Last Friday, my roommates and I kicked off our Restaurant Week adventures at Nia, a Mediterranean tapas restaurant downtown next to Girl and the Goat. The menu worked through eight courses of tapas with limoncello to top it off.
We walked into the comfortable restaurant, with lights glowing against hard wood, and were seated in the downstairs seating area. I’m not sure if the downstairs is always used at dinner time (this may have been specifically for Restaurant Week diners), but it seemed more equipped for banquets or parties. The downstairs wasn’t bad but I think the upstairs seating had a better energy to it.
The menu did not disappoint, however. The eight courses were excellent in taste and plentiful in choices. We actually relied on our waiter in helping make several of our decisions. We were also dinning with a vegetarian and pescatarian and the restaurant was more than happy to accommodate us. On of the best dishes we had was the escarole and cannellini beans, which was savory and warm. As a meat eater, I thoroughly enjoyed the lamb and feta meatballs. The desert was delicious but I will say it did not seem to follow the theme of the restaurant as some of the courses did.
As for drinks, we ordered a pitcher of white sangria flavored with mango and apples that almost tasted too good. There was a surprising amount of bourbon drinks on the menu but that was not at all disappointing. I had a drink with orange bitters and cherry to compliment the rye whisky at the recommendation of our server. The customer service was also truly outstanding. Our waiter was wonderful and fun; he never tired of answering our questions or indulging us in our banter.
For a good time and if you happen to miss your reservation at the infamous Girl and the Goat, Nia is worth a visit.