It's Finally Time for Dinner at Nisi

A Dinner Menu for Pleasure or Fun

Small Plates

While small plates may be just the thing for appetites too small for the usual main course options, they are also the most playful things on this big menu.

If you’re not familiar with the Mediterranean tradition of tapas in Spain, mezze in Turkey and Greece or even Hawaiian pu pu platters, try putting together a dinner of  small plates shared with one or more partners. 

The chance to mix, match and try all-new things is mathematically vast.

Make room on your table to pass around Grilled Octopus, Buffalo Wings, Yellowtail Ceviche and Beet Carpaccio.

Everyone gets to try everything. With 14 creatively offered small plates to pick from, you’ll have to come back tomorrow and discover whatever you missed.

Main Courses

Most of us are comfortable with the standard main course oriented eating with which we grew up and on which we’ve dined out, and Nisi does not disappoint.

Main courses come with a choice of sides or one already designed to match.

Chicken Kebob, for example arrives with “fire kissed tomatoes and basmati rice,” and the Lollipop Lamb Chops are paired with “lemon bliss potato & fired feta.”

Carnivores whose hearts melt at the sight of a juicy Porterhouse get to pick what goes with it from a long list that includes Hand Cut French Fries, Broccoli Rabe and Whipped Bourbon Sweet Mashed Potatoes.

Nine seafood choices are headed up by a Charbroiled Catch of the Day but the menu swings down to surprise with Lobster Mac and Cheese and Sesame Crust Yellowfin Tuna.

On a date? Seal the alliance with a Clam Bake made for two. 

Dinner Salads

My favorite partner for dinner — my wife, of course — always looks first at the salads. A master at tossing them together herself, she has plenty to choose from on this menu.

Topping the list is a Tri  Color Beet Salad where the inventive ingredients — “gorgonzola crumbles?” — are accented with dill yogurt dressing.

More adventurous salad fans can order up an Ancient American Grain Salad, anchored with quinoa or a Pomegranate Resolution.

Salad as comfort food?

Settle down after a hard day — or even an incredibly easy one — with a Poached Salmon Salad covered with honey basil citronette. (No, we don’t know what “citronette” is either, but we’re determined to find out.) 

Drinks?

For us, a glass or two of wine is as essential a part of the meal as is the main course. 

Nisi’s bar is well-stocked with the right wine to accent your choice of meals, and if you like a cocktail with dinner, as my brothers do, they’ve got that covered too.

The menu’s complete, the hospitality generous and the Main Street, Roosevelt Island theme firmly in place.