Nisi Estiatorio

[Purple Pirate]

Friday night my wife and I were fortunate to land a table during Nisi's soft opening. They had been open for approximately 3 days.

The chef is John Piliouras, the longtime chef de cuisine at Molyvos in Manhattan. A place that I have frequented and enjoyed many times in the past.

We started with a bottle of Ode Panos Brut which was recommended by Sterling, the sommelier. It was a very good pairing.

We started with the pikilia. It consisted of three spreads: tzatiki, a roasted eggplant, and carp roe. These were the three best examples of these spreads in North Jersey. The flavors were perfectly balanced, very fresh and clean. They were served with lightly grilled whole wheat pita.

Next we had the ouzo cured salmon. It was served with kalamata olives, capers and chervil. Delicious.

We chose to split a whole black sea bass. We chose it from the display. It weighed 2.25lbs. It was perfectly cooked and served with capers and a very light olive oil/lemon sauce. Perfection. All of the whole fishes are sold a la carte. So, we ordered a side of the Greek fries. They were topped with lemon, parsley, and cheese. My wife thought they were the perfect accompaniment.

For dessert we began with the baklava. It was very light and had layers of white chocolate. It was an excellent spin to the classic Greek dessert. I would definitely order this again.

Our waiter described another dessert to us which was the mastiha creme brulee. I was unfamiliar with mastiha. He explained that it was found only in certain areas of the Greek island of Chios. It is the original chewing gum coming from the root word "masticate" which means "to chew". It is used in various ways such as sweetener, liqueur, and soaps. It had an interesting earthy/smokey flavor which went very well with the perfectly done classic creme brulee.

The service was extremely professional and well informed about all of the food. The level of service is what you would expect to see in a top NYC restaurant.

I can't wait to go back!

90 Grand Avenue

Englewood, NJ 07631

(201) 567-4700

www.nisirestaurant.com (nothing much happening on the website yet)