in a nicely seasoned brothlike sauce.

There is wine, beer and a light and luscious cannoli for dessert. Just try saving room for it.