rev:text
| - I recently went to Nico Heirloom Kitchen for brunch/lunch. I've been to Virtu, a related Gio Osso restaurant, several times and loved it. Virtu truly is exceptional. With some exceptions, the same cannot be said about Nico.
First, the good. The service was great, as were the cocktails. We ordered the Virtu octopus, which is the signature dish at Virtu, and it was just as good as the octopus at Osso's flagship restaurant. The octopus is a must have if you go to either.
Now the bad. One person in our party ordered the lunch burger with fries. The burger was overcooked, but that was understandable because the restaurant was noisy and the server simply didn't hear the order correctly. That's an honest mistake. The problem, though, is that I can't imagine that burger being anything more than mediocre even if cooked properly. It simply was underwhelming. Worse, yet, were the fries. I've had better fries at fast food restaurants. These fries were dull, colorless, and flaccid. The plating was clumsy, too. A large, shallow ramekin full of ketchup took up a third of the plate. Ketchup is ketchup. No need to try to class it up.
The other person in our party had the Nico benedict, which was good but nothing to write home about.
I ordered the BBL&T, which, like the burger, was underwhelming. The bacon was too chewy and the sandwich was dry.
In sum, I'm sure Nico is a fine place to go to for some drinks and some good octopus. Also, they serve the same brown butter french toast that is served at Virtu, which I've had and can say is incredible. I've seen great reviews for Nico's version of the dish, so I assume it is worth getting here as well. Overall, however, the food is disappointing. Considering the wonderful experiences I've had at Virtu, I expected much more from Nico.
|