Nick & Toni's Take Local & Fresh To A Whole Other Level
Ain't nothing like taking an original and doing a spin off on it. Nick & Toni's is a prime example of that. Already a success with their original location out in East Hampton in my hood of Long Island, they are talking the Upper East Side by storm with their warm and beautiful location on West 67th between Columbus and Broadway. Nick & Toni's is traditionally Italian meets Mediterranean flavor wise, with a menu that is consistently changing with the times. My friend and I got to experience this location first hand a week or two ago, and we were pleasantly surprised to know a bit more about why this place is unique unlike most.
First and foremost, I am a huge believer in that you eat with your eyes first. This includes ambiance and location of a restaurant. The location is great, but the ambiance makes it that much nicer. On a cold Friday night, the atmosphere was met with a warm, dimly lit surrounding with beautiful candles. Marcy, who is one of the manager's there, couldn't have been nicer and more welcoming to me and my friend and went into great detail to explain each dish but most importantly why the use of local products was of the utmost importance to them. She had mentioned that for a good portion of the food that we ate was from the "Greenmarkets" local to New York City. What is a Greenmarket you ask? Otherwise known as Farmer's Markets, their goals are to promote regional agriculture by providing small family farms the opportunity to sell their locally grown products directly to consumers, and to ensure that all New Yorkers have access to the freshest, most nutritious locally grown food the region has to offer. This is something that Nick & Toni's seems to take pride in, and it showed in the food- especially the taste.
With my food reviews, I usually nit pick at each item and say what is good and what is bad with them. This is the first review that I have done that i can truthfully say was flawless for the most part. My favorite dish that Nick & Toni's served me and my friend was their "Dock to Dish" special which was the Monkfish served with delicious brussel sprout leaves. Keep in mind that i am a newbie when it comes to trying both, and they were both delicious. Other stand outs on what we tried were the Bresaola: salumeria biellese with nugget potatoes from berried treasure farms and the cavalo crudo: pancetta made in house, tuscan kale from stoke's farm, squash from the Greenmarket as available. My favorite dessert they provided was the Fiori Di Latte Panna Cotta which had Grapefruit and Pomegranate intertwined in it. Those were created in house by pastry Chef Jessica Craig.
Overall, the experience was great and I would definitely recommend going back for second's. Check out their official website for more, and be sure to stop by if you are ever in the neighborhood.
Nick & Toni's Cafe
100 West 67th Street (Between Broadway & Columbus)
212-496-4000
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