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

Experience the transformation of Nolita from a pizza chain to an all-American diner with indulgent dishes and Archie-style desserts.

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 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.