I ended up uptown for dinner at my friend’s favorite neighborhood place, Chez Nick’s, which opened in February 2020 as the pandemic closed the world. The restaurant is co-owned by three chefs — Bobby Little, Chad Urban, and Nicholas Bayse — with lots of NYC kitchen experience including Ai Fiori, Marc Forgione, Momofuku Noodle Bar, Robertas, and more recently Batard, where the trio met. The three are meeting their goals of bringing Michelin-starred techniques and service to their neighborhood dining experience where guest satisfaction comes first.

I sampled the Pina Verde, one of their unique smoky spicy cocktails made with mezcal and Ancho Reyes Verde (a spicy liqueur crafted from ancho and poblano chiles) garnished with a whole mini hot pepper.

We all wanted to nibble their fries ($9) along with our other apps. One friend began with a plate of barbecued multi-colored carrots with green tahini ($10), the other the burrata with fava bean pesto, charred spring peas and arugula topped with rye crisps ($17). I had their vaudouvan-spiced (Think curry!) cauliflower, topped with sliced peppers, chopped pistachios, Castelvetrano olives and culatora (an herb with a cilantro-like flavor) salsa in a pool of labneh and preserved lemon ($14).

As usual, my eyes were bigger than my stomach and I couldn’t finish the tender lemongrass pork steak ($32) with garlic fried rice with savoy cabbage in a Thai chili vinaigrette all topped with a fried egg. I did manage to eat the rib and a slice of the pork then took the rest home to enjoy. The tender black bass cooked en papillote came served in broth over with veggies and greens.

I recommend a visit!

Chez Nick
Upper East Side
1737 York Ave (between 91 and 92 Street)
New York, NY 10128
646.429.3310
cheznicknyc.com