NISI BISTRO — Restaurant in New York

You never know what you're going to get here because the menu changes faster than at any restaurant I've been to before. I remember when the old Nisi, before they tried again to be upscale fine dining, could actually make a decent grilled cheese, but not now, not even a decent grilled cheese. Today's grilled cheese "on thick bread" (why?) had cheese that wasn't melted. And the sandwich wasn't hot enough. And the fries (usually are good) weren't hot. And the place was empty so what's your excuse Nisi? What a screw up.

I used to think the owner at least understood diners, he certainly has no understanding of fine dining (note to owner, you cannot do fine dining with cafeteria silverware and paper napkins. CANNOT.) So I sent half the grilled cheese back to heat it more, and it came back burnt. Clearly they fired the upscale chef, but who did they replace him with? Yikes. Then I asked for more ketchup and a refill on my drink (why are you sending ketchup in little cups (?), it will never be enough so just send the bottle, remember you are NOT fine dining.) It took two requests with two different servers (remember they were close to empty) and in time the ice tea showed up, but not the ketchup, that took more work. Explain that please.

Note, you are offering a dish called "Crocket Monsieur". Seriously? You can't even proof read your own menu, it's a French dish called Croque Monsieur and there is nothing called a Crocket Monsieur. Man, this is your business treat it with some respect. Or....maybe it doesn't deserve that.

Now I could review the salad Nicoise from a couple of weeks ago when it had yet another menu, this one a hybrid between attempted fine dining and upscale diner, but it's no longer on the menu.... or is it? The presentation and dressing was nice, the tuna was of below average quality, tough, precooked medium rare from like yesterday, and the soft-ish boiled egg (a nice custardy yolk) was freezing cold so also cooked the day before? But nothing in that salad was cooked to order, lazy.

You have no clue what fine dining is, and when you tried again to do this you earned yourself a health grade of B and angered the people who liked you. What are you trying to do? Kill yourself off and your customers too? Maybe rename your place "Nada."

On a positive note, the servers...

When I heard that Trellis was undergoing a renovation, I had the same knee-jerk reaction a lot of people had. Why? A lot of people don't like change. I'm one of them. Trellis has always been a core part of the island. So core in fact, that the owners renamed Trellis into "NISI", which is "island" in Greek. Years later, now sitting in the newly-opened NISI, I find myself comparing every aspect and I'm constantly saying to myself, "Oh, that's why."

From the multi-faceted store front to the fresh, modern interior, NISI is passion personified. Everything has been done from the ground up, and it's clear that it's been a labor of love. Every column, wall, light, table, you name it - has been redone from the ground up to fulfill the vision put forth by owners Kaie and Alex.

While I waited for my food, I got a chance to meet some of the staff, and I was happy to witness such warm, friendly, and energetic staff making sure that everyone was taken care of. I can’t imagine anyone who’s half decent having any problems here. (Remember folks, the Customer is not always right.)

For my first dish, I ordered from their all-new menu, the Chicken Cutlet Parmesan with Linguine and broccoli rabe. The pasta was perfectly cooked, and the chicken was generously covered in cheese. Yum. I couldn't give a complete review without having my favorite dish, the "Western" burger, a Trellis personal favorite I was ecstatic to find had an updated version available on the menu. With high quality ingredients like the brioche bun, and an excellent grade of meat, I was more than satisfied.

I couldn't be more excited to experience the opening week here on Roosevelt Island, and I'm looking forward to seeing how an identity is forged over time as more and more people come to try this for themselves. The building might be new, but don't let the fresh paint fool you. Behind the new sign in front is a passionate and experienced family dedicated to providing the island with a spot worthy of the...

I can imagine that most of the reviews for Nisi (good & bad) are accurate. I've been twice; both times my food has been delicious. However, the service has been...abrupt, slow and so-so at best. The 1st time we ordered 2 sandwiches - club & chicken gyro, both very tasty and not bad value for money. Should really include fries on both though, shouldn't have to add them. I asked how our server was out of politeness and was pretty much told they'd be much better when they were done with working their shift. The 2nd time I ordered a caesar salad which was again, very tasty. I also got a chai tea which was served in a large hot pot with plenty of milk & sugar. My friend however ordered the chicken burger consisting of just a chicken burger, slaw & honey sauce. Out of these 3 basic elements, they forgot the honey sauce. When she asked for it the server lied saying "it's on there, you probably just can't taste it because of the slaw." She insisted on having the sauce on the side and when it finally got brought to her, it was bright red and very obviously not already on the plate. That's pure laziness and refusing to admit a mistake which could have easily been solved by "sorry, I'll get it for you straight away." The brioche bun was very dry and she left it. We got dessert which was lovely but again, my friend's order was incorrect. When she asked for the correct cake, the server made a face, but brought it to her. Service was extremely slow and problematic, we could hear other guests having issues too. Another person ordered steak which looked disgusting and very sad. Still, everything I've ordered has tasted great so far and I'll probably return, despite the poor service. They really need to employ more than 1 or 2 servers, or just better servers - demanding a minimum of 18% tip for the quality I experienced is ridiculous. The ambience is beautiful, both inside & out with a...