Nicosi

Hi ladies and gents, my name is Josh. I try to keep my digital footprint as low as possible, but I wanted to share my lovely experience at Nicosi. For background I am not a big fine dining person, I’m not a chef or a food critic. I just like food and I have only been to one other restaurant that was given a star by the tire company that has a hold on the restaurant industry. It was difficult not to compare the two when they had so much in common at baseline, such as how they presented every dish with care, creativity and reason; but were very different in the type of food and flavors. Unlike other restaurants, Nicosi focuses on desserts, a seasonal menu, and going through the natural flow of tastes from bitter, sweet, umami and sour. It was a joy to partake in. Like my other experience, the host and chef walks you through every ingredient on the course and why it was chosen. It’s a fun show and experience. I understand why it has a star, but I felt that Nicosi lacked one thing, that I wish it had. I wish it had an extra bite, an extra course, an extra drink, 8 felt a little lacking. I needed something spicier, like literally spicier, from maybe Indian or Latin heritage to fill my mouth and stomach. It was just missing that one extra course that would have captured the whole picture for me. Yet, I don’t regret going, I had some of the best desserts of my life and a fun time, which is saying a lot as I’m extremely lactose intolerant and took like 9 lactaid pills throughout the meal.

I really wanted to like Nicosi since I love the concept, but the place felt like a ripoff. Out of all the desserts, only the first one was good enough to be considered memorable. As far as the dessert for dinner remark, food was really not much and we definitely needed a second dinner. Service was nothing out of the ordinary and having to linger around the door until someone approaches you to confirm your reservation feels kind of awkward. Parking is available at the pullman market and it's really limited.

If you're looking at Nicosi and wondering if it's actually worth doing, YES. Do it. This was genuinely one of the coolest dining experiences I've ever had, and I can't wait to do it again. Don't think of it as just going somewhere for an eight-course dessert tasting. It's much more of an experience, almost like a show where food happens to be the medium. It's definitely elevated, but they make you feel comfortable from the beginning and make everything surprisingly approachable. You don't need to know anything about fine dining to enjoy it. Ask questions! They like what they do and seem genuinely happy to answer them. And "dessert" definitely doesn't mean eight courses of sugar bombs. They're playing with different flavor profiles, textures, temperatures and ingredients, so every course feels completely different. My partner and I ended up with VERY different rankings of everything we ate, which honestly made talking about it afterward part of the fun. If you're hesitant because you're not sure you're actually going to enjoy the food, I get that too. My partner is a pretty picky eater and admitted afterward that when we first sat down, she felt a little in over her head. Then she tried the first thing they served us and it completely settled her. It was basically an "okay, that was different, but that was GOOD. I can trust these people" moment. Go in with an open mind and let yourself try things. You probably won't love every single bite, and that's okay. We certainly had our favorites, but even the things that weren't our favorites were fun to experience. I also wouldn't show up starving, but definitely don't show up full. It's plenty of food for the experience, but it's not meant to send you home needing to unbutton your pants. One last tip: give yourself extra time getting to the Pearl. Parking can be unpredictable, but arriving early actually worked out great for us. Walk around, grab a drink or split an appetizer somewhere, and get the rushing-around jitters out before your reservation. You'll enjoy Nicosi more if you walk in relaxed and ready to take it all in. I went for my 30th birthday and weeks later I'm still thinking about it. If you're on the fence, get off the fence and make the reservation. It's so, so worth experiencing.

Congrats Nicosi on the Michelin star- well deserved- changing the game with a dessert restaurant!! Finally getting around to my review of Nicosi- it took this long to craft the review because of how great the experience was! When I heard about an restaurant with an 8-course dessert menu, I had to say yes and am so glad I did!! No pics are allowed during the dinner which helps you be present. Shoutout to Ben, Katelynn, and Delissa! You all made this such a wonderful evening!! Being an Emmer & Rye concept, I knew it was going to be excellent. I won’t give much more about the food because you need to experience it for yourself and the menu may have changed by the time you get to go.