Chef Ryan DePersio will be opening a restaurant at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center later this month. I hope to visit sometime in March. The name is Nico, after the chef's son.
Nico's website now has a lunch and dinner menu posted, as well as the wine list. It looks quite similar to Fascino, with the huge benefit of a wine list. The wonderful gnocchi, the Duroc pork tenderloin, the lobster mac and cheese, etc all appear.
The restaurant will be open for dinner and lunch, with a three course prix fixe menu on performance nights. If they continue the existing practice of offering dinner patrons preferred parking, that could be an advantage.
The wine list surprised me a little, with the beginner's mistake of not including vintages with wines. With prices over $300 for a few items, some customers may be interested in the vintage. I suppose they could ask.
The location offers some challenges. The downtown population of Newark has shriveled in recent years. The Mutual Benefit building is empty, the First National State building is partly empty, as is the 570 Broad office building. The old Blue Cross building is now classroom space for Rutgers. Prudential and PSE&G are a long three blocks away. On the plus side, there's lots of parking, and the light rail station is at the front door, as is the Homeland Security building. Other restaurants have failed in the NJPAC space. And, Maize restaurant in the Robert Treat hotel is between the Pru/PSEG and Nico.
A chef with the name recognition of Ryan DePersio may be able to make a success of this venture. I wish him the best, and look forward to trying Nico.
Nico dinner menu
[Newark] Nico, a new restaurant from Ryan DePersio
Started by Rail Paul, Feb 11 2012 03:23 AM
1 reply to this topic
#1
Rail Paul
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Posted 11 February 2012 - 03:23 AM
Contrast this to Rutt's Hut, an old school Jersey hot dog legend. You can't even get across the parking lot without encountering pigeons who are so bold that they try to take bites of hot dogs from people who are walking to their cars. These pigeons are so brazen that they routinely shake down rats for lunch money.
hotdoglover, describing the well known Clifton NJ dog house
#2
Rail Paul
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Posted 08 March 2012 - 08:59 PM
Star Ledger offers a preview
Free parking will be a big advantage. The article mentions that "free parking" will be available after show time on performance evenings. I wonder how that will work? The area on the restaurant side doubles as VIP / chauffeur space, so maybe theyll hold some spaces open for the restaurant?
Nico
In the kitchen before lunch Monday, DePersio sizzles some tomatoes, olives and capers for a deconstructed Livornese sauce that will accompany the bronzini filet ($15), and then turns his attention to the Greek-style lamb burger studded with mint, parsley and tarragon ($12). He rummages through five bins before lighting on the baseball-sized patties "It’s hard to remember the stations for three restaurants," he laughs.
Free parking will be a big advantage. The article mentions that "free parking" will be available after show time on performance evenings. I wonder how that will work? The area on the restaurant side doubles as VIP / chauffeur space, so maybe theyll hold some spaces open for the restaurant?
Nico
Contrast this to Rutt's Hut, an old school Jersey hot dog legend. You can't even get across the parking lot without encountering pigeons who are so bold that they try to take bites of hot dogs from people who are walking to their cars. These pigeons are so brazen that they routinely shake down rats for lunch money.
hotdoglover, describing the well known Clifton NJ dog house
