Restaurants

Nisi Estiatorio

City:

Englewood

County:

Bergen County

Phone:

201.567.4700

Price:

Cuisine:

Greek

Key:

Nisi Estiatorio

90 Grand Avenue
Englewood, NJ
201.567.4700
nisirestaurant.com

I never expected to encounter better grilled octopus than I did at a harborside taverna on the Greek island of Aegina, but that is exactly what occurred at this sapphire-and-white dream of a modern Greek seafood restaurant in Englewood. John Piliouras, formerly of Molyvos, is executive chef and, like much of his fare here, the octopus dish is an accomplished melding of traditional Greek ingredients with modern sensibilities and technique.

Fish and seafood star both on the menu and in the graceful contemporary dining room that manages to conjure the Greek Isles (nisi means island). The focal point is a display of whole fresh fish on ice that is more artwork than fish market. Diners can choose from it in the knowledge that the fish arrived fresh off the docks of Long Island or Greece. A word to the wise: barbounia (red mullet) is so prized that although it comes in on Thursday it is gone by Friday night.

Not to worry. The remaining choices are plentiful and superb — and that description extends even to something as mundane as pan-roasted chicken. Likewise, a terracotta casserole of lamb and orzo in tomato sauce stands head-to-head with, say, sweet, briny, perfectly grilled wild prawns.

The biggest surprise for me was the bakalao: a three-inch thick chunk of salt cod that is lush, tender, and evinces no saltiness whatsoever. Crisp-fried, it is paired with skordalia made with feta and ground almonds, plus tiny diced beets. The undisputed showstopper here, though, is the appetizer of sea scallops wrapped in a thin slice of pastourma (cured beef) and a thicker layer of kataifi (finely shredded phyllo).

The heart and soul of Nisi’s wine list are the Greek wines, and from those sommelier Sterling Roig was able to find a blend that satisfied both my request for a wine from Nemea and a tablemate’s predilection for Cabernet. As for table service: Although our young server could not have been more enthusiastic and informative, he perhaps was too much so. And we didn’t fare well with desserts. Although the four house-made ice creams in flavors like baklava and yogurt made the grade, apple-phyllo tart and baklava with white chocolate proved heavy and overly sweet. But outstanding Greek coffee topped off the meal in style.