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| - I drove by a few days ago, and noticed that the signage where Aji Picante used to be had changed... intriguing! So, when we didn't have any food at home and needed a place to go, I suggested that we see if Nu had opened.
Nu bills itself as a modern Jewish bistro (the name is Yiddish). Inside, it looks only a little like Aji Picante used to, mainly because they have added an open kitchen in the middle. I prefer this incarnation, and think Nu has a lot of potential. The food is distinctively Jewish, with an emphasis on sandwiches, soups, and deli salads (think smoked fish or eggs). The aesthetic is similar to Porch and its ilk, down to the chalkboard announcements of the day's offerings. So, consider it an upscale Jewish deli, but with much nicer service! You seat yourself when you walk in, and the menus are kept on the table, just like they are at Pamela's. Service was very sweet.
We had 1) Jewish Penicillin (i.e. chicken soup), 2) chili, 3) the special brisket sandwich, and 4) mama's meat blintzes. The chicken soup was quite good, and definitely worth having if you are in need of some comfort food when you come down with the inevitable cold/flu. I had it with a matzo ball, which was a bit on the dense side. The chili was overly salty, and almost completely beef, with minimal beans. Some people may prefer that version of chili; I do not. I prefer a balance of beans to meat to tomato, and this was just too meaty for me, even though I am quite carnivorous! The brisket was also a little on the dry side. The blintzes were pretty tasty, but could have used a bit more filling (or maybe we are just spoiled by grandma's blintzes... unclear).
I know this review makes this place sound not so good. Let me be clear - I think Nu has a lot of potential, and we fully intend on coming back again once they have gotten a little more time under their belt. Despite feeling a bit "meh" on the food this first time, we liked it enough that we really want to see it succeed.
If you're vegetarian, you can pretty much write this place off. There is a salad or two that might work for you, but otherwise, this is not your place.
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