While millions of members of the Western Church begin celebrating Lent with Ash Wednesday, 0.4 percent of the of the United States, Greeks and those of Greek descent, began their Eastern Orthodox celebration of Lent this past Monday, March 2nd. At Nisi Restaurant in Englewood, Lent will be observed in daily menu specials containing no meat, fish that are round or flat, or dairy for the requisite forty days leading to Easter Sunday, which is April 19th on the Eastern Orthodox calendar. In addition, those dishes on the regular menu that are appropriate for the Lenten diet are marked by an asterisk.
Nisi will offer a daily special appetizer, or meze, as well as a main course that meet Lenten requirements. Lenten specials will include mezedes like braised calamari, squid baked in a spicy tomato sauce, Greek fava, a delectable purée of fava beans topped with scallions, capers, Greek olive oil, and shards of arugula, steamed mussels or clams, and stuffed eggplant.
Main courses will include vegetarian moussaka, where the lamb is replaced with a mushroom and oven-roasted tomato compote (and no béchamel sauce; instead, a creamy combination of whipped potato with skordalia, the garlicky potato spread, folded in), wild shrimp served in a spicy tomato sauce with tiny white beans, octopus braised to a zesty turn and then tossed with hand-rolled pasta, and seared sea scallops served on a bed of greens with sun-dried tomato, lemon, and capers. The Lenten menu restrictions rule out all red meats, poultry and their by-products of milk and eggs, as well as fish such as sea bass, sea bream, and striped bass, staples of the Greek diet.
Nisi is located at 90 Grand Avenue in Englewood and serves lunch Monday – Saturday from 12:00 noon – 4:00 p.m. and dinner daily, 5:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m., to midnight on Fridays & Saturdays, and 12:00 noon to 8:00 p.m. on Sundays.
For more information, or to make reservations, please call (201) 567-4700.
Bon Appétit!
TAD
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