Culinary trend chasers can be quick to dismiss a self-proclaimed “family restaurant.” But an icon like Nikolas Pizza, a staple in Newport for nearly half a century, delivers a special brand of local charm that’s hard to match, and a scratch-made, something for everyone formula.
A brand-new menu retains the standard Italian favorites and Greek pizza the place is known for, adding additional Aegean inspired dishes for every age and palate at highly competitive prices. There are deals and specials, cocktails and wine, vegetarian options, party food and catering and more.
The energy at Nikolas is homey, warm, with a welcoming and chipper staff. Recent renovations have created a refreshed, brighter and more spacious dining room.
On a recent visit, four of us sampled a variety of dishes, the highlights of which included a gorgeous, colorful Greek salad served in brightly painted pottery dishes. This salad is popping with crisp, minty-green Romaine, feta crumbles, Greek olives, juicy tomatoes, emerald-green peppers and slivers of purple red onion, with an oregano-laced vinaigrette that’s tart and balanced. Cannot recommend enough.
It’s so tasty, you’d swear the Filet-o-Chick chicken sandwich, breaded, served with mayo and pickles on a brioche bun, was teleported from you-know-where. A heaping plate of linguine frutti di mare comes loaded with calamari, half a dozen shrimp, plump mussels, and tangy rings of vinegar peppers and olive halves.
For me, a pizza with creamy goat cheese, chewy-crisp and salty prosciutto, sweet fig, and a Balsamic drizzle was unforgettable. The chewy, Greek style dough is the perfect foil for this sweet and salty pie.
There are additional Greek specialties now available, including a variety of Gyros; Saganaki, a savory Greek halloumi cheese, pan seared with honey and walnuts; and Dolmathes (stuffed grape leaves). Appetizers also include spinach pies, and Avgolemono, an egg drop style, very lemony chicken soup with vermicelli-thin noodles.
For the party crowd and the kids, there are wings and skins, mozz sticks and onion rings, grinders, pizza and calzones. For Mom, eggplant parm, Dad, lasagna.
And the clincher: with summer upon us, Nikolas has brought back its popular 50% off, Monday-Wednesday dine-in-only special. From 4 to 10 p.m., diners can choose from a limited but varied menu of some of Nikolas’ most popular dishes, all served at half price. This, along with a permanent 15% discount for Salve students and a take-out, online-only large pie plus a dozen wings deal, make Nikolas a family restaurant where everyone’s family.
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