The closing of the former Southside Grill was mourned by many Chattanooga area diners but there is much to celebrate about the new Niko’s Southside Grill at the corner of 14th and Cowart Streets. Niko’s was opened in May of 2007 by the Kyriakidis brothers, Nick and Teddy, with the concept of using the freshest ingredients to create “Flavors of the South with Tastes of the Mediterranean.” The Kyriakidis family has been a strong presence in the Chattanooga dining area for 25 years with The Acropolis Four Star Grill at Hamilton Place.
Niko’s offers a full bar with interesting specialty drinks including several martinis such as the “Go Green” Martini (Square One certified organic vodka infused with raspberries, chilled and served straight up). There is also an impressive wine list, imported and specialty bottled beer and draft beer which includes Blue Moon, Sweetwater Blue and Sierra Nevada. The bar itself has been expanded to provide an open and friendly atmosphere conducive to dropping by for a drink and a bite with friends.
The atmosphere of the restaurant itself is special and yet relaxing. My friend and I were seated immediately and received excellent service throughout the meal. We were offered delicious focacia bread that is made in-house with an herb-infused olive oil for dipping. The bread was very fresh and warm and was wonderful with the dipping oil.
The appetizer menu is extensive, and includes several unusual offerings such as Butternut Squash Ravioli, South Georgia Chips and Dip (sweet potato chips with a sweet Vidalia and gorgonzola cheese dip), and Rock Shrimp. Traditional Greek appetizers are also offered including the Mediterranean Trio of olive tapenade, hummus and tzaziki (dill cucumber dip) served with pita chips and crostinis; and an Antipasto platter of Kesseri cheese, herbed feta, gorgonzola cheese, prosciutto, country olive blend and roasted peppers served with a French baguette. We ordered the Blue Crab Cakes which made a lovely presentation served over wilted spinach and shitake mushrooms with tzatziki and chipotle aiola. The crab cakes were wonderful as were the spinach and mushrooms, and the portion was plenty for two to share.
We both ordered salads - Niko’s House Salad and (of course!) the Greek Salad. The House Salad was a wonderful combination of mixed greens, sugared pecans, dried cranberries and gorgonzola tossed with warm mustard pecan vinaigrette – yummy! The Greek Salad was excellent – mixed greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, kalamata olives, and pepperoncini peppers topped with feta cheese and a classic vinaigrette dressing. It was quite good.
It was very difficult to choose entrees because the menu contains such a variety and they all sounded so good! The menu includes several beef dishes (Braised Beef Short Ribs served over cheese grits with carrots and green beans; Twin Peppercorn-crusted Filet Mignon served over basil mashed new potatoes and grilled asparagus, and Grilled Angus Rib Eye served with garlic mashed new potatoes, grilled portabella mushroom and asparagus), seafood dishes (Sesame Grouper over basmati rice served with green beans and Thai chili sauce; Pin nut-encrusted Ahi Tuna served with ginger mango salsa and basmati rice; Shrimp and Grits and Grilled Salmon marinated in soy and ginger and served with cucumber salad, basmati rice and a wasabi coulis), and other dishes such as Grilled White Marble Farms Pork Chops served over butternut squash ravioli with a sundried tomato and sage pesto brown butter; Grilled Lamb Chops crusted with rosemary and Dijon mustard served over herbed couscous with roasted vegetables; Quail Breast wrapped in maple cured bacon; and House Seasoned Chicken Breast served with mixed roasted vegetables and squash cakes. What a choice! We finally settled on a Chef’s Special of Bacon-wrapped Sea Scallops over herbed risotto and Eggplant Napoleon, which our waiter confirmed was a customer favorite.
The scallops were incredible - three huge (10 to a pound, which means the dish contains almost a third of a pound of scallop meat!) “diver” scallops wrapped in thick-sliced bacon with a soy-ginger glaze. The scallops were perfectly cooked – tender and moist. The risotto was very good, as was the grilled asparagus. The Eggplant Napoleon is a vegetarian dish which layers eggplant with spinach, artichokes, sundried tomatoes, roasted vegetables, fresh mozzarella and feta cheese and is topped with red and white sauces. This hearty dish is wonderful – the vegetables blend together but do not overpower each other so you can taste each one. The eggplant dish is offered in a smaller portion at lunch and I definitely recommend it.
Choosing a dessert is almost impossible because there are 15 mouth-watering selections that are all made in-house, including strawberry cake (made famous by Betty Kyriakidis and served for 25 years at the Acropolis), Crème Brule, Cheesecake and Chocolate Cream Cake. We chose the two that sounded the most unusual – Baklava Cheesecake and Warm Fig Bread Pudding. The Baklava Cheesecake is a creamy New York-style cheesecake topped with several layers of Baklava – need I say more? It is incredible and comes in a huge serving that could easily be shared by two or more people. The Warm Fig Bread Pudding was topped with hard orange sauce and cream and was absolutely delicious.
Niko’s is open for lunch from 11 until 4. The lunch menu contains many of the appetizers and entrees offered for dinner in smaller portions. The lunch menu also contains sandwiches, including a Bacon Cheddar Burger, Roasted Turkey Breast with roasted peppers and smoked gouda cheese on grilled herbed focaccia; and a vegetarian Pita Wrap, made with roasted vegetables, sprouts and tahini in a handmade pita. In addition to the House Salad and Greek salad (which can be ordered with grilled chicken) described above, the lunch menu contains Cherie’s Rosemary Chicken Salad with fried green tomatoes, grilled asparagus and a cherry tomato vinaigrette; and a Grilled Sirloin Salad of spinach and Romaine lettuce tossed with a tangerine cream, garnished with smoked almonds, roma tomatoes, cucumbers, Spanish olives, roasted corn and peppers and topped with grilled sirloin steak. There are also Daily Specials.
Niko’s is available for special events, parties, meetings and other functions as well as for catering.