Continuing our round-up of restaurants within 10 blocks of our old or new apartments while all our kitchen stuff was packed, we wanted to try Five Napkin Burger. We were going to meet friends for drinks at 9pm, so when we saw a huge line of waiting patrons for Five Napkin, we decided to walk back down 9th Ave and Stumble Upon something. Nizza was on the same block (9th between 44th and 45th) so we decided to try it.
They had a wine on special and offered me a sample. I went for it and REALLY liked it. So much so that I asked the waitress to write it down. It wasn’t until I was in a wine store a bit later that I realized she only wrote down the type of wine and not the brand (duh). So all I know was that it was a 2005 Valpolicella Superiore from Veneto, Italy. We tried another one of this type and it was good, but not as good. Oh well. Mike got a Negroni (made with Campari, Gin, and Vermouth). It wasn’t my cup of tea, but Mike seemed to think it was okay.
The bread was warm and came with what seemed like a blue cheese spread/butter of some kind. It was quite tasty.
They had Braised Artichoke Hearts on the menu. If you know me, you know I had to order it. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t great. The heart had some flavor, but overall it was a bland artichoke that the extras added little to. I am a very harsh artichoke critic, however.
Mike got the spaghetti with sausage and meatballs. He cleaned his plate before I even got halfway through my entree, so it must have been good! I think he had some ordering envy again, however, as he drooled a bit when mine came out.
I ordered the Carciofo Pizza that came with tomato, roasted artichokes, goat cheese, parmesan & ligurian olives. It was delicious! Perfectly crispy and flavorful crust with great toppings. Again, the roasted artichokes were pretty bland, but the rest of the flavors were great. I even was full enough on three pieces to offer my last to Mike, who happily accepted.
Overall, Nizza is a good selection in the over-crowded area of Hell’s Kitchen. We enjoyed our meal but it wasn’t anything amazing.
Total Nom Points: 6 out of 10
