Chennai | Nolita dinette transforms from a pizzeria to an all-American diner with indulgent meals

Pizza dog
| Photo Credit: Special arrangement

Before his first encounter with the famed blooming onions from the United States, Chef Babu Perumal, restauranter Sandesh Reddy’s long-trusted compatriot who is working on setting up new kitchens for the brand’s chain, says that the dish triggered his curiosity. What causes the onion to spread its bulbs like a lotus? “Only later did I realise that it is akin to a bajji,” he says, laughing. Onions have not been the only element undergoing metamorphosis at this kitchen.

Nolita, the pizza chain which opened in 2019 serving Neapolitan pizzas, has now transformed into a dinette. The bright white and blue Santorini-esque walls with an overflowing wall garden at Khader Nawaz Khan Road, have been swapped for dimmer overhead lamps and red-tiled walls with a colour scheme akin to Hopper’s Nighthawks.

The focus has shifted from only serving pizzas, to an all-American diner offering dishes like baby back ribs that glisten, hearty chicken chowder, and meat-filled steaks and roulades.

The theme is indulgent with a side of food from every New York-based sitcom. Think loaded Philly cheesecakes, New York style pizza pies, and cheesy bechamel sauce with a torched golden crust, flowing atop an already decadent chicken lasagna. Now add more cheese.

After our first course of the creamy chowder, we encounter a light, asparagus salad with a pomegranate dressing, and a wild Caesar salad with a fresh blob of lucious burrata that bursts onto the salad plate. The burrata ceases to diminish despite our best efforts and our appetite is already beginning to hit full tank. “Full? You still have the entrees, mains and desserts to go,” the chef says.

The refurbished interiors
| Photo Credit:
Special arrangement

Bit by bit

The peri peri infused chicken wings served with Chipotle mayo seems to make for the perfect bite. The mozzarella sticks are a miss only because the fried cheese stick inside the encasing fried batter is not gooey enough. But it does have a satisfactory cheese pull to lure the Instagram click-bait crowd. The sausage on the pizza dog (hot dog on a pizza base with ketchup and mustard) is well-flavoured with a snap.

The pull-up lasagna is a great example of the theatrics you will experience at Nolita dinette. Watch the warm cheese sauce flow over the sizeable lasagna portion onto the plate. However, it would be better if there is some heat or acidity to cut through all the fat.

A pizza full of pepperoni
| Photo Credit:
Special arrangement

Pizzas continue to take up an entire page on the menu with interesting options like the Wagyu pizza with beef tenderloin and the Pizza Fritta (a foldable street-style italian pie). Sandesh says, “I felt right from our pizza to our pasta dishes we had genuine room for improvement. For us it was like opening a new restaurant. We thought we could improve the overall experience as well and make this a proper diner than just a pizzeria, while keeping it quintessentially Nolita (North of Little Italy) which is my favourite neighbourhood for old school Italian food in New York.”

Chef Babu tells us the focus is on bringing an authentic diner experience which is why most ingredients are imported. It has to be the only explanation behind the pricing that is most definitely on the higher side. The meal ends with Archie-style desserts including a thick peanut butter brownie shake.

The Lotus Biscoff milkshake
| Photo Credit:
Special arrangement

Despite this, I still find minutes to mourn the loss of my go-to order from the menu — the Chelsea pie with a spicy tomato sauce and the garlic bread from the old Nolita. “You can still get it at the Besant Nagar branch,” Arunima Karmakar, head of operations, Nolita says.

It’s time to get that gluttony checked.

Nolita Dinette is open from 12pm to 4am at Platinum Building, Khader Nawaz Khan Road. A meal for two costs 1,500. For reservations, contact 42119800.

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