Review: Fresh Ingredients Cooked Well at Nia

By L. Stolpman in Food on Feb 21, 2008 5:30PM

There's a new kid in the class of great restaurants available on Randolph Street. Nia recently opened its doors and its menu full of fresh ingredients is a fantastic way to try foods from a variety of Mediterranean countries. Nia offers a variety of small plates, salads, dinner entrées and a wide range of wines. We tried both the red and white sangria. The Fruit in both is left to sit in the mix for two full weeks and were excellent. The red sangria had blueberries, raspberries and peaches, while the white had the aforementioned plus pineapple.

Roasted elephant garlic had a wonderful, pungent sweetness accented by the lightly salted and crisped bread served with it. Sweet potato fries were dusted with cinnamon and sugar and served with a slightly sweet dipping sauce expertly recommended by the server. Nia offers a variety of dipping sauces to try with its dishes. The garlic shrimp were savory and cooked very well; not a single one was overdone. The garlic sauce is so good, the dish comes with toast points so you can dip and enjoy it. Nia’s house salad includes fresh greens, a mix of goat cheese, almonds, avocado, sweet grape tomatoes and dates. Gnocchi in cognac sauce was a rich indulgence, made even more rich with a generous scattering of plump shrimp. Nia also offers lamb dishes, sausages from many regions, eel, and even an olive oil flight.

Nia, owned by Nia Asimis, clearly pays attention to getting fresh ingredients and cooking them well to highlight their flavors. In addition, the service was attentive, never overbearing. If you’re in the mood to try foods from all different ends of the Mediterranean, Nia should be on your short list.

803 W. Randolph